Almond ring cake - Kransekake / Kransekage
This is the ultimate celebration cake in Norway and Denmark, served at weddings, Christenings, birthdays, national days, and many other occasions. It is not very often attempted at home as it can be fiddly to get perfect. When done correctly it is, however, a total showstopper. You can now buy the kranskekake rings online from specialist and some high-street shops, but it is possible to make the cake freehand, too. Kransekake is only ever decorated with simple white icing/ frosting, flags and maybe a few streamers for New Year. At weddings, the figurines of the couple are placed on top of the cake.This recipe is for a 10-ring kransekake.
Servings: 15
Ingredients
- 100 grams egg whites
- 100 grams ground almonds
- 100 grams icing/confectioners sugar plus extra for kneading
- 100 grams caster/superfine sugar
- 500 grams marzipan (containing at least 60% almonds if you can only find 50%, add more ground almonds)
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
ICING
- ½-1 small egg white
- 100 grams icing/confectioners' sugar plus extra as needed
Instructions
- To make the rings, in a bowl lightly whisk the egg whites until they’re foaming. Add the ground almonds and both sugars, then whisk again until you have a smooth liquid paste. Grate the marzipan coarsely or break it into small pieces, and mix with the liquid. Your final dough will be sticky, but you will be able to handle it without getting too messy.
- Put the dough in plastic bag and chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour before using.
- Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F) Gas 6.
- Cut a piece of the dough and work it with as much icing/ confectioners’ sugar as needed to make it rollable. Roll out your first piece (add more icing/confectioners’ sugar if the dough is too sticky, or your ring looks like it might crack during baking). The most important thing is that all your rolls have to be smooth and exactly the same width and height – use a ruler if you want to be sure. If you rush this part of the process, the result will be a wonky tower. Take your time and repeat anything if unsure. Keep a glass of water to hand, as wet fingers can smooth out any inconsistencies and bumps. Starting with the smallest pan in the set and working your way outwards, make 10 perfectly-sized rings.
- The diameters of your rolls should be around 1–1.25 cm/3/8–1/2 in. There should be a little bit of dough left over, so use it to make a freehand top for your tower and place on a piece of baking parchment.
- Place the pans on a baking sheet (never directly onto the oven shelf) and bake one layer at a time in the middle of the oven. They will need around 10–12 minutes until slightly golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool and dry before carefully removing from the pans.
- To assemble the cake, first make the icing. Mix the egg white with the icing/confectioners’ sugar, adding more sugar as needed. The icing needs to hold its shape, but still be light enough to comfortably pipe through a small, size-2 piping nozzle/tip. If the icing moves after piping, the cake will look messy. Spoon the icing into the piping/ pastry bag. If you don’t have a nozzle/tip, use a strong, good-quality piping bag and cut a small hole off the end.
- It is most important that the outside of the rings look good, as the inside will be hidden until eating. Starting with the bottom ring, carefully start the flow of the icing from inside and out, just enough so that the side of the ring is covered and then you immediately pull the icing back onto the other side in one continuous movement, back and forth. This is not a zig-zag pattern, it’s more of a tight ‘radio wave’. If you need to stop at any point to adjust the nozzle, do so when piping is at the top inner edge of the ring. Try to make sure the lines of icing are reasonably close together.
- The icing can take a long time, but it is absolutely worth taking the time to do it right. After icing all the layers separately, you’re ready to build the tower. Pipe a small trace of icing on the bottom ring, where it’ll be covered by the one on top. Place that next one on top, and repeat until complete.
- Traditional decorations for the kransekage are cocktail stick/toothpick flags, or even streamers and mini Christmas crackers.
- Tip: You can freeze the rings for up to 3 months. The cake also keeps at room temperature for several days, so you can make it ahead.
Equipment
- kransekage cake pans (widely available online)
- a piping/pastry bag fitted with a small plain nozzle/tip
Notes
From the book Bronte at Home by Bronte Aurell, photo by Pete Cassidy. Book available on Amazon or ScandiKitchen.
