The pastry chef of the Édes Vonal cake shop in Vác, Alfréd Kovács, has won this year’s ‘Cake of Hungary’ title with his creation ‘Mákvirág’, a poppy seed-, blackcurrant-, and black sesame-based delicacy. The award for ‘Hungary’s Sugar-Free Cake’ was claimed by pastry chefs Ádám Novák and László Csonka from the Reök Artisan Cake Shop and Café in Szeged, for their ‘Zöld Málna’, or ‘Green Raspberry’, a raspberry, pistachio, white chocolate, and rosewater creation. The winners were announced on Thursday during an award ceremony held at the Hungarian Parliament, where the Saint Stephen’s Day bread was also showcased.
Ádám Pataki, a board member of the Hungarian Confectionery Industry Council, described the ‘Mákvirág’ cake as a light almond flour and poppy seed sponge, complemented by a soft white chocolate cream, crispy black sesame brittle, and enhanced with poppy liqueur and blackcurrant. This year marked the 18th edition of the competition, where participants were required to use so-called superfoods. The organizers aimed to draw attention to Hungarian ingredients rich in nutritional value, highlighted Pataki.
László Nándori, chairman of the jury for the ‘Hungary’s Sugar-Free Cake’ competition, described the ‘Zöld Málna’ cake as featuring pistachio both in the sponge and as a mousse, with its sweet taste balanced by the tartness of the red raspberry jelly and a distinctive touch of rosewater.
In the competition, organized by the One Drop of Attention Foundation in partnership with the Hungarian Confectionery Industry Council, the runner-up was also a creation by the winners, titled ‘Fűszeres Vilmos’ or ‘Spicy William’.
To protect the quality of these cakes, the recipes will remain exclusive until the end of the year, accessible only to guild members.
József Septe, president of the Hungarian Bakers Association, presented
the award-winning St Stephen’s Day breads at the event.
The winner among these breads was ‘Nagyapám kenyere burgonyával’ (My Grandfather’s Bread with Potatoes) from Balmaz Sütöde Kft. in Balmazújváros. In the innovative bread category, the same bakery took first place with its jalapeño, cheddar cheese, and wild sourdough bread.
In the ‘walking pastry’ category, introduced last year and this year featuring a savoury variant, the Mórahalom-based Varga Pékség 95 won first place with ‘Pásztor reggelije’ (Shepherd’s Breakfast)—a French croissant filled with sheep cheese, ham, and red onion, coloured with Szeged paprika.
The president of the Hungarian Bakers Association noted that this was the 13th edition of the bread competition, which saw nearly 100 entries across three categories, the highest number of entries ever. He also pointed out the notable participation of many young bakery professionals this year.
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