Dream Cake from Brovst
Dream Cake from Brovst © kvalifood.com
Dream Cake originates from Brovst in northern Jutland. In 1960, Jytte Andersen won a baking competition with this simple but remarkably good traybake, and it has been a classic in Danish homes ever since. It consists of a light, vanilla-scented base topped with a warm, glossy mixture of desiccated coconut, butter, brown sugar and milk that caramelises in the oven to a golden, crystalline finish.
Ingredients
Yields 20 pieces
Base
- 300 g sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla sugar
- 4 eggs
- 280 g plain flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 70 g butter
- 200 ml milk
Topping
- 175 g desiccated coconut
- 175 g butter
- 100 ml milk
- 250 g brown sugar (or muscovado for a deeper flavour)
Directions
Preparation
Heat the oven to 390°F (200°C) conventional, or 350°F (175°C) fan. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
The base
- Whisk the sugar, vanilla sugar and eggs to a pale, airy mixture.
- Melt the butter in the milk (until lukewarm) and stir into the egg mixture.
- Sift in the flour and baking powder and fold gently to combine.
- Pour into the tray and bake for 25–30 minutes, until the cake is almost set but still slightly moist in the centre.
The topping
While the cake is baking: bring the desiccated coconut, butter, milk and sugar to the boil, stirring, until you have a smooth mixture. Remove from the heat.
Finishing
- Remove the cake from the oven.
- Increase the temperature to 435°F (225°C).
- Spread the topping evenly over the cake.
- Bake for 5–7 minutes until the topping is golden and lightly caramelised.
- Leave to cool completely before serving.
Notes
- Buttermilk variation: Replace the milk in the base with buttermilk for a softer cake that keeps longer (up to 5 days).
- Muscovado tip: Use muscovado sugar in the topping instead of brown sugar for a deeper, more caramel-like flavour.
- Important: Watch the topping closely in the last few minutes — it should be set and golden, not dark.
- Can be frozen.