Chimney Cake Kürtőskalács Recipe
Deliciously soft and fluffy Hungarian chimney cake with a crunchy sugar cinnamon exterior. Adapted from an authentic traditional recipe, this recipe is suitable for home baking.
Equipment
- 1 large rolling pin (for rolling the dough)
- 2 or 4 smaller wooden rolling pins* (14-15 inches long, 1.5-2 inches diameter)
- aluminium foil
Ingredients
For the dough
- ⅓ cup milk, lukewarm (80 grams)
- 1 ½ teaspoons instant dry yeast* (7 grams)
- ¼ cup sugar (50 grams)
- ¼ cup butter, softened (50 grams)
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, optional
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 ¼ cup plain all-purpose flour (400 grams)
For topping
- 1 egg, for brushing
- 1 tablespoon milk, for brushing
- 1 cup sugar (200 grams)
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ cup ground walnuts (50 grams)
Instructions
For the dough
- In a small bowl add warm milk, 2 tablespoons of sugar and yeast. Mix well then let sit for 5-10 minutes until the mixture becomes foamy or bubbly.
- In a separate large bowl pour the remaining sugar, yeasty mixture, softened butter, eggs, salt, and lemon zest (optional). Combine everything with a wooden spoon or spatula.
- Pour in the flour into the wet mixture and mix until a dough forms.
- If using a stand mixer, use the dough attachment to knead the dough for 4-5 minutes. If kneading by hand, lightly flour the work surface, then tip the dough onto it. Knead for 7-10 minutes, until the dough is no longer sticky and springs back when poked with the finger.
- Grease a large bowl with vegetable oil, then place the kneaded dough into it. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel. Let proof for at least 30-45 minutes or until double in size.
- Once proofed, roll the dough into a rectangular shape about 1.5-inches in thickness. Use a pizza cutter to cut 4 equal strips.
- Work with one piece at the time. Keep the remaining dough covered with plastic wrap to prevent it from drying. Use your hands to roll each strip of dough into long coils around 1-inch in thickness. Each coil should be about 20-25 inches in length.
- Cover rolling pins with aluminium foil to prevent the dough from sticking. Gently wrap each dough coil each wooden rolling pin, without overlapping the dough.
- Roll the pin around a few times, while applying a little pressure to flatten the dough and make the swirls stick together. Repeat process for the remaining chimney cakes.
- Prepare the egg wash by mixing 1 egg with 1 tablespoon of milk. Use a pastry brush to coat each chimney cake with egg wash.
For topping
- Pre-heat oven at 350°F (180°C).
- Crush walnuts into small pieces by placing them into a ziplock bag and smashing them with a rolling pin. There should be smaller pieces, but still crunchy.
- Combine the ground walnuts, sugar, and cinnamon on a tray or large plate.
- Roll the chimney cakes through the topping mixture, pressing gently to help it stick. Ensure all sides are covered evenly.
Baking
- Place the rolling pins with chimney cakes on top of a deeper tray. The handles should rest on the edges of the tray, so the chimney cakes do not touch the bottom of the tray.
- Bake for 10 minutes, then rotate the rolling pins on the other side.
- Bake for another 10-15 minutes or until golden-brown in colour.
- Serve immediately whilst still warm.
Notes
- Smaller rolling pins are used as a mould for the chimney cakes. Ensure they are entirely wooden, with no plastic or meltable pieces. Please see section 'Equipment & Tools' in blog post for more details.
- Instant dry yeast can be replaced with fresh yeast. In this recipe, 20 grams of fresh yeast are needed.
- Storing: Serve kurtos kalacs hot or within a few hours of baking. Cover in plastic wrap until ready to consume.
- Nutritional value is estimative and it's calculated per serving with sugar coating walnut (this recipe makes 4 servings).
Nutrition
Calories: 660kcal
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!