The Christmas Kugelhupf or Gugelhupf is a leavened cake from the Austrian and German tradition.
In the original version, sultanas are used in the dough, but over time there have been variations like the one I propose.
This cake was known to the Romans in ancient times, due to the discovery of a mold dating back to the period.
I don’t have precise information, but I think after that discovery, due to trade exchanges between various states, the shape of the mold was spread and then the typical cake.
The Gugelhupf with its classic spiral shape obtained from the classic bundt cake mold.
In the variations of this cake, ingredients such as raisins, candied fruits, and almonds on the surface are present, but since I don’t like these ingredients, I omitted them and also the almonds, very good for many recipes, but I avoided them in the decoration.
A leavened cake that remains soft in a plastic bag for at least 3-4 days.
If you have the chance, I recommend using a stand mixer to knead, otherwise elbow grease and everything is done by hand.
The shape of my cake is not quite perfect, but this is because it rose a lot and therefore exceeded the mold, but I assure you it was a real show of taste and softness.
If you make this or other recipes on my blog, send me the photo, if you like, I’ll post it on my fb page in your name.
Approx. 304 Kcal per person
- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Medium
- Rest time: 5 Hours
- Preparation time: 45 Minutes
- Portions: 8 people
- Cooking methods: Electric oven
- Cuisine: German
- Seasonality: Christmas
Ingredients for making Christmas Kugelhupf or Gugelhupf
- 2.6 oz water
- 2.6 oz flour w300
- 0.5 oz fresh yeast
- 1/2 teaspoon honey
- 2 egg whites
- 7.9 oz flour w300
- 1.8 oz whole milk
- 1 pinch salt
- 4 egg yolks
- 4.6 oz sugar
- 5.3 oz butter
- grated zest of 1 orange
- 2.1 oz dark chocolate chips (or raisins and candied orange)
- 1 teaspoon liquid vanilla
- 3 tablespoons rum
- 6.3 oz flour w300
- 0.7 oz powdered sugar
- 1 Mold Gugelhupf mold
Preparation of the Christmas Kugelhupf or Gugelhupf
Let’s start by preparing the starter dough by putting water, yeast, flour, and honey in a small bowl, mixing well, covering with plastic wrap, and letting it rise for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Once the starter dough is ready, prepare the stand mixer, pour in the starter dough, add the egg whites, flour, milk, and a pinch of salt required for the first dough.
Work for a few minutes at low speed with the paddle attachment.
Once the dough is obtained, let it rest in the mixer for about 15 minutes before proceeding with the addition of the other ingredients.
Continue working with the ingredients required for the second and final dough by adding one egg yolk at a time, taking care to mix a little between one yolk and the other.
Add the sugar in two parts, always mixing, then add the liquid vanilla, the rum, half of the flour, and work well.
Soften the butter, grate the orange peel and mix it into the butter, mixing well, incorporate the mixture into the dough in two additions.
Finally, add the remaining flour and replace the paddle attachment with the dough hook, and work for a few minutes at low speed, then increase a little, but the dough should work for at least 20 minutes.
If we see the dough seems to warm up, stop the machine for a few minutes and then resume mixing.
Finally, add the dark chocolate chips and work the dough just enough to incorporate them, otherwise, if mixed too much, the chocolate will turn the dough brown.
Transfer the dough to a greased bowl and let it rise for 3-4 hours, alternatively, let it rise for 1 hour, then place it in the fridge for 6-10 hours and then, once time has passed, take it out of the fridge and continue the rising.
Once the rise is achieved, transfer the dough to a floured work surface
….make folds, repeating the operation twice.
Form a closed ball underneath, create a sausage….
place it in the typical bundt cake mold for this dessert, pressing with your hands to fill all spaces well.
Cover with plastic wrap and let it rise for about 3 hours, the dough should reach half a finger from the edge of the mold….. but mine went a little beyond.
Once the rise is achieved, bake in a preheated oven at 356°F (180°C) for 30 minutes, monitoring the cooking.
In the oven, place the cake not in the middle but on the 2nd rack, just one step lower.
Once baked, let it cool well, then turn it over onto a serving plate and dust with powdered sugar.
