Tastes like grandma's! 3 nostalgic baking books - and the best marble bundt cake recipe

Do you know Madeleine's? The French, buttery-soft cakes? The French writer Marcel Proust wrote about them in his book “Looking for lost time” set a monument. In the novel, the narrator dips a madeleine into a cup of tea. The taste of the pastry triggers memories of his childhood with great feelings of happiness. This effect, in which a taste or smell experience suddenly evokes warm, nostalgic memories, is still known today as the Madeleine effect.

Everyone knows this. For some it's grandma's, for others the marble bundt cake for their birthday or Aunt Frida's Christmas cookies. Often it's sweets and home-baked things, because that's what children love the most. So if you need a little warmth of soul in these rough days, these nostalgic baking books are just the thing. They celebrate traditional sweets: simple, tried and tested and delicious. Like grandma used to...

“Kreutzkamm” is 200 years old, making it one of the oldest traditional pastry shops in Germany. Many families have been enthusiastic fans of fine craftsmanship for generations. For them, pastries such as bear paws or almond croissants are part of afternoon tea. But cakes, tarts and Christmas cookies - such as the legendary raisin stollen - also have a fan base. And you can bake all of this now! Only the signature sweets, such as the legendary Baumkuchen baked over an open fire, cannot possibly be made true to the original at home. You have to come to Munich for that. Or order the “King of Cakes” online –This way.

A classic is “Nenette’s Baking Book” by the farmer and innkeeper Nanette Herz. For decades she pampered guests and relatives with delicacies made from the best seasonal ingredients, most of which came from her own farm and harvest. Her children and grandchildren have compiled over 120 recipes: sheet cakes, marble cakes, apple cakes, Christmas cakes, donuts, creamy cheesecakes or spicy cheese pastries - all so good and simple that they should never be forgotten. A true treasure.

Vienna is known for its legendary coffee houses - with melange and sensational desserts. The confectioner Therese Schulz of the former Vienna Grand Hotel was a master of the sweet craft. She meticulously documented her recipes. A hundred years later, family members found these records in the attic. The experienced recipe developer Bernadette Wörndl has translated this into today. And so everyone can now prepare heavenly delicacies such as curd fizz, Sachtertorte, cardinal slices, Linzer Taler and Dukatenbuchtels at home. A pleasure!

Preheat the oven to 170 °C top/bottom heat. Generously grease a Bundt cake tin (Ø about 25 cm) with butter and sprinkle with breadcrumbs.

Mix the butter and icing sugar in the bowl of a food processor until very fluffy, about 5 minutes. Separate the eggs and gradually stir the yolks into the butter-sugar mixture. Beat the egg whites with sugar and salt in a fat-free bowl to form creamy egg whites. Sift the flour twice and fold it into the butter-yolk mixture. Carefully fold in the egg whites.

Weigh half of the dough (about 500g) into a separate bowl. Mix the cocoa and milk in a small bowl until smooth and fold into half of the dough together with the orange peel.

Pour the cake batter into the bundt pan, alternating spoonfuls (light, dark, light, etc.). Then pull a wooden stick through the dough in circular movements to create the typical marble pattern. Bake on the lowest rack for 60 to 70 minutes (test with a chopstick). If the cake gets too dark, cover the surface with aluminum foil and finish baking.

Let the cake cool in the tin for about 30 minutes, then turn it out of the tin and let it cool completely. Serve the Bundt cake sprinkled with powdered sugar.