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Gugl..hho..ff, huh ? |
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| As for the history of Guglhupf (Kugelhopf), no two sources can agree. It seems clear that the cake originated in Austria. The bread is said to have been a favorite of Emperor Franz Josef I of Austria. From Vienna, however, the path of the noble Guglhupf is unclear. Some say Marie Antoinette, who had a fondness for light, sweet breads, popularized the Guglhupf in France. Others credit the master Carême with introducing the cake to Parisian society while he was a chef at the Avice. According to Larousse Gastronomique (New York: Crown Publishers, 1988), Carême was supposedly given the recipe by Eugene, the head chef of the Prince of Schwarzenberg, the Austrian ambassador to Napoleon. Other experts suggest that the first pastry cook to make a true Guglhupf in Paris was a man named Georges who was established in the Rue de Coq in 1840.
The origin of the name is also unclear. Literally, the word Gugl in German means ball. Hopf translates to hump. The resulting compound word, "ballhump", likely refers to the unique shape of the bread - an exaggerated, fluted bundt shape with a swollen base. The Cassell Food Dictionary (London: Cassell Publishers, 1990), claims that the bread is named after the turbans worn by the Turkish invaders of Austria in the 17th century. It would appear that the shape of the Guglhupf approximates that of the turban. Guglhupf, which is made from a dough rich in eggs, may be related to the Jewish raisin challah or the Italian panettone, although no ancestral parallels have been explored.
While they cannot agree whence it or its name comes, Europeans do agree on a few issues regarding Guglhupf. Alsatians concur that the classic Guglhupf should be made one day in advance and served slightly stale. When stale, these French citizens of German ancestry submit, the cake soaks up coffee better. It is also delicious with a glass of Alsatian Gewürztraminer or Riesling.
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