The Wedding Cake Challenge
Last week, Nancy Lapid, About.com's Guide to Celiac Disease, posted a challenge to her readers to submit their favorite recipes and sources for gluten-free wedding cakes. Nancy, I'll accept that challenge!
When made in the traditional fashion, Norwegian Kransekake, or "Ring Cake," is easily prepared from three (count them, three) inexpensive, gluten-free ingredients: almonds, confectioner's sugar, and egg whites (I also throw in some almond extract and lemon juice for extra flavor).
Although normally baked in kransekake forms (Beth and Terri split the prize for most closely identifying these hubcap-shaped baking pans in this week's "Wordless Wednesday" blog!), the eighteen rings of this splendidly towering cake can also be prepared in free form on parchment-lined baking sheets.
The resulting cake, a treasure for almond-lovers, has a soft-yet-chewy texture. It's also a great make-ahead cake, as it improves by resting for a day or two and is easily frozen (after Norwegian weddings, brides will traditionally save and freeze the top few layers of the cake to enjoy in celebration of their first wedding anniversary).
Nancy, do I have a contender?
Norwegian Wedding Cake image ©2008 Kari Diehl, licensed to About.com.
Comments
Neat!
Hi Kari,
You absolutely do have a contender! I’ll bet it would also make a fabulous anniversary cake. Thanks for this warm and touching idea!
–Nancy
Now that’s my kind of wedding cake!! Yummmm…
Impressive for someone who can’t cook…never trifle with a Viking chef, I say!
This cake sounds like it would taste like marzipan or almond macaroons, two of my favorite treats! It’s almost enough to make me want to get remarried! (Oh, and it’s gorgeous, too!)
That cake is a work of art. But that’s dessert. I’d like a big helping of Swedish meatballs and those little potatoes first.