Indulge in the enticing world of Danish Christmas delights with the traditional Julekage, a beloved symbol of the festive season. This delectable pastry holds a special place in Danish hearts, bringing warmth and cheer during the magical time of year. Discover the art of creating this iconic treat with our comprehensive guide, offering two cherished recipes: the classic Julekage and the enticing Applesauce Julekage. Embark on a culinary journey filled with aromatic spices, rich flavors, and the irresistible allure of homemade goodness. Whether you prefer the traditional taste of the original Julekage or the delightful twist of the Applesauce variation, these recipes will guide you towards creating a masterpiece that embodies the spirit of Danish Christmas traditions. Gather your ingredients, don your apron, and let the aroma of freshly baked Julekage fill your kitchen as you embark on a festive baking adventure.
Here are our top 5 tried and tested recipes!
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.
DANISH JULEKAGE
Cardamom and lots of fruit enliven this unique holiday bread. The recipe was handed down from my grandmother, who came to the United States from Denmark when she was 16 years old.
Provided by Taste of Home
Time 1h20m
Yield 2 loaves.
Number Of Ingredients 20
Steps:
- In a bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add milk, sugar, butter, shortening, salt, cardamom, eggs and 4 cups flour; beat until smooth. Stir in raisins, candied fruit 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 1-1/4 hours., Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide in half. Roll each portion into a 12x9-in. rectangle. Brush with butter and sprinkle with sugar to within 1/2-in. of edges. Roll up, jelly-roll style, starting with a long side; pinch seams to seal and tuck ends under. Place, seam side down, in two greased 9x5-in. loaf pans. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes., Preheat oven to 350°. For topping, combine sugar, flour and cardamom; cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over loaves. Bake 50-60 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans to cool on wire racks.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 253 calories, Fat 6g fat (3g saturated fat), Cholesterol 33mg cholesterol, Sodium 213mg sodium, Carbohydrate 46g carbohydrate (18g sugars, Fiber 2g fiber), Protein 5g protein.
BREAD MACHINE JULEKAGE
Treat your family with this julekage on Christmas. A perfect yeast bread that's made with candied fruits.
Provided by By Betty Crocker Kitchens
Categories Side Dish
Time 3h5m
Yield 16
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Make this recipe with bread machines that use 3 cups flour.
- Measure carefully, placing all ingredients except raisins and fruitcake mix in bread machine pan in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Add raisins and candied fruit at the raisin/nut signal or 5 to 10 minutes before last kneading cycle ends.
- Select Basic/White cycle. Use Medium or Light crust color.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 140, Carbohydrate 23 g, Cholesterol 20 mg, Fat 1/2, Fiber 0 g, Protein 3 g, SaturatedFat 2 g, ServingSize 1 Slice, Sodium 180 mg, Sugar 5 g, TransFat 0 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.
Tips:
- To achieve the perfect consistency for your julekage dough, ensure that the butter is cold and firm before incorporating it into the flour mixture. This will prevent the dough from becoming too oily and difficult to work with.
- When rolling out the dough, use a light touch and avoid overworking it. This will help maintain the flakiness and tenderness of the pastry.
- If you find that the dough is too sticky to handle, chill it for a few minutes before continuing. This will make it easier to work with.
- When baking the julekage, keep a close eye on it to prevent overbaking. The pastry should be golden brown and the filling should be set but still slightly wobbly in the center.
- Allow the julekage to cool completely before slicing and serving. This will help the filling to firm up and prevent it from becoming runny.
Conclusion:
With its delicate pastry, creamy almond filling, and festive appearance, the julekage is a true Danish delight. Whether you're celebrating Christmas or simply looking for a special treat, this classic dessert is sure to impress. So gather your ingredients, preheat your oven, and embark on a culinary journey to Denmark with this irresistible julekage recipe!
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