Classic Christmas Cake

Classic Christmas Cake © kvalifood.com

Classic Danish Christmas cake — a yeasted dough cake with cardamom, lemon zest, raisins, candied peel, and almonds, shaped into a coil and dusted with cinnamon sugar. The most traditional form of Danish Christmas cake.

Ingredients

  • 35 g yeast
  • ½ dl lukewarm water
  • 150 g butter
  • 1 dl cream
  • 300–350 g flour
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½–1 tsp cardamom
  • 1 tsp grated lemon zest
  • ½ dl raisins
  • ½–1 dl finely chopped candied peel
  • ½–1 dl blanched coarsely chopped almonds

For brushing and topping:

  • beaten egg
  • cinnamon sugar

Directions

Make the dough

Dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm water. Rub the butter into the flour. Add the yeast mixture, cream, egg, sugar, salt, cardamom, lemon zest, raisins, candied peel, and almonds. Bring the dough together until smooth and glossy.

Leave to rise for 30 minutes.

Shape and bake

Knock back the dough well. Roll it into a long sausage and lay it as a coil in the centre of a baking tray.

Preheat the oven to 435°F (225°C). Leave the cake to prove for 15 minutes. Brush with beaten egg and dust with cinnamon sugar.

Bake in the middle of the oven for about 30 minutes.

Serving

Allow the Christmas cake to cool and slice.

Notes

  • The cake can be frozen for 2–3 months.
  • Lard can be used instead of butter for a more old-fashioned flavour.
  • Candied peel is essential for the classic flavour — do not leave it out.
  • The cake can also be shaped as a plaited loaf instead of a coil.