Spicy Gugelhupf with Cheese and Anise Glaze
Romanian spiced ring cake made with ricotta and cow cheese, studded with pine buds, flax, sesame, saffron, and goji berries. Topped with a warm apple juice and star anise glaze that infuses the still-warm cake with aromatic spice.
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups ricotta cheese
- 1 cups cow cheeseGreek yogurt or mascarpone1:1dairy
similar richness and tang
- 2 whole eggs
- ¾ cups brown sugar
- 1 packet vanilla sugar, Bourbon
- 3 tbsp coconut oil
- salt, knife tip
- 1 tbsp pine budstoasted pine nuts1:1.5nutsadds tree_nuts
adds crunch
- 2 tbsp flax seeds
- 2 tbsp sesame seeds
- saffron, pinch
- 3 tbsp goji berriesdried cranberries1:1no_subs_needed
similar tartness and texture when rehydrated
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 8 tbsp apple juice
- 3 whole star anise
- ¾ cups brown sugar
Instructions
- 1
Prepare gugelhupf pan and coat generously with butter, including the interior circular portion for easy release.
- 2
Preheat oven to 180 degrees.
- 3
Combine ricotta, cow cheese, eggs, brown sugar, salt, and vanilla sugar in a bowl until a dense cream forms.
- 4
Add coconut oil and mix briefly.
- 5
In a separate bowl, combine flour and baking powder, then add pine buds, flax seeds, sesame seeds, saffron, and goji berries.
- 6
Fold flour mixture into cheese mixture gently until all ingredients are homogeneous.
- 7
Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 45-50 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out dry.
- 8
While cake bakes, prepare glaze: in a small pot, combine apple juice and brown sugar, stirring constantly to prevent sticking. Add star anise and simmer a few minutes, then remove from heat.
- 9
Remove cake from pan onto a round plate or tray once slightly cooled, then pour warm glaze over top.
Tips
Use fresh or rehydrated goji berries, not dried straight from package—they become too tough when baked. Soak dried goji for 10 minutes, pat dry, then add.
Coat the interior circular ridge of the gugelhupf pan thoroughly so the cake releases cleanly.
Stir the glaze continuously while heating to prevent sugar from crystallizing on the pot.
Pour glaze over cake while both are still warm for best absorption.
Good to Know
Store covered at room temperature up to 2 days, or refrigerated up to 4 days.
Batter can be prepared and baked up to 1 day ahead. Glaze warm before serving.
Serve at room temperature or slightly warm, cut into slices.
Common Mistakes
Do not use dried goji berries straight from package to avoid them becoming tough and dry after baking; rehydrate first.
Do not stop stirring the glaze to avoid sugar crystallizing and sticking to the pot.
Do not under-butter the pan, especially the interior ridge, to avoid the cake sticking during release.
Substitutions
Dairy-Free Swaps
similar richness and tang
General Alternatives
adds crunch