This Gugelhupf or Kugelhopf is a traditional German sweet bread that is often served for breakfast or afternoon tea with coffee for dunking.
This specialty yeast bread is made in a special bundt pan (gugelhupf pan). It is generally narrower and taller than a traditional bundt pan.
Mine belonged to my grandmother in Heidelberg Germany. The pans are difficult to find in the US so if you don’t own own, just use a regular bundt cake pan.
It is very easy for a yeast bread because there is no kneading! It can be made by hand or with a dough hook on your mixer.
Traditional Guglehupf usually contains dried fruits and nuts. This one calls for golden raisins and walnuts, although you can substitute raisins and almonds.
What you need
- flour
- salt
- milk
- yeast
- butter
- sugar
- eggs
- lemon rind
- golden raisins
- walnut halves
How to make it
- Add butter, 1 tablespoon of flour and 1 tablespoon of sugar with 1 of the eggs.
- Measure 4 cups of the flour into large mixing bowl, add salt. Set aside.
- Mix the butter, flour and sugar with 1 of the eggs. Let rest for 5 minutes.
- Grate lemon rind. Set aside.
- After the butter mixture has rested 5 minutes, add the 1/2 cup sugar, the other cup of flour and the other two eggs.
- Combine well.
- Add yeast to warm milk.
- Add the milk and yeast to the 4 cups of flour and salt and mix well with wooden spoon.
- Add the butter mixture to the yeast mixture and mix well.
- Mix in lemon rind and raisins.
Spoon dough into greased and floured gugelhupf pan. No need to level off. Place a clean kitchen towel over the pan. Let dough rise for about 90 minutes in a warm place. Bake at 350°F for about one hour, until bread is golden brown.
You can also knock on the top of the bread with a knuckle, as you would knock on a door. If the bread is done, it will sound hollow.
If bread is browning too much on the top, loosely cover with aluminum foil.
Serve bread with coffee or tea for dunking.
Other delicious German treats
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Gugelhupf or Kugelhopf
Ingredients
- 5 cups about 5 cups flour (625 gr.)
- 1 1/2 tsp Salt (6 gr.)
- 1 1/3 cups Milk (1/3 liter)
- 1 active dry yeast (30 gr. )
- 1/2 cup Butter (100 gr. )
- 1/2 c plus 1 tablespoon sugar (100 gr.)
- 3 egg
- 1/4 of a lemon rind , grated
- 1/2 c golden raisins (50gr.)
- 8 10 walnut halves
Instructions
- Take butter out of refrigerator and let it get to room temperature.
- Grease and flour Bundt Cake pan.
- Arrange walnut halves in bottom of pan, cut half of the walnut should face up.
- Measure 4 cups of the flour into large mixing bowl, add salt. Set aside.
- Mix the butter, 1 tablespoon of flour and 1 tablespoon of sugar with 1 of the eggs. Let rest for 5 minutes.
- Place milk on very low burner, in a small saucepan. Milk MUST be warm, between 100 and 110°F! If the milk is too hot, the yeast may be killed; if the milk is too cold, it won’t activate.
- Grate lemon rind and measure raisins, set aside.
- After the butter mixture has rested 5 minutes, add the 1/2 cup sugar, the other cup of flour and the other two eggs.
- Check milk temperature,when it’s at the proper temperature stir in yeast .
- Add the milk and yeast to the 4 cups of flour and salt and mix well with wooden spoon.
- Add the butter mixture to the yeast mixture and mix well (this bread dough is very moist so unlike other breads, it is not kneaded!)
- Mix in lemon rind and raisins.
- Spoon into prepared pan, as evenly as possible. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place until almost to the top of the pan. With original yeast, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. With Rapid rise yeast, about 1 hour.
- Bake at 350 about one hour until golden brown (cover with foil if it gets too brown). I rap the bread with my knuckle, if the bread sounds hollow, it’s done.
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Nutrition
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I get a small commission if you click the link and purchase something. See FTC Disclosure, here.
Originally Published 12/29/2014 Updated 1/27/2021
Sunena
This is the perfect accompaniment to my afternoon coffee! I love that it is not super sweet. Thanks for the recipe!
Beth Neels
It’s a perfect dunking cake! Thanks Sunena!
Katie Beck
Ok I have never had this, but I am thinking it is similar to an Italian Pannetone? Which I happen to love! There is not enough yeast cakes around if you ask me!
Beth Neels
It is similar but not quite as dry, although honestly I have never had a fresh pannetone. Which I’m sure are quite different than store bought. I’ve made this with homemade starter too and it works perfectly! Thanks Katie!
Sharon
This is the perfect treat for afternoon tea. The golden raisins and walnuts throughout give it great flavor.
Beth Neels
I really like the like the nuts and raisins. Thanks Sharon!
Beth
I need to try this recipe. It looks so amazing and yummy! I can’t wait! My hubby is going to love this!
Beth Neels
I hope he likes it Beth! Thanks for checking out the recipe Beth
Cleo at Journey to the Garden
I love traditional recipes ….. the connect they have with the past and the stories that come with them. This looks fantastic!
Binky
Yes, vintage recipes are fun to keep alive! Thank you Cleo!
Elaine
That looks so scrumptious!! My grandmother used to make something just like it! I can still taste it in my memory, to this day! Great recipe Beth!
Binky
Thanks so much, Elaine! Your comments are always greatly appreciated! When we finally get a chance to visit each other, I will make you one!
Amy
I’d have loved to have been at your house for Christmas! Everything looked so good, especially the bread!
Binky
Thank you so much, Amy! Come on over any time!
Lisa Huff
Oh wow, it has yeast! I would never have guessed. Sounds delicious!
Binky
Yes, it’s really very good, as you can imagine!
Cliona Keane
I love Bundt cake! Can’t wait to make it again next Christmas!
Binky
It’s slightly different than the bundt cakes we are used to in the US.
Patty
Great Gugelhopf recipe Beth, must absolutely try it, specially as my husband likes cake so much but I need to take care of his diabetes, thanks for sharing!
Binky
Thank you, Patty! This recipe only has a bit of sugar compared to the flour!! Just 100g as opposed to 625g of flour.
Rebecca | Let's Eat Cake
I bet he loved it! It looks super yummy – and I love that it’s not a sweet bread!
Binky
He said it was the best one yet, but he says that every year! 🙂
serena
It has been years since I’ve had this! Looks delicious and adding it to my save for later recipes. This is so yummy any time of the day, but love it as an afternoon snack with a coffee.
Binky
It’s great with coffee! My Dad used to dunk it in his coffee! Thank you Serena!
Helena
Perfect Gugelhopf recipe! Exactly what I was looking for. I omitted the raisins out of personal preference, but otherwise made it as written, and I wouldn’t change a thing. I was trying out recipes to use in a lamb mold for our Easter breakfast, but this is the first thing I made and I don’t feel the need to look further. Thank you!
Beth Neels
Aww! Thank you so much, Helena! That makes my day! I am so glad you like it! My dad’s all time favorite! Have a wonderful Easter!
Donna Gaul
Delicious ???? not too sweet. Good for breakfast, snack or dessert!!
Binky
Thanks Donna! We do like not too sweet breads for breakfast, don’t we?