Gugelhupf is a traditional European cake with a rich history, particularly beloved in Austria, Germany, and Alsace. With its signature ring shape and soft, airy texture, this yeast-based cake is often studded with raisins, almonds, or chocolate and lightly dusted with powdered sugar. Its buttery flavor and subtle sweetness make it a perfect treat for cozy mornings or festive gatherings.
Best enjoyed during the cooler months of autumn and winter, Gugelhupf pairs beautifully with a hot cup of coffee or mulled wine. Whether served for breakfast, as an afternoon indulgence, or as a holiday centerpiece, this elegant cake is a timeless classic that brings warmth and nostalgia to any table.
Ingredients
Method
- Mix the flour, sugar, salt and instant yeast in the bowl of the mixer.
- Add the lukewarm water and the egg and mix on low speed until a shaggy dough forms.
- Knead with the dough hook on medium-low speed for 5 minutes (10 minutes by hand).
- Add the cold butter a few pieces at a time, kneading until each addition disappears.
- Keep kneading for 5 minutes more, until the dough is smooth, soft and stretchy.
- Cover the bowl and leave at room temperature for 1–1½ hours, until the dough has doubled.
- Meanwhile, heat the cream and butter for the filling until steaming and pour them over the chopped chocolate.
- Leave for 2 minutes, then stir until smooth.
- Refrigerate the ganache for 20–30 minutes, stirring now and then, until it is as thick as soft butter.
- Butter the tin thoroughly and press the flaked almonds onto the bottom and sides.
- Press the air out of the dough and roll it on a lightly floured surface into a rectangle about 40 × 25 cm, 3 mm thick.
- Spread the ganache over the dough, leaving a 1 cm border along one long side.
- Roll the dough up tightly from the other long side and pinch the seam closed.
- Cut the roll into 3 equal pieces.
- Lay the pieces seam side down around the tin, ends touching, to make a ring.
- Cover with the tea towel and leave for 30–45 minutes, until puffy and risen by about half.
- Meanwhile, heat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
- Bake for 30–35 minutes, until deep golden; a thermometer in the bread should read 90°C (194°F).
- Cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn out onto the rack.
- Dust with icing sugar through the sieve once the cake has cooled.
- Sift out flavour, add sugar and salt while stirring.
- Add yeast, dissolved previously in water.
- Add small chunks of cold butter and eggs then, while stirring.
- Wrap in a cling film and let the dough rise at room temperature.
- Prepare chocolate stuffing by dissolving chocolate and butter in cream.
- Roll out the dough into thin rectangular layer, spread chocolate stuffing over it and roll the dough.
- Cut the roll in 15-cm pieces and put in a circle into Gugelhupf baking dish, preliminary oiled and covered with flaked almonds.
- Cover dish with towel and let the dough rise for around 20-30 minutes, then bake in the oven for 20 minutes at 180-200 degrees.
What we changed for home
- Batch halved and baked in a 1.5-litre (6-cup) gugelhupf or bundt tin The chef's 400 g of flour fills a large mould; half makes a cake for four, with seconds.
- Fresh yeast (10 g for this half batch) replaced with 3 g instant yeast Fresh yeast is hard to find in many supermarkets; instant yeast does the same job at about a third of the weight and goes straight into the flour.
- Water raised from 40 ml to 70 ml for the half batch With 80 ml of water and two eggs for 400 g of flour, the original dough is very stiff for a sweet yeast cake; 70 ml gives a soft dough that still rolls out. Hold back a spoonful if your flour feels soft.
- Salt cut from 2.5% to 1.5% of the flour 10 g of salt on 400 g of flour is a lot for a sweet cake and slows the yeast.
- Flaked almonds and butter for the tin added to the list The method lines the mould with them, but the list leaves them out.
- Rising times and a doneness test added; baking time raised from 20 minutes to 30–35 The original gives no rising times, and 20 minutes is too short for a cake this deep. Enriched bread is baked through at 90°C (194°F) inside.
- Ganache cooled until spreadable before it goes on the dough Warm ganache runs out of the roll.
The dish in the photograph was cooked by the restaurant for this story. Photo: Oleksandr Slyadnyev.
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