Julekage is a rich, spiced bread traditionally served at Christmas in Scandinavia and popular in Norway and Denmark. It includes candied fruit and nuts, and is often frozen with sweet white frosting. The recipe involves mixing yeast, flour, sugar, salt, cardamom, nutmeg, and milk, and adding raisins and candied fruit. The dough is then shaped and baked, and can be glazed and decorated with nuts.
Julekage is a rich, flavoursome bread that is traditionally served at Christmas in many Scandinavian countries. It’s especially popular in Norway and Denmark, and some American families also make it to celebrate the Christmas season. This holiday loaf is more like cake than bread, since it’s so rich, and some people freeze Julekage with a sweet white frosting, which makes it even more like Christmas cake.
The bread may also be known as Julekaka or Julekake, which means “Yule bread” in Norwegian. Like many holiday breads, Julekage includes candied fruit and nuts, and is heavily spiced. The traditional spice used in julekage is cardamom, although nutmeg, cinnamon, and other flavors may also be used. Many bread fans believe it tastes warmest out of the oven, although it can also be toasted and served with butter. It also makes very intriguing French toast, thanks to its rich flavor.
To make Julekage, start by melting a quarter cup of butter and setting it aside to cool. Whisk together a packet of yeast, a tablespoon of sugar, and a quarter cup of water and let this mixture sit for about 10 minutes, until frothy. Add the cooled yeast butter, along with an egg, and mix to make sure the ingredients are well combined. In a separate bowl, sift together two and one-half cups of flour, three tablespoons of sugar, one teaspoon of salt, one-half tablespoon of cardamom, and a pinch of nutmeg. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing together until a loose mass is formed.
Let the Julekage dough rest briefly before adding several tablespoons of milk. Your goal is to create a silky ball of dough, which can take as little as two tablespoons or as many as five. Stir constantly as you add the milk. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead it briefly, topping in one-quarter cup mixed raisins and candied fruit. Then, let the dough rest and let it rise for an hour before shaping and resting again for 45 minutes while you preheat the oven to 350° Fahrenheit (177° Celsius).
Brush the Julekage with the yolk of an egg, beaten with water, to give it a shiny and crunchy surface. Bake for 45 minutes and glaze if desired with a plain white glaze. Some cooks also like to decorate their Julekage with nuts, either toasted or candied.
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