Kürtőskalács (Hungarian Chimney Cake)
In short: Yeast dough strips wound around a cylinder, rolled in sugar and baked until the outside caramelizes into a crisp, sweet shell. It takes about 1 h 15 min in total and makes 6 servings.
- Prep
- 45 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Resting
- 2 h
- Total
- 1 h 15 min
- Servings
- 6
- Difficulty
- Challenging
- Calories
- 600 kcal
Kürtőskalács, or chimney cake, is a sweet yeast pastry wound around a wooden cylinder, rolled in sugar and roasted until the outside forms a crisp, caramelized shell and the inside stays soft and pull-apart. It is popular in Hungary and neighboring regions, sold at markets and Christmas fairs, and eaten warm, plain or rolled in cinnamon, ground walnuts or cocoa. At home you can bake it around foil-covered rolling pins or empty cans.
Instructions
- Mix the flour, yeast, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Add the milk, egg, melted butter and vanilla and knead for 10 minutes into a smooth, soft, slightly tacky dough.
- Cover and let the dough rise in a warm place for 1 hour, until doubled.
- Cover three rolling pins or clean empty cans, about 5 cm (2 in) wide, with foil and brush the foil with some of the melted butter.
- Divide the dough into 3. Roll each portion to about 3 mm thick and cut it into strips 2 cm (3/4 in) wide. Wind a strip around each cylinder in a spiral, overlapping the edges by about 5 mm and pressing the ends together to join more strips.
- Rest the wrapped cylinders on a tray for 30 minutes while the oven heats to 200°C (400°F).
- Brush the dough all over with melted butter, then roll in the sugar to coat thickly.
- Rest the ends of each cylinder on the rim of a roasting pan so the cake hangs free. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, turning every 5 minutes and brushing with butter, until deep golden and the sugar has caramelized.
- Let cool for 5 minutes, then twist gently to slide the cake off the cylinder.
- Roll in cinnamon sugar or ground walnuts if you like, and serve warm.
Tips
- Keep the strips thin and even. Thick dough stays raw in the middle and thin dough burns. The spirals should feel firm and spring back when pressed lightly.
- No cylinders? Use foil-covered empty tin cans or lengths of thick wooden dowel, and rest the ends on the pan edges so the cake does not touch the pan.
Questions and answers
Can I make kürtőskalács without a special roller?
Yes. Foil-covered rolling pins or tin cans work well. Wrap the foil around the cylinder, grease it and wind the dough around it.
How do I keep kürtőskalács fresh?
It is best eaten the day it is baked, while still warm. Wrap leftovers and refresh them in a 160°C (325°F) oven for 5 minutes.
What are the traditional toppings for chimney cake?
Plain caramelized sugar, cinnamon sugar, ground walnuts, cocoa and coconut. At markets they are often filled with ice cream or spread with chocolate.
How long does it take to make Kürtőskalács (Hungarian Chimney Cake)?
About 1 h 15 min in total: 45 min of preparation and 30 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Kürtőskalács (Hungarian Chimney Cake)?
About 600 kcal per serving, with 10 g of protein, 90 g of carbohydrates and 21 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 600 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 10 g |
| Carbohydrates | 90 g |
| Fat | 21 g |
| Fiber | 3 g |
| Sugar | 40 g |
| Sodium | 330 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
