Description
A traditional Alsatian yeast cake rich with butter and eggs, studded with raisins, baked in a fluted kugelhopf mold with whole almonds in the grooves, and dusted with powdered sugar.
Ingredients
500 g (about 4 cups) all-purpose flour
250 ml (1 cup) lukewarm milk
25 g fresh yeast (or about 7 g / 2 1/4 teaspoons instant dry yeast)
75 g (about 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
250 g (about 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon) soft unsalted butter, plus more for the mold
80 g (about 1/2 cup) raisins
50 g (about 1/3 cup) whole blanched almonds
Powdered sugar, for dusting
Instructions
1. Soak the raisins in warm water (or rum) for about 15 minutes, then drain well and pat dry.
2. Dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm milk.
3. In a large bowl or stand mixer, mix the flour, sugar, and salt. Add the yeast milk and the eggs and knead for about 5 minutes until a dough forms.
4. Add the soft butter a little at a time, kneading after each addition, and continue kneading for about 10 to 15 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
5. Fold in the drained raisins. Cover and let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
6. Generously butter a 2-liter (8 to 10 cup) kugelhopf or fluted bundt mold and press the whole almonds into the grooves.
7. Deflate the dough gently, shape it into a ball, press a hole through the center, and place it in the mold. Cover and let it rise again until it nearly reaches the top of the mold, about 45 to 60 minutes.
8. Place the mold in a cold oven, set to 350°F (180°C), and bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until deep golden and a skewer comes out clean. Cover loosely with foil if it browns too quickly.
9. Cool in the mold for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.
Notes
Adapted from the Authentic Alsatian Kugelhopf on alsatian-cuisine.com (about 500 g flour, 250 ml milk, 250 g butter, 3 eggs, 75 g sugar, 80 g raisins, 50 g almonds, and 25 g fresh yeast), with the cold-oven 180°C bake of 50 to 60 minutes from French Moments and the almonds-in-the-mold and raisin-soaking steps common to Alsatian recipes. The salt, rise times, kneading times, mold size, and yield of 12 slices were not available in the source excerpts and are estimates, and the recipe has not been tested.
A traditional kugelhopf dough is soft and sticky, so keep kneading rather than adding extra flour.
Starting the cake in a cold oven helps it rise gently without browning too fast.
Nutrition is an approximate estimate per slice (12 slices).
- Prep Time: 45 minutes (plus about 3 hours rising)
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French (Alsatian)
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 407
- Sugar: 13g
- Sodium: 223mg
- Fat: 21g
- Saturated Fat: 11g
- Carbohydrates: 47g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 8g
- Cholesterol: 94mg