Cakes for Kugelhopf Pan

Asked by musicalhelena. Answered on 4th April 2013

Full question

I have just bought a 22cm diameter, 10-cup kugelhopf pan, on impulse. And it's silicone, not metal. I'm actually not very excited by the yeasted traditional kugelhopf recipes so I'm wondering if I can use it like a metal bundt or tube pan and make ordinary English pound-type cakes in it, just in a pretty kugelhopf shape. Any advice gratefully received - I can't find this info anywhere on the internet!

Our answer

A kugelhopf cake is a cake that has been leavened with yeast rather than a chemical alternative and it is baked in a round pan with a hole in the centre. The pans are usually moulded so that the cake comes out with an attractive pattern on the outside. The pans are very similar to bundt pans, though the kugelhopf pans tend to be slightly smaller in diameter and taller in height.

Converting regular round cakes to a kugelhopf pan can be tricky, partly as their structure can be too delicate for the intricate shaping on the tin and partly as they can be a little dry if not filled and frosted. The pan is a similar capacity to a large loaf pan so you may find that a banana loaf recipe will work in the tin.

However bundt cake recipes are the best ones to try. The kugelhopf pan's slighty different shape should not affect the baking time too much, though it is worth starting to check the cake 10 minutes before the end of the stated cooking time. Most US bundt pans have a capacity of between 6 and 10 cups so the kugelhopf pan should be suitable, but check the size of pan on the relevant recipe.

Nigella has two bundt recipes which would fit this pan size and that we would very much recommend - the Spruced Up Vanilla Cake (from Christmas) and the Maple Pecan Bundt Cake (from Kitchen). There are also many bundt cake recipes available on the internet.