New Year’s Eve is a big deal in Denmark. People reflect on the year that has passed and look forward to entering another year together with friends and family. The night is complete with almost as many traditions as Christmas Eve, and wreath cake, or kransekage, might be the most important tradition of all—together with the Queen’s New Year’s speech.
“New Year’s Eve is a special evening and night for me and my family. We do as most Danes do: We listen to the Queen’s speech, we enjoy a great meal, and we eat kransekage with our champagne or drink when we welcome the New Year at midnight. This special marzipan-based treat towering on every dining table is unique for Denmark. We have fireworks as well – but kransekage is ours alone.”
-Jesper Møller Sørensen, Ambassador of Denmark
🇩🇰 Denmark: Kransekage—Danish New Year’s Eve Wreath Cake
Ingredients
Wreath Cake
- 1 ½ pounds marzipan
- 1/2 cup plus 1 ½ tablespoons sugar
- 2 egg whites
- Powdered sugar for rolling out the dough
Icing
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar packed
- 1 egg white
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat oven to 390°F.
- Crumble marzipan in a bowl and knead it together with the sugar and egg whites – the dough should be sticky.
- Divide dough in half. Working with one-half of the dough at a time, cut the dough into small portions and roll into 1/2 inch thick ropes—10 total (see table in Notes section below). Use a little powdered sugar as you roll to keep the dough from sticking to your hands.
- Roll the last piece into a small circle approximately 1.5 inches in diameter and 1/2 an inch thick. If you have excess dough, shape into small petit fours (1-inch cubes).
- Shape each rope into a ring and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Place the baking sheet on top of another to ensure that the undersides do not get too dark.
- Bake wreath cakes on the middle rack at 390°F for about 15 minutes or until golden brown. Keep a close eye on them to make sure they do not overbake. Let cool completely, for about 1-2 hours.
Icing
- Mix powdered sugar and egg whites together to make a thick and tough glaze.
- Spoon into a piping bag or plastic bag and cut a small hole in the corner.
- Using the above photo as your guide, ice the wreath cakes beginning with the largest circle, by going back and forth in a steady motion. Stack the second largest circle on top and repeat until you reach the final piece.
Video
Notes
| Wreath 1 | Round circle 1.5 inches in diameter |
| Wreath 2 | 3 inches in length |
| Wreath 3 | 4 inches in length |
| Wreath 4 | 5 inches in length |
| Wreath 5 | 6 inches in length |
| Wreath 6 | 7 inches in length |
| Wreath 7 | 8 inches in length |
| Wreath 8 | 9 inches in length |
| Wreath 9 | 10 inches in length |
| Wreath 10 | 11 inches in length |
| Wreath 11 | 12 inches in length |