The Citronmåne is far more than just a simple lemon cake - it's a Danish institution that belongs in every supermarket and at every cozy coffee gathering. With its characteristic crescent shape and bright yellow glaze, it embodies the Danish feeling of hygge in its sweetest form.
The golden classic: "A true Citronmåne is like an edible piece of Danish summer - the perfect balance between the delicate sweetness of the juicy sponge cake and the fresh, cheeky tartness of the lemon glaze."
and it shouldn't be forgotten as a loyal companion: "Whether as a quick snack after a mud flat walk in Skagen or as a sweet treat with afternoon coffee - the 'lemon moon' is the undisputed favorite that's always there when you need a little pick-me-up."
And of course: Pure nostalgia: "For many Danes and Denmark lovers, every bite tastes like childhood, holiday cottage vacations, and the carefree lightness of the North."
INGREDIENTS Dough 1 85 g sugar 125 g marzipan 50 g butter, room temperature 1 egg Dough 2 250 g butter, room temperature 125 g powdered sugar 125 g sugar 1 tsp vanilla extract 4 eggs 1 egg yolk 65 g cornstarch 190 g flour 1 organic lemon (zest and juice) Lemon Glaze 150 g powdered sugar 1 organic lemon (zest and 1/2 lemon juice) 1 tsp vanilla extract
INSTRUCTIONS Preheat oven to 190°C with top and bottom heat. Line the bottom of a springform pan (26 cm diameter) with parchment paper. For the first dough, knead sugar and marzipan together with your hands. Then add butter in small pieces and work it in.
Finally add the egg and mix until all ingredients are combined. Set dough aside. Now prepare the second dough. Cream together butter, both sugars, and vanilla.
Add the remaining eggs and egg yolk one at a time. Each egg should be fully combined before adding the next. Mix cornstarch and flour in a separate bowl, sift onto the dough, and gently fold in with a spatula or wooden spoon. Add lemon juice and zest and fold in as well.
Now add the marzipan-butter dough and stir only until all ingredients are combined. Fill the dough into the baking pan, smooth it out, and bake for approximately 35-40 minutes (do the toothpick test!) After baking, remove the cake from the pan and let it cool completely. Finely zest half of the lemon, and cut the other half into strips for decoration. Set them aside separately on small plates.
For the lemon glaze, stir powdered sugar with the juice of 1/2 lemon into a thick paste, add vanilla extract and the finely grated lemon zest, and stir. If the mixture is too liquid, add a bit more powdered sugar. If it's too thick, add a bit of lemon juice or water. Spread the glaze on the cooled cake and decorate with lemon zest strips.
Let the glaze dry completely.
Moon cake, månekage, :-) I also colored the glaze with turmeric... so it looks like a really beautiful summer full moon...
