Ingredients you’ll need
For a treat this beautiful, you wont believe how few ingredients it actually requires. Seriously, were talking just five ingredients in total. Heres what youll need:
- Almond flour
- Powdered sugar
- Egg whites
- Meringue powder
- Water
A quick note about almonds and almond flour
Many traditional Norwegian kransekake recipes call for blanching almonds, peeling half of them and grinding them yourself.
If you want the full experience of making your almond flour from scratch, you can boil ½ lb of almonds for 3-4 minutes. The skin should peel right off. Spread the peeled almonds out on a baking sheet to dry overnight. Grind the peeled almonds with ½ lb of unpeeled almonds.
If youd rather skip this step, you can simply purchase super-fine almond flour straight from the grocery store, which is available both with and without the skin.
A traditional kransekake dough would be made of equal parts blanched almond flour and whole almond flour. If you dont want to purchase both, either one will work; Just know that it will change the taste and color of the dough slightly (because the skin gives it a little extra flavor).
The kransekake in this post is made with 100% blanched almond flour.
How to Make Kransekake (Norwegian Christmas Cake)
What is kransekake made of?
Kransekake is a traditional Danish and Norwegian dessert made of cookie-like cake rings that are layered in concentric rings to form a cone-shaped cake. The layers are “glued” together with sugary icing. Made with ground almonds, egg whites, and confectioners’ sugar, kransekake has a light texture and nutty flavor that’s impossible to resist.
What is Norwegian kransekake?
So of course I also had to share a recipe for Norway’s favorite celebratory cake, kransekake, which you’ll see at Christmas, Norwegian weddings, and other celebrations. Kransekake, or “wreath cake,” is a tower of 18 almond cookie rings made of just three ingredients: ground almonds, powdered sugar, and egg whites.
How are kransekake rings made?
Shaping: Using special kransekake molds or free-hand techniques, the dough is shaped into various-sized rings. Baking: The rings are baked until they’re golden. Assembly: Starting with the largest ring at the base, the rings are stacked in decreasing size order, held together with icing, creating its signature conical shape.
How do you make Norwegian kransekake?
Norwegian Kransekake, or “wreath cake,” is a tower of 18 almond cookie rings made of just three ingredients: ground almonds, powdered sugar, and egg whites, often served at Norwegian celebrations like Christmas and weddings. Grind almonds in an almond grinder or food processor. Mix almonds and powdered sugar together in a large mixing bowl.