walnut schnecken bundt cake #bundtbakers

Another day, another bundt. That’s what I always say.

walnut schnecken bundt cake | German cinnamon roll cake | Brooklyn Homemaker

Who am I kidding? I’ve never actually said that.

It does sometimes feel that way though, and this will be the 20th bundt cake I’ve baked and photographed and eaten since I started Brooklyn Homemaker.
Having joined a bundt baking blogging group has certainly kept my oven warm and my belly full!

walnut schnecken bundt cake | German cinnamon roll cake | Brooklyn Homemaker

Over the months (or is it years already?), I’ve done my best to keep things interesting and avoid bundt monotony. The creative themes the bundt bakers come up with have always provided me with fun and interesting challenges month after month.

Every once in a while though, you really need to do something you’ve never done before, something totally different and unique, to give yourself an inspirational kick in the pants.

walnut schnecken bundt cake | German cinnamon roll cake | Brooklyn Homemaker

This month’s theme, chosen by Lauren of Sew you Think you Can Cook, is cinnamon. Warm, sweet, homey cinnamon! Who doesn’t love cinnamon, especially during the dark and dreary days of winter? Thanks Lauren!

I’ve been looking forward to baking this month’s bundt for a while now, but when it came to decide what to actually put in the oven, I was stumped! The problem was that every idea I came up with just didn’t feel very exciting to me. I was certain that they’d all be totally delicious, but I couldn’t think of anything I haven’t seen before. There’s something to be said for simplicity and tradition, and there’s nothing better than a buttermilk spice cake in my book, but I really wanted to do something original this month.

walnut schnecken bundt cake | German cinnamon roll cake | Brooklyn Homemaker

After much hemming and hawing I decided to consult one of the new (old) cookbooks Russell gave me for Christmas. With my fingers crossed I reached for the United Sates Regional Cook Book by Edith Berolzheimer and hoped a recipe from 1939 would catch my eye. The contents are broken up into 11 culinary regions of the US, ranging from New England to Creole cooking, and there’s even a special chapter on “Cosmopolitan American” cooking.

walnut schnecken bundt cake | German cinnamon roll cake | Brooklyn Homemaker

One thing that really struck me was that there are three separate chapters on culinary regions labeled “Dutch”. I’d heard of the Pennsylvania Dutch before, but the other two groups were unfamiliar to me. Another odd thing was that one of the regions, the Michigan Dutch, featured recipes from Holland, while the other two chapters featured German recipes.

Did you know that the name “Pennsylvania Dutch” actually has nothing to do with Holland or the Netherlands? In the U.S., these groups are called “Dutch” because their American neighbors misunderstood “Deutschland”, the German name for Germany, and mistakenly thought the people settling these regions were Dutch rather than German. The name stuck and they’ve been called the Pennsylvania Dutch ever since. I was aware that there was a large German population in Wisconsin too, but I had no idea that they were also called the “Wisconsin Dutch” in the same way as the group in Pennsylvania.

walnut schnecken bundt cake | German cinnamon roll cake | Brooklyn Homemaker

After flipping through the book I also noticed that each of the German “Dutch” section had their own separate recipes for “Schnecken”. If you’re not familiar, schnecken is basically a German version of a sticky bun or cinnamon roll. The word schnecken means “snail” in German, and the pastry’s name is inspired by the swirled pattern of a snail’s shell.

walnut schnecken bundt cake | German cinnamon roll cake | Brooklyn Homemaker

The strange thing to me was how different each recipe was from one another. The Pennsylvania Dutch version seemed pretty straight forward and similar to other cinnamon roll recipes, but the Wisconsin Dutch version was made with a much richer dough and was baked in a loaf pan rather than a traditional round or rectangular cake pan. The Wisconsin recipe also had nuts, brown sugar, and butter added to the bottom of the pan, so that when the schnecken is turned out you’d have a pull-apart loaf topped with it’s own drippy buttery sauce.

walnut schnecken bundt cake | German cinnamon roll cake | Brooklyn Homemaker

I’ve never seen cinnamon rolls baked this way but it seems rather similar to monkey bread in my mind. I figured that if this recipe could be baked in a loaf, why couldn’t it be baked in a bundt pan? A round loaf of pull-apart cinnamon rolls, dripping with their own buttery brown sugar sauce. What could be better than that?
The Wisconsin version didn’t actually call for cinnamon, but the Pennsylvania recipe did so I just went for it. I also swapped walnuts for the pecans and almonds called for in the original recipe. I’ve been on a bit of a walnut kick lately and I absolutely love their bitter earthiness when paired with rich sweet recipes like this one.

walnut schnecken bundt cake | German cinnamon roll cake | Brooklyn Homemaker

The resulting cake is super fun to eat as you just pull each roll off as you go, no knife required. It’s rich and buttery and dripping with with butter and brown sugar. The cinnamon adds a lovely homey warmth and the walnuts provide an earthy bitterness that compliments perfectly with the sweetness of the sauce and richness of the pastry. I brought the cake to work with me for a staff meeting and it was absolutely devoured! This cake should probably keep for a few days, but to be honest I wouldn’t know! It’s definitely best eaten warm.

In the name of full disclosure, this recipe is over 75 years old and there are a few things I would do a little differently if I had it to do over again. Other than the addition of cinnamon and substitution of walnuts, I wanted to follow the original recipe to a T. While it was absolutely delicious, I actually found it to be too rich and heavy. (Who knew that was even possible?)
This is a yeast raised recipe, but to my surprise it didn’t call for any water or even milk, only heavy cream, egg yolks, and lots of butter. Lots and lots of butter. The resulting dough is extremely rich, and when eaten cold it had a slight greasiness. I also think that it’d be better baked at a slightly lower temperature as it seemed slightly overcooked, with an almost fried feeling, on the outermost edges.

In the recipe below I’ve changed it from cream to milk and lowered the temperature from 375 to 350. This still will make an undoubtably rich and decadent cake and I’m fully confident that you won’t miss all that heavy cream. I did make notes if you want to make this in it’s original 1939 form, but I’m completely rewriting the recipe instructions to make them easier to understand.

walnut schnecken bundt cake | German cinnamon roll cake | Brooklyn Homemaker

Walnut Schnecken Bundt Cake

  • Servings: about 12 to 16
  • Print
adapted from The United States Regional Cook Book, 1939

Pastry:
1 packet of active dry yeast *see note
1 cup lukewarm milk **see note
1 cup butter, softened
5 egg yolks
3 cups all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt

Filling:
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon (optional, not called for originally)
1 cup walnuts, chopped (original recipe called for almonds)

Topping:
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup walnuts (original recipe called for pecans)
1 cup packed brown sugar

Whisk yeast into lukewarm (not hot) milk. In the bowl of an electric mixer with a paddle attachment, mix the softened butter and egg yolks until well combined. Mix in milk, salt, and flour. Switch to a dough hook and mix until the dough comes together and leaves the sides of the bowl. Cover with a damp towel and let rise for an hour to an hour and a half, or until doubled in size. You can also cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

On a lightly floured board, roll the dough out into a rectangle. Mine was about 18″x12″, but the original recipe just said to roll it “thin”.  Sprinkle evenly with sugar, chopped walnuts, and cinnamon. Roll up and slice into 12 to 16 even slices using a sharp serrated knife with a gentle sawing motion.

Pour melted butter into the bottom of a 10 to 12 cup bundt pan, reserving 2 tablespoons for later use. Tilt the pan to coat the sides in melted butter, but let most of it remain in the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle nuts in an even layer, and top with brown sugar in another even layer. Arrange rolls, at a slight angle, evenly around the pan atop the nuts and sugar. Brush with remaining butter. Cover with a damp towel and let rise for an hour to an hour and a half, or until doubled in size. Preheat oven to 350.

Bake until golden brown on top and a toothpick comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Turn out onto a serving plate or cake stand immediately. Do not leave in the pan or the sauce will stick. Serve warm.

*note: The original recipe called for cake yeast, but I couldn’t find it. Dry yeast worked out just fine.
**note: The original recipe called for heavy cream, but I found that it made the recipe too heavy and rich, with a greasy feeling. Milk will lighten it up a bit but the butter and egg yolks will ensure it’s still plenty rich.

walnut schnecken bundt cake | German cinnamon roll cake | Brooklyn Homemaker

And don’t forget to take a peek at what other talented bakers have baked this month:

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BundtBakers

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#BundtBakers is a group of Bundt loving Bakers who get together once a month to bake Bundts with a common ingredient or theme. We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme or ingredient. You can see all of our lovely Bundts by following our Pinterest Board.

Updated links for all of our past events and more information about BundtBakers can be found on our homepage.

54 comments

  1. Pingback: #BundtBakers: Cinnamon | Sew You Think You Can Cook

  2. Oh my Tux, you have really knocked it out of the park on this one. I’m drooling here. And wishing I had a piece of it right now for breakfast with my coffee.
    PS. I’m still in envy of those old cookbooks you have.

    Liked by 1 person

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  3. I hear you on the too rich dough but I am coveting the almost fried edges. Bet those were the best part of the cake when it was hot straight out of the oven. The whole thing is gorgeous, Tux! A triumph!

    Liked by 1 person

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  4. Pingback: Cinnamon Swirl Bundt Cake #BundtBakers | A Palatable Pastime

  7. As usual your bundt cake just says WOW!! Again a new story and recipe from your old cookbooks (I was hoping for it, haha), you really did it again, Tux, absolutely divine and mouth watering it looks. And so beautiful when it is cut! Big aplause for you! Xx fromSpain Lara

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  8. Thanks for the history lesson on the Pennsylvania Dutch, never knew that. Makes sense in an ignorant sort of way because their American neighbors misunderstood “Deutschland”, the German name for Germany.
    These are just beautiful photos and this recipe is off the hook Tux. Deliciously brilliant use of the bundt pan. Pinned and shared.

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  12. Pingback: Tunnel of Cinnamon Bundt Cake #BundtBakers – Baking in Pyjamas
  13. Pingback: Mexican Chocolate Bundt Cake #Bundtbakers - I bake he shoots

  17. This looks too delicious to pass up! The photo with the cookbook – is that the book you used? How vintage is it – the photo in the book looks old – I love old books!

    Liked by 1 person

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      1. I have one from 1946. My dad has the same one, and his daughter have argued as to who will get it when dad’s gone – then Hubby found the exact same book at a yard sale. Like yours, it hadn’t been used – until now. I love old books – before we “knew better” than to eat what we enjoy. As always, you’ve got a winner and I’ve saved this one to give it a try very soon.

        Liked by 1 person

  18. My husband’s family comes from PA and are of German heritage, so yeah, I get the PA Dutch thing. :) I’ve never heard of a schnecken though. I think they’ve been holding out on me. That cake looks amazing.

    Liked by 1 person

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  19. You had me at cinnamon rolls, but then that buttery brown sugar sauce….Stop. It. I NEED that on the breakfast table tomorrow. Gorgeous photos as always.

    Liked by 1 person

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  21. You can’t get a more cinnamon dessert than cinnamon rolls, your idea to take this version and bake it in a bundt tin is fabulous! I love that you’ve used walnuts, they are my favourite nut and that sauce dripping from the bundt is any sugar lovers dream. Laura @ Baking in Pyjamas

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  24. I like walnuts much better than pecans or almonds so good decision there! ;)
    Your cake looks like it was worth the extra effort you put into it. I’m so glad you joined me in the cinnamon challenge. … not the one in which you almost die choking down a spoonful of ground cinnamon …

    Liked by 1 person

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  25. Yeah, so if you could send me about ten of these bundts, that would fantastic because this looks FREAKING AMAZING. Walnuts were an excellent choice – I bet they go famously with that drippy brown sugar-butter topping. Gorgeous bundt with beautiful photos as well! :)

    Liked by 1 person

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  26. If there is one thing i have a true passion for it’s cinnamon rolls of any kind. My family used to own s bakery about 25 years ago. One thing i have never understood is why anyone would put granulated sugar in the filling. Brown sugar is the only way to go. Other than that,next time i make them they’re honing in a bunt pan.

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  29. Pingback: Cinnamon Apple Jelly Donut Cake - #BundtBakers – Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice

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