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Kagemand (Danish birthday cake man)
A boy- or girl-shaped pastry cake decorated with sweets and little flags
In Denmark, no child's birthday is complete without a kagemand or kagekone: a big cake shaped like a boy or girl, made from soft, cardamom-scented yeast pastry filled with vanilla custard and remonce, then iced and decorated with sweets and Danish flags. The birthday child traditionally cuts the head off first while everyone shrieks. It contains milk, egg and gluten. Chef's tip: draw the figure on baking paper first and shape the dough on top, so arms and legs stay in proportion.
- Total time
- 175 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 16
Ingredients
For the dough
- ¾ cup whole milklukewarm
- 1 ¾ oz caster sugar
- 1 egg
- 3 ½ oz unsalted buttersoft
- 1 tsp ground cardamom
- ½ tsp salt
- 16 oz strong white bread flourplus extra for dusting
For the fillings
- 7 oz thick vanilla custardhome-made or ready-made, cold
- 2 ⅝ oz unsalted buttersoft, for the remonce
- 2 ⅝ oz light brown sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 eggbeaten, for glazing
To decorate
- 7 oz icing sugar
- 2 tbsp water
- 7 oz jelly sweets and chocolate buttonschoose gelatine-free sweets for a vegetarian cake
- 8 paper party flags (optional)
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Stir ¼ oz fast-action dried yeast and 1 ¾ oz caster sugar into ¾ cup whole milk and leave for 5 minutes until foamy. Add 1 egg, 3 ½ oz unsalted butter, 1 tsp ground cardamom and ½ tsp salt, then work in 16 oz strong white bread flour and knead for 8–10 minutes, until smooth, silky and no longer sticky.
15 minStep 2: Cover and leave in a warm place for 1 hour, until doubled.
60 minStep 3: Beat 2 ⅝ oz unsalted butter, 2 ⅝ oz light brown sugar and 1 tsp ground cinnamon into a smooth paste. Draw a simple gingerbread-man outline about 40 cm tall on a sheet of baking paper and lay it on a large tray, drawn side down.
Step 4: Cut off a third of the dough. Roll the larger piece into a figure that covers the outline, about 1 cm thick. Spread it with the remonce, leaving a 2 cm border, then spoon 7 oz thick vanilla custard down the middle of the body.
Step 5: Roll the remaining dough thin, cut it to the same outline and lay it on top. Press the edges firmly to seal, so the custard doesn't bubble out; a poor seal is the most common mistake. Leave to rise for 30 minutes, until puffy.
30 minStep 6: Heat the oven to 400°F (fan 350°F). Brush the figure with 1 egg and bake for 20–25 minutes, until deep golden and hollow-sounding when tapped underneath.
25 minStep 7: Cool completely on the tray, about 1 hour. Mix 7 oz icing sugar with 2 tbsp water into a thick icing and use it to draw a face, hair and clothes, then press on 7 oz jelly sweets and chocolate buttons for buttons, eyes and shoes. Add 8 paper party flags just before serving. Eat the same day or keep covered in the fridge overnight.
60 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 320 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbs
- 49 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does kagemand (Danish birthday cake man) take?
- About 175 minutes in total: 150 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 16 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of whole milk?
- Semi-skimmed milk with 1 tbsp cream per 240ml (1 cup).
- What can I use instead of fast-action dried yeast?
- Fresh yeast, three times the weight.
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Perfect for:Kids' birthday party