Gugelhupf: A Viennese Classic
- theSuhChef
- Jul 18, 2020
- 2 min read
It is known by different names around the world: the marble cake, bundt cake, circular pound cake. However, the classic name for the Viennese version is the traditional Gugelhupf. Originating from the Alsace-Germany-Austria-Switzerland area, the origin of the name is highly disputed, depending very much from where you are from.
To take the Brothers Grimm's definition, the name of this delicious dessert or breakfast delicacy is the combination of the words "Gugel" meaning circular or hood-like and "hupf" meaning to leap or jump, describing the rise of the bread dough during the fermentation period due to yeast. Despite the various ways the cake is called and spelled, the recipe is based back in Middle Ages Europe and the first recorded recipe of the cake is from 1581.
The Gugelhupf gets its unique shape from the toroidal pan it is baked in. You can find many different flavours of Gugelhupf, some including poppy seeds, almonds, raisins, or cherry brandy. You can find a type of Gugelhupf at any bakery and supermarket in Vienna. The one I tasted (pictured above) is from Der Mann, a popular bakery chain in Vienna.
Without a doubt, no matter which flavour you taste, the rich, butter pastry is a brilliant start to your weekend. My recommendation is to have it with coffee, where coffee in Vienna is super rich in taste and bitter-sweetness. The pairing of coffee and Gugelhupf is to die for. If you are not a coffee person, then a bitter and plain/neutral-flavoured tea would be great, like an Earl Grey or English breakfast tea.
Enjoy your weekends and treat yourself!
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