Best 5 Julekage Recipes

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Julekage, also known as Christmas cake, is a traditional Danish pastry enjoyed during the Christmas season. It is a rich, dense cake made with a variety of ingredients such as flour, sugar, butter, eggs, spices, and candied fruit. It is often topped with a layer of marzipan and icing, and is decorated with festive elements such as holly berries, Christmas trees, and candles. Julekage is a popular treat served at Christmas gatherings and parties, and its unique flavor and appearance make it a beloved holiday tradition in Denmark and beyond.

Here are our top 5 tried and tested recipes!

JULEKAGE



Julekage image

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

2 packages (1/4 ounce each) active dry yeast
1/2 cup plus 1 teaspoon sugar, divided
1/2 cup warm water (110° to 115°)
3/4 cup warm milk (110° to 115°)
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 egg
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
5 to 5-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 cups chopped mixed candied fruit
1/2 cup golden raisins
FROSTING:
1 cup confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 tablespoon milk
Red and green candied cherries

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



Danish Julekage image

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

2 packages (1/4 ounce each) active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (110° to 115°)
2 cups warm milk (110° to 115°)
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 tablespoon shortening
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
3 eggs, beaten
8-1/2 to 9 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup raisins
1 cup chopped candied fruit
FILLING:
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/4 cup sugar
TOPPING:
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
2 tablespoons cold butter

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



Bread Machine Julekage image

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

1 egg plus enough water to equal 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened*
3 cups Gold Medal™ Better for Bread flour
1 teaspoon bread machine yeast
1/3 cup raisins
1/3 cup mixed candied fruit

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 image

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

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (see Cook's Note), plus more for dusting
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup milk powder, such as Nestle Carnation Dry Milk Powder
One 1/4-ounce package dry active yeast
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Kosher salt
1/2 cup warm water (120 to 130 degrees F)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus melted butter for the bowl and cake pan
2 large eggs, lightly beaten, plus 1 large egg for the egg wash
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup golden raisins
1/3 cup chopped candied orange peel
1/3 cup slivered almonds
2 tablespoons whole milk
2 tablespoons Swedish pearl sugar
1 cup confectioners' sugar
4 to 5 teaspoons whole milk
1/4 teaspoon almond extract

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



Scandinavian Christmas Fruit Bread (Julekage) Recipe image

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

1 (1/4 ounce) package active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (105 to 115 degrees F)
3/4 cup lukewarm milk (scalded, then cooled)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 egg
1/4 cup shortening
1/2 cup raisins
1/3 cup cut-up citron or 1/3 cup mixed candied fruit
3 1/4-3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup butter or 1/2 cup margarine, softened

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:

  • Proper Mixing: Ensure the dough is not too sticky or dry. Add more flour or water as needed to achieve a smooth and workable consistency.
  • Chilling the Dough: Refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes before rolling and baking. This helps prevent the cookies from spreading too much in the oven.
  • Rolling Out the Dough: Roll out the dough evenly to a consistent thickness. This ensures uniform baking and prevents thick or thin spots in the cookies.
  • Cutting the Cookies: Use a sharp cookie cutter to create clean and precise shapes. This helps the cookies retain their shape during baking.
  • Baking Time and Temperature: Bake the cookies according to the specified temperature and time in the recipe. Overbaking can make them dry and crumbly, while underbaking can result in soft and chewy cookies.
  • Cooling the Cookies: Allow the cookies to cool completely on a wire rack before storing or serving. This helps prevent them from breaking or becoming soggy.
  • Storing the Cookies: Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week, or freeze them for longer storage.

Conclusion:

Baking Julekage is a delightful experience that combines the flavors of Christmas spices, dried fruits, and nuts. With careful preparation and attention to detail, you can create these traditional Danish cookies that are perfect for sharing with family and friends during the holiday season. Remember to follow the tips provided in this comprehensive guide to ensure successful baking and indulge in the delicious taste of Julekage. .

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