Gugelhupf Cake

Total Time: 1 hr 30 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup raisins (small, tart raisins) or 1/3 cup currants (small, tart raisins)
• 1/4 cup candied lemon peel or 1/4 cup orange
• orange juice or rum, to cover
• 1/4 cup blanched chopped almonds
• 1 (1/4 ounce) package fresh yeast (17 grams) or 1 (1/4 ounce) package dry yeast (2 1/4 tsp.)
• 1/2 cup lukewarm milk (125 ml)
• 13 tablespoons butter, softened (180 grams)
• 4 eggs
• 2/3 cup sugar (120 grams)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 -2 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 3/4 cups flour (500 grams)
• 2 -4 tablespoons milk or 2 -4 tablespoons cream, as needed

Recipe

• 1 cover the raisins and candied peel (if using) with orange juice or rum. let sit overnight, or warm for about a minute in the microwave and let cool to room temperature. set aside.
• 2 dissolve yeast in lukewarm milk with about 1 teaspoon of sugar and proof for about 15 minutes, or until bubbles form.
• 3 mix butter and sugar until creamy. add eggs, one at a time. it's best if all ingredients are room temperature.
• 4 add vanilla, salt and lemon zest, then beat in flour and proofed yeast mixture and beat until a sticky batter forms. add more milk or cream, if necessary, to thin the mixture and allow it to drop from the spoon.
• 5 drain raisins and lemon peel and fold them together with the almonds into the batter.
• 6 butter a bundt form, a gugelhupf mold or a ring pan with a 9 or 10 cup capacity and sprinkle the inside with breadcrumbs.
• 7 spread the batter into the prepared bundt pan or gugelhupf form. let it rise in a warm spot until almost doubled. because my ingredients and house were at 60°f, this took over an hour.
• 8 bake in a pre heated oven (350°f) for 40 - 50 minutes.
• 9 let cool for about 10 minutes, then turn the cake out onto a rack to cool completely. sprinkle powdered sugar over the top or cover in chocolate couverture (or chocolate glaze).
• 10 note:sometimes, a gugelhupf is served as a birthday cake with a bouquet of flowers placed in the middle. traditionally, the "geburtstagskind" (birthday child, irrespective of age) is responsible for entertaining any well-wishers who drop by, and this is a perfect cake for that: a festive form which requires no refrigeration and has enough fat that it will not dry out during a long day on the side board.