Recipe: Krantz (Plaited Yeast Cake)
Galit loves Krantz - a plaited a yeast cake with layers of chocolate or poppy seed spread. Apparently the chocolate variety is German in origin, but the poppy seed variation is middle eastern. I've tweaked my original recipe to use the proportions recommended by Yaffa Wainer in honour of the fact that Galit still remembers eating Jaffa's moist yeast cake as a child. Yaffa makes small loaves and keeps most in the freezer. Makes two normal loaves or 4 small loaves (tins 19 cm x 10 cm x 6 cm).
Preheat oven to 180° C.
7 grams active dried yeast (25 grams fresh yeast)
150 grams tepid milk
- Mix in a large bowl
- Leave until yeast starts to froth (~ 5-10 min)
- [If using Fresh yeast the crumble 25 grams directly into the flour, and add milk with rest of the ingredients.]
500 grams flour
100 grams sugar
50 grams butter, melted and cooled (a bit)
100 grams beaten eggs (about 2)
5 grams salt
- Add to yeast mixture.
- Mix.
- Knead on a slightly floured surface until smooth but a little sticky (~5-7 minutes) (or mix in a mixer until dough is smooth and a bit sticky, about 5-8 min).
- A cool stiff dough is easier to manage in the next step so leave to rise in the fridge overnight (or, if you're short of time, in a warm place for 1 hour then in the fridge to cool down).
- Divide dough into two
- For each piece of dough:
- Roll one piece of dough into rectangular shape (roughly 25 cm long, 1/2 cm thick). Bear in mind this is going to end up in a loaf tin, so ensure that one of the sides of the rectangle (probably a short side) is about the same length as the loaf tin.
- Spread 1/2 the Filling of choice over the dough rectangle.
- Roll into a very tight roulade.
- Cut the roll lengthwise, i.e. from one end to another, and separate the two halves so the layers of filling are showing.
- Plait the two halves together loosely, keeping the cut sides face upwards and outwards.
- Place in greased loaf tin.
- Leave to rise until doubled (~1.5-2 hours)
- Bake the Kranz until brown and puffed (~40-45 min).
- Remove from oven
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
- Boil sugar and water
- Simmer until thickened
- Cool sugar water
- Brush cool sugar water over hot cake 3-4 times until well coated (or brush hot sugar water over cool cake)
- Cool
- You can keep for a week. If it is summer then leave covered in cling film in the fridge. Otherwise freeze.
Filling Options
You'll need a filling. Chocolate or Poppy Seed are traditional. Whatever you choose, it will have to be spreadable.
Some of these fillings are from Recipe Goldmine: Kuchen Recipes.
Easy Chocolate Nut Spread Filling
400 grams Nutella
Chocolate
200 grams butter, softened
1 cup sugar
- Mix
5 tablespoons cocoa powder
[optional] 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
- Add & Mix
Cinnamon and Sugar
200 grams butter, softened
1 cup sugar
- Mix
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
[Optional] 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
- Add & Mix
Poppy Seed and Dried Fruit Filling
1 cup black poppy seed
- Grind poppy seeds
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons honey or syrup
1/2 cup chopped almonds
Grated rind of 1/2 lemon
1 tablespoon chopped citron
1/4 cup seedless raisins
1/4 cup granulated sugar
- boil with milk and all other ingredients but apple, until thick.
- If not sweet enough, add more sugar.
- Cool.
1 tart apple, grated, or 1/4 cup currant or raspberry jelly or jam
- Add the apple etc when cool mixture is cool
Chocolate Nut Spread Filling
100 grams Caster Sugar
100 grams Walnuts
- Blitz in a blender
200 grams Plain Chocolate, roughly chopped
- Mix with nuts
Almond Paste Filling
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
- Cream butter and sugar
1/2 cup almonds, blanched
Grated rind of 1/2 lemon
1 egg, slightly beaten
- add grated almonds, lemon rind and only enough egg to make a paste.
Nut Paste Filling
3 egg whites
- Beat egg whites stiff;
1 cup granulated sugar
- add sugar gradually.
1 1/2 cups grated nuts
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Fold in the nuts and vanilla.
Walnut Filling
2 cups grated walnuts
1/4 cup granulated sugar
- Mix nuts and sugar,
1/4 cup syrup or honey
- add enough syrup or honey to make a paste.
Prune Filling
1 pound prunes, boiled
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Stone and rub boiled prunes through colander. Mix well with juice, sugar and lemon. Use to fill turnovers (Kipfel) or coffee cakes, or as a filling for two-crust or open-faced pies.