Danish Krasekager Marzipan Cakes Recipes

KRANSEKAKE

Steps:

• Dough: Place almonds in a food processor and process to form fine crumbs, about 2 minutes. Add sugar and salt and process until well combined and powder-like, about 1 minute. Add egg whites and process until a dough forms (it will have the texture of cookie dough). Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
• Preheat oven to 300°F with oven rack in the middle. Brush a set of 6 kransekake molds with butter. Divide dough in half. Working with one half of dough at a time, cut into small portions and roll into ropes that are slightly thicker than the diameter of a pencil (about 3/8-inch-to-1/2-inch thick). Fit ropes into rings of 3 molds, trimming to fit. Place molds on an unrimmed baking sheet and bake until puffed and lightly golden brown, about 30 minutes.
• Transfer molds to a wire rack and let cool completely on baking sheet. Repeat shaping and baking process with remaining half of dough and remaining 3 molds. Carefully remove rings from molds.
• Royal Icing: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine confectioners' sugar and egg whites. Mix on medium-high speed until combined and thickened, about 8 minutes. If decorating with more than one color, divide icing into batches. Using the end of a toothpick, add food coloring until the desired shade is achieved.
• To Assemble: Sort rings in order of size. Fill a piping bag with icing and pipe a few dots onto the base of the largest ring and adhere to a cake plate. Pipe icing onto the base of next largest ring, and stack on top of the first ring. Repeat process, continuing to stack rings in decreasing size to form a tower of 18 rings. Decorate as desired. Allow icing to set before serving.

DANISH WEDDING TOWER (KRANSEKAGE)

Steps:

• Box of 25 flags on little sticks (1-1½ inch size).
• Platter size paper dollies.
• Using a stand mixer combine marzipan, sugar till it has formed on large ball. Add egg whites little by little.
• Test dough by rolling a small cigar-size ball and form as a ring, if the dough does not crack, you have enough egg white inches.
• The dough will be very dense and sticky.
• Place in refrigerator for at least 3-4 hours, or even better over night.
• Pre-heat oven at 400 degrees F or 200°C.
• Divide dough into 8 pieces or by weight
• 1 10g, 2 20g, 3 30g 4 40g etc.
• Rolling each into finger thick sticks.
• Making the first piece into 3.5 inches,
• Then the next into 5, inches,
• Then the next into 6.5, adding 1.5 inch in length for each piece.
• Make at least 8 pieces.
• Shape them into rings.
• Joining the ends with a little egg white or water.
• Press gently to pitch the middle of the ring a little, like roof tops pointing upwards.
• Place on floured or parchment papered baking sheets.
• Tip: I draw circles on the parchment papers back with a compass, and then place the rings on top side, where I can still see the circles, to make them as even a possible.
• Bake for 8-10 minutes till they are light brown on top.
• Leave to cool off completely, then.
• If freezing, wrap in freezer bags and place in freezer for up till 3 months.
• Defrost the day before intended use.
• Decorations:.
• Draw 24 small hearts, and 24 small wedding circles, or butterflies or other theme items (max. 1 inch in diameter) on the back of parchment paper with a medium to large marker.
• Turn paper over and.
• Melt chocolate in the micro-oven or in a double boiler.
• Fill into a decorator bag with a small fitting.
• Trace chosen patterns with the warm chocolate and let cool completely. Save a little chocolate for attaching the
• Icing:.
• Do icing several hours before you plan to assemble the tower.
• Combine powdered sugar and egg whites for the icing, and fill into a decorator bag or a Ziploc bag, using a very small whole to make a criss-cross pattern from outside edge to inside edge and back again,
• Start with the largest ring, creating the zigzag pattern continue in unbroken pattern all the way around the ring.
• hen do the next biggest ring, and while icing is still wet on the biggest one, place the slightly smaller ring on top. Icing will bind them together.
• Then keep going till you have a small tower.
• Icing takes about 40-60 minutes to harden.
• Melt 2/3 of the chocolate
• Pour into zip lock bag, and carefully cut the one corner, so a very small stream of chocolate comes out at the time.
• Make your chocolate designs on parchment paper or buy plain chocolate rings.
• Place one dollies on a serving platter.
• Place the largest ring on the dollies
• Place 3 small globs of chocolate on the bottom ring.
• Carefully place next biggest ring on top, and place 3 globs of chocolate on it.
• Placing the next biggest ring on top, continue till you have a tower.
• Heat the last chocolate.
• And place a small glob of chocolate on the bottom ring on the side.
• Attach chocolate designs (wedding rings or what you desire) by pressing gently into chocolate globs and holding for a second.
• Move up the rings placing your chocolate designs up the tower.
• Attach flags in between chocolate designs.
• And a bridal figure on top.
• Your wedding tower is ready.
• Enjoy.
• Reverse the tower and make a bassinet for a baby shower. See additional pictures.

DANISH KRASEKAGER, MARZIPAN CAKES

Steps:

• Mix all the ingredients (except Icing ingredients) in a saucepan and heat over low heat, until almond paste is slightly roasted and has absorbed all the liquid Leave the almond paste to cool completely.
• Roll the paste into strips the thickness of a medium finger and the length of a cookie sheet.
• Place the strips on a well greased baking sheet which has been slightly sprinkled with flour.
• Pinch each strip at the top so the strip is broad at the base and narrows to a sharp ridge at the top.
• Cut into 3 inch pieces.
• Bake in low oven 300F for 15-20 minutes or until light brown on top only, Cool Mix the icing ingredients and stir well and until it has an even consistency.
• Decorate the cookies with the icing drizzled in a zig zag patter across them.