Indulge in the festive flavors of Christmas with the delightful Danish Julekage, a cherished tradition enjoyed throughout Denmark. This iconic Christmas treat is a rich, buttery pastry swirled with a sweet almond filling and glazed with a delicate icing, offering a harmonious blend of flavors and textures. Discover the secrets behind this beloved holiday delicacy with our collection of carefully curated recipes. From classic versions to variations that add a modern twist, we have everything you need to create the perfect Julekage that will bring joy to your Christmas celebrations. Whether you prefer a traditional recipe or one with a unique flair, our recipes cater to all tastes and skill levels, ensuring that everyone can savor the magic of this special pastry.
Here are our top 4 tried and tested recipes!
JULE KAKA
This is a Swedish Christmas Bread with candied fruits and a yummy cardamom flavor.
Provided by Janice
Categories Bread Yeast Bread Recipes
Time 6h
Yield 48
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- Dissolve yeast in water.
- Scald milk, and add melted butter or margarine, salt, sugar. When lukewarm add to yeast and water. Stir in 4 cups flour. Cover, and place in a warm place. Let rise for about 2 hours, or till doubled in bulk.
- Punch down. Stir in cardamom, cherries, raisins and citron. Work in remaining flour until soft dough forms. Let rise in warm place for 2 to 3 hours, or until doubled.
- Knead slightly, and form into 4 round loaves. Place on greased cookie sheets. Let rise for 1 to 2 hours, or till doubled. Brush loaves with beaten egg white.
- Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 to 40 minutes, or until golden brown.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 158.6 calories, Carbohydrate 27.2 g, Cholesterol 11 mg, Fat 4.3 g, Fiber 0.9 g, Protein 3 g, SaturatedFat 2.6 g, Sodium 138.9 mg, Sugar 7.4 g
JULEKAGE
Julekage is a Danish Christmas yeasted bread that's redolent of cardamom and cinnamon and chockablock with dried fruit, nuts, and candied orange peel. Don't be daunted by the lengthy ingredient list; you are likely to have many of the items on hand and the rest are grocery staples. This holiday loaf is traditionally topped with coarse pearl sugar, baked in a cake pan (as here) or as a ball on a baking sheet and then drizzled with an almond-flavored icing.
Provided by Food Network Kitchen
Time 4h25m
Yield 8 servings
Number Of Ingredients 21
Steps:
- For the loaf: Combine 1 cup of the flour with the granulated sugar, milk powder, yeast, cardamom, cinnamon and 1 teaspoon of salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Pour in the hot water and mix on medium speed to a thick batter, about 2 minutes. Add the vanilla and lemon zest, then beat to combine. Add the butter and beat until it has fully worked into the dough, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed, about 3 minutes. Pour in the beaten eggs, then beat until just combined.
- Switch to the dough hook. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the remaining 2 1/2 cups of flour. Beat until the dough becomes a shaggy ball, then increase the speed to medium-high and knead until the dough is shiny and elastic, 8 to 10 minutes.
- Lightly grease a large bowl with melted butter. Transfer the dough to the prepared bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and let rise in a slightly warm place until the dough has double in size, about 1 1/2 hours.
- Generously grease a 9-inch cake pan with melted butter. Lightly dust a work surface with flour. Punch down the dough and press it flat on the work surface. Mix the cranberries, raisins, candied orange and slivered almonds together in a small bowl, then sprinkle half of the mixture evenly on top of the dough. Fold the dough over itself, then knead until the fruit and nuts are evenly distributed. Press the dough flat again, top with the remaining fruit and nut mixture, then fold and knead again.
- Gather and shape the dough into a 5 1/2-inch-diameter ball, then transfer it to the prepared cake pan. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise in a slightly warm place until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Whisk the milk and the remaining egg together for the egg wash.
- Uncover the loaf and brush evenly with the egg wash, then sprinkle with the pearl sugar. Bake until the top is well browned and glossy, 30 to 40 minutes. The bread should sound hollow when the bottom of the loaf is tapped. Transfer to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes, then remove from the pan to cool completely, top side up.
- For the icing: Meanwhile, whisk the confectioners' sugar, 4 teaspoons of milk and the almond extract together in a medium bowl until thick and smooth. Add 1 more teaspoon of milk if the icing is too thick. Drizzle the icing over the top of the cooled loaf. Let set 5 to 10 minutes.
SCANDINAVIAN CHRISTMAS FRUIT BREAD (JULEKAGE) RECIPE
Make and share this Scandinavian Christmas Fruit Bread (Julekage) Recipe recipe from Food.com.
Provided by tornadoes three
Categories Yeast Breads
Time 1h45m
Yield 8 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- Dissolve yeast in warm water in large mixer bowl. Add milk, sugar, salt, cardamom, egg, shortening, raisins, citron and 2 cups of the flour.
- Beat on low speed, scraping bowl constantly, 30 seconds.
- Beat on medium speed, scraping bowl occasionally, 2 minutes.
- Stir in enough remaining flour to make dough easy to handle.
- Turn dough onto lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.
- Place in greased bowl; turn greased side up. Cover; let rise in warm place until double, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Dough is ready if indentation remains when touched.
- Punch dough down; shape into round loaf. Place in greased 9-inch round layer pan. Brush top lightly with butter; let rise until double, about 45 minutes.
- Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake until loaf is golden brown, 35 to 45 minutes. Brush with butter. Spread with Glaze. Cool on wire rack.
- Glaze:.
- 1 cup confectioners' sugar.
- 1 to 2 tablespoons water.
- Mix confectioners' sugar and water until smooth and of desired consistency.
JULEKAGE
When we lived in California, a friend made these for us at Christmas. Once we moved here, I found myself missing those light, moist loaves, dotted with candied fruit and blanketed with thick frosting. So I hunted up this recipe and started making them. The cardamom gives the bread a wonderfully distinctive flavor. -Carol Mead, Los Alamos, New Mexico
Provided by Taste of Home
Time 1h
Yield 2 loaves.
Number Of Ingredients 16
Steps:
- In a bowl, dissolve yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar in water; let stand for 5 minutes. Add milk, butter, egg, salt, cardamom, 2-1/4 cups flour and remaining sugar. Beat until smooth. Stir in fruit, raisins and enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. , Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1-1/2 hours. , Punch dough down; shape into two loaves; place in two greased 8x4-in. loaf pans. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes. Bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans and cool on wire racks. , For frosting, combine sugar, butter and milk until smooth; spread over loaves. Decorate with cherries.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 178 calories, Fat 4g fat (2g saturated fat), Cholesterol 17mg cholesterol, Sodium 127mg sodium, Carbohydrate 34g carbohydrate (16g sugars, Fiber 1g fiber), Protein 3g protein.
Tips:
- Use quality ingredients: Fresh, high-quality ingredients will result in a tastier cake.
- Follow the recipe carefully: Don't skip or substitute ingredients, as this can affect the outcome of the cake.
- Preheat your oven: This is essential for ensuring that the cake bakes evenly.
- Use the right baking pan: A standard loaf pan is typically used for julekage, but you can also use a bundt pan or a 9x13 inch baking dish.
- Don't overmix the batter: Overmixing can result in a tough, dense cake.
- Bake the cake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean: This is the best way to ensure that the cake is done.
- Let the cake cool completely before frosting it: This will help to prevent the frosting from melting.
Conclusion:
Danish julekage is a delicious and festive cake that is perfect for the holiday season. With its rich, flavorful dough and sweet, fruity filling, it's sure to be a hit with family and friends. So next time you're looking for a special treat to bake, give julekage a try. You won't be disappointed!
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