I cant resist a decorative cake tin, and have a slight bundt fetish I admit. This year I wanted to use the very traditional Gugelhupf tin to make a special hybrid bread/cake. For Easter in this case but really this is for any time of the year.

So here is a butter brioche Gugelhupf, part French part whatever I am. It’s adapted from the Roux brothers traditional brioche recipe, with added oomph and stickiness.

I spiced this with my favourite cardamon and added a local bush honey. Really you can experiment with honey from your area, I plan to use Tasmanian Leatherwood honey next time as it is so very distinctive and delicious

Adapted from Roux brother’s Brioche recipe.

Gugelhupf tin supplied by Nordicware Australia - @nordicwareaustralia

Makes two.

Ingredients

For the yeast dough:

10g instant dry yeast
600g Tipo ‘oo” flour
1 teaspoon freshly ground cardamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
50g rapadura (or brown) sugar
6 eggs - room temperature
150ml lukewarm milk
50ml warm honey
2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
250g unsalted butter - softened
Extra butter for greasing

For the syrup:

125g honey
25ml water
1 cinnamon stick
5 crushed cardamon pods

2 Gugelhupf or bundt tins

Instructions:

Start the recipe the night before.

In a large bowl, mix together the yeast, flour, spices, salt and sugar.

Beat together the eggs, milk and honey until combined.

Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and pour in the liquid.

Mix until combined, then knead using the dough hook attachment on your mixer until smooth, glossy and elastic.

Be patient, this can take some time (around 10 minutes)

Knead in the softened butter a little at a time until it has been fully incorporated into the dough.

The dough will be very soft.

Cover and refrigerate overnight.

For the syrup:

Heat the honey, water and spices (you can be imaginative with these) until hot then set aside to allow the spices to infuse. This can be prepared the night before, just heat the syrup again when you are ready to brush it on the Gugelhupf.

The next day grease two Gugelhupf (or bundt tins) liberally with butter.

Divide the dough into two and form each half into a smooth ball, on a lightly floured surface.

Poke a hole in the centre and gently expand with your fingers so that it is big enough to fit the centre of the Gugelhupf/bundt. (it will look like a big doughnut)

Gently place each ring of dough into the tin, cover and allow to rise in a warm place until double.

Preheat the oven to 190 deg C - fan forced.

Bake for 30-35 minutes until well risen and golden. If the cakes start become two dark, turn the oven down by 20 deg C.

While the Gugelhupf is baking, reheat the syrup until warm.

When baked, unmould the Gugelhupf onto a rack and brush liberally with the spiced syrup while still hot.

These are delicious enjoyed fresh.

They are also great in a bread and butter pudding, or sliced and lightly toasted the next day or two.

Another option is to mould one half of the dough into a gugelhupf and turn the other half into a brioche shape or a plaited loaf for instance.

If making a loaf, brush the dough with egg wash before baking.

Enjoy and Happy Easter x