In the heart of Scandinavian tradition, Yule Kage, also known as Christmas Cake, takes center stage during the festive season. This rich and flavorful cake is a delightful fusion of flavors and textures, with variations across Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. From the classic Danish version studded with candied citrus peel and aromatic spices to the Norwegian delight filled with cardamom and topped with a crunchy almond crust, and the Swedish treasure featuring saffron and a hint of orange zest, Yule Kage embodies the spirit of Christmas cheer. Embark on a culinary journey through these cherished recipes, each offering a unique taste of Scandinavian heritage and capturing the essence of the season.
Let's cook with our recipes!
JULE KAKE NORWEGIAN CHRISTMAS BREAD
Provided by Food Network
Time 5h40m
Yield 4 servings
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- Fit a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Combine the flour, sugar, cardamom and salt in the mixer bowl. Combine the milk, butter, yeast and 2 eggs in another bowl, then incorporate into the dry ingredients with the mixer at low speed, 2 minutes. Increase the speed to medium and beat until the dough is sticky but will not stick to your hand, about 12 minutes.
- Add raisins and citron on slow speed to incorporate, about 1 minute (do not overmix).
- Let the dough relax in the mixing bowl, covered, for 10 minutes.
- Mix to knock down, then remove to a flour-dusted table.
- Divide into four pieces and let rest, covered, 1 1/2 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Form dough into desired shapes, such as round loaves. Beat remaining egg and paint dough with egg wash. Transfer dough to a pan. Let rise again, covered, until doubled, 1 to 2 hours. Paint again with egg wash. Bake until the loaves are deeply brown and sound hollow when tapped, 25 to 30 minutes. Let fully cool.
JULEKAKE
Because Julekake is one of our most requested recipes, we knew you'd love a version you could make in your bread machine.
Provided by Betty Crocker Kitchens
Categories Side Dish
Time 3h20m
Yield 16
Number Of Ingredients 13
Steps:
- In large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Stir in warm milk, sugar, shortening, salt, cardamom, egg, raisins, fruitcake mix and 1 1/2 cups of the flour. Beat with spoon until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to make dough easy to handle.
- Place dough on lightly floured surface. Knead about 5 minutes or until smooth and springy. Grease large bowl with shortening. Place dough in bowl, turning dough to grease all sides. Cover; let rise in warm place about 1 hour 30 minutes or until double in size. (Dough is ready if indentation remains when touched.)
- Grease 9-inch round pan with shortening. Gently push fist into dough to deflate. Shape into round loaf. Place in pan. Cover; let rise in warm place about 45 minutes or until double in size.
- Heat oven to 350°F. In small bowl, beat egg yolk and 2 tablespoons water; brush over dough. Bake 30 to 40 minutes or until golden brown.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 195, Carbohydrate 35 g, Cholesterol 30 mg, Fat 1, Fiber 1 g, Protein 4 g, SaturatedFat 3 g, ServingSize 1 Slice, Sodium 240 mg
YULEKAKE - NORWEGIAN CHRISTMAS BREAD
This recipe has been in my husband's Norweigan side of the family for generations. It was passed on from his great grandmother to his grandmother and so on. I noticed two recipes already posted in Recipezaar (julekake), but this one is prepared a bit different. It's a very dry fruit bread. Definitely used for dunking in your coffee or slathered with butter. I am not a big fan of it, but I make it at Christmastime for my husband as he adores it.
Provided by Lulu 280529
Categories Yeast Breads
Time 4h30m
Yield 2 loaves, 24-30 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 15
Steps:
- in a heatproof bowl, put all raisins together and cover with approximately 5 cups of boiling water to soften. set aside.
- mix the 2 packages of dry yeast with 1/2 cup of warm water. mix well and let sit.
- boil 2 cups of milk until scalded. turn down heat to medium and add the 3/4 cup of butter until melted. remove from heat and set aside.
- in a large bowl measure 3/4 cup granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 of the container of cardamom. mix well.
- add the two beaten eggs to the dry mixture. then add the milk/butter mixture. gradually add 6 of the 8 cups of flour and the dissolved yeast.
- drain the raisins. add the raisins and citron to the mix. now add the remaining 2 cups of flour.
- time to knead the bread! i use my heavy-duty mixer as it is easier on my hands and back. if manual knead, place dough on floured breadboard and knead completely.
- once the bread is kneaded, place into a large pre-floured bowl and cover with a dish towel or cloth allowing it to rise for 1 hour.
- after the dough has risen, cut it into two loaves. place each into a pre-greased, pre-floured baking loaf pan.
- again, cover each loaf pan and allow to rise for another hour.
- before placing the loaves into a pre-heated 300 degree oven, cut the top of each loaf with an X design, or a fancy cut design of your choice, and brush with 1 beaten egg.
- bake the loaves for 45 minutes at 300 degrees. increase the heat to 325 degrees for the next 30-45 minutes (test after 30 minutes with a toothpick for doneness - make take longer, make take less depending on your oven temperature).
- remove the loaves from the oven and brush with 2 tablespoons of melted butter.
- let loaves cool completely before removing from pans.
- note: if you choose to omit the citron, which i do often, use 2 cups each of the golden and regular raisins instead.
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.
BREADMAKER JULEKAGE
As a 3rd generation Norwegian-American family, Christmas just wasn't Christmas without Grandma's Julekage filling the house with the aroma of cardamom and fresh-baked bread. Several years ago I decided to modify the recipe so I could use my bread machine, and the family has enjoyed having this wonderful bread more easily available. I don't just make it for Christmas anymore! Freshly toasted and slathered with butter ... Nothing better! This makes a 1 1/2 to 2 lb. loaf.
Provided by TRFStarr
Categories Yeast Breads
Time 10m
Yield 1 2lb loaf
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- Add all ingredients except raisins and fruit to your breadmaker bowl, creating a small well in the flour to hold the yeast.
- Start the maker on your breadmachine's cycle for raisin bread, dough should mix up with a silky but not sticky feel to it. Add more water or flour depending on how the dough feels after mixing up for several minutes.
- When your breadmaker beeps to add extra ingredients, add the raisins and candied fruit, and let the breadmaker take care of the rest. When the breadmachine finishes its cycle, take it out of the machine as soon as possible to allow loaf to cool without condensation problems. Serve lightly toasted & buttered.
- As a side note, it's really important to use cardamom seed that you have freshly ground yourself (I grind it in a separate coffee grinder that I use just for spices, although you can grind the seed in a mortar & pestle). If you use cardamom that is already ground when you buy it, you will miss the distinctive and signature taste of the cardamom. I buy shelled cardamom seeds online, I've even found it on eBay. It's much cheaper than anything you'll find at a regular grocery store, and is much easier if you buy it already shelled.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 2460.2, Fat 47.8, SaturatedFat 26.9, Cholesterol 113.9, Sodium 427, Carbohydrate 450.3, Fiber 24.3, Sugar 98.7, Protein 65.3
YULE LOG CAKE
A delicate sponge and rich chocolate buttercream make this Christmas Yule log cake as delicious to eat as it is pretty to look at! Add optional decorations, such as forest berries, meringue mushrooms, mini evergreen trees, etc.
Provided by stella
Categories Chocolate Cake
Time 1h10m
Yield 8
Number Of Ingredients 13
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 355 degrees F (180 degrees C). Grease a jelly roll pan. Line it with parchment paper, and grease the paper.
- Beat 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar and egg yolks until light and fluffy. Add 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoons flour, butter, lukewarm water, and baking powder; beat until well combined.
- Beat egg whites and salt in a glass, metal, or ceramic bowl until stiff. Transfer 1/3 of the whites to the cake batter and gently fold in. Repeat with remaining whites. Spoon batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly.
- Bake in the preheated oven until it springs back when pressed gently in the middle, about 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and let sit in the pan for 3 minutes, before carefully turning the cake out onto a large piece of parchment paper. Roll the parchment and cake from one short end to the other and let cool.
- While the cake is cooling, place chocolate for buttercream in the top of a double boiler over simmering water. Stir frequently, scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula to avoid scorching, until chocolate is melted, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.
- Beat softened butter in a bowl until light and creamy. Add powdered sugar in small increments, beating between each addition. Add melted chocolate and beat until well combined.
- Carefully unroll the cooled sponge cake. Spread a thin layer of buttercream across the top to the edges. Firmly roll back up, using parchment to help you, into a tight roll.
- At one end of the roll, cut off a diagonal slice to represent a branch, about 2 inches in length at the longest side. Frost the entire roll with buttercream. Use a palette knife to create uneven ridges to represent tree bark. Position the branch somewhere near the center of the log and cover with buttercream.
- Drag the tines of a fork lengthwise across the buttercream to create an extra bark effect. Dust the entire log with cocoa powder.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 483.5 calories, Carbohydrate 56.5 g, Cholesterol 148.9 mg, Fat 27.8 g, Fiber 1.4 g, Protein 5.7 g, SaturatedFat 16.4 g, Sodium 118.9 mg, Sugar 45 g
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
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
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.
Tips:
- For the best flavor, use fresh, high-quality ingredients. This includes using real butter, fresh eggs, and pure vanilla extract.
- Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. This will help to incorporate air into the batter, resulting in a lighter, more tender cake.
- Gradually add the eggs to the butter mixture, beating well after each addition. This will help to prevent the batter from curdling.
- Be sure to sift the flour before adding it to the batter. This will help to ensure that the cake is light and airy.
- Do not overmix the batter. Overmixing can toughen the cake.
- Bake the cake in a preheated oven. This will help to ensure that the cake bakes evenly.
- Allow the cake to cool completely before frosting it. This will help to prevent the frosting from melting.
Conclusion:
Yule Kage is a delicious and festive cake that is perfect for the holiday season. With its rich, flavorful cake and creamy, decadent frosting, this cake is sure to be a hit with everyone who tries it. So next time you're looking for a special dessert to serve at your holiday gathering, be sure to give Yule Kage a try.
Are you curently on diet or you just want to control your food's nutritions, ingredients? We will help you find recipes by cooking method, nutrition, ingredients...
Check it out »
You'll also love