Here's a classic recipe for kransekage, the traditional Danish marzipan tower cake that's especially beloved at festive occasions like New Year's Eve or weddings. This cake consists of several baked marzipan rings stacked on top of each other and decorated with a powdered sugar and egg white glaze.
🇩🇰 Recipe for Kransekage (Danish Marzipan Tower Cake)
🧁Ingredients
For the dough: •500 g marzipan (at least 60% almond content) •200 g powdered sugar •2 egg whites (from small eggs)
For the glaze: •1 egg white •200 g powdered sugar
👩🍳Instructions
1. Prepare the dough: •Mix the powdered sugar and egg whites together in a bowl, but don't whip until stiff. •Coarsely grate the marzipan and add it to the egg white and sugar mixture. •Process everything into a smooth paste. •Cover the dough and refrigerate for 1 hour.
2. Preheat the oven: •Preheat the oven to 190 °C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. Form the rings: •Divide the chilled dough into even portions and shape them into rolls. •Form rings of varying diameters from the rolls so they can be stacked into a tower later. •Place the rings on the prepared baking sheet.
4. Bake: •Bake the rings in the preheated oven for about 12-14 minutes until they're lightly golden brown. •Allow them to cool completely afterward.
5. Prepare the glaze: •Mix the egg white with the powdered sugar into a thick glaze.
6. Decorate and stack: •Fill the glaze into a piping bag and decorate the rings with the typical zigzag pattern. •Stack the rings by size, starting with the largest ring at the bottom. •Optionally, decorate the finished kransekage with small Danish flags or other decorations.
🎉Serving Suggestion
Kransekage is traditionally served at special occasions like New Year's Eve, weddings, or christenings. It pairs beautifully with a glass of sparkling wine or champagne. The individual rings can be carefully separated from one another and cut into pieces when serving.
🛒Shopping Tip
For a particularly aromatic result, it's worth using marzipan with a high almond content. One excellent example is Marcipan Odense, which is renowned for its quality.
Have fun baking and enjoying this delicious Danish classic!
