Hungarian Cake ?

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"Teddy" <teddy@Nie_SPAMmlyniec.gda.pl> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

I have one question. I was looking over internet,
but i cant find receipe for : i dont know the name,
but this is hungarian cake baked like kebap or
gyros ? You know there is machine whith tube and
on this tube is the cake. everything is rotating and
baking. Maybe someone knows the answer ??

The book I have with such a cake -- called "baumkuchen" or tree
cake -- indicates this is a German creation. Not saying that the
Hungarians don't have their own version, but that's what this book
says (and I must note that some of the best pastries I've ever tried
have been in Budapest -- what spectacular bakeries and coffee shops
they have!). I haven't tried making it, although I am intrigued, and
one of these days when I don't mind making a helluva mess (and raising
the fire hazard level 🙂) in the kitchen, I'll try it on the
rotisserie.

From _Cake Making and Decorating_ by Barbara Maher
Baumkuchen (Tree Cake)

"Spit cooking was the usual method of roasting in early times, and a
tree cake was quite popular. It was baked on a hand-turned, tapered,
wooden spit, set in front of an open fire, and it was made of a thin
batter, ladled on slowly as it cooked. Each wafer-thin layer was
toasted to a golden brown color, and then another coating of fresh
batter was poured on, to be toasted in its turn. The tree effect was
achieved by varying the rotating speed of the spit as fresh batter was
poured over. To create a rough uneven pattern, some of the cooked
mixture was brushed or carved away. As many as 20-30 layers could be
built up this way, and sometimes dried and crystalized fruits were
embedded in the mixture.

"While the cake was still hot, thin icing was poured over it, and,
once cooled, each end was trimmed straight and the wooden spit drawn
out. The Baumkuchen was placed on a large elegant serving platter and
a sprig of foliage inserted in the open hole at the top. Sometimes it
was decorated with a great plume of finely spun sugar and the base
encircled with small elegant pastries.

"During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries tree cakes reached
their greatest popularity in Europe, particularly for festivals and
celebrations; sometimes as many as 300 eggs were used for an
especially grand occasion. Though forgotten elsewhere, Baumkuchen
still remains popular in Germany today, particularly at Christmas time
when Father Christmas shapes may also be found.

"It has a quite special flavor and almost crispy texture because of
the unique cooking method. Commercial concerns still use the old
method of spit cooking with updated machinery, but at home we have to
adapt the technique, and the modern broiler is most suitable. You can
use a plain baking pan or springform pan for a basic cake, or you
could try experimenting with different forms such as a gugelhupf or
angel cake mold or with shapes that can be assembled later with
apricot jam before being iced."

250g / 1-1/4 cups butter
250g / 1-1/4 cups sugar
7 eggs, separated
2 tsp lemon zest
1 tbsp rum
50g / 1/4 cup ground almonds
130g / 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
130g / 2/3 cup potato flour, sifted
oil for greasing
apricot jam for brushing
lemon-flavored icing for glazing

Broiler: 350-400F for 4-5 minutes each layer

Beat the butter and sugar until pale and creamy, beat in the egg yolks
one at a time, mix in the lemon zest, rum and almonds. Sift together
the flours, and beat two spoonfuls at a time into the egg mixture.

Beat the egg whites in a spotlessly clean bowl until firm, then
lightly fold them into the main mixture. Lightly oil the chosen cake
pan (9-1/2 inch diameter). Smooth 1-2 tbsp of cake batter on the base
and place under the broiler. Cook until golden brown. Remove from
the heat and smooth over another thin layer of mixture. Cook again.
Continue toasting the layers until all the mixture is used (about
16-18 layers). Leave to cool in the pan. Unmold; brush with warm
apricot jam and glaze with lemon-flavored icing.

The cake keeps fresh for 2-3 weeks.

Quoted message said:

My email is : teddy303 @ wp . pl

PS -- While I am copying my post directly to you, it's best form to
return to the newsgroup for answers to your question. 🙂