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This traditional Danish Dream Cake is so perfect! Airy, moist sponge cake with caramelized coconut topping will become one of your favorite cakes from the first bite!
Danish Dream Cake (Drømmekage) Recipe
It’s that time of the year again, the most wonderful month ever!
December. The whole month 🙂
Starting from the Advent calendar, first day of December to champagne glasses on the last day.
I totally fall for each and every little thing of this season: buttery smell of homemade Christmas cookies, mince pies, mulled wine, Christmas Carols and of course the smell of our gorgeous fir tree. Which, by the way is not up yet…
December will be delicious, scrumptious, sweet and indulgent! As it should be 🙂
We are going to try so many wonderful Christmas traditional recipes from all over the world. From countries I did not explore yet but would love to in the future. I would love each year to spend December in a different country, if I could. Who knows what the future will bring:)
Our first stop.. Denmark.
Christmas in Danish is called Jul (an old Nordic word for feast) and it is the biggest holiday in Denmark. We all know, the Danes love good food and during the festive season have some of the best treats: vanilla biscuits, gingerbread hearts.
Christmas dinner usually starts with rice pudding. The tradition is to have a whole almond hidden in the pudding and whoever gets the almond receives a present, traditionally but not necessarily these days……..a marzipan pig. Afterwards, most people have either roast duck or goose served with potatoes, gravy, and cooked red cabbage.
I am starting my Christmas baking season with this simple looking, yet….Danish Dream Cake.
I was so curious how it tastes from the minute I read the recipe. Not to mention, I was convinced that this cake needs something to go with…some custard maybe. Boy, how wrong was I?!
This Danish dream cake is so perfect without anything else.
My first bite and I knew that I will not be able to stop myself from devouring it. It may look simple and I totally understand if you’re thinking now…what can be so special about it?
It is divine! Every bite.
Airy. Sweet. Moist.
and the caramelized coconut topping…OMG!
It is so easy to make this Danish Dream cake. You probably already have most of the ingredients in your fridge/ pantry. Just add some unsweetened shredded coconut on your next grocery shopping list and you are ready to make it!
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
- 1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 6 tablespoons whole milk
- 6 tablespoons butter melted
- Topping:
- 1 stick 115g butter
- 1 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons whole milk
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Preheat the oven to 375F/ 190C.
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Butter and flour a 3 inch deep, 9 inch springform pan.
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In a small saucepan, combine milk with 6 tablespoons butter and heat over low until the butter melts, then remove from the heat and allow to cool down.
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In a large bowl, using a hand mixer, whisk eggs, sugar and vanilla essence on high speed for 4-5 minutes, until the mixture becomes white and fluffy. Add flour and baking powder and whisk to incorporate them. Pour milk/butter mixture into the cake batter, folding it in until incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared springform pan and place on a baking paper-lined baking sheet.
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Bake for 35–40 mins or until almost done.
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While the cake is baking, make your topping.
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In a medium saucepan, melt the butter, add milk and brown sugar and cook for a minute. Add shredded coconut and mix it well.
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Remove the cake from the oven and carefully spread the topping all over the cake.
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Turn up the heat to 400F/ 200C. Return the cake to the oven and bake for another 5-10 minutes until the topping is bubbling and the coconut begins to toast on top.
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Remove from oven and allow to cool before eating.
More Christmas Dessert recipes that you’ll love
- German Christmas Cookies Recipe
- Peppermint Meringue Cookies Recipe
- Edible Chocolate Christmas Trees Pinata
Avoid searching for this Danish Dream Cake recipe later, save it now! Pin it here:
Being half Danish, I’m delighted you’re sharing a Danish recipe!! I love Danish cakes because they’re full of flavor but not sickly sweet. Beautiful. 🙂
I could get behind a slice or two of this cake.
Well the Danish know all about baking, so I’m very happy to go along with this one. The caramelised coconut topping sounds divine. I love this time of year too.
What a beauty ! I’m now craving this so bad. Need to search for something sweet in the pantry lol
I love coconut anything with that in usually peaks my interest, but I think this cake would be scrummy even without it it looks delightful.
The caramelised coconut topping looks and sounds a-mazing. Where are you off to next on you baking adventure I wonder?
Save me a piece, I’ll be there soon!
Oh wow am loving the sound of this caramelised coconut topping! I love how your writing set the scene for the whole month of December – very festive 🙂
hurray for Christmas! and Hurray for your delicious cake!
What a fun way to start Christmas baking! Looks delicious 🙂
That cake looks anything but simple, though the recipe is simple enough. It looks sinful!
How have I never heard of CARAMELIZED COCONUT until now? Yum! It definitely sounds like a dream.
It is beyond delicious! I was tempted at one point to just eat the topping first and the the rest of the cake 🙂
What an amazing cake, definitely different to most cakes I’ve seen. Looks so moist and the top does look just like a pine cone!
Hi found your recipe actually when searching for Greenland recipes for a project of my son’s. In Greenland it’s called Chefs cake but it’s the same cake. Just shows their Danish heritage coming through