Hungarian Kugelhopf is a delightful chocolate cake, boasting a gorgeous ring shape and a marbled blend of plain and cocoa batters. Drizzled with a rich chocolate glaze, it’s a must try for any dessert lover.
I am reading the recipe which my mother sent to me and I am in trouble. I want to prepare kugelhopf, a cake which was one of my favorites when I was a child. It is perfect for breakfast or to the afternoon tea – or you just grab a slice during the day when you need some delicious inspiration.
But this recipe is very similar to the ones which I find normally in my grandmother’s recipe book: there are only ingredients, no description, some quantities are missing, and the ingredients for the chocolate glaze are not included. I call my mother and ask her: What is the quantity of the lemon juice and the water? How much cocoa powder? How do I prepare the chocolate glaze? I try to convince her that I cannot write on Honest Cooking that “according to my feelings” or “as much as I used to add” and neither my readers will find helpful that “I use up all the Christmas and Eastern chocolate I find in the cupboard”.
Slowly we put together a recipe that I can test the next day. The dough is soft and fluffy, the chocolate glaze is creamy and shiny. Perfect.
HOW TO MAKE HUNGARIAN KUGELHOPF CAKE AT HOME:
Preparation: Start by preheating your oven to 390°F(200°C).
Mould Preparation: For even baking, brush your kugelhopf mould generously with butter. Dust it with flour, ensuring all the buttered areas are covered. Tap out the excess flour.
Lemon Mixture: Pour the freshly squeezed lemon juice into a measuring cup and top it up with water until you reach 3.5oz. Set aside.
Dry Ingredients: Combine the flour and baking powder in a bowl, ensuring they’re thoroughly mixed.
Egg Yolk Mixture: Crack the eggs, separating the yolks from the whites. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks with sugar until they form a foamy texture. Slowly incorporate the sunflower oil, lemon zest, and the earlier prepared lemon juice mixture.
Egg Whites: In another bowl, whip the egg whites until stiff peaks form. This will help give the cake its airy texture.
Combining Ingredients: Gently fold the egg whites into the yolk mixture, alternating with the flour mixture. Ensure everything is combined, but avoid overmixing.
Marbling: Transfer about one-third of this mixture into your prepared mould. To the remaining batter, stir in the Dutch cocoa powder, creating a rich chocolatey mix. Pour this on top of the initial batter in the mould. As it bakes, this layering will create a beautiful marble effect.
Baking: Bake the cake in your preheated oven for approximately 45 minutes. Check its doneness by inserting a toothpick or skewer. If it comes out clean, your kugelhopf is ready.
Cooling: Once baked, let the cake rest in its mould for about 10 minutes. Afterward, transfer it onto a wire rack and allow it to cool completely.
Chocolate Glaze: While the cake cools, prepare the glaze. In a saucepan, heat the milk just until boiling. Add the cocoa powder, butter, and dark chocolate. Stir constantly over low heat until the mixture becomes smooth and shiny. Adjust its consistency with a bit of milk if needed.
Finishing Touch: Drizzle the rich chocolate glaze over the cooled kugelhopf, ensuring it covers the top and slightly drips down the sides. Allow the glaze to set, then serve and enjoy your traditional Hungarian treat!
How to Make Hungarian Kugelhopf Cake
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 cake 1x
Description
Hungarian Kugelhopf is a delightful chocolate cake, boasting a gorgeous ring shape and a marbled blend of plain and cocoa batters. Drizzled with a rich chocolate glaze, it’s a must try for any dessert lover.
Ingredients
- 9 oz (250 g) flour
- 2 tsp (10 g) baking powder
- 1 cup + 3 tbsp (250 g) sugar
- 4 eggs
- 1 tbsp Dutch cocoa powder
- 3.5 fl oz (100 ml) sunflower oil
- Juice and zests of a lemon
- flour and butter to brush the mould
For the chocolate glaze:
- 1/5 cup (50 ml) milk
- 1 heaped tsp. Dutch cocoa powder
- 1 oz (30 g) butter
- 2.5 oz (70 g) dark chocolate
Instructions
- Preparation: Start by preheating your oven to 390°F (200°C).
- Mould Preparation: For even baking, brush your kugelhopf mould generously with butter. Dust it with flour, ensuring all the buttered areas are covered. Tap out the excess flour.
- Lemon Mixture: Pour the freshly squeezed lemon juice into a measuring cup and top it up with water until you reach 3.5 fl oz. Set aside.
- Dry Ingredients: Combine the flour and baking powder in a bowl, ensuring they’re thoroughly mixed.
- Egg Yolk Mixture: Crack the eggs, separating the yolks from the whites. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks with sugar until they form a foamy texture. Slowly incorporate the sunflower oil, lemon zest, and the earlier prepared lemon juice mixture.
- Egg Whites: In another bowl, whip the egg whites until stiff peaks form. This will help give the cake its airy texture.
- Combining Ingredients: Gently fold the egg whites into the yolk mixture, alternating with the flour mixture. Ensure everything is combined, but avoid overmixing.
- Marbling: Transfer about one-third of this mixture into your prepared mould. To the remaining batter, stir in the Dutch cocoa powder, creating a rich chocolatey mix. Pour this on top of the initial batter in the mould. As it bakes, this layering will create a beautiful marble effect.
- Baking: Bake the cake in your preheated oven for approximately 45 minutes. Check its doneness by inserting a toothpick or skewer. If it comes out clean, your kugelhopf is ready.
- Cooling: Once baked, let the cake rest in its mould for about 10 minutes. Afterward, transfer it onto a wire rack and allow it to cool completely.
- Chocolate Glaze: While the cake cools, prepare the glaze. In a saucepan, heat the milk just until boiling. Add the cocoa powder, butter, and dark chocolate. Stir constantly over low heat until the mixture becomes smooth and shiny. Adjust its consistency with a bit of milk if needed.
- Finishing Touch: Drizzle the rich chocolate glaze over the cooled kugelhopf, ensuring it covers the top and slightly drips down the sides. Allow the glaze to set, then serve and enjoy your traditional Hungarian treat!
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 45 mins
- Category: Cake
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Hungarian
