Baumstriezel

Kürtőskalács

A kürtőskalács decorated with the flags of Székely and Hungary
Region or state	Transylvania
Main ingredients	flour, sugar, milk, butter, eggs, yeast, salt

Kürtőskalács (Hungarian pronunciation: [kyrtøːʃkɒlaːtʃ] ( listen), sometimes transliterated kurtosh kalach) is a spit cake specific to Hungarian-speaking regions in Romania, more predominantly the Székely land. Earlier a festive treat, now it is part of everyday consumption.

Kürtőskalács is made from sweet, yeast dough (raised dough), of which a strip is spun and then wrapped around a truncated cone–shaped baking spit, and rolled in granulated sugar. It is roasted over charcoal while basted with melted butter, until its surface cooks to a golden-brown color. During the baking process the sugar stuck on the kürtőskalács caramelises and forms a shiny, crispy crust. The surface of the cake can then be topped with additional ingredients such as ground walnut or powdered cinnamon.

The etymology of the name refers to a stovepipe, since the fresh, steaming cake in the shape of a truncated cone resembles a hot chimney.

This opinion is shared by Attila T. Szabó (), scholar and philologist from Kolozsvár (Cluj): "...When cake is taken off from the spit in one piece, it gets the shape of a 25–30-centimetre [9.8–11.8-inch] long vent or tube. Since cake preserves shape when served for both family and guests, consumers are faced with this typical, vent-like image of cake tearing off in strips. It is obvious that "etymology must be closely related to the vent shape of cake".