Dissolve yeast and brown sugar in lukewarm water and let it sit.

Beat egg yolks and whole eggs together until thick and lemony.

Gradually add sugar to the egg mixture, beating until well blended.

Stir in evaporated milk (or cream/milk), yeast mixture, grated orange zest, and salt.

Gradually add enough flour to make a soft dough.

Knead in bowl until smooth, then knead in the cooled, melted butter.

When the butter is worked in, knead in the raisins and continue kneading until dough no longer sticks to hands.

Place dough in a buttered bowl, turning once to coat, and cover with a towel.

Let rise in a warm place until doubled in size.

Punch down the dough and let it rise again.

Divide the dough into three equal portions and shape each portion into a ball.

Heavily grease three 2-pound coffee cans and fill each can approximately 1/3 full with a ball of dough.

Cover the cans with a towel and let the dough rise until doubled.

Bake in a preheated oven at 375F (190C) for 10 minutes.

Reduce the oven heat to 300F (150C) and bake for an additional 35 to 45 minutes, or until the babka is golden brown and cooked through.

If the bread begins to brown too quickly during baking, cover it loosely with aluminum foil.

Remove the babka from the oven and let it cool in the cans for 15 minutes before carefully removing from the tins.

Let cool completely before slicing and serving.