Kugelhopf

About This Recipe

Kugelhopf (also spelled Gugelhupf) is a traditional sweet cake from Luxembourg and the Alsace region, instantly recognizable by its tall bundt mold shape. The dough is enriched with butter, eggs, and milk, studded with rum-soaked raisins and sliced almonds, creating a tender crumb with pockets of sweetness. Dusted with powdered sugar, it's served for special occasions, Christmas, and Sunday coffee. Rooted in the everyday cooking of Luxembourgish kitchens, Kugelhopf balances technique and tradition: the all-purpose flour is treated with care, drawing on time-honoured ratios that locals have refined across generations. The dish carries an unmistakable sensory signature — aromas that fill the kitchen as it cooks, layered textures that reveal themselves bite by bite, and a depth of flavour that comes from patient seasoning rather than shortcuts. Whether served as a weeknight dessert or as the centrepiece of a celebratory table, it reflects a regional pantry where local produce, seasoning habits and cooking vessels shape the final result. Home cooks who make this dish often note how forgiving it is once the core method is understood, and how a few small choices — the freshness of the all-purpose flour, the order of additions, the resting time at the end — separate a good version from a memorable one. This recipe walks through those choices so the dish arrives with the character it has on its home turf.

Ingredients

Serves 8

• 500 gall-purpose flour
• 7 gactive dry yeast
• 100 mlwarm milk
• 150 gbutter, softened
• 100 gsugar
• 3 largeeggs
• 100 graisins, soaked in rum
• 80 gsliced almonds
• 1 tspvanilla extract
• 1/2 tspsalt

Instructions

1. 1

   Activate yeast

   Mix yeast with warm milk and a pinch of sugar. Let sit 5 minutes until foamy.

2. 2

   Make dough

   Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time. Mix in yeast mixture, then flour and salt. Knead until smooth.

3. 3

   First rise

   Let dough rise in a greased bowl for 1.5 hours until doubled. Fold in rum-soaked raisins and almonds.

4. 4

   Bake

   Shape into a greased bundt mold. Rise 45 minutes. Bake at 180°C (350°F) for 45-50 minutes until golden. Cool and dust with powdered sugar.

Variations

• •

  Use dried cranberries and pistachios

• •

  Make individual-sized cakes

• •

  Add orange zest for brightness

• •

  Vegetarian: replace the main protein with mushrooms, paneer, tofu or hearty beans for a meat-free version.

• •

  Spicier: add fresh chilli, a chilli paste or a pinch of cayenne with the aromatics for a warmer profile.

Storage

Wrap in foil and store at room temperature for 3 days. Keeps refrigerated for 1 week.

Frequently Asked Questions