There are few things more comforting on a chilly afternoon than a slice of freshly baked drømmekage — literally “dream cake” — with a steaming mug of coffee… and it’s the cake most often requested by my family 🙂
The origins of this delicious cake begins in the small village of Brovst in northern Jutland during the 1960s. A young girl, Jytte Andersen, entered a national baking competition with her grandmother’s special recipe — a light vanilla sponge topped with a gooey, caramelised coconut layer. The judges were so blown away by her creation that it not only won the competition but quickly became famous all over Denmark. Bakeries across the country started selling “Brovst dream cake”, and before long it was simply known as drømmekage.
Every Danish household seems to have its own variation; our recipe makes enough for a roasting tin full so it’s perfect for gatherings (we always serve it at our Hygge Coffee Mornings for Cancer Research!), and any leftovers can be frozen. Whether enjoyed as an afternoon treat with coffee or served warm with a dollop of cream for dessert, it’s pure hygge on a plate 🙂
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 300g white sugar
- 250g self-raising flour
- 200ml milk
- 50g butter (salted works beautifully)
- 4 eggs
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp vanilla sugar or a few drops of vanilla essence (vanilla sugar, or vaniljesukker, is essentially powdered sugar and vanilla, available from Scandi cook shops to add a little touch of Denmark to your baking!)
For the topping:
- 200g soft dark brown sugar
- 150g desiccated coconut
- 125g butter
- 50ml milk
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180°C and line a 30 x 20cm baking tin with baking paper.
- Melt the milk and butter together gently in a saucepan, then set aside to cool.
- Whisk the eggs and sugar in a stand mixer for a good 10 minutes until the mixture is pale, thick, and creamy — this is what gives the cake its lovely light texture.
- Stir in the cooled milk mixture carefully, then sift over the flour, baking powder, and vanilla sugar (or essence). Fold everything together very gently — try not to knock out that precious air!
- Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake in the centre of the oven for 20–22 minutes, until the cake is golden and almost cooked through. Don’t be tempted to open the oven too soon or it will sink in the middle; you want it cooked enough to support the weight of the topping, but not so much it will overbake in the last 5 minutes when you whack the oven up in step 8.
- Meanwhile, make the topping. In a saucepan, melt the butter, milk, and brown sugar together before bubbling gently for a minute or so until thickened. Set aside to cool, then stir in the coconut just before you are ready to add the topping to the cake; this gives the coconut less time to absorb the mix and makes it easier to spread!).
- Gently dollop the coconut caramel topping all over the warm cake, then spread it out carefully with the back of a spoon.
- Increase the oven temperature to 200°C and bake for a further 5 minutes, until the topping is just starting to bubble.
- Cool in the tin for a few minutes before slicing — the topping will be mega hot!
The result is the perfect balance of light sponge and chewy caramel topping, just the way the Danes love it. Best enjoyed still slightly warm, with friends, family, and a pot of strong coffee.
If this recipe has inspired you to do a little Scandinavian-style baking, why not take a look at our beautiful brød pisker (Danish dough whisk) or our charming Nordic cookie cutter sets? Perfect for whipping up your next cosy creation!
