GBBO Challenge Week 6: Chocolate and Hazelnut Swirl Gugelhupf

You might call this a cake, others would call it a bread. Whatever it might be, it tastes amazing with a hot cup of tea. Last week on the bake off, European cakes was the theme. And I'm sure most of you expected a Prinsesstårta on my blog for the challenge, what with me being such a big Sweden fan. I sort of want to come up with my own (pink!) version though, so I'll leave it to another time. 

The yeasted cakes looked really good and, I can now say, taste pretty awesome as well. Some of the bakers baked a French Savarin, others a German/Austrian Gugelhupf. Since I don't have a savarin mould, a gugelhupf is what I chose. Not disappointed with my choice - at all!

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Vanilla Kipferl Biscuits

I've gotta say: those Germans and Austrians know what they're doing when it comes to baking. These deliciously crumbly biscuits are a great, luxurious option to bake for your Christmas party. 

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Sachertorte (my modern interpretation of it anyway)

For those passionate about patisserie, Vienna is somewhat of a food heaven. Vienna is, amongst other things, the birthplace of the Sachertorte. The original recipe for this 'torte' was developed by Franz Sacher in 1832 for a dinner party hosted by Prince Wenzel von Metternich. It was Franz' son, however, who succeeded in perfecting the recipe and introducing it at the famous Demel bakery and later at Hotel Sacher, where you can still enjoy it today. Needless to say that I would love to have a cup of tea with a genuine slice of Sachertorte at some point! For now, however, other recipes and my own baking will have to suffice.

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