Chocolate Apricot Kugelhupf Recipes

KUGELHOPF

Steps:

• Put a large bundt tin in the fridge for 10 minutes, or in the freezer for 5 minutes - this makes it easier to grease, especially if it's non-stick.
• Brush the chilled tin with melted butter, ensuring every little groove is coated. Dust with 1 tablespoon of the flour and tap out the excess.
• Finely chop the candied peel, then place in a small saucepan with the raisins.
• Add the brandy and orange blossom water (if using), then set it over a low heat until warm, but do not let it boil. Remove from the heat, stir well and set aside until the fruit has soaked up all of the liquid.
• Meanwhile, to make your dough, tip the yeast into the bowl of a free-standing mixer.
• Remove the seeds from the cardamom pods, then grind to a powder in a pestle and mortar (roughly ¼ of a teaspoon).
• In a pan, heat the milk until just warm and add to the yeast with 1 teaspoon of sugar. Whisk well to combine, then leave for about 10 minutes, until the yeast has formed a thick, foamy crust on top of the milk.
• Add the remaining sugar, plain flour, ground cardamom, cinnamon and a grating of nutmeg, and ½ teaspoon of sea salt.
• Whisk the buttermilk with the whole eggs and egg yolk, finely grate in the lemon zest and add the vanilla, then add to the bowl.
• Add the butter, then, using the dough hook, start mixing the dough on a slow speed until combined. Continue to mix for a further 3 to 4 minutes until silky smooth.
• Cover the bowl with clingfilm and leave in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
• Scatter the whole almonds into the bottom of the prepared tin.
• Tip the soaked fruit into the dough and mix again until combined. Spoon the dough evenly into the tin over the nuts, spread level, cover with clingfilm and leave to rise again until almost doubled in size; this will take 45 minutes to 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 170ºC/gas 3 and position the rack in the bottom third.
• Bake the kugelhopf for 45 to 50 minutes until golden brown, well risen and a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
• Sit the tin on a wire rack for 2 to 3 minutes, then turn the kugelhopf out of the tin and leave to cool, upright, until completely cold.
• Dust liberally with icing sugar to serve.

KUGELHOPF

Steps:

• Stir together yeast and water in a small bowl and let stand until foamy, 5 to 10 minutes. (If mixture doesn't foam, discard and start over with new yeast.)
• Heat milk with 6 tablespoons butter and granulated sugar over low heat, stirring, until mixture is warm (105 to 115°F), butter is melted, and sugar is dissolved.
• Sift together flour and salt into bowl of standing mixer. Make a well in flour and add yeast mixture. Add warm milk in a slow stream, mixing at low speed with paddle attachment. Increase speed to medium and beat in eggs 1 at a time, then beat in raisins and zest. Continue to beat until dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. (Dough will be very sticky.)
• Butter kugelhopf mold with remaining tablespoon butter. Put 1 almond in each depression in bottom of mold (the almonds are only decorative; you can skip them altogether if your mold has no depressions), then scrape spoonfuls of dough evenly into mold (dough will be very elastic). Cover top of mold with oiled plastic wrap and a kitchen towel and let dough rise in a warm place until it fills pan, about 2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Remove towel from kugelhopf and gently peel off plastic wrap. Bake kugelhopf in middle of oven 15 minutes, then loosely cover mold with foil and continue to bake until golden and a tester inserted in center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes more. Cool in pan 2 minutes, then invert cake onto a rack to cool completely, about 1 hour. Dust with confectioners sugar.

CHOCOLATE KUGELHOPF

Steps:

• Dough: Bring milk almost to a boil in a saucepan. Remove from heat, and stir in butter, granulated sugar, vanilla, and salt. Transfer to a large bowl, and let cool until lukewarm, 3 to 5 minutes. Add 1 1/2 cups flour and the yeast, and beat with a mixer on low speed. Beat in eggs and egg yolk, 1 at a time. Beat in remaining 3 cups flour, 1/2 cup at a time. Transfer dough (it will be sticky) to a lightly floured surface, and knead until smooth, about 5 minutes. Place in a buttered bowl, and turn to coat. Cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. Punch down dough, knead a few times, and let rest 10 minutes. Roll out into a 14-by-22-inch rectangle on a lightly floured surface.
• Filling: Mix together brown sugar, raisins, and chocolate. Brush butter on dough, and sprinkle filling on top, leaving a 1-inch border.
• Starting from a long side, roll up dough; cut crosswise into 12 slices. Place 6 slices flush against the side of a buttered 10-inch tube pan. Place remaining 6 slices, cut sides together, around tube of pan. Cover, and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake cake until golden and a toothpick inserted into the center of cake comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack 15 minutes. Unmold, and let cool completely on rack, about 1 hour. Dust with confectioners' sugar before serving.

CHOCOLATE APRICOT KUGELHUPF

Steps:

• For sponge:
• Boil apricot nectar in heavy medium saucepan over high heat until reduced to 1 cup, about 5 minutes. Pour reduced nectar into large bowl. Cool to 120°F. to 125°F. Whisk in flour, sugar, milk powder and yeast. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise in warm draft-free area until double in volume, about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, prepare dough:
• Generously butter 12-cup kugelhupf pan. Using electric mixer, cream butter with sugar in large bowl until fluffy. Beat in eggs and egg yolks 1 at a time. Beat in apricot brandy, salt, vanilla and ginger. Combine yeast and 2 tablespoons hot water in small bowl and stir until yeast dissolves. Mix yeast mixture and sponge into butter mixture. Gradually mix in 3 cups flour. Combine chocolate, apricots, brown sugar and cinnamon in medium bowl. Mix into dough.
• Spoon dough into prepared pan. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and clean kitchen towel. Let stand in warm draft-free area until dough rises just to top of pan, about 3 hours.
• Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Bake kugelhupf until deep brown and cracking on top and tester inserted in center comes out clean, about 48 minutes. Cool on rack 20 minutes. Turn out onto rack and cool completely. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Return to pan, cover tightly and store at room temperature.)
• For whipped cream:
• Stir chocolate and 2 tablespoons cream in heavy small saucepan over low heat until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth. Cool. Beat remaining 2 cups cream and sugar in large bowl until soft peaks form. Add brandy and continue beating until stiff peaks form. Pour chocolate mixture over cream and fold together until whipped cream is lightly streaked with chocolate. Transfer to serving bowl; chill. (Can be prepared 8 hours ahead.)
• Place kugelhupf on platter. Lightly sift powdered sugar over. Cut into wedges. Serve, passing whipped cream separately if desired.