Breakfaststories

Every year when we visited our great grandmother around Christmas she used to serve us Russenzopf. It’s a traditional cake in western Europe and I love it with my whole heart. It’s perfectly moist (you probably know by now that I love moist cakes), it has a delicious hazelnut filling and is a little sour on top – just how I like it. I was pretty proud how my own take on it turned out – very close to the original. If you want to treat yourself to this delicious cake, give it a go!

Ingredients

(for a 30cm loaf tin)

Dough

1.8 dl hazelnut milk

7 g dried yeast

40 g sugar

340 g flour

1/2 tsp salt

90 g vegan butter + 1 tbsp

Filling

200 g grinded hazelnuts

4 tbsp cane sugar

1 big lemon (zest and juice)

Syrup

1 dl water

90 g sugar

Glazing

1/2 lime (juice)

6 tbsp powdered sugar

Instructions

(Preparation time 60 min + 2h45 baking / rising time)

Pour the hazelnut milk, butter and dried yeast into a pan. Heat up slightly to 40°C. Meanwhile mix the dry ingredients in a bowl. Add the warm fluid ingredients and start kneading. Knead the dough for several minutes before forming a ball and covering it with some more butter. Place the bowl somewhere warm and cover it with a damp dish towel. Let it rise to double it’s size for 60 minutes.

Meanwhile prepare the filling. Mix all the ingredients until the mixture is evenly moist and sticky. Prepare the loaf tin by covering it with parchment paper. Put one sheet on your countertop as well. Take your dough, knead it again to knock back the air. Roll it out on your parchment paper to a 30/40cm size. Cover it with the filling, leaving a 2-3 cm stripe free on one of the long sides. Then roll it from the opposite side to form a log. Cut the log in half lengthways and have the cut sides facing up. Now start twirling it together always letting the cut sides facing up. Pinch together the endings on one side. Then take the right half and place it over the left one. Repeat until your at the bottom and then pinch together the ends on this side. Carefully transfer it into your loaf tin. If it’s long enough try to form an S.

Let the Russenzopf rise again for 60 minutes. Preheat the oven 160°C fan function and bake it for 45 minutes. Cover it with aluminium foil for the last 20 minutes.

Meanwhile prepare the syrup and glazing. Take hot water from the tab and add the sugar. Stir until the sugar has dissolved. Then mix the lime juice and powdered sugar in another bowl until you have a smooth glazing. Maybe add a splash of water if it’s not fluid enough.

Take the Russenzopf out of the oven and let it cool down for 15 minutes. Then pour the syrup over it and cover it with the glazing. Take it out of the loaf tin and transfer it to a cooling rack so the excess syrup can leak. Best enjoyed when shared with loved ones!