The Kranz Frankfurter is a garland-shaped cake from Frankfurt, Germany, made of sponge cake, buttercream, and red jam, covered in hazelnuts or almonds. Its name means “crown cake” and it symbolizes Frankfurt’s coronation history. The cake’s ingredients include creamed butter, sugar, grated lemon zest, rum, and egg yolks. To assemble, the sponge cake layers are alternated with buttercream and apricot glaze, then coated with praline and decorated with cherries. Authenticity requires using butter and refrigerating the cake before serving.
A Kranz Frankfurter is a garland-shaped cake originating in Frankfurt, Germany. It consists of a sponge cake baked in a ring box and divided horizontally into two or three pieces. The cake is filled with buttercream and red jam – usually strawberry or cherry. The outer rim is completely covered in buttercream icing and sprinkled with crunchy hazelnuts or almonds. Other decorative elements could include cocktail cherries or dots of buttercream.
An unknown pastry chef created the first Frankfurter Kranz cake during the 18th century. Kranz means “crown” in German, so it’s also known as a Frankfurt crown cake. The shape of the cake is a symbol of Frankfurt which has been the coronation site of German kings and emperors for over 500 years. The golden shell of the ground hazelnuts is a golden symbol and the red cherries represent decorative jewels.
Along with flour, egg yolks and baking powder, the traditional ingredients for a kranz Frankfurter sponge cake base include creamed butter, sugar, grated lemon zest and rum, with all of these whisked together until smooth soft composition. For the buttercream filling, sugar and water are boiled and poured over beaten yolk eggs. Rum is added and the mixture is whisked until thick. Frankfurter Kranz ingredients for the praline topping include sugar and water boiled in a syrup and ground almonds or walnuts. Apricot jam can be used as a glaze for the outside of the cake.
To assemble the cake, the layers of sponge cake are placed on a cake plate one by one, alternating with the buttercream. The apricot glaze is spread over the top and sides of the cake to hold the praline coating. This coating is also known as krokant and is made by browning chopped or ground nuts in butter with a little sugar. If there is any butter left, it can be used to decorate the top of the cake, along with red candied cherries.
To produce an authentic Kranz Frankfurter, butter should never be substituted for margarine and should be at room temperature when mixed with other ingredients. Using a food processor can help get a smooth buttercream. The cake should be refrigerated for at least two to three hours before serving so that the coating has time to set.
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