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Brunsviger

June 11, 2012 by mydanishkitchen

Brunsviger

Brunsviger is a classic Danish coffee cake of sorts. It comes from Fyn (Funen) in Denmark, the island where Hans Christian Andersen was born. It is a soft yeast dough topped with a generous serving of butter and brown sugar. It’s traditionally served warm in the morning or with afternoon coffee or tea and it’s always best the same day it is made. If you have some left-over cake you can heat it up a little and it’s still delicious.

The challenge I had making this cake was that the pan size called for, was an odd size (16×20 inch) which I don’t have. So the first time I made this coffee cake I made it “free style” if you will, simply just forming it onto a baking sheet. But it resulted in a lot of the topping flowing off the cake and making a big mess in my oven. After a weeks time of pondering I gave it another shot and this time I decided to use my 9 x 13 inch pan which is not the “correct” size but it does have tall sides as oppose to the baking sheet, and I am happy to say that it worked out great. The topping stayed on top and really seeped into the cake. Make sure to make plenty of finger dimples in the cake because this is where the yummy stuff hangs out.  🙂

Brunsviger – 12 to 16 servings

Ingredients:

1 cup whole milk, warmed to 100-110 degrees F (37-43 degrees C)

4 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast (or 50 grams cake/fresh yeast)

6 tablespoons butter, melted

2 eggs

2 tablespoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Topping:

3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar

1 cup butter

Directions:

Heat milk to to 100-110 degrees F (37-43 degrees C), sprinkle active dry yeast over milk, give a quick stir and let sit for 10 minutes. Meanwhile melt butter and set aside.

Pour milk mixture into the bowl of a stand-mixer. Add eggs, sugar, salt and melted butter, stir to combine. Using the dough hook start the mixer on medium-low speed and add the flour in small increments. Note: you may not need all the flour. Scrape down the sides of bowl with a rubber spatula as needed and continue to add the flour until dough is soft, elastic and slightly sticky. Grease a large bowl with a small amount of baking spray or vegetable oil, place dough in bowl, cover with a clean dry tea towel and let rise for 30 minutes.

Spray a 9 x 13 inch (23 x 33 cm) baking pan with baking spray and line with piece of parchment paper extending up to the edges of pan. Deflate the dough and pour into baking pan. If dough is a little too tacky cover your fingers in a light dusting of flour. Press dough evenly out into the corners of the baking pan. Cover pan with the tea towel and let rise for another 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

To make the Topping: Over low heat melt butter with the brown sugar. Stir frequently to ensure sugar is completely melted and butter in fully incorporated. Do not boil! Remove from heat and cool slightly.

Pour 2/3 of topping over dough and spread evenly. Press your fingers into the dough to make deep dimples. Pour the remaining 1/3 of topping over dough and bake for 25-30 minutes. Serve Brunsviger warm. Enjoy!

Source: adapted from The Scandinavian Cookbook

This recipe has been submitted to YeastSpotting, a wonderful site filled with recipes containing yeast.

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Posted in Cake, Danish | Tagged brunsviger, cake, coffee cake, Danish, yeast, Yeastspotting | 12 Comments

12 Responses

  1. on October 22, 2016 at 19:39 Sophie

    Hi Gitte
    If I wanted to shape it in the form of a man what would you recommend? Baking it as your recipe and then cut it in pieces in the appropriate form?


    • on October 23, 2016 at 06:35 mydanishkitchen

      Sophie, since this is a dough recipe I would simply just start by making four small dough balls for the arms and legs, one big ball for the belly and one medium ball for the head. Place the dough balls on your lined baking sheet and flatten the balls out to make the body parts, making sure they all touch, then make your finger imprints, cover with a clean, dry Tea towel and let it rise. Before baking you would then add the topping. Remember a Brunsviger cake is always best the same day it is baked. Sounds like this should be a fun project 😋 Btw you may need to make more fingerprints after the dough has risen.


  2. on January 30, 2016 at 19:01 Patti Larsen

    This is my go to recipe for making cake man for my husband and grandkids. They all love it!!!


    • on January 31, 2016 at 06:22 mydanishkitchen

      Pattie, looking around I notice that people will use either a Brunsviger or a vandbakkelse (choux pastry) recipe to make kagemand. Both delicious.


  3. on November 6, 2015 at 06:27 MyCulinarySaga

    love it.. will try this soon!


  4. on June 11, 2012 at 13:42 Pernille

    It’s the best!!!! I’m from Funen and I’ve had a lot of brunsviger, for birthdays we always put a lot of candy on i,. If it’s a children’s birthday it’s shaped as a boy/girl…


    • on June 11, 2012 at 16:09 mydanishkitchen

      Pernille – yes I did read that Brunsviger is used as a birthday cake on Fyn. Maybe I should have made a traditional Kagemand/kone, that would have been fun 🙂


      • on June 12, 2012 at 13:11 Pernille

        Back in the days…. If you were in Kindergarten and had a birthday, the birthdayboy/girl would get the entire head and all the kids would scream while cutting it off…..


      • on June 12, 2012 at 19:51 mydanishkitchen

        LOL that is too cute!!


  5. on June 11, 2012 at 09:53 Sid's cooking again...

    You made my birthday cake. Well, one of them anyway. It was always a tossup between Brunsviger or Lagkage for my birthday cake. And to this day, I make it for myself, I’ve even been known to make both of them. Which reminds me, it’s been a long time since I’ve made one. I think it’s time.


    • on June 11, 2012 at 16:11 mydanishkitchen

      Sid – Brunsviger or Lagkage, that is a really tough choice!


  6. on June 11, 2012 at 09:19 Geraldine

    Wow, this looks really tasty!



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