Yummy coffee dip ~ Gugelhopf

My neighbor recently gifted me two Gugelhopf, or bundt pans :). One is metal, and the other a beautiful blue & white ceramic.

:)

My Oma used to make yummy yeasty breads & cakes, so I never had a need to make them myself. All these years, I have not attempted to make a Napfkuchen (that is what we called the Gugelhopf), or any of the wonderful creations I remember from my childhood. My neighbor has opened a flood gate :).

First on my list is of course, the Gugelhopf, as I am in love with the blue ceramic and just want to make something in it.

A little history from Wiki: Gugelhupf is a big cake, derived from the Groninger Poffert, and has a distinctive ring shape or the shape of a torus. It is usually eaten with coffee, at coffee breaks.


Gugelhupf consists of a soft yeast dough which contains raisins, almonds and Kirschwasser cherry brandy. Some also contain candied fruits and nuts. Some regional varieties (Czech, Hungarian and Slovenian) are also filled, often with a layer of sweetened ground poppy seeds.

It is baked in a special circular pan with a central tube, originally made of enamelled pottery. Similar pans are used for making Bundt cakes, a cake baking pan shape in the US derived from the Gugelhupf.

I have some wonderful recipes from my Oma, but I picked one that is already translated & converted for the sake of sanity, and for instant gratification.

Ingredients (adapted from http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Kugelhopf-106380)
1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast (less than 1 envelope)
2 tablespoons warm water (105–115°F)
1 cup whole milk
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon pieces and softened
6 tablespoons granulated sugar
3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups golden raisins
1 teaspoon finely grated fresh orange or lemon zest
About 20 whole blanched almonds (1/2 ounces)
1 tablespoon confectioners sugar


Special equipment: a standing electric mixer with paddle attachment; an 11-cup kugelhopf mold (9 1/2 inches in diameter) or an 11- to 12-cup bundt pan

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Preparation

Stir together yeast and water in a small bowl and let stand until foamy, 5 to 10 minutes. (If mixture doesn't foam, discard and start over with new yeast.)

Heat milk with 6 tablespoons butter and granulated sugar over low heat, stirring, until mixture is warm (105 to 115°F), butter is melted, and sugar is dissolved.

Sift together flour and salt into bowl of standing mixer. Make a well in flour and add yeast mixture. Add warm milk in a slow stream, mixing at low speed with paddle attachment. Increase speed to medium and beat in eggs 1 at a time, then beat in raisins and zest. Continue to beat until dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. (Dough will be very sticky.)

Butter kugelhopf mold with remaining tablespoon butter. Put 1 almond in each depression in bottom of mold (the almonds are only decorative; you can skip them altogether if your mold has no depressions), then scrape spoonfuls of dough evenly into mold (dough will be very elastic). Cover top of mold with oiled plastic wrap and a kitchen towel and let dough rise in a warm place until it fills pan, about 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Remove towel from kugelhopf and gently peel off plastic wrap. Bake kugelhopf in middle of oven 15 minutes, then loosely cover mold with foil and continue to bake until golden and a tester inserted in center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes more. Cool in pan 2 minutes, then invert cake onto a rack to cool completely, about 1 hour. Dust with confectioners sugar.

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I eliminated the raisins because my daughter does not like them, but next time around I will add them back in. It just tastes a bit boring without them. My vanilla brandy was yummy here, but I am buying some Kirschwasser (cherry shnaps) for the next one.

This always tastes yummy fresh, but makes a heavenly dip in for coffee on the next day!

:)

Guten appetite!
Heike