M Bakes #1: The Challenge - Gugelhupf


So, I can still tease you in the new year too. That is a relief! LOL! No, this was not a challenge from me to you but one for me. However, you did get my mind churning on a new idea .... let's see ... later!

For my first M Bakes session I decided to cash in on a challenge. Actually it was something I was waiting for, considering I was the one that started it!

I guess I should start at the beginning of the story.


Once upon a time in the Queendom of Blog many bloggers got together to join in a summer event called - Blogger Postcards Around The World. Each blogger was to send another blogger a postcard via snail mail. It was during this event that the Mets met the Cream Puff. The Mets decided to be cheeky and in her postcard she challenged the Cream Puff. The Cream Puff was no amateur to the game that was for sure and she accepted the challenge graciously.
Many months passed and both the Mets and the Cream Puff became friends exchanging mails and having a few giggles. However, the Mets knew that one day she would be challenged by the Cream Puff. Surely that day came when the Cream Puff crossed the huge pond to travel lands far from home. During these travels she sent the Mets wonderful postcards of her escapades.


Then one day, and very appropriately she received this postcard from Vienna.


The Challenge from the Cream Puff was to bake the cake on the postcard!




Well here I am today. I have taken on the challenge and present to you the Gugelhupf. There were actually two variations of the recipe on the postcard. One was a plain cake with raisins and another one was adding cocoa powder to half of the batter and marble the cake.


I decided to go for the chocolaty version of the cake for two reasons:
  1. I am a chocoholic and cannot resist chocolate in any dish.
  2. I have never marbled my own cake.
As I am prone to do before I start any new project, I researched the technique of marbling. The great thing was I did not have to look very far. I was lucky to have a brilliant baking cookbook right on my shelf.



Easy Marbling
For those of you who have the cookbook you'll find the details on page 229. For the others who don't and are also beginners to this technique, I have summarized what Dorie writes.

To marble cakes it is necessary to have two contrasting colors - a dark and a light type of batter. You can flavor each batter as you desire. Using spices, ground nuts or dried fruit always make a good alternative. Make sure that the dough is not runny or too thick.

The easiest method to marble cakes is by dropping spoonfuls of dark and light batter randomly into the pan. Dip a table knife deep into the bater and zigzag the knife through the batter. Make only 6 to 8 zig and zags - more will cause the batter to mix with each other into an icky looking mush!

Another technique will produce regular patterns in your cake. Spoon the batter out in alternating rows, or if using a round pan, in rings.
Example:
Make the first layer in the pan with three rows - light, dark, light. Now a second layer on top of this, but this time the rows would be - dark, light, dark. When the batter has been used up, use the same zigzag method mentioned above, with fewer zigzags.

Then there is the method I used for this Gugelhupf. Simply pour pour one colored batter then top it off with the other one or make three layers - light on top and bottom and dark in the middle (or the other way round). Then do the zigzag!

As I also had a lot of chocolate leftover from Christmas baking I decided to melt some and pour it as a cake coating after it was baked.

Cheers Ivonne - thanks for this one.



Ingredients:

300g Butter - at room temperature
150g Icing sugar
150g Sugar
3 Eggs
4 Egg yolks
4 Egg whites
240g Flour
30g Cocoa powder
Vanilla sugar
Lemon zest
Chocolate for coating




Method:

Preheat oven at 180 degrees Celsius.

In a bowl beat the butter with the icing sugar until creamy. Add the whole eggs one by one, beating each in for about a minute or so. Beat in the egg yolks.

In another mixing bowl whisk the egg whites with the sugar until they peak. Fold this mixture into the butter-egg batter.

Add the flour and fold into the batter gently. Now divide the batter in thirds. Depending on how you want to marble your cake, flavor the light batter with the lemon zest and vanilla sugar and add the cocoa powder to either one portion or to two portions of the batter.

In a bundt cake form pour in the different colored batter using your preferred marbling method.

Bake the cake for approx. 1 hour.

In the meantime melt the chocolate in a bowl placed on top of a pot with boiling water.

Take out the cake out of the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes. Then tip it out on a rack. Pour the melted chocolate over the top and allow to cool through.


Verdict:

Although this is a very basic tasting cake I was really glad that I got a chance to try out the marbling effect. The cake was soft and moist and really perfect. The chocolate coating on top gave it a great crunch and thinking that it was all on a postcard from Vienna made it taste even better.

Thank you Ivonne for challenging me to try something new.

Did you know that this week is the De-Lurking Week (January 8 - 12)? Come out of the closet and let me know that you are there. Leave a comment and share your ideas with me. I won't bite! Actually I'd love to hear from you! So go on do something daring - De-Lurk!



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24 comments:

  1. Meeta, this looks delicious and my sweet tooth is acting up... :)

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  2. Are you challenging us to make one, or did you challenge yourself and made one. Mmm in the first case I guess I just have to accept your challenge and make one. In the second case just wait until you brief us.

    Have a good weekend!

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  3. Meeta your teaser posts are awful!! I have no patience, I always want to know NOW, NOW! And if you're putting out a challenge, I definitely want to know now, cause I'll be there!

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  4. Meeta, beautiful Gugelhupf you have there!I am glad you chose to bake the chocolate version! SO much better, really!

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  5. Ok, Meeta. Here I am! You are on my 'feed' and I read what you write regularly. And all your work especially the baking and the totally-drool-worthy pictures make me wish I did better justice at my own blog (being an architect and all that).
    Lurv the pictures...on their own as well.

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  6. Oh, Meeta!

    Challenge accepted and challenge fulfilled amazingly well! That cake looks too good. I wish I could pull out my fork and just settle in for a piece. Although I'm sure I'd want to eat the whole thing.

    You know I don't think I believe you anymore about not being an experienced baker. I think you're brilliant!

    I especially enjoyed your explanation of the marbling technique.

    Well done, my friend! I guess it will be my turn to receive a challenge soon ...

    :o)

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  7. De-lurking Week -hee! Your cake looks scruptious. Challenges are fun. And I'm still awaiting a 2nd Annual Blogger Postcards From Around The World event.

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  8. Delicious!!!!!! Simply delicious!!!!! :)

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  9. gosh, Meeta, I siply HAVE to try this cake. I love the marbled effect! :)

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  10. Here is the favourite recipe from my sons from their favourite cookbood.

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  11. Wow! ur marbling has come out good.How did u make the chocklate sauce? IS the cake a little yellow flavored or more vanilla flavoured?

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  12. Looks awesome! Despite considering myself as an experienced baker I always chickened out to make a cake in this true Viennese style - just with egg whites for leavening and no baking powder... Maybe that's fate's hint to take up this challenge myself!

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  13. Since I landed here somehow, Google-searching, I might as well leave my "food-prints". Blogger Postcards Around The World sounds like a nice event.

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  14. Hi Meeta, I am de-lurking! The cake looks delicious even if it's basic. I have my fingers crossed that I win this book in the Menu for Hope raffle!

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  15. Thanks for your comments.

    Mandira take a bite of this for that sweet tooth.

    Isis Hope you liked it!

    Brilynn I know you will take up any challenge. But this was one I had to cash in on!

    WP I was too.

    Anita Thank you for such lovely comments. Your work is great too. I love the way you mix so many aspects together.

    Ivonne I saved a piece just for you! I salute you for giving me this one. You're right - you're next!!

    Sally, Rooma, Shammi, Ulli Thank you all!

    Mallugirl For the chocolate sauce I just melted the chocolate as mentioned in the recipe. The flavors for the lighter part ofthe cake are a mix between lemon and vanilla for the darker it's chocolate.

    Eva I challenge you LOL!

    Julie I'm crossing mine for you too!

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  16. What a fun challenge! Looks delicious!

    Paz

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  17. Don't know how you slipped this one under my rss radar.
    That was brillant!

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  18. That looks great - what kind of pan did you use, it looks taller than a bundt?

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  19. What a success! this looks so good, and it is one of my favorite breakfast bread with panetone.

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  20. Hi Meeta,

    I've taken up your challenge...;-) I chose a recipe with smaller amounts of everything but still without the baking powder. And it worked!! Check it out: http://sweet-sins.blogspot.com/2007/02/almost-pound-cake.html

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  21. My mom made the most awesome marbled cakes for our childhood birthdays! You reminded me that it has been years since I baked/ ate one. Your version looks so good :)

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  22. what kind of flour is it?!
    theres no leavening agent in this cake?
    im scared mine in the oven right now wont come out :(
    I used AP

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  23. Thanks to you for leaving me the comments.

    ANON (the last one) I used all-purpose flour too. Don't worry it will rise. The recipe was from a postcard from Ivonne directly from Vienna! It was orgeous and I am sure yours will be too. Please do let me know how it turned out!

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  24. How much vanilla sugar are you supposed to add?

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Thank you for visiting What's For Lunch, Honey? and taking time to browse through my recipes, listen to my ramblings and enjoy my photographs. I appreciate all your comments, feedback and input. I will answer your questions to my best knowledge and respond to your comments as soon as possible.

In the meantime I hope you enjoy your stay here and that I was able to make this an experience for your senses.

Hugs
Meeta