If you’ve ever strolled through a festive Christmas market in Central Europe, chances are you’ve encountered the irresistible aroma of freshly baked chimney cakes. Known as Trdelník in the Czech Republic, Kürtőskalács in Hungary, and Baumstriezel in Germany, these sweet, spiraled pastries are a big part of the holiday season.
These are my favourite Christmas dessert of ALL time. I’m not even a sweet-toothed person, but when I tried these hot and fresh from the oven, I ate three in one go. This recipe, developed by my mom after numerous trials, is just as good as the ones at European markets. With a few perks—it’s eggless, uses simple ingredients, and requires only a single proof—it’s perfect for home bakers.
What Are Chimney Cakes?
Chimney cakes are a traditional pastry made by wrapping strips of sweet yeasty dough around a wooden or metal spit, then roasting it over an open flame or in a rotisserie oven. As they bake, the sugar coating caramelizes into a crispy, golden crust. Once cooked, the warm pastry is often rolled in toppings like cinnamon, nuts, or shredded coconut, making them a sweet and aromatic treat.
The name “chimney cake” comes from their shape—a hollow cylinder that resembles a chimney when steam wafts from the warm pastry. Traditionally, chimney cakes were made for celebrations like weddings and harvest festivals, but over time, they became a staple at Christmas markets and winter fairs.
In cities like Budapest, Prague, and Vienna, chimney cakes take center stage during the festive season. Markets transform into bustling hubs of joy, with visitors warming their hands and hearts with a hot chimney cake. Various regions in Central Europe adds its own twist:
- Czech Republic (Trdelník): Often simple, with a sugar-cinnamon coating. Modern versions include fillings like Nutella or ice cream
- Hungary (Kürtőskalács): The traditional version features ground walnuts or poppy seeds
- Germany (Baumstriezel): Sometimes flavored with marzipan or anise for a festive flair
The photos above are from other websites, namely View from Prague and Tredlnik
Making Chimney Cakes at Home
Recreating chimney cakes at home is easier than it looks. With a few simple ingredients and some creative substitutes for the traditional spit setup, you’ll have your own festive pastries in no time.
Why this recipe works
- Eggless Simplicity: No specialty ingredients—just flour, sugar, yeast, milk, and oil
- Quick Rise: Only one proof is required, saving time while keeping the cakes fluffy
- Customizable: Stick to cinnamon sugar, or try custard, Biscoff, white chocolate, or Nutella fillings
- DIY Spit Setup: Use wooden dowels, foil molds, or aluminum cans to replicate the traditional baking method
Ingredients you’ll need
- Flour, sugar, yeast, and milk form the base of this eggless dough
- Cinnamon sugar for a caramelized crust with a spicy-sweet kick
- Toppings like Nutella, nuts, or shredded coconut according to your liking
Step-by-Step Instructions (with photos)
There is some step-by-step guidance required for nailing these on the first try- follow along for picture-led instructions
Making the dough
Start by combining your dry ingredients—flour, sugar, and salt—in a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the centre and add yeast, milk and oil. Use a fork to mix everything together until the dough starts to form.
Once a shaggy mixture starts forming, begin kneading with your hands until the dough is soft and smooth. Coat the dough lightly with oil to keep it from sticking, then cover it with a lid or cling wrap. Let the dough rest in a warm spot until it doubles in size. This should take about an hour, depending on the room temperature.
Prepping dowels and fillings
Start with prepping your dowels and sugar, as once the dough is proofed you’ll need the sugar and dowels ready.
Traditional chimney cakes are baked on a spit, but you can replicate this using items from your kitchen. Wooden dowels work well; just wrap them in baking paper or aluminium foil to prevent the dough from sticking. Some alternatives you can use include:
Wooden Rolling Pins: Standard wooden rolling pins can serve as effective substitutes. Wrap them in aluminum foil and baking paper to prevent sticking. Ensure they are entirely wooden, without plastic parts, to withstand oven temperatures. If they are too long or tapered to stand upright in the oven, you can try placing 2 small cake pans at the ends of the oven tray, and placing the rolling pin ends over the cake pans edges to create a makeshift spit
Aluminum Cans: Empty aluminum cans, such as milkmaid or pepsi cans can be repurposed. After removing any stick on labels and thoroughly cleaning, wrap the cans in foil and baking paper. These can also fit into air fryers, though the resulting chimney cakes may be shaped different
DIY Aluminum Foil Molds: Craft cylindrical molds by tightly rolling multiple layers of aluminum foil into a sturdy tube shape. While this method uses a substantial amount of foil, the molds can be reused. Wrap them in baking paper to prevent sticking
Make sure whatever you use is heatproof and upright during baking, as the dough needs even exposure to heat. A vertical setup ensures all sides of the dough bake evenly, resulting in the classic caramelized crust chimney cakes are known for.
Shaping the Chimney Cakes
Before you start rolling, you need to first mix together your caster sugar and cinnamon on a large plate. You can amp up the flavour with vanilla sugar or other spices if you wish. This is also the time to preheat your oven or airfryer to 190C.
To start shaping, take the risen dough and punch it down gently to release any air. Divide it into 2 portions to make it easier to work with. Keep the portion you are not using in the bowl under the lid/clingfilm to stop it from drying out.
Roll out your first portion into a rough rectangle of around 1/2 cm thickness. Cut the rectangle into strips lengthwise, around 1 inch thickness. You will get 4-6 strips based on your rectangle dimensions.
It’s easier to roll the dowel over the dough rather than picking up the dough to wrap it. This reduces the risk of stretching or tearing. Start by taking your prepared dowel and place it over the top end of one strip. Wrap the top of the strip over the dowel, and roll the dowel down in an angled pattern, picking up dough in a spiralled pattern. Ensure that the roll is tight. If you run out of dough before you reach the end of the dowel, you can use a second strip of dough. Just gently press the ends of the 2 strips together to stop the seam and continue down.
Hold your chimney cake via the ends of the dowels, being careful not to puncture the dough with your hands. Roll the entire dowel very gently in your plate of cinnamon sugar. You should get a light coating of sugar on the outside, which will caramelise in the oven and give it a crunchy texture. Place the chimney cake upright on a baking tray while you work on shaping the rest of your dough.
Baking
Once all your cakes are shaped, bake them upright in the oven or airfryer for 15 minutes or until golden brown. If you use a basket style airfryer, the heating may be a little more uneven, in which case you might have to rotate the chimney cakes halfway through to ensure consistent colouring. Let the cakes cool slightly after baking, just enough to touch them comfortably. Slide them gently off the molds by pushing on th ecentre of the dowel. If you’ve used baking paper, they should slide easily without tearing.
Finishing Touches
While the cakes are still warm, add a spoon full of cinnamon sugar to the hollow centre. Roll the cake around to ensure its coated evenly. Finish by adding your fillings- I like to keep it simple with some Nutella on the inside and on the rims.
Watch the Video
Eggless Christmas Chimney Cakes
Equipment
- 4-5 wooden dowels see step-by-step for alternative and DIY options
Ingredients
Chimney Cake
- 1 ½ cups (200g) all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp caster sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp instant yeast
- ½ cup (120-130ml) milk, room temperature
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
Cinnamon Sugar Coating
- ¼ cup sugar
- 2 tsp cinnamon powder
Toppings
- 1/2 cup Nutella
- Other toppings of your choice
Instructions
Prepare the Dough
- Combine the flour, caster sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Create a well and add the instant yeast to the center of the dry mixture.
- Pour in the milk and vegetable oil to the centre. Use a fork to incorporate slowly incorporate the wet and dry ingredients until a shaggy dough forms.
- Use your hands to knead gently until you have a soft dough, 1-2 minutes.
- Coat the dough lightly with a layer of oil, and cover your bowl with plastic wrap or a damp cloth.
- Let it rise in a warm place for about 1 hour, or until it doubles in size.
Prepare for shaping
- Wrap your wooden dowels with non-stick baking paper to prevent the dough from sticking. (see step-by-step instructions for alternatives to the dowels)
- Mix your sugar and cinnamon powder in a shallow plate.
Shaping & Baking
- Preheat your oven or airfryer to 190C.
- Punch your risen dough gently. Divide it into two equal portions, keeping one covered while you work with the other.
- Roll out the portion of dough into a rectangle of 1/2 cm thickness. Cut the rectangle into long strips about 2cm wide.
- Wrap the strips around the dowel in a spiral pattern. You may need more than 1 strip to cover a dowel. (See step-by-step for visuals on how to wrap perfectly)
- Roll your wrapped dowels in the cinnamon sugar mixture lightly to coat them.
- Stand them upright on a tray while you shape the other cakes.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 375°F / 190°C for about 13-15 minutes. Ensure you leave ample space on an oven tray or air fryer basket to ensure even caramelisation. If using an air fryer, rotate the dowels halfway through.
- Remove the dowels from the oven and let them cool for 2-3 minutes, until you can cut them. Carefully slide the cakes off and sprinkle more cinnamon sugar inside while they’re warm.
Fillings
- Spread Nutella or custard inside the chimney cakes. You can also sprinkle crushed nuts, shredded coconut, or powdered sugar on top.
