Hello everyone! This traditional bundt cake made with yeast dough is wonderfully buttery and fluffy. While it may not be the most trendy or unique dessert, every baker should have a classic recipe for Gugelhupf (or Kugelhopf) in their repertoire. I'm excited to share mine with you in this post.
Taste and Occasion
Before we dive into the classic Gugelhupf recipe, let's briefly discuss the terminology, as it can be a bit confusing. When people talk about "Gugelhupf," they may mean different things. For some, it refers to the shape—a cake baked in a tall bundt or wreath mold. Sometimes it's a marble cake, sometimes a lemon cake, or even an eggnog cake. Others have a more specific definition: traditionally, Gugelhupf is made with yeast rather than sponge cake.
In Germany, we call it a Gugelhupf, but you might know it as a bundt cake or Kogelhopf. Essentially, they all refer to the same type of cake. So, for simplicity’s sake, I’ll stick to calling it a bundt cake in this post 😉
Grandma's bundt cake is truly delightful! It's made from a rich, stirred yeast dough and isn’t overly sweet. That’s why a generous dusting of powdered sugar is key. If you’re unfamiliar with this classic, think of it as a cross between braided bread, oven-baked yeast dumplings, and French brioche. Despite the reputation that yeast dough can be tricky, this recipe is actually quite simple to follow.
Ingredients
As I mentioned earlier, this basic bundt cake recipe uses a stirred yeast dough, which is quite similar to a sponge 😉. The dough needs to rise properly before baking—this happens directly in the buttered pan, which is sprinkled with almond flakes beforehand.
For a moist and fluffy cake, I recommend using double-grain flour, Viennese semolina flour, or type 550 flour. That said, it works well with standard all-purpose flour or light spelt flour too. Our favorite way to enjoy this bundt cake is with raisins. If you're not a fan of raisins, feel free to leave them out or swap them for other dried fruits like cranberries, chopped apricots, or cherries.
Wondering if you can make yeast bundt cake with dry yeast? Absolutely! Like with any yeast dough, you can substitute dry yeast. Instead of 30g of fresh yeast, use about 10g or 1.5 sachets of dry yeast. That said, I still prefer fresh yeast whenever possible.
How to Make the Gugelhupf
Let’s get started with grandma's basic bundt cake recipe: Pour the juice or rum over the raisins. Then, crumble the yeast with a bit of sugar into the lukewarm milk and stir until it dissolves. Let it stand for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, grease the pan(s) and sprinkle the bottom with flaked almonds. This recipe makes enough for a large pan (at least 9.5 in/24 cm in diameter) or two smaller ones. Next, beat the softened butter with the remaining sugar until fluffy, then add the eggs one by one, mixing well. Add the flour along with the yeast mixture, and mix everything to form a smooth dough.
Next, dust the raisins with a little flour and gently fold them into the dough. Pour the dough into the prepared pan(s) and let it rise in a warm place for 1 to 1.5 hours, until it has doubled in size. Finally, preheat your oven to 360°F/180°C and bake the bundt cake for about 45 minutes. If necessary, cover the cake towards the end of the baking time to prevent over-browning. For smaller pans, bake for 35-40 minutes. Once baked, let the cake cool completely before generously dusting it with powdered sugar.
Top Tip
Unlike sponge-based cakes, yeast-risen cakes are best enjoyed fresh. However, they also freeze beautifully if needed. But truth be told, there probably won't be much left to freeze... 😉
Recipe Card
Classic Gugelhupf (German Bundt Cake Recipe)
Ingredients
- 30 grams (2 tablespoons) fresh yeast
- 20 grams (1 ¾ tablespoons) sugar
- 250 milliliters (1 cup) milk, lukewarm
- 150 grams (¾ cup) butter, soft
- 120 grams (⅔ cup) sugar
- 3 eggs, medium
- 500 grams (4 cups) all-purpose flour, preferably type 550 or double wheat flour
- 100 grams (¾ cup) raisins
- 1 tablespoon apple juice, or rum
- 50 grams (3 ½ tablespoons) almond flakes
- powdered sugar, for dusting
Instructions
- Pour the juice or rum over the raisins. Crumble the yeast with the sugar into the lukewarm milk and stir until it dissolves. Let stand for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, grease the pan(s) and sprinkle the bottom with the flaked almonds. The dough is enough for a large pan at least 9.5 in/ 24 cm in diameter or two small ones.
- Beat the softened butter with the remaining sugar until fluffy, add the eggs one by one and mix well. Add the flour with the yeast water to the mixture. Mix everything together to form a smooth dough.
- Dust the raisins with a bit of flour and gently fold them into the dough. Put the dough into the prepared pan(s) and let it rise in a warm place for 1-1.5 hours until it has about doubled volume.
- Preheat oven to 360°F/180°C. Bake Gugelhupf for about 45 minutes; cover towards the end if necessary. Tiny pans only need about 35-40 minutes. Let cool and dust with plenty of powdered sugar.
Notes
- The recipe is sufficient for one large or two small baking pans.
Ingredient substitutions
Variations
Looking for more basic recipes? You'll definitely find something you love on my blog. How about my basic cupcakes or basic muffins? Or try the basic German buttercream recipe!
Loved making this cake in Mum's traditional tin, however I think it was a little dry and not as good as I remember Mum's to be. Any ideas what I may have done wrong or how to make it more moist?
Dear Ernestine
sorry to hear that - usually it gets moister if you reduce the baking time, or you use 1-2 additional spoons of butter.
Best
Jan
So this doesn't need kneading??
Exactly, the dough doesn’t need to be kneaded. The Gugelhupf is made with yeast dough, but due to the combination of ingredients, it is more stirred than kneaded.
So this doesn't need kneading??
Also, you don't mention if this is for a convection oven or not. Mine is, and it was overly brown, dry and ready in about 25 minutes. Could you clarify please.
Many thanks
Yes, that’s right — this dough doesn’t need to be kneaded. It’s more like a thick batter due to the ingredient combination, even though it contains yeast.
As for the oven: the recipe is written for a conventional oven (top/bottom heat). If you’re using a convection (fan) oven, the temperatur is too high. The cake will bake faster and can brown more quickly. I’d recommend reducing the temperature by about 20°C and checking it earlier — around the 25-minute mark sounds about right in your case.
Hope that helps, and thanks for your feedback!
Can I substitute dry yeast for fresh?
Absolutely! Like with any yeast dough, you can substitute it. Instead of 30g of fresh yeast, use about 8-10g of dry yeast.