Kransekake Thanks to Kristine Bouyoucos 50 servings Cake 500 gr. (1 lb. 2 oz.) ground almonds 500 gr. (1 lb. 2 oz.) powdered sugar, sifted 4 egg whites, lightly whisked 1 tsp. almond extract (optional) vegetable oil, for greasing semolina, for dusting plain flour, for dusting Kransekake molds (available on line). There will be six molds each with three rings. Preheat the oven to 400o F. Grind the blanched almonds in a Cuisinart and then regrind them with the sugar. (Be sure the almonds are very dry particularly if you blanch them yourself.) Using a large electric mixer, combine them with the eggwhites. The dough should be like a stiff playdoh. The dough will be easier to work with if you let it sit overnight in the refrigerator or for at least 2 hours. Lightly brush the insides of the cake molds with vegetable oil. Sprinkle each with semolina, tipping them to distribute the flour and shaking out any excess. Form the dough (or pipe out using a decorating bag and large plain tip, into finger-size ropes in lengths matching the molds. Bake the molds for 8 - 10 minutes or until golden brown. When done let the rings cool in the molds until they have hardened. Then remove and cool completely on wire racks. Glazing 100 gr. (3.5 oz.) powdered sugar, sifted 1 egg white Whisk the egg white in a large bowl until frothy. Gradually whisk in the icing sugar a spoonful at a time, until stiff glossy peaks form. To assemble the cake, pipe a few dots of icing on the base of the largest ring and stick it on the serving plate. Pipe overlapping zig-zag patterns onto the largest ring and place the second-largest on top. Continue to decorate and stack the rings in order of decreasing size. Allow the icing to set before serving. Note: According to Kari Diehl, Scandinavian Food Expert, the Kransekake will improve by being "aged" for a day or two in which case it should be stored in a tightly sealed container with a slice of apple or bread "in order to maximize this cake's unique soft-yet-chewy texture. It can also be made ahead and frozen." I have also added some information from a BBC food website featuring Paul Hollywood's version from The Great British Bake Off. He notes that preparation time is over 2 hours and cooking time 10 to 30 minutes. The Kransekake is a feature of Scandinavian holidays and celebrations and is decorated with whatever one wants. I first tasted it at Kurt Feuerherm's 90th birthday party. It was decorated with sparklers and served a large group of friends. After that discovery, it was featured at my 80th birthday dinner and at a Christmas Eve get-together, becoming an instant tradition in each case. For a smaller group one could bake only some of the rings and fill the center with flowers. It can also be built in reverse order to form a basket. To serve, remove a ring at a time and cut it into whatever size pieces you'd prefer. Small sizes become finger food which makes serving large groups very easy.

Home

Table of Contents

Cakes Index