Tuesday, November 11, 2008

TWD - Kugelhopf


This week's Tuesday with Dorie is hosted by Yolanda of The All-Purpose Girl, who has chosen something that I have wanted to make for a long time - a kugelhopf. A couple of years ago, I did a beginner German class, and while I didn't retain too much German, I have hankered after making kugelhopf ever since learning about it in class.

A kugelhopf is like a cross between a bread and a very plain cake, and is a yeasted baked item studded with raisins and traditionally baked in a turban-shaped pan. While kugelhopf is popular in Germany and Austria, with regional variations, it actually originates in Alsace. For more on the history of the kugelhopf and yet another recipe, refer to this New York Times article.

Instead of a kugelhopf pan, I used a bundt pan as my mould. I loved the silkiness of the kugelhopf dough. Here is my kugelhopf just before it went into the oven:

I just used raisins in my dough as suggested in the recipe, because I don't mind them and I have heaps of them about for Christmas baking projects. I didn't have time to allow my dough to rest in the fridge overnight, so I only needed 40 minutes rising time after placing the dough in the bundt pan before baking.

The two ends of my kugelhopf did not join together well, so I had a slit in my kugelhopf. However, the butter and sugar used to crust up the finished kugelhopf helped to seal the gap.

My kugelhopf doubled as an emergency birthday cake (despite it not being the most festive of cakes!), because unbeknown to me, it was my boss's birthday yesterday and I hadn't baked him anything special. I melted a chocolate bar that I had in my desk and made a piping bag out of ordinary paper to pipe my boss's name on the kugelhopf:


It certainly wasn't a very exciting birthday cake. I would have liked the kugelhopf to be sweeter, but as no-one else came forth with a cake, it was the best that could be managed in the circumstances. My boss's assistant seemed to think he wouldn't mind having a kugelhopf as a birthday cake.

Thanks to Yolanda for hosting TWD this week - you can find the kugelhopf recipe on her site or in Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan. You can check out all the other variations on the kugelhopf at the TWD blogroll
here.

19 comments:

Tammy said...

I love the last minute decoration! :0)

Emily said...

I think the cake looks really good. Perfect for the holidays. :)

Maria said...

Beautiful cake!! I love the dusting of powdered sugar!

Anonymous said...

Fantastic! Kugelhopf is always one of those things that I thought you should just buy because I had no idea how to make it but that looks great. I'll try making it from now on :)

Engineer Baker said...

Too funny - lucky you to have the kugelhopf all ready as a birthday cake stand-in! I love how golden brown yours is.

Cakelaw said...

LOL Tammy - I described it as "dollying it up"!

Thanks Em :)

Thanks Maria - I was very glad that I had it when I had to transform this into a birthday cake at work.

Hi Lorraine, I have seen recipes but been intimidated by it - TWD made me go forward!

Thanks Engineer Baker :)

Audrey said...

It looks gorgeous! Wasn't this good? I needed 40 years instead of 40 minutes to get my dough to rise, but I loved the end result, regardless.

chocolatechic said...

Way to improvise!

Yours looks so great!

Jodie said...

Think of it as bread- slap some butter and jam on it and then you'll be happier with it! :)

Melissa said...

I used my bundt pan too. I hope your boss enjoyed it!

Flourchild said...

Hey! Your cake looks great. I think it took sooo long to make. Im glad I made it, but never again!

The Blonde Duck said...

I feel bad you always wind up baking for all the office folks! They're spoiled rotten!

Cakelaw said...

LOL Audrey - I think I became impatient and just rolled with it.

Thanks Chocolate Chic - it had to be done! Felt very bad about not having a special cake.

Hi Melissa, he didn't say, but I think he enjoyed the fact that we remembered (even if it was when I got to work and checked my diary!).

Hi Flourchild, I am with you on that - I'd rather make an ordinary loaf of bread for the effort involved.

Hi Blonde Duck, I think they like it!

Y said...

It looks great! Trust you to come up with something fantastic, in the time of great cakey need :D

Unknown said...

I just saw Milly's Kitchen catalogue today and they have this kugelhof tin. I was thinking to buy myself one, but then here you are... Gaye, like I said, you're the queen of baking hehehehe

Jin Hooi said...

wow .. looks nice !! well, it certainly was a very special birthday cake !! well done ;-)

Cakelaw said...

Thanks Y - I think if, as Jodie suggested, I considered it to be a bread rather than a cake, or I had added choc chips, I would have enjoyed it more.

LOL Arfi - now you have to get that pan!

Thanks Jin - not what I had originally intended, but it was a good enough rescue plan.

AmyRuth said...

Wow, way to come through in a pinch. Does your boss read your blog? he he. Oh well, at least he had some celebrations. Glad your turnout for the boss. Yippee
AmyRuth

Cakelaw said...

Hi AmyRuth - no, he doesn't luckily!