Kugelhopf is a delicious, Alsatian, yeasted bread, similar to brioche but not as rich. It is baked in a special fluted pan. Here’s an easy recipe to make kugelhopf at home using a standard bundt pan as a substitute to the special kugelhopf pan.
Hello everyone!
Continuing with Lina‘s cake challenge for the month of February, this is my second submission- Kugelhopf! The judges for this month’s fabulous challenge are Suzanne and Jhuls.
Kugelhopf also known as Gugelhupf, Guglhupf or Gugelhopf is a Southern German, Austrian, Swiss and Alsation marble cake or Bundt cake.Gugel- is supposedly a variation of the Midle high German gugel(‘hood’), while -hupf is a variation of Hefe (‘yeast’).It is said that the -hupf part comes from the German word hüpfen (to jump), as the yeast dough literally “jumps out of” the cake pan. ( Source- wiki)
This is yet another one of those exotic sounding cakes! Never seen one, forget about tasting it!
I’m so glad I did challenge myself to take it upon me or else I probably would have missed knowing about it. This reminded me of panettone, the moment I dug into it, except that it’s a little denser.
So, Kugelhopf is basically a cake, made from yeast dough. The golden raisins added to the dough turn into gorgeous amber color, upon baking, making slices of this cake look very pretty. The citrusy notes rendered by the addition of orange zest really brightens up this cake. So good!!
This is best enjoyed fresh, right out of the oven. Smear some butter and jam, and devour a slice of this simple yet gorgeous cake-like bread with some freshly brewed coffee 🙂
Table of Contents
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS TO MAKE KUGELHOPF
1.Proofing the yeast: Stir together yeast, a pinch of sugar and lukewarm water in a small bowl and let stand until bubbly, 5 to 10 minutes. (If the mixture doesn’t foam, discard and start over with new yeast.)
2.In a medium saucepan, 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.
3.Next, in the bowl of your stand mixer, sift flour and salt into it. Make a well in the flour and add the proofed yeast mixture. Fix the paddle attachment, next add in the warm milk in a slow stream, mixing at low speed. Increase speed to medium, add in eggs 1 at a time, then the raisins and orange zest. Continue beating until dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. The dough will be very sticky. Do not add any extra flour.
4.Grease kugelhopf mold/ standard bundt pan with the remaining tablespoon butter. If using almonds, then add now in each depression of the pan. Then scrape spoonfuls of dough evenly into mold (dough will be very elastic). Cover the bundt pan with a kitchen towel and let the dough rise in a warm place until it rises to the top of the pan, (about 2 hours).
5.Preheat oven to 400°F.
6.Remove towel from kugelhopf. Bake in the middle rack of the oven for 15 minutes, then loosely cover bundt pan with foil and continue to bake until golden and a tester inserted in center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes more. (took me 10 minutes more, covered with a foil). Transfer the bundt pan to a wire rack, cool in the pan for 2 minutes, then invert kugelhopf onto a rack to cool completely, about 1 hour. Dust with confectioners sugar.
HOW TO MAKE KUGELHOPF?

Kugelhopf Recipe | Gugelhupf
Ingredients
Measuring cup used, 1 cup = 250 ml, 1 tsp = 5 ml
- 1 & 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
- 2 tbsp warm water
- 1 cup whole milk
- 7 tbsp unsalted butter cut into tablespoon pieces and softened
- 6 tbsp granulated sugar
- 3 & 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups golden raisins
- 1 tsp finely grated fresh orange or lemon zest
- About 20 whole blanched almonds 1/2 ounces, (I skipped this)
- 1 tbsp confectioners sugar
Special equipment
- A standing electric mixer with a paddle attachment; an 11-cup kugelhopf mold (9 1/2 inches in diameter) or an 11- to 12-cup bundt pan. (I used a standard bundt pan)
Instructions
- Proofing the yeast: Stir together yeast, a pinch of sugar and lukewarm water in a small bowl and let stand until bubbly, 5 to 10 minutes. (If the mixture doesn't foam, discard and start over with new yeast.)
- In a medium saucepan, 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.
- Next, in the bowl of your stand mixer, sift flour and salt into it. Make a well in the flour and add the proofed yeast mixture. Fix the paddle attachment, next add in the warm milk in a slow stream, mixing at low speed. Increase speed to medium, add in eggs 1 at a time, then the raisins and orange zest. Continue beating until dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. The dough will be very sticky. Do not add any extra flour.
- Grease kugelhopf mold/ standard bundt pan with the remaining tablespoon butter. If using almonds, then add now in each depression of the pan. Then scrape spoonfuls of dough evenly into mold (dough will be very elastic). Cover the bundt pan with a kitchen towel and let the dough rise in a warm place until it rises to the top of the pan, (about 2 hours).
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Remove towel from kugelhopf. Bake in the middle rack of the oven for 15 minutes, then loosely cover bundt pan with foil and continue to bake until golden and a tester inserted in center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes more. (Took me 10 minutes more, covered with a foil). Transfer the bundt pan to a wire rack, cool in the pan for 2 minutes, then invert kugelhopf onto a rack to cool completely, about 1 hour. Dust with confectioners sugar.
I would love to hear from you! Please feel free to share your feedback with photos and suggestions to me at [email protected]
You can also follow me on :
Facebook @ Aromaticessence
Pinterest @ Aromatic Essence
Instagram @ aromatic_essence77
Twitter @ freda_dias
Regards,
Freda
A handsome piece of workmanship!
Would love to replicate it…..problem is I do not own a bundtpan, any other options? Would love to hear from you.
Oh gosh! I so love this. A cake-bread, perfect methinks for getting my bread-making cravings sated. Can I make this with wholewheat or multi-grain flour though, do you think?
Hi there ! Thanks for stopping by ! Glad you liked it , as it was the first time I made it , I can’t say about wholewheat ! But from my past bread baking experience, I feel it won’t be the same , Coz of the different protein content.
Ahhh yes, that makes sense. And since this would be my first attempt, I think it’s best not to experiment. Thanks for replying. Loving your recipes a lot!
Most welcome 🙂 thanks very much !
I just made the dough and set it to leaven 😀 I really hope my cake bakes well.. thanks so much for the lovely recipe Freda!
Hi ! Sorry for the late reply , how did it turn out ? Hope you liked it 🙂
Hey, it turned out quite good. Will post it soon once my Internet is back.. Thanks so much for the recipe!!!
Yay ! Glad you liked it 🙂
Reblogged this on Trisha's Kitchen Alchemy and commented:
I’m definitely making this come Easter!
Thanks for the reblog 🙂
A wonderful recipe, Freda – and you’re right, it really does look like panettone, especially when cut into. Your photos of the the whole process are excellent and really help to explain to people the various steps of the ‘method’.
Thanks a lot dear Millie 🙂
Your pictures are amazing and everything looks delicious, especially this cake! Well done
Thank you very much 🙂
I love simple cakes like this. I love all the add-ins. I would love to have a slice right now. 😀 Thanks for participating in the challenge. 🙂
Thanks Jhuls! I had a lot of fun doing this challenge ! Looking forward to many more 🙂
That’s gorgeous! I would love a slice or two with a cup of coffee!
Thanks Cynthia 🙂
Looks lovely & so yummy…
Thanks so much 🙂
Amazing as always my dear!! Shared it on Twitter!! 🙂
How sweet of you ❤️? Thanks girl !
This looks and sounds so yummy, Freda! Your pictures of it are just beautiful. I enjoyed looking at them, especially the one where it has risen in the pan. I didn’t know what kugelhopf was and am glad to learn about it!
Thanks a ton Shari!
Just gorgeous Freda, I love Kugelhopf and your cake is perfect.
Thanks a lot Suzanne 🙂
This looks gorgeous, moist and delicious!
Thanks Kushi 🙂
Gorgeous looking cake!
Thanks dear 🙂
Beautifully done.. I feel like tasting it
Thanks so much Vidya 🙂
Beautiful cake!
Thanks Sadie:)
Looks sooooo sooo good!! Well done dear
Thanks sweetie 🙂
So so beautiful Freda, loved reading about this cake 🙂
Thanks a lot dear 🙂
Such a gorgeous cake Freda! It looks so sunny with the golden raisins. I love soft yeasted bread-cakes of all sorts 🙂 This has been such a great challenge. It’s been so much fun seeing all the different cakes and now I want to try them all!
Thanks so much ! It was a fun challenge indeed 🙂
This is quite an interesting recipe Freda..love the shape and the perfect golden color.. amazingly done..
Thanks a lot dear:)
Looks so yummy…
Thanks Parul 🙂
Yumm looks very nice and I love the raisins! This challenge is so much fun!
Thanks Lynn! It sure was 🙂 I enjoyed it !
I love these different cakes and pies from the challenge!
Me too Lynn ! I want to try all of them:) but I wished we all lived closer , so that tasting all those varieties becomes easier 😀
that way 😀
Is this easy to make. It looks so delicious.
Thanks ! If you have a stand mixer it’s really a breeze :p
Okay, I will show it to my spouse. Thanks.
Welcome 🙂
Wowwwwieee this looks So fantastic Freda. …:) 🙂
Thanks so much dear 🙂
Woooow such a gorgeous & tempting cake
Thanks sweetie 🙂
?
Wow Freda this is one delicious looking cake (bread). I am so glad that I didn’t enter this challenge because there is some amazing competition! I am sure having fun seeing all of the beautiful cakes and learning a bit of history too.
Thanks so much Julie 🙂
Looks delicious! My German grandma always made the exact same Gugelhupf. I love the raisins in it!
Thank you ! I’d like to believe this is as close to the real deal then 🙂
You are welcome & I think it is, as far as I know!
Looks delicious, Freda! Wish I could have a bit….yum yum!
Have a great day!
Arcane owl
Thanks a ton ! Thank you for stopping by 🙂
Most welcome 🙂
Your Kugelhopf looks amazing and so tempting Freda. I want it now 😀
Thanks so much Linda 🙂
Wonderful.. Great idea to use the bundt cake tin
Thanks dear 🙂
The cake looks so delicious and is perfectly golden 😀 I haven’t made a cake with yeast before. I will have to try this one out. Great job Freda!
Thanks a lot Antonia ! This was the first time I made a cake leavened by yeast too ! I was glad I did 🙂
Looks beautiful and very tasty!!! Nice job 🙂
Thanks Rebecca 🙂
Looks great as usual 🙂
Thanks so much 🙂
Such a pretty cake, and looks delicious! Well done on the challenge!
Thanks Kathryn, I enjoyed making this 🙂
Looks yummy! My mom always baked cakes in that shape 🙂
Thanks so much Maria ,I was happy that this worked well even though I didn’t have the kugelhopf pan 🙂
I bet it tastes as good as it looks 🙂
It sure did 🙂 Thanks again 🙂
I love the look of it! A wonderful idea to use a bundt cake tin…amazingly done Freda! I am impressed
Thanks so much Lina 🙂
Beautiful! I love the shape. How can you not want to try tasting something as beautiful as that??
Exactly right?? Thanks a lot dear 🙂
My pleasure! ❤❤❤❤
I agree with you Freda; it reminds me of panettone…looks delicious!
Thanks so much Frances 🙂