Gugelhupf
Also Known As: Kugelhupf
The Gugelhupf (pronounced "google-hoopf") is the Southern German version of the American Bundt Cake and the Italian Panettone. Traditionally, it is a cake, made with a yeast dough, and it is baked in a special, bundt-style cake pan.
Several Gugelhupf cakes today are made with baking powder instead of yeast for leavening. This makes the cake easier and quicker to prepare. These are still baked in the Gugelhupf cake pan. However, except for their shape, these cakes have little in common with the traditional recipes.
| |
Photo: © Philip Lange
|
| |
|
Main Ingredients
Traditional ingredients include flour, eggs, milk, butter, almonds, raisins, and yeast. It is often decorated in powdered sugar or a chocolate glaze.
Serving Suggestions
The best time to enjoy a Gugelhupf is when it is fresh out of the oven and still lukewarm. Germans often spread some butter and jam over a slice and enjoy it with a cup of coffee.
History
There are two conflicting stories regarding the origin of the Gugelhupf.
The first story says that the three holy kings, on their way home from Bethlehem, traveled through the Alsace region of France. The residents of Alsace were so delighted of their visit that they baked them a cake resembling the shape of their turbans, thus inventing the traditional form of the Gugelhupf.
The second story claims that the Gugelhupf was invented in Austria. Marie Antoinette, queen of France and archdutchess of Austria, brought the cake from the Alp region to the french region of Versailles.
Special Baking Tips
1) Butter, milk, and eggs should all be at room temperature. This helps them mix well together.
2) For a light, airy texture, be sure to sift the flour and baking powder together. Also, if its available in your area, use Superfine Sugar (also called Baker's Sugar).
3) It is best to butter and flour the cake pan to prevent any sticking.
|
