Kransekake

Matprat presents kransekake as Norway’s celebration cake, served at Christmas, weddings, confirmations and other occasions. Its stacked almond rings are joined with egg-white icing; this version chooses lemon juice to flavour that icing.

Half of the almonds are blanched in boiling water, peeled and dried in a low oven. They are ground with the remaining skin-on almonds, mixed with sifted icing sugar and worked with egg whites added gradually until the dough holds together.

The dough is kept cold before being rolled into finger-thick logs. Ring moulds are greased with oil and coated with semolina, then filled, baked and cooled completely before the rings are removed to a rack.

A separate portion of icing sugar and egg white is mixed with lemon juice to make an icing thick enough to hold its shape. A piping bag applies zigzags to each ring as the cake is assembled.

The recipe offers optional tragacanth for a more pliable dough. A dry dough can receive extra egg white or a few drops of neutral cooking oil, while a dough that is too soft can take a little more icing sugar before the rings are baked and stacked.