Norwegian Wreath Cake 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.

NORWEGIAN CREAM CAKE (BLOTKAKE)

Steps:

• Set an oven rack in the middle position. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Grease a 9-inch springform pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
• To make the cake: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat together the eggs and sugar until pale and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, if needed. Beat in the water. Remove the bowl from the mixer. Gradually sift in the flour and baking powder and fold together with a rubber spatula until just combined. Transfer to the cake pan and bake until the center springs back when you poke it; 1 hour to1 hour and15 minutes. Cool in the pan.
• To assemble the cake: Once the cake is cooled, slice in half crosswise. Place the bottom of the cake cut-side up on a cake round or directly onto a cake stand or serving platter. Spread whipped cream on top and dot with a layer of sugared cranberries. Place the remaining half of the cake on top, cut-side down. Spread the whipped cream on the top and sides of the cake to cover. Decorate the top of the cake with remaining cranberries and a few sprigs of rosemary.
• In a large mixing bowl with a hand-mixer, or in the bowl of stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla to medium-stiff peaks.
• Just before assembling the cake, combine cranberries and sugar in a bowl and toss to coat.

KRANSEKAKE

Steps:

• Arrange a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 300 degrees F.
• Add the almond flour and 1 pound of the confectioners' sugar to a food processor. Pulse about 10 times to combine. Add the egg whites and vanilla extract. Run the processor for about 20 seconds until the dough forms into a ball; it will be slightly sticky. Remove the dough from the food processor and form it into a disc. Tightly cover with plastic wrap and let it rest at room temperature for 20 minutes.
• Spray the kransekake molds with nonstick spray and sprinkle with semolina, tapping off any excess.
• Working with a quarter of the dough at a time, roll it out into a rope long enough to wrap into each mold. The width should be even and no thicker than 1/2 inch. (Keep the unused dough covered with plastic wrap.) Repeat the process until all the molds are filled. Transfer the molds to 2 baking sheets.
• Bake until lightly golden, about 20 minutes, rotating halfway through. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes in the molds. Carefully remove each ring from the molds onto cooling racks for 10 minutes.
• To make the royal icing, add the remaining 1/2 pound confectioners' sugar, meringue powder and 4 tablespoons water to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whisk until stiff peaks form. If desired, stir a few drops of food coloring into the icing with a rubber spatula. Put the royal icing into a piping bag fitted with a small round tip. Pipe icing onto each ring and stack them, largest to smallest. Dust with confectioners' sugar right before serving.

NORWEGIAN CREAM CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Grease and line a 20cm x 30cm baking tin - the lining paper should come up at least 2.5cm above the edge of the tin. In your biggest bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar for 8-10 mins until the mixture is pale and thickened.
• Sift the flour and baking powder onto the egg mixture, then use a metal spoon to gently fold in. Pour this into the baking tin and bake for 35 mins until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean - the cake should be golden and spring back when touched. Remove from the oven and allow to stand for 5 mins before turning out onto a wire rack to cool.
• Once cool, take a sharp knife and divide into 3. Mix the jam with 1 tbsp warm water and whip the cream with the vanilla essence and icing sugar until it holds its shape. Transfer one layer to a serving plate then drizzle with ¹/³ of the milk. Spread with a thin layer of jam, then cream, then scatter over 1 pack of blueberries. Cover with the second layer of sponge and then repeat with ¹/³ of the milk, a layer of jam, the cream and 2nd pack of blueberries. Put the third layer of sponge on top, drizzle over the remaining milk, then cover with cream and dot the remaining pack of blueberries on top.

BLOTKAKE (NORWEGIAN CREAM CAKE)

Steps:

• Bake the cake: Heat oven to 350 degrees and mist a 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray. Combine eggs, sugar and vanilla in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer (or the whisk attachment of a stand mixer) until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes.
• Sift cake flour and baking powder into a separate bowl, then fold into the egg mixture in 2 additions.
• Pour batter into pan and bake on the middle rack of the oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the middle comes out clean. Let cool completely before removing from pan.
• Make the frosting and filling: Beat whipping cream, vanilla and confectioners' sugar with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Transfer 1/3 of the whipped cream to a separate bowl and stir in preserves.
• Use a serrated knife to slice cake horizontally into 3 equal layers. Arrange top layer of the cake cut-side-up on a platter. Poke a few holes in the cake layer with a toothpick, then sprinkle with 1/3 of the liqueur or juice.
• Spread half the whipped cream and preserves mixture over the cake layer, then arrange middle layer on top. Poke holes in the middle layer with a toothpick and sprinkle with another 1/3 of the liqueur or juice. Top with remaining whipped cream and preserves mixture.
• Arrange the bottom cake layer on top of the stack, cut-side-down. Poke more holes and sprinkle with remaining liqueur or juice. Frost top and sides of cake with the whipped cream, using a pastry bag to pipe on stars or other designs, if you'd like. Decorate with fresh berries.