Danish Christmas Cake Recipes

DANISH KRINGLE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cut 1 cup butter into flour until crumbly, leaving pea-sized chunks. Stir in sour cream, and mix well; dough will be very sticky. Form dough into a ball. Cover tightly, and refrigerate 8 hours, or overnight.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease a baking sheet. Prepare the filling by combining 1 cup butter, brown sugar, and 1 cup chopped walnuts.
• Divide dough into three equal parts; return two parts to the refrigerator to keep cold. Quickly form 1/3 of the dough into a rectangle, and flour lightly. On a heavily floured surface, roll out to approximately 12x17 inches. Position lengthwise on the work surface. Along the long edges of the dough rectangle, use a sharp knife to cut 4 inch long angled lines about 1/2 inch apart. Spoon 1/3 of the filling along the length of the rectangle's uncut center. Alternating from one side of the dough to the other, fold each 1/2 inch wide strip towards the center, crisscrossing the filling in a braid-like fashion. Lightly press together the ends of the strips to seal. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the remaining walnuts. Repeat with remaining ingredients to form 3 braided danishes. Arrange danishes on prepared baking sheet.
• Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown. Cool for approximately 30 minutes. While the danishes are cooling, prepare the icing: mix confectioners sugar and water until smooth. Drizzle in fine streams over warm danishes.

DANISH CHRISTMAS CAKE WITH ORANGE COCONUT TOPPING

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition., Combine the buttermilk, vanilla, orange juice and zest. Combine flour and baking soda; add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk mixture, beating well after each addition. Fold in the dates, cherries and pecans. , Pour into a greased and floured 10-in. tube pan. Bake at 350° for 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack., For topping, in a large saucepan, combine the sugar, orange juice and zest; cook and stir until sugar is dissolved. Stir in coconut; cook 1 minute longer. Slowly pour over warm cake. Let stand overnight.

DANISH CHRISTMAS CAKE

Steps:

• Prepare and bake cake according to package directions, using two greased 9-in. round baking pans. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely. , In a bowl, whisk milk and pudding mix for 2 minutes. Let stand for 2 minutes or until soft-set. Stir in macaroons. Cut each cake horizontally in half. Place one bottom layer on a serving plate; spread with half of pudding mixture. Top with another cake layer; spread with jelly. Top with another cake; spread with remaining pudding mixture. Top with remaining cake., In a small bowl, beat cream until it begins to thicken. Add sugar and vanilla; beat until stiff peaks form. Frost top and sides of cake. Refrigerate until serving.

DANISH EASTER CAKE (PAASKE KAGE)

Steps:

• Stir the yeast into the luke warm milk.
• Add sugar, egg, margarine in small bits.
• Add 3/4 of the flour.
• Work the dough with a wooden spoon, until it has combined.
• Then work the rest of the flour into the dough with the hands, but not more than just combined.
• Don't over work it.
• Let the dough rise with a small amount of flour dusting on top, cover with a clean dish-towel about 30 minutes in a normal kitchen temperature.
• Fill: Combine the butter, sugar, cinnamon, raisins, and candied fruit.
• Roll the dough out on the table to oblong.
• Use a light hand in the soft dough.
• Spread the fill onto the dough, but not quite to the edges.
• Fold over the ends so the fill doesn't run out.
• Fold over the short part, so you now have 3 layers.
• Set the cake to rise again with a thin dish-towel to cover for another 30 minutes.
• Then brush carefully with cold coffee, or an whisked together egg, and sprinkle with sugar (not the fine kind) and 1/4 cup slivered blanched almonds.
• Bake in the middle part of oven at 400 degrees F about 30 minutes.
• Note: The cake will rise quite a bit and becomes surprisingly large.
• You can actually easily make two cakes instead of one if you wish.
• You can freeze the one, then thaw and reheat in the oven when needed.