One of the great delights of living in Hungary is chimney cake, the traditional sweetbread covered in sugar and baked over hot coals. There’s nothing quite like the aroma of sugar, baked bread and cinnamon to get your mouth watering, and the abundance of kürtőskalács stands across the Budapest at this time of the year makes it hard to resist. Here we show how you can make your own!
The Hungarian kürtőskalács as we know and love it today was developed in the first half of the 20th century. But the history of chimney cake dates back at least to 1784, when it was first recorded in a cookbook in Transylvania. That original recipe makes no mention of adding sugar to the dough, though, so it was much more savoury.
Prices for chimney cake around Budapest fluctuate between 300-1,500 forints, depending on where you are (and where the tourists are, too). But you don’t have to spend any extra money to enjoy these sweet treats, because chimney cake can easily be made at home.
Ingredients for 8 pieces :For the dough
- 500g plain flour
- 14g dried active yeast
- 50g caster sugar
- 5g salt
- 200ml whole milk, warmed to be tepid
- 3 large egg yolks
- 150g unsalted butter, melted
- 200g caster sugar
- 1tsp cinnamon
- 1tbsp cocoa powder, optional
Cinnamon, sugar, chopped nuts, coconut flakes, candy, etc
TO MAKE THE DOUGH
- Warm up the milk and combine with sugar and yeast. Let sit for about five minutes, or until a thick bubbly foam has formed on top of the milk.
- Combine with flour and salt and mix together; make a hole in the centre and add egg yolk and butter. Mix into a dough.
- Cover and let sit for an hour, or until doubled in size.
After risen, knead the dough until smooth, then divide into portions and roll out into a long string.
Now you’re ready to wrap the dough around a holder. Proper kits can be purchased, but if you need a homemade option, it’s easy to get creative! Coke cans, wine bottles, rolling pins… go to a secondhand shop and see what you can find.
Grease your chosen holder with butter (so it can easily detach when you’re done), then press one end of the dough hard against the holder, so that it sticks. Wrap the dough around the holder up to the top, then roll the whole thing on a greased surface so it flattens and there are no spaces in between. Next, prepare a shallow dish with sugar and cinnamon (and cocoa powder, if you like), and roll your uncooked chimney cake in this, generously. When you roast over coals, the sugar will bubble and caramelise.
Roasting can be done on a grill, over a campfire, or even in your oven if you aren’t fussed about being over-traditional.
Oven: Pre-heat to 200C, bake for 10-15 minutes with each holder on the edge of a baking tray. Make sure to roll the holder periodically, so that the crust is evenly browned.
Over coals: Proper chimney cake coal trays will have a notch on both ends for the holder to sit comfortably. If you’re cooking over a camp fire or grill, just make sure you are turning your cake slowly and consistently, so that all sides brown evenly.
When the sugar is bubbled and caramelised, remove from heat and cover with your preferred topping. Let your cake sit for a few minutes, then hold it upside down and give it a good tap to dislodge the cake from the holder. Eat by itself, or add a dollop of ice cream or Nutella.
