-Christmas in Denmark is a seasonal delight that lasts a little more than a month. With age-old traditions like decorating the tree with traditional lit candles on Christmas Eve while family members sing and dance around it, the festive holiday season features traditional song, food, decorations, and spring flowers.
It begins with the baking of the julekage (pronounced yule kaya), meaning "Christmas Cake," in late November.
In Denmark, it is a well-followed tradition to enjoy a cup of coffee around 10 a.m., again around 3 p.m. and, finally, after dinner, around 8 p.m.
Along with a piece of buttered bread with cheese, meat, or fish on top, during the holiday season, one also enjoys a piece of this Christmas cake at coffee time.
Baked in batches at the beginning of the holiday season and sometimes frozen, a piece of julekage is always enjoyed spread with sweet, creamy Danish butter on top. It is to be enjoyed with a cup of black coffee.
The recipe for this tender, moist cake varies from family to family, each one making it their own. Some like to top the loaf with coarse pearl sugar; others prefer an almond glaze. Some families add dried fruit and nuts.
However you want to make it, you'll enjoy this treat from November to New Year.
Danish Julekage (Christmas Cake)
Here is my family's recipe, by Birthe Lynggaard Hansen, my Danish mother, passed down the generations.
This recipe can be doubled or tripled to allow for enough cake to be made for the entire season and then frozen. It also makes nice small loaves to be given as gifts.
This recipe is written in the new book by my sister, Inge Lynggaard Hansen, called Mom's Cookbook or Mors Kogebog, written in both Danish and English, with metric and standard recipes.
In a saucepan, add:
¶2 ½ cups dark corn syrup
¶2 ⅛ cup granulated sugar
¶½ cup butter
On low to medium heat, slowly mix the ingredients. Pour into a bowl and cool until lukewarm.
Mix:
¶3 tsp. cinnamon
¶3 tsp. ginger
¶3 tsp. baking soda
¶11–12 cups flour
¶3 ⅛ cups buttermilk
Add dry ingredients to the bowl of cooled liquid and add buttermilk. Stir well into a soft dough. This can also be done in a food processor.
Pour into large sheet pan, two standard loaf pans, or four mini loaf pans.
If you desire, you can add 20 chopped almonds or use slivered almonds on top of your cake.
Bake at 340F for approximately 1 hour.
Allow to cool for about 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and allow to cool completely.
Slice in 1-inch slices and serve with slathered butter on top.
Fran Lynggaard Hansen, a Brattleboro native with deep connections to local history and to people everywhere, is a Commons reporter and columnist.
This Special section column by Fran Lynggaard Hansen was written for The Commons.