Kugelhopf

I wish I could tell you that this was a recipe handed down to me by my Austrian Oma, apparently she made a great Kugelhopf - but it's not. She was my paternal grandmother, and recipes aren't things that you can expect Dad's to pass on. No, I tore it out of a magazine. I found it months ago, but didn't bake it straight away because it called for a handheld mixer - which I didn't have; or a rotary mixer - which I've got, but it's useless. I'm sure I could have made a plan with a whisk, but I was holding out for a Kitchenaid hand mixer...and holding out...and holding out...and thank goodness for Christmas, because I got it!!

Here's a picture of it posing next to its friend, the Kitchenaid mixing bowl. So, now I feel that my little Kitchenaid family is complete. Sigh!

Okay, moving along...this is a Kugelhopf (or Gugelhopf) " a splendid Austro-Hungarian cake"!

Kugelhopf
Recipe from UK Homes & Gardens, April 2005

Preheat oven to 180'C
Grease a kugel or bundt tin.

4 eggs
200g white sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract ( I use Vanilla Girl vanilla extract - so just a few drops)
1 tsp almond essence
125g ground almonds
75g cake flour
50g poppy seeds
2 tsp baking powder
1 sachet instant yeast granules
1/4 tsp salt

Use a handheld beater to whisk together the eggs, vanilla, almond essence and sugar in a deep bowl set over hot water. The mixture should become frothy, pale and thick in about 3 minutes of brisk beating.
Sift in the ground almonds, seeds, flour, salt, baking powder and yeast. Mix gently until the ingredients are evenly incorporated.

Bake for 40minutes, or until firm to the touch and a skewer inserted comes out clean.

Leave to cool for 15minutes in the tin, then turn out onto a cooling rack.

Dust with icing sugar before serving.

Guten Appetit!

xxM