My Danish Kitchen

Drømmekage

This Danish Drømmekage is like a sweet dream indeed. The cake itself is soft and spongy and loaded with vanilla beans while the topping is thick and soft with a caramel, coconut flavor that lingers on your taste buds. Note that the cake is even more dreamy the following day.

Drømmekagen is not a cake that I grew up with although it’s been around since the 1960’s. The first time I tasted it was one year my parents were visiting me here in the States and my mother and I made it for the Danish Ladies dinner party. At the time the only kind of coconut I had access to was the sweetened large chunky kinda coconut, which turned out OK but not the way it was supposed to be. So not too long ago I came across this wonderful shredded, unsweetened coconut in the grocery store and I have been thinking about remaking the cake ever since. So here it is and I hope you enjoy it as much as we have.

Drømmekage (9-12 servings)

Ingredients:

For the dough:

75 gram butter (2.6 oz.)

1 deciliter milk (3.4 oz. or 1/2 cup)

125 gram all-purpose flour (4.4 oz.)

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 eggs, at room temperature

125 gram sugar (4.4 oz.)

1 vanilla bean, seeded

1/4 teaspoon salt

For the topping:

150 gram butter (5.3 oz.)

250 gram brown sugar (8.8 oz.)

1/2 deciliter milk (1.7 oz. or 1/4 cup)

200 gram shredded unsweetened coconut (7 oz.)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 195 degrees C (380 degrees F). Spray a 9 x 9 inch baking pan with baking spray. Add 1 tablespoon flour to pan, shake flour around pan to coat bottom and sides, discard excess flour, set pan aside.

In a small saucepan add butter and milk, warm over low heat until butter is melted, set aside.

Sift together flour and baking powder, set aside.

In a large mixing bowl add eggs and sugar, beat on high until mixture is pale yellow and very thick (5-10 minutes). Add vanilla beans and salt and beat until well incorporated. Add 1/2 of sifted flour mixture to eggs and, with a spatula, gently fold the flour into the eggs until smooth. Add 1/2 of butter mixture to eggs and gently fold in. Add remaining flour and then butter, folding it into the eggs. Pour dough into prepared pan and bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into middle of cake comes out clean.

While the cake is baking, prepare the topping. Add butter, brown sugar and milk to a saucepan. Melt while stirring occasionally, bring to a boil and then add coconut, simmer for 1 minute longer. Remove pan from heat.

As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, turn the oven temperature up to 210 degrees C (410 degrees F). Add tablespoons of filling to the top of the cake and smooth it out a little. (Do not pour all of filling onto cake all at one time). When oven has reached the new temperature, place cake back into oven and bake for another 4-5 minutes. Remove cake from oven and allow to cool in the pan on a baking rack. Enjoy!

Shredded Unsweetened Coconut

Source: adapted from Anarkistens Ægte Kogebog