Mini chimney cake, known in Hungary as kürtőskalács, is a traditional Hungarian sweet pastry made from yeast dough wrapped around a small cylindrical mold and baked until golden. This mini chimney cake recipe delivers a crisp, caramelized exterior and a soft, fluffy interior, often finished with sugar, cinnamon, or chopped nuts. Popular at markets and festivals, kürtőskalács is one of the most iconic Hungarian desserts.
Mini Chimney Cake (Kurtos kalacs)
Print RecipeIngredients
- YEAST CAKE
- 260 Gram (g) flour
- 10 Dekagram (dkg) butter
- 125 Millilitre (ml) milk
- 1 Piece egg
- 1 Piece egg yolk
- 1 Table spoon (tbsp) sugar
- 1 Peck salt
- 2 Dekagram (dkg) yeast
- GARNISH
- 3 Table spoon (tbsp) granulated sugar
- 1 Tea spoon (tsp) cinnamon
Instructions
YEAST CAKE
The Kurtos kalacs name comes from the shape of the cake, a strip of yeast dough is wrapped around a spit. It is then rolled in granulated sugar and baked above charcoal cinders. The end result is a chimney shaped cake with a caramelized, sugary, golden-brown exterior.
Warm up the milk in the small saucepan over medium-low heat. Combine the tepid milk, sugar and yeast into the big bowl and give it a good stir. Set aside for 5 minutes or until a thick bubbly foam has formed on top of the milk. Combine flour and salt in the stand mixer’s bowl. Make a hole in the center and pour in melted butter, egg and egg yolks and the milk mixture. Mix using the medium setting for about 5 to 10 minutes, depending on your stand mixer. The chimney cake dough is ready when the dough has become a solid mass, and does not stick to your hands. Don’t add in extra flour if you notice that the dough is too sticky, add in a few more drops of melted butter instead. Cover with plastic and set aside to rest for 1 hour, or doubled in size in warm place.
I made here mini chimney cake because much more easy to handle for kids. I used small (10 cm high) metal molds. If you dont have this kind of metals, wrap up two paper towel tubes tightly in tin foil, fold the remaining tin foil inwards. You’re going to wrap the dough over these holders. Since these chimney cakes need to be heated all the way around and inside, these make-shi! holders will do perfectly fine.
When the kurtos kalacs dough has doubled in size, place it on a clean working surface. Don’t sprinkle with flour beforehand sprinkle with oil. Knead the dough until smooth, then divide into ten portions. Roll each portion into a long string and roll it onto the prepared holders.
GARNISH
Preheat your oven to a temperature of 200 Celsius degrees. Sprinkle each kurtos kalacs with sugar and cinnamon mixture. Place each holder on baking paper covered baking tray upright the mods, and bake them for about 10 to 15 minutes until light browned. Remove the molds from middle and serve hot. Don’t store on room temperature for hours because may be dried up and will lost so!ness.
