Bamkuch

Ingredients

Batter

• 500 gbutter, softened
• 500 gcaster sugar
• 16eggs, separated
• 400 gplain flour
• 100 gcornflour
• 1 teaspoonsalt
• 2 teaspoonsvanilla
• the zest of 1 lemon
• 100 mlcream

Sometimes added

• 3 tablespoonsrum or kirsch
• a pinch of ground mace

To finish

• 200 gdark chocolate, melted
• or a sugar and lemon glaze

Equipment

• a rotating spit over an open fire
• or a spit-roast attachment
• a wooden roller wrapped in baking paper
• long-handled brushes and ladles

Directions

1. Let both come to room temperature. Making the batter takes some time. Beat until pale and genuinely fluffy. Give it a full eight minutes there. Add the yolks a few at a time. Beat well after each addition.
2. Add the vanilla, lemon zest and cream. Add the rum or kirsch if you are using it. Sift the flour, cornflour and salt together. Fold them into the butter mixture gently. Whisk the whites to soft peaks.
3. Add the remaining sugar gradually as you whisk. Take them to a firm but not dry meringue. Fold a spoonful into the batter to loosen it. Keep as much air in as you can.
4. Ladle a thin layer of batter over the turning roller. Use the back of the ladle to spread it evenly. Let it turn until that layer is golden and set. That takes about two or three minutes.
5. Repeat this process again and again. A full cake takes twenty layers or more. Let the cake cool on the spit. Coat the outside with melted chocolate.
6. Let the coating set completely. Use a grill and a rectangular tin. Spread a very thin layer of batter in the tin.
7. Grill it until it is golden and set. Spread the next thin layer over it. Grill again and repeat many times. Serving it is done in thin slices. Cut it across so the rings are visible. It is very rich and slices should be modest.

Technique

• Bamkuch belongs to a family of spit-baked layered cakes found across Germany, Poland, Lithuania and Hungary.
• In Luxembourg it is closely associated with weddings and other family occasions, and is made by a small number of specialists.

Substitutions

• The grill and tin method gives a genuine layered cake without a spit.
• Any rich sponge batter can be used, though the butter content matters for the texture.

Variations

• German Baumkuchen is the closest relative and is usually coated in chocolate.
• Sakotis in Lithuania is baked with a spiked outer surface.
• Some Luxembourg makers finish it with a lemon glaze rather than chocolate.

History

Baked over an open fire on a rotating spit for weddings, communions and baptisms, and still made by a handful of Luxembourg specialists.

Frequently asked questions

What is Bamkuch?

Bamkuch is a dessert from Luxembourg: ring-shaped tree cake baked layer by layer on a turning spit. Baked over an open fire on a rotating spit for weddings, communions and baptisms, and still made by a handful of Luxembourg specialists.

How long does Bamkuch take to make?

Bamkuch takes 1 hour of preparation and 2 hours of cooking. The recipe makes one large cake, 20 slices. It is rated hard to make.

What can I substitute in Bamkuch?

Yes, within limits. The grill and tin method gives a genuine layered cake without a spit. Any rich sponge batter can be used, though the butter content matters for the texture.