The city of Budapest has turned 150 years in 2023. That’s why there’s a great deal of festivity throughout the year. However, it’s not a real birthday, unless there’s cake. Now, we have that too!
To mark the special occasion of the unification of the three parts of the city, Pest, Buda and Óbuda, a mere 150 years ago, the official birthday cake had to be exceptional.
You can take a step back in time to Budapest 150 years ago by visiting this LINK.
For more details about Budapest’s birthday celebration, please read HERE.
Who takes the cake?
The open competition was announced by Budapest Brand and the Hungarian Confectioners’ Association on behalf of the City Council of Budapest. The cakes submitted by the contestants had to adhere to specific conditions to fit the theme. These cakes had to feature flavours from the era of the city’s founding, incorporating spices typical of that period, while maintaining a modern appearance. During the semi-finals, the judges had the challenging task of evaluating 20 cakes, with only five advancing to the finals.
The judging panel primarily consisted of master confectioners, such as Nóra Balogh, Ádám Pataki and Zoltán Andrész. However, not all judges needed to be master pastry chefs. For instance, Gergely Karácsony, the current Mayor of Budapest, and Csaba Faix, the CEO of Budapest Brand, had the opportunity to taste the cakes as well.
In the end, the ‘Budapest 150 Cake’ title was awarded to “Natalis,” created by Csilla Müller of the August Confectionery. An especially nice aspect of this victory is that the August Confectionery itself recently celebrated its 150th anniversary, making this win even sweeter.
Source: FB/Budapest Te meg Én
In the spirit of celebration, let’s eat cake!
The “Natalis” or ‘Birth’ (‘Születés’) is very much on brand for the birthday, from its flavours and appearance to its inspiration and name. The creator, Csilla Müller, said that they drew inspiration from classic cakes of the era, such as Dobos and Esterházy, but the taste of “Natalis” is truly unique. They aimed to take the main ingredients required by the competition and present them in a contemporary manner.
These ingredients are reminiscent of those used when Budapest was founded 150 years ago. The winning cake boasts a mouth-watering combination of chocolate, coffee and hazelnut. What sets this cake apart is the inclusion of blueberries, which adds a savoury twist, enhancing the overall flavour, as commented by Csilla Müller. This cake specialty is sure to add a vibrant flavour to the birthday festivities.
The ‘Budapest 150 Cake’ title-winning cake will be available in Hungarian confectioneries starting on the 17th of November.
