Christmas is just three days away, and we are sure you’ll have already worked on your Christmas party menu. But does your menu include Christmas classics? No? Well, then your celebrations are surely missing something important. To make sure that you do not miss out on making some delicious classic recipes at home, especially during the festive season, unstumbled is here with Chef’s Corner. Chef’s Corner is unstumbled’s cozy culinary corner, where notable chefs share heartfelt recipes for you to make at home. And in this article, Chef Nilesh Prabhakar Dewulkar, the Head Pastry Chef at Sofitel Mumbai BKC, has shared the recipe of not one but two mouthwatering Christmas classics: Stollen Bread and Dundee Cake! Check them out!
Cherished Christmas Classics Recipes: Stollen Bread And Dundee Cake
About Sofitel Mumbai BKC And Chef Nilesh Prabhakar Dewulkar
Sofitel Mumbai BKC is known to offer the perfect blend of India’s warm hospitality and the French way of life. This luxury hotel is located strategically in Bandra Kurla Complex, which is known as the city’s central business district. It is designed with multifaceted experiences and facilities in entertainment, relaxation, and cuisine for global travellers.
Talking about Chef Nilesh Dewulkar, he has been working with Sofitel Mumbai BKC as their Head Pastry Chef since 2021. He oversees all the amazing dessert creations across the luxury hotel’s banquets and restaurants, and crafts signature patisserie for all the occasions. Chef Nilesh’s innovative flavor pairings and technique have elevated the hotel’s culinary experience throughout all these years.
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Delicious German Christmas Bread: Stollen Bread
A cherished Christmas classic from Germany, Stollen Bread is a rich fruit loaf is studded with rum-soaked dried fruits and has warm spices in it. It is dusted with powdered sugar which tends to mimic fresh snow, and it captures the heart of European winter baking traditions from centuries-old markets. The dish is perfect for holiday breakfasts, gifting or celebratory menus.
Without much ado, let’s go ahead and check out how you can make this festive special at home, the chef’s style.
Ingredients:
Pre-Dough:
- Flour – 75 g
- Yeast – 17 g
- Milk – 50 ml
- Sugar – 5 g
Alcohol Soaked Dry Fruits:
Soak the following dry fruits in 50 ml of brandy
- Raisins – 5 g
- Cashew Nuts – 5 g
- Tutti-Frutti – 5 g
- Black Currants – 3 g
- Almond Flakes – 3 g
- Dried Apricot – 3 g
- Dates – 2 g
Main Dough
- Flour – 175 g
- Egg Yolk – 15 g
- Butter – 75 g
- Cardamom Powder – 1 g
- Nutmeg Powder – 1 g
- Five Spice – 1 g
- Sugar – 25 g
- Salt – 0.5 g
- Milk – 15 ml
- Vanilla Bean – 1 g
- Lemon Zest – 1 no.
- Orange Zest – 1 no.
- Marzipan – 30 g
Stollen Soaking
- Clarified Butter – 100 g
- Icing Sugar – 25 g
Method
- Measure the flour by gently spooning it into a cup and level it off. Using a stand mixer, combine all ingredients of the main dough (excluding almonds and soaked fruits). Knead until the dough becomes smooth and soft.
- Cover the dough and allow it to rise for 60–90 minutes, or until visibly puffy.
- Divide the marzipan into three pieces and shape each into a flattened log.
- Knead the soaked fruits and almonds into the risen dough. Turn the dough onto a lightly greased surface and divide it into three equal portions. Shape each portion into an oval.
- Place one marzipan log along the centre of each oval. Fold the dough over lengthwise, leaving the top and bottom edges slightly offset for the traditional Stollen shape. Press the top edge firmly to seal.
- Place the shaped loaves on a parchment-lined baking tray. Cover and let rise for 45–60 minutes, until puffy.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Bake the Stollen for 30–35 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and immediately brush with clarified butter.
- After 5 minutes, generously dust with icing sugar for the classic snowy finish.
Chef’s Serving Tip: Stollen tastes best when allowed to rest for a day, allowing the flavours of fruit, spices, butter, and marzipan to bloom beautifully. Pair with mulled wine, coffee, or as part of a festive dessert platter.
Scottish Holiday Dessert: Dundee Cakes
Dundee cakes are timeless Scottish festival desserts. They are moist fruit cake layers rich butter with citrus notes from orange and lemon. It is covered with a glossy marzipan layer and whole almonds. This dessert is perfectly balanced in sweetness and is said to mature beautifully over days, releasing deeper flavors with every slice.
Here’s a perfectly detailed recipe:
Ingredients
- Unsalted Butter – 175 g
- Castor Sugar – 175 g
- Eggs – 3 nos (approx. 150 g)
- All-Purpose Flour – 225 g
- Baking Powder – 5 g
- Ground Almonds – 50 g
- Mixed Peel – 75 g
- Sultanas – 125 g
- Currants – 100 g
- Orange Zest – From 1 orange
- Lemon Zest – From 1 lemon
- Milk – 20–30 ml
- Whole Blanched Almonds (for garnish) – 40–50 g
- Rolled Almond Marzipan – For finishing side walls
Method
- Preheat the oven to 160°C and line an 18 cm round cake tin with parchment paper. Cream together the butter and castor sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually add the eggs, mixing well after each addition.
- Fold in the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and ground almonds to form a
- smooth batter.
- Stir in the sultanas, currants, mixed peel, and the zest of orange and lemon. Add 20–30 ml of milk to achieve a thick, dropping consistency.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared tin and smooth the surface evenly. Arrange whole blanched almonds in a decorative circular pattern on top. Bake for 1 hour 30 minutes to 1 hour 45 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
- Allow the cake to cool in the tin before transferring it to a wire rack. Finish with neatly rolled almond marzipan around the side walls, giving the cake a festive and elegant presentation.
So this Christmas, bring out the baker in you and bake these amazing classic Christmas cakes to bring in a nice global and traditional touch to your party. These iconic holiday treats offer unique flavors, textures, and traditions that elevate any festive season. They are completely worth being added to your festive party table! Trust us!
