Something Has Been Baking in My Kitchen...

If you've been wondering where Flavor of the Week disappeared to, I have a pretty good excuse.

I've been baking.

And baking.

And writing.

And then baking some more.

For the past several months, I've been working behind the scenes on my newest cookbook, Bake It Till You Make It, a flour-dusted journey into the German cakes, cookies, and baking traditions I grew up with.

The book is currently in the hands of my beta readers, and soon it will be heading into the professional editing and design phase. There is still plenty of work ahead, but seeing all these recipes, stories, baking tips, and family traditions finally coming together into a book is incredibly exciting.

So, after my rather long Flavor of the Week absence, I thought it was only fitting to come back with a little taste of what's been baking in my kitchen. And this one tastes like home.

Zitronen-Gugelhupf

A Slice of Lemony Deliciousness

pronounced tsih-TROH-nen GOO-gel-hoopf

Some cakes instantly take me back to my childhood, and this is one of them. Along with Blitzkuchen and Marmorkuchen, my Oma often baked a Zitronen-Gugelhupf when we were visiting. I can still picture her standing in the kitchen, mixing the batter and letting us lick the beaters. Those are some of my sweetest baking memories. Maybe that's why this cake still feels a little like home every time I bake it.

Only years later did I realize that Oma was baking one of Germany's most iconic cakes. Gugelhupf has been part of German baking tradition for centuries. Its distinctive fluted ring shape inspired the Bundt pan, making it one of Germany's best-known cakes around the world.

Today's version is a light, buttery cake brightened with fresh lemon and finished with a tangy lemon glaze. It's elegant enough to serve to guests, yet simple enough to bake on an ordinary Sunday afternoon. Whether served with afternoon coffee, packed for a picnic, or shared with friends, a slice of Zitronen-Gugelhupf always seems to bring a little sunshine to the table.

This Is What You'll Need

For the Cake

• 1 cup + 2 tablespoons (250 g) unsalted butter, softened

• 1 cup (200 g) sugar

• 2 teaspoons vanilla sugar (or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)

• 4 large eggs, separated

• Pinch of salt

• Zest of 2 lemons

• Juice of 1 lemon

• 3 cups (350 g) all-purpose flour

• 1 tablespoon (15 g) baking powder

• ¼ to ⅓ cup (60 to 80 ml) milk, as needed

For the Lemon Glaze

• 1½ cups (200 g) powdered sugar, sifted

• 3 to 4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Kitchen Confidence Tip

For the brightest lemon flavor, zest the lemons before juicing them, and be careful to grate only the yellow peel. The white pith underneath is bitter and can overpower the fresh citrus flavor.

That's How You Do It

1. Prepare the Pan

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C conventional) or 320°F (160°C convection).

Generously grease a 10-cup (22 to 24 cm) Gugelhupf or Bundt pan with softened butter, making sure to coat every ridge and the center tube. Sprinkle the pan with fine breadcrumbs, turning it until every surface is lightly coated. Tap out any excess.

Kitchen Confidence Tip

Breadcrumbs are an old German baker's secret for helping a Gugelhupf release perfectly from its beautifully fluted pan. They create a thin protective layer between the batter and the pan without leaving visible flour marks on the finished cake.

2. Prepare the Batter

In a clean bowl, beat the egg whites with the salt until stiff peaks form. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter, sugar, vanilla sugar, and lemon zest for about 4 to 5 minutes until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg yolks one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the lemon juice.

Whisk together the flour and baking powder. Add the dry ingredients alternately with the milk, beginning and ending with the flour, mixing just until combined.

The batter should be thick but slowly fall from the spoon. If it seems a little too thick, add another splash of milk.

Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the beaten egg whites into the batter until no white streaks remain.

Kitchen Confidence Tip

Folding the beaten egg whites into the batter instead of mixing them keeps all those tiny air bubbles intact. Those bubbles help create the wonderfully light, tender crumb that makes this cake so irresistible.

3. Bake

Spoon the batter evenly into the prepared pan and smooth the top.

Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Allow the cake to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Carefully loosen the edges with your fingers if needed, place a cooling rack over the pan, take a deep breath, and confidently invert the cake onto the rack. Allow it to cool completely.

Kitchen Confidence Tip

Timing matters. Turn the cake out after about 10 minutes. If it's removed too soon, it may break apart. Wait too long, and condensation can cause it to stick to the pan.

4. Glaze

Whisk together the sifted powdered sugar and lemon juice until smooth. The glaze can be as thin or thick as your taste buds desire. Drizzle generously over the cooled cake, allowing the glaze to flow naturally down the sides. And if you'd like a little extra sparkle, sprinkle some crystal sugar over the glaze. Let the glaze set before serving.

And if your glaze gets a little thinner than planned, don't worry. Consider it a delicious bonus. Spoon any extra lemony glaze over individual cake slices when serving. Trust me, nobody will complain.

Bake It Your Way

Want to put your own spin on it?

Zitronen-Mohn-Gugelhupf: Stir 2 to 3 tablespoons of poppy seeds into the batter.

Berry Lemon: Fold 1 cup of blueberries or raspberries, lightly tossed in flour, into the batter.

Extra Lemony: While the cake is still warm, brush it with a simple lemon syrup before glazing.

Elegant Finish: Decorate the glazed cake with thin lemon slices, extra lemon zest, toasted almonds, or edible flowers.

Want to Be Part of the Launch?

Bake It Till You Make It is getting closer to becoming a real book, and I'm now putting together my Advance Reader Team.

If you love baking, German food and traditions, or simply enjoy discovering recipes with a story behind them, I'd love to have you join me.

Advance readers will get an early look at the finished book before publication and help me give Bake It Till You Make It a strong start when it launches this fall.

If you're interested, send me an email at [YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS] with BAKE IT TILL YOU MAKE IT in the subject line, and I'll send you the details.

In the meantime, I promise I won't make you wait another two months for the next Flavor of the Week.

There's far too much baking going on around here for that.

Let's keep Rocking the Kitchen together, my friends.

To your culinary success.

With Flavor Love,

Kerstin