Kransekake (Norwegian Christmas Cake)

328

271

By Chef Eddy Van Damme

Prep Time:

Bake/Cook Time:

20m - 22m

Yield:

About 30 servings

Plan for:

Chill dough overnight

Baked for weddings, birthdays, Christmas or any occasion when you need a show-stopping confection this towering Kransekake, otherwise know as a Norwegian Christmas Cake, is sure to impress. The ingredients are similar to an Amaretti, so it is more a cookie than cake.

Rate it yourself

Products Used

Confectioners Powdered Sugar Poly Bag

Ingredients

Kransekake - Norwegian Christmas Cake

5 cups almond flour, do not use almond meal as it is more coarse
4 3/4 cups Dixie Crystals Confectioners Powdered Sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon almond extract
3 large egg whites + 1 tablespoon
2 tablespoons butter for greasing forms
1 cup finely ground cornmeal (optional)

Royal Icing

1 cup Dixie Crystals Confectioners Powdered Sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons dried egg whites or meringue powder
2 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
Food color (optional, for desired occasion)

Directions

Place almond flour in a machine bowl fitted with paddle attachment or bowl large enough to hold all remaining ingredients.
Measure and sift powdered sugar directly into bowl. Add salt, almond extract, and egg whites. Mix until combined. Mixture will be very stiff.
Cover bowl with plastic food wrap and keep in fridge overnight.
Remove bowl from refrigerator. Brush barely melted butter onto Kransekake forms and place forms in fridge to re-solidify butter.
You have two options for working with dough:
A. Roll very cold dough to a thickness of AA batteries (almost 1/2 inch) and place in Kransekake forms. Only if needed to prevent excess sticking, use a light dusting of cornmeal.
B. This is a professional pastry chef method. Remove dough from bowl and press/spread onto a plastic food film lined counter. After about 30 minutes dough should be softer. Occasionally sliding dough around on counter will speed softening (bringing to room temperature) process.
Fill only a small amount at a time in a pastry bag (dough is still very firm to pipe) fitted with an Ateco 806 pastry tube.
Pipe dough into tubes directly into molds. Dough can be reworked countless times if first attempts are unsatisfactory.
It takes a while to get all forms filled, during process preheat oven to 375°F. Place forms directly onto oven wire racks. Bake for about 20 minutes or until pale golden on surface.
Cool to lukewarm and then turn forms over to remove baked rings.
For Royal Icing sift together powdered sugar and dried egg whites. Make certain that these are well blended. Add water and lemon juice and beat for 7 minutes until thick. Add food color if desired. Place in a small piping bag and cover remaining icing tightly with plastic food wrap.
Using a small amount of royal icing adhere largest Kransekake ring onto a serving plate.
Pipe a royal icing décor on ring and top with second largest ring. Repeat process until top is reached.
Decorate as you desire.

Rate & Review

Amg

Jul 21, 2023

I’m interested in making this but where do get the form for this cookie? I’ve never seen until now.

Kim O

Jul 22, 2023

Amazon is probably the easiest place. Just do a search for "Kransekake forms". Locally you might try a craft store like Michael's.

Sweetalk member

Oct 06, 2022

Why does this dough fall apart so easy? The dough is very hard to work with when it’s cold. I have to get it to room temp before I start rolling it out but it still easily falls apart. But, at least it tastes good.

Administrator

Oct 07, 2022

This dough does not contain wheat flour which is an ingredient known for "gluing" ingredients together. If this dough falls apart when rolling it, the best remedy is to add just a very small amount of egg white. Almond flour manufacturers grind their almond flour in different sizes. If using almond flour that is very coarse, it will absorb less egg white and make the dough super sticky. If ground very fine, it will absorb more egg white.