Gugelhupf - Classic Kugelhopf Recipe | Baking for Happiness (2024)

Grandma's traditional yeast-risen bundt cake always tastes good! And with this recipe, baking the fluffy pastry is a breeze.

Gugelhupf - Classic Kugelhopf Recipe | Baking for Happiness (1)

Hello everyone. This traditional bundt cake made with yeast dough is wonderfully buttery and fluffy. Even though it's neither an unusual nor hip cake, every baking household should have a classic recipe for Gugelhupf (or Kugelhopf). I'll share mine with you in this post.

Jump to:
  • Taste and Occasion
  • Ingredients
  • How to make the Gugelhupf
  • Top Tip
  • Recipe Card
  • Variations
  • Reviews

Taste and Occasion

Before the classic Gugelhupf recipe, a brief explanation of the terminology. You see, it's a bit confusing. By "Gugelhupf" everyone understands something different: Some mean the shape of the pastry, which is baked in a high cupcake or wreath cake form. Sometimes it's a marble cake, sometimes a lemon cake, sometimes an eggnog cake. The others have a narrower definition. And in fact, the original Gugelhupf is made with yeast and not at all with a sponge.

While we call it a Gugelhupf in Germany, you might know it as a bundt cake or a Kogelhopf. But in the end, they all mean the same. So I'll just call it a bundt cake in this post 😉

Grandma's bundt cake tastes lovely. It is made of a comparatively lush, in my case stirred, yeast dough and it is not too sweet. Because of that, the thick layer of powdered sugar is very, very important. For those unfamiliar with the classic, it's like a mix of braided bread, oven-baked yeast dumplings and french brioche. It's not difficult to prepare - despite the dough sometimes being reputed to be complicated.

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Ingredients

As mentioned before, you make my basic bundt cake recipe with a yeast dough that is stirred instead of kneaded. So it is similar to a sponge 😉 … Of course, it has to rise properly before baking - not in the bowl, but from the beginning directly in the pan that is buttered before and sprinkled with almond flakes.

To make the cake moist and fluffy, I like to use double-grain flour, Viennese semolina flour or type 550 flour, but in principle, it also works with standard white flour or light spelt flour. Our favorite way to eat bundt cake is with raisins. If you can't stand raisins, leave them out or replace them with other dried fruits, like some cranberries, chopped apricots, or cherries.

In case you're wondering if you can bake yeast bundt cake with dry yeast: Sure you can do this, just like with any yeast dough. Instead of 30g of yeast, use about 10g or 1.5 sachets of dry yeast. I still think using fresh yeast is better.

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How to make the Gugelhupf

Let's get started with grandma's basic bundt cake: Pour the juice or the rum over the raisins. Then, crumble the yeast with the sugar into the lukewarm milk and stir until it dissolves. Let stand for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, grease the pan(s) and sprinkle the bottom with the flaked almonds. The dough is enough for a large pan at least 9.5 in/ 24 cm in diameter or two small ones. Now, beat the softened butter with the remaining sugar until fluffy, add the eggs one by one and mix well. Add the flour with the yeast water to the mixture and mix everything together to form a smooth dough.

Now it's time to dust the raisins with a bit of flour and gently fold them into the dough. Put the dough into the prepared pan(s) and let it rise in a warm place for 1 to 1.5 hours until it has about doubled volume. Finally, preheat the oven to 360°F/180°C and bake your bundt cake for about 45 minutes. Cover towards the end if necessary. Attention: with a tiny pan, you only need about 35-40 minutes. Let cool and dust with plenty of powdered sugar.

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Top Tip

Unlike the alternatives made from sponge dough, you should eat yeast-risen cake fresh. Or freeze it - this works wonderfully. But in most cases, there should be hardly anything left anyway…

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Recipe Card

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5 from 2 votes

Classic Gugelhupf (German Bundt Cake Recipe)

An extremely popular German classic made with stirred yeast dough. Grandma's easy Gugelhupf with almonds and raisins turns out wonderfully fluffy and moist!

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Baking Time40 minutes mins

Waiting Time1 hour hr

Servings: 1 large cake

Calories: 275kcal

Ingredients

  • 30 grams (2 tablespoons) fresh yeast
  • 20 grams (1 ¾ tablespoons) sugar
  • 250 milliliters (1 cup) milk, lukewarm
  • 150 grams (¾ cup) butter, soft
  • 120 grams ( cup) sugar
  • 3 eggs, medium
  • 500 grams (4 cups) all-purpose flour, preferably type 550 or double wheat flour
  • 100 grams (¾ cup) raisins
  • 1 tablespoon apple juice, or rum
  • 50 grams (3 ½ tablespoons) almond flakes
  • powdered sugar, for dusting

Instructions

  • Pour the juice or rum over the raisins. Crumble the yeast with the sugar into the lukewarm milk and stir until it dissolves. Let stand for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, grease the pan(s) and sprinkle the bottom with the flaked almonds. The dough is enough for a large pan at least 9.5 in/ 24 cm in diameter or two small ones.

  • Beat the softened butter with the remaining sugar until fluffy, add the eggs one by one and mix well. Add the flour with the yeast water to the mixture. Mix everything together to form a smooth dough.

  • Dust the raisins with a bit of flour and gently fold them into the dough. Put the dough into the prepared pan(s) and let it rise in a warm place for 1-1.5 hours until it has about doubled volume.

  • Preheat oven to 360°F/180°C. Bake Gugelhupf for about 45 minutes; cover towards the end if necessary. Tiny pans only need about 35-40 minutes. Let cool and dust with plenty of powdered sugar.

Notes

  • The recipe is sufficient for one large or two small baking pans.

Ingredient substitutions

Do you want to replace some ingredients? Here you find tips for baking ingredient substitutions!

Gugelhupf - Classic Kugelhopf Recipe | Baking for Happiness (7)Gugelhupf - Classic Kugelhopf Recipe | Baking for Happiness (8)Gugelhupf - Classic Kugelhopf Recipe | Baking for Happiness (9)Gugelhupf - Classic Kugelhopf Recipe | Baking for Happiness (10)Gugelhupf - Classic Kugelhopf Recipe | Baking for Happiness (11)Gugelhupf - Classic Kugelhopf Recipe | Baking for Happiness (12)

Variations

Are you looking for more basic recipes? Then you will definitely find what you are looking for on my blog. How about my basic cupcakes or basic muffins? Or the basic german buttercream recipe?

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  • Gugelhupf - Classic Kugelhopf Recipe | Baking for Happiness (19)

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Gugelhupf - Classic Kugelhopf Recipe | Baking for Happiness (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between Bundt and Kugelhopf? ›

Despite the similar shape, a Gugelhupf differs from contemporary Bundt-style cakes in that it follows a particular yeast-based recipe, with fruit and nuts, and is often deeper in shape and more decorative. Other yeasted, brioche-like cakes like babka and monkey bread can be baked in Bundt molds.

What is Kugelhopf made of? ›

Gugelhupf
Alternative namesGugelhopf, Guglhupf, Kugelhopf, bábovka
TypeYeast cake
Place of originAlsace, Germany, Austria, Switzerland
Region or stateWestern Europe and Central Europe
Main ingredientsflour, baker's yeast with raisins, almonds and rosewater
2 more rows

What is the meaning of Gugelhupf? ›

: a semisweet cake usually of yeast-leavened dough containing raisins, citron, and nuts and baked in a fluted tube pan.

What is the history of the Gugelhupf cake? ›

Where did the Gugelhupf come from? The Gugelhupf originated in Alsace, France which borders Germany and Switzerland. This being the place of origin one today can see it still holds significant popularity in the region. This cake dates back to the early 16th century.

What does Bundt mean in german? ›

Bundt was derived from the German word bundkuchen, meaning “a cake for a gathering”.

Why do nothing bundt cakes taste so good? ›

The bakery is known for its unique take on bundt cakes. The Secret Recipe: The secret recipe of Nothing Bundt Cakes revolves around quality ingredients, including flour, sugar, eggs, and a unique addition — sour cream. Sour cream adds moisture and a subtle tanginess to the cake, making it stand out.

What is the difference between panettone and Kugelhopf? ›

Yes, there are similarities, but panettone tends to be airier, and have more of a brioche-esque pull to the crumb. Kugelhopf typically has a shorter crumb, with a texture that may be described as fluffy.

Why is German cake called German? ›

A common misconception is that German Chocolate Cake comes from Germany. In fact, the name comes from American baker, Samuel German, who developed a type of dark baking chocolate in 1852. The baking chocolate was then named Baker's German's Sweet Chocolate in honor of German.

What cakes do Germans eat? ›

German desserts
NameDescription
Frankfurter KranzButtercream based cake representing a crown of kings.
FranzbrötchenA small, sweet pastry, baked with butter and cinnamon.
FriesentorteLayer cake made with whipped cream, puff pastry and plum jam. A specialty of North Frisia and East Frisia.
58 more rows

What is a rich German cake called? ›

The shortest crossword solution for Rich German cake is 5 letters long and is called TORTE.

What is a king cake in Switzerland or southern Germany called? ›

King cakes across Europe

Switzerland and southern Germany, for example, have dreikönigskuchen. It's a fluffy, brioche-like cake made of separate rolls arranged in the shape of a crown and sometimes adorned with rum-soaked raisins or chocolate chips.

What is a feuille in English? ›

1. leaf. des feuilles mortes fallen leaves. 2. sheet.

What is the oldest cake in the world? ›

Linzer Torte is the world's oldest known cake and is named after the Austrian city of Linz. It has been documented as early as 1696. Its oldest recipe is listed in a 300-year-old cookbook!

Which cake did not originate in Germany? ›

German chocolate cake, trimmed with coconut and pecan icing, does not originate from Germany. The rich dessert is credited to a Texas homemaker who sent her recipe to a Dallas newspaper in 1957.

What was the first cake called? ›

The ancient Greeks called cake πλακοῦς (plakous), which was derived from the word for "flat", πλακόεις (plakoeis). It was baked using flour mixed with eggs, milk, nuts, and honey. They also had a cake called "satura", which was a flat, heavy cake.

What is a Kugelhopf cake tin? ›

The tall angular shape of the Kugelhopf inspired the American Bundt cake. Create this rich bread perfectly in an authentic, heavy cast aluminum pan. The heavy-walled pans provide superior baking, which allows baked goods to rise evenly, cook uniformly, and have finely detailed and delicious golden crusts.

What makes a Bundt cake different? ›

Bundt cakes are a round, one layer cake with a hole in the middle. The cake's name comes from the name of the cake pan with fluted sides that they are baked in. This special, aluminum non-stick cake pan is called a Bundt pan. These cakes are doughnut-shaped, and often drenched in icing or glaze.

What's the difference between a Bundtini and a Bundtlet? ›

There are bite-size cakes dubbed “bundtinis” and sturdy, palm-size “bundtlets.” There are white chocolate raspberry bundts. Lemon bundts.

What's the difference between Bundt and tube? ›

Tube pans most often have detachable sides, while bundt pans do not,” says chef and cookbook author Denise Norton, founder of Flavour Cooking School. “A tube pan is round, with deep sides and a hollow center tube that is most notably used for angel food or sponge cakes, which tend to be oil-free and very delicate.

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