Norwegians call it kransekake, Danes call it kransekage, Swedes call it kranskaka. Whatever the name, the wreath cake is the same throughout Scandinavia, but what goes inside differs depending on the culture and the event. In Finland a bottle of Champagne is placed inside for weddings. Guests break off pieces, and when the bottle is uncovered, everyone shares the champagne for a toast. In other countries candy, cookies, or chocolates are placed inside. The rings are usually formed into a tower shape but may also be formed into a basket or even an impressive cornucopia, called “the horn of abundance.” For Christmas, the cake is decorated to look like a Christmas tree.
To make kransekake, rings of cookie-like marzipan are baked to be firm on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside. The marzipan has a rich almond, orange, and rosewater flavor. The rings are stacked into a steeply sloped pyramid and then decorated with royal icing and miniature flags.
Special pans are available to make the rings, although here I have shown you how to make them with standard equipment.
This recipe was excerpted from ‘A World of Cake’ by Krystina Castella. Buy the full book on Amazon. For more baking ideas, check out our cake recipes finder→
Recipe information
Total Time
1 hour 40 minutes, plus cooling
Ingredients
For the cake rings
For the royal icing
For the assembly
For the chocolate glaze (for variation)
Preparation
Step 1
To prepare: Preheat the oven to 250°F. Cover three baking sheets with parchment paper. Use a compass to draw 18 circles on the parchment, in the sizes specified: 2¼ inches, 2½ inches, 2¾ inches, 3 inches, 3½ inches, 3¾ inches, 4¼ inches, 4½ inches, 4¾ inches, 5 inches, 5¼ inches, 5½ inches, 5¾ inches, 6 inches, 6½ inches, 7 inches, 7½ inches, 8 inches. Then butter the parchment.
Step 2
To make the dough: Combine the ground almonds with the powdered sugar in a large bowl. Add the egg whites, rosewater, almond extract, and orange juice and mix well. Transfer the dough to a double boiler, and heat until it is warm. Then transfer it to a work surface dusted with powdered sugar and knead for 2 to 3 minutes, until smooth.
Step 3
To shape: Dust a work surface with powdered sugar. Roll out the dough into ½-inch thick logs in the lengths that you need to fit the circles you drew. Form each log into a ring, smoothing the seam as best you can. Flatten the tops of each ring, to provide a stable surface for the ring that will sit on top of it.
Step 4
Bake the rings for 12 to 15 minutes, until dry and fi rm on the outside but soft on the inside. Cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to racks to finish cooling.
Step 5
To make the royal icing: Combine the powdered sugar, egg whites, and vinegar, and mix well.
Step 6
To assemble: Scoop the royal icing into a pastry bag fitted with a medium tip, and pipe squiggly lines onto each ring. If you will fill the tower with a champagne bottle, set it on a serving plate and slide the rings in order of size over it. If you will fill the tower with candy, stack the rings on a serving plate, holding them together with the remaining icing and miniature toothpick flags, and fill the tower with candy before placing the last ring on top.
Step 7
To serve: Disassemble the rings and cut into segments, or cut in long slices from the top down.
Variation: Chocolate Mini Kransekake
Step 8
Prepare the dough and roll into logs. Instead of forming the logs into rings, cut them into 3½-inch segments. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until dry and firm on the outside. Remove from the oven and let cool. Make the chocolate glaze by melting the chocolate and the butter in a double boiler over medium-high heat. Remove from the heat and let cool a few minutes, until just warm, before using. Dip the bottom half of each segment into 1 cup chocolate glaze, and pipe ½ cup royal icing on top.
Recipe notes
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