Austria / Dessert
Reindling (Austrian Yeasted Easter Cake)
Reindling is a traditional pastry from Carinthia, southern Austria. Originally, it was served on festive days like weddings, baptisms or religious holidays (especially on Easter). It still plays a major role in Carinthian custom, but today there is no need to wait for a special occasion to enjoy a reindling—it has become a common dish of Carinthian cuisine. Reindling lies somewhere between cake and white bread. It tastes delicious with butter and jam, but was also traditionally served like bread, especially with the traditional Carinthian Easter meal of ham, smoked sausages, and eggs. Some families even have two Reindlings on Easter Sunday: one simple Reindling with just a little not-too-sweet filling to balance the salty flavours of the ham and the sausages; and another one, full of fat, full of sugar and full of sweet, sticky filling, topped with butter to give the cake a deliciously crunchy surface. There are lots of variations to the 'classic' Reindling recipe. Some people add rum to the filling or use cocoa powder instead of cinnamon. You just have to master the basic recipe and can then try experimenting with different variations. Traditionally, the cake is baked in a rein…
Ingredients
- all-purpose flour2 1/4 cup
- yeast5 tsp
- milk1 1/2 cup
- egg2
- sugar, white; to taste1/3–1/2 cup
- salt1 pinch
- butter8 tbsp
- butter5 tbsp
- sugar, white1/2 cup
- cinnamon1 tbsp
- raisins1/2 cup
- nuts, finely ground; optional1/2 cup
- butter, chopped; for topping4 tbsp
Quantities are auto-calculated from the original recipe as a guide. Items without numbers (e.g. “to taste”) are not changed.
Method 9 steps
Mix the flour with the yeast, and add a dash of the milk and sugar so that you get a smooth mixture.
Cover it with a piece of cloth and let it rest in a warm place for half an hour.
Add the rest of the milk and the sugar, the eggs, the butter, and salt. Work it into a smooth dough.
Let it rest for 10 minutes. Roll out the dough so that it is roughly as thick as your thumb.
For the filling, melt the butter and spread it on the dough.
Mix the sugar with the cinnamon, and sprinkle this over the dough. Then add the raisins and nuts.
Roll the dough up tightly and put it into a greased cake pan. Again, let it rest for 20 minutes.
Finally, sprinkle little bits of butter on the cake. Then put it in the oven to bake for 50–60 minutes at about 180°C.
When it is done, take it out of the oven and let it cool. Only when it is completely cold turn the cake out of the pan—otherwise it will break.
