We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Advertiser Disclosure
Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
How We Make Money
We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently of our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Food

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

What is Kugelhopf?

Tricia Christensen
By
Updated: May 16, 2024
Views: 22,435
Share

Kugelhopf, which may also be spelled Kugelhupf, gugelhupf or kugelhoph, is a classic cake said to have originated in Austria or in the Alsace region of France. Legend has it that Marie Antoinette, who was born in Vienna, Austria, brought the cake recipe to France upon her marriage to Louis XVI. There are some disputes regarding this, and the cake may have been introduced in France earlier. Variations of the cake are made in Germany, Switzerland, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Poland, and Hungary. It is also popular in many other countries today, including the US, UK, Australia and elsewhere.

Unlike most desserts we would term cake, kugelhopf is a yeast-risen cake, using active dry or fresh yeast instead of baking soda or baking powder. This gives the cake a slightly denser more “bready” texture, similar to the Italian panettone. Kugelhopf is also not frequently served as an after dinner dessert. Instead it’s considered more of a coffee cake that might be eaten for or with breakfast, or could be part of an afternoon snack. There’s certainly no reason not to serve it as dessert after dinner, since it is still nicely sweet, and especially if the dinner has been relatively light.

Traditional kugelhopf is made in a round pan with a hole in the center, most often what we’d term a bundt pan, though there are heavy pans specifically made for kugelhopf. Unlike the average bundt cake, which is often a variation of a pound cake recipe, this dessert needs time to rise due to its yeast. You can speed this process up if you have a bread machine, by setting the machine to knead and rise the dough. You’d then need to punch it down, place it in the pan in a warm area free of drafts and let it rise again prior to baking it.

The interior of kugelhopf may have a layer of raisins or currants, all together in the center. Alternately, the currants, and sometimes nuts, can be mixed throughout the dough. Some versions add a small amount of spice, like cinnamon. When the cake is cooked and unmolded, it can be given a light dusting of powdered sugar. Some add a simple vanilla or cinnamon glaze to make the cake a little sweeter.

Some chefs compare the kugelhopf to a brioche, since the recipe for the dough contains a little milk, eggs, and butter. It is typically not as rich as brioche, though this can vary from recipe to recipe. If you really want to be authentic, you should plump up the raisins by soaking them in a little kirshwasser (cherry brandy). Plain water will also work if you don’t want the alcohol or are serving the cake to children.

Share
DelightedCooking is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.
Tricia Christensen
By Tricia Christensen
With a Literature degree from Sonoma State University and years of experience as a DelightedCooking contributor, Tricia Christensen is based in Northern California and brings a wealth of knowledge and passion to her writing. Her wide-ranging interests include reading, writing, medicine, art, film, history, politics, ethics, and religion, all of which she incorporates into her informative articles. Tricia is currently working on her first novel.
Discussion Comments
Tricia Christensen
Tricia Christensen
With a Literature degree from Sonoma State University and years of experience as a DelightedCooking contributor, Tricia...
Learn more
Share
https://www.delightedcooking.com/what-is-kugelhopf.htm
Copy this link
DelightedCooking, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

DelightedCooking, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.