Ah! Kürtőskalács, also known as chimney cake, is a traditional Hungarian sweet pastry—crispy and caramelized on the outside, soft and fluffy inside, often coated with sugar, cinnamon, or nuts 🌰🍯. Here’s a classic recipe you can make at home:
Ingredients (Makes 4–6 chimney cakes)
Dough
- 3 ½ cups (440 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (100 g) sugar
- 1 packet (7 g / 2 ¼ tsp) active dry yeast
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup (120 ml) warm milk
- ¼ cup (60 ml) water
- 2 eggs
- ¼ cup (60 g) unsalted butter, softened
Coating & Topping
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon (optional)
- 2–3 tbsp melted butter
- Optional: crushed nuts (walnuts, almonds)
Instructions
1. Make the dough
- In a small bowl, mix yeast with warm milk, a pinch of sugar, and let it activate for 5–10 minutes until foamy.
- In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt.
- Add eggs, softened butter, yeast mixture, and water. Mix and knead until smooth and elastic (about 8–10 minutes).
- Cover and let rise 1–1.5 hours, until doubled in size.
2. Shape the cakes
- Punch down the dough and roll into a long strip (~½ inch thick).
- Wrap the dough around a greased cylindrical form (like a rolling pin or metal tube) in a spiral, overlapping slightly.
3. Preheat & prepare
- Preheat oven to 375°F / 190°C.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment or foil and grease it lightly.
4. Bake
- Brush the dough with melted butter.
- Sprinkle generously with sugar (and cinnamon or nuts if using).
- Bake 20–25 minutes, rotating occasionally, until golden brown and caramelized.
- Optionally brush again with butter and sprinkle remaining sugar after baking.
5. Serve
- Let cool slightly, then slide off the cylinder.
- Serve warm—crispy outside, soft inside.
Tips & Variations
- Crispier outside: Roll dough in sugar before baking for extra caramelization.
- Flavor variations: Cocoa, vanilla sugar, coconut flakes, or chocolate drizzle.
- Traditional method: Traditionally cooked over open coals and brushed with butter as it spins.
- Serving: Best eaten fresh; can be filled with Nutella, cream, or fruit.
If you want, I can give a “festival-style Kürtőskalács” recipe with perfectly caramelized crust, soft inside, and optional cinnamon-sugar or chocolate coating—basically what you’d get at a Hungarian fair.
Do you want me to do that version?
