Tulband cakes are made in a turban-shaped cake tin (hence the name) with a hole in the middle. According to legend, the tulband cake was created in honor of the three wise men, who wore turbans as part of their traditional robes. There's no need to go on a shopping expedition for a special tin, however. You can just as easily use a German gugelhopf tin or an American bundt pan for this recipe.
You'll notice that the recipe contains no leavening agent - it's up to the egg whites to lift this cake - so make sure that you incorporate as much air in the mixture as possible. This also explains why the cake is baked at a slightly higher temperature than usual, and why it's wise to cover the cake with parchment (or greaseproof) paper.
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Yield: Makes 1 cake.
Ingredients:
- For the cake:
- 5 eggs, separated
- ½ cup (100 g) sugar
- ½ cup (60 g) dried cherries, plus extra to decorate
- 2 tbsp (15 g) chopped walnuts, plus extra to decorate
- 2 tbsp (15 g) white chocolate chips, plus extra for the topping
- 4/5 cup (100 g) flour
- 2 ½ tbsp (20 g) cornstarch (corn flour/maizena)
- 1 stick (100 g) butter, plus extra to grease the tin
- For the tin (only if you're not using non-stick or silicone cake molds):
- Powdered (icing) sugar
- Butter
- For the topping:
- ½ cup (100 g) white chocolate chips
- 1 tbsp (15 g) cold butter, cubed
- 1 tsp milk
- To decorate:
- Extra walnuts
- Extra dried cherries
- You will need:
- A tulband blik, gugelhopf pan or bundt pan (we prefer the non-stick or silicone molds)
- Parchment paper or greaseproof paper
Preparation:
Sieve the flour and cornstarch and add the cubes of cold butter. Use two knives to cut the butter into smaller and smaller pieces, incorporating the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs.
Preheat the oven to 340 degrees F (170 degrees C). If you're not using a silicone or non-stick cake pan, grease the cake tin with butter and sprinkle with a little powdered sugar and flour.
Add the yellow egg mixture to the egg whites, incorporating it using a few even strokes: cut and fold the mixture into the egg whites with a spatula while turning the bowl. Add the flour and butter to the fluffy eggs, and again fold through with a light hand, keeping as much air in the batter as possible.
Now immediately pour the batter into the cake tin and place in the oven. Cover with parchment paper or greaseproof paper and bake until risen and firm, or until a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the center (30 to 45 minutes). Cool in the pan on a wire cake rack for 20 minutes. Carefully loosen the cake with a knife (if necessary) and invert onto a large plate. Allow to cool.
To make the topping, put ½ cup of the white chocolate chips in a bowl with the butter and milk. Melt all the chocolate, either in the microwave or by resting the bowl over a saucepan of softly simmering water. Stir occasionally until melted and smooth. Drizzle the warm melted chocolate over the cooled cake. Decorate with dried cherries and halved walnuts.
