Dream Cake Recipe- Danish Coconut Brown Sugar Cake - Drømmekage Opskrift

 

When I was growing up in Denmark, I don't remember hearing about Dream Cake or in Danish Drømmekage.  It has become popular in recent years. We received several requests for us to make this delicious Dream Cake. So here is my version. 

First we are going to make the topping.  Then, we will bake the cake.  Finally we will assemble the topping and cake.  Then eat!!

 

Click on the YouTube video 

to see how Karen Grete prepares the cake

Topping Ingredients

• 1/4 cup of whole milk
• 1/2 cup salted butter, softened to room temperature
• 1 cup light brown soft sugar
• 1 1/4 cup of shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened)

Kitchen Utensil

• heavy medium sized saucepan
• measuring cup
• wooden spoon

Instruction

1. Set saucepan over medium heat. Add soft butter, brown sugar and milk into the saucepan. Melt the mixture in the sauce pan. 
2. Stir constantly to prevent the sugar from burning.
3. Then add coconut and blend well.
4. Cook for 5 minutes until the mixture has thickened and some of the liquid has evaporated.
5. Remove pan from heat. Set the mixture aside in another bowl until ready to spread over cake.

The mixture will reduce a little and also change color to a slightly darker shade of brown.  You want something thick enough that it will spread over the surface and not too liquidity so it runs over the cake. Next step is to make the cake.

Cake Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 cup of salted butter
• 3/4 cup of whole milk (yogurt or buttermilk is optional)
• 4 medium eggs
• 1 1/3 cup of granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Kitchen Utensils

• hand mixer or electric mixer
• large mixing bowl
• measuring cup
• wooden spoon
• small sauce pan
• 9 x 13 inch square or round baking pan.

Instruction
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F/200 degrees C . Spray or grease the pan.  Add 1 tablespoon flour to pan, shake flour around pan to coat bottom and sides, discard excess flour, set pan aside. If desired, line baking pan with parchment paper, then grease paper. If you want a thicker cake, use a smaller pan. If you want a thinner cake, use a larger pan too.

In a small saucepan add butter and milk, warm over low heat until butter is melted. Little finger hot. Set aside the mixture to cool a little.

In a large mixing bowl add eggs and sugar.  Using your electric mixer beat on high. Add vanilla extract into the egg mixture.  Continue to beat until mixture is yellow and thick (5 or more minutes).  If you’re not sure whether it’s thick enough, give it another minute.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Pour the milk mixture from the sauce pan into the bowl of egg mixture. Stir gently the mixture until well incorporated with a wooden spoon. 

Next in a separate bowl whisk or sift together flour and baking powder so it is distributed evenly.  

Add sifted flour mixture into the egg milk mixture with a wooden spoon.  Gently fold the flour into the eggs until smooth. trying to incorporate as much of the flour without knocking out the air from the eggs. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl as needed. 

Pour dough into prepared pan. Scrape the batter from the mixing bowl into the pan.

Bake in the middle of the oven for 18-20 minutes.  Insert with a toothpick or a long skewer into the center of the cake. If the toothpick comes out moist, then bake the cake a little longer. The cake should look light golden brown in color and is firm to the touch. You want to be sure it has baked thoroughly and will bear the weight of the topping to come.

Remove cake from oven  Turn up the oven to 425 degrees F/225 degrees C.
  
Immediately spread the coconut topping over the top of the cake evenly. Add tablespoons of filling at a time and smooth it out.. Do not pour all of coconut filling onto cake all at one time.  

When oven has reached the new temperature, place cake back into the oven on the upper-middle shelf.  Bake the cake until the topping is a toasted deep golden in color for an additional 5-10 minutes  

Cool cake in the pan completely on wire cooling rack before slicing and serving. 

The topping sets into a lovely chewy caramel. 

Cut cake into squares (or wedges, if baking cake in a round pan). Here we cut slices on a vintage Danish board from the 1970's.  It is nice that there is place to put a knife on the board. 

If you plan to celebrate, add a Danish flag as we did on the individual slices. It is traditional in Danish households to add a Danish flag on a cake when celebrating an event such as a birthday.

Serve with the cake slices either coffee, tea, or milk. It is a wonderful treat to have any time of the day. Enjoy!

 

We hope you enjoyed the video on how to make this Smørrebrød and recipe! If you like the video, please be sure to subscribe to our YouTube Channel Scandinavian Today.  Our channel has videos including  

*how to make Danish Christmas rice pudding with cherry sauce dessert recipe (Risalamande med kirsebærsauce)

*how to make Swedish Glogg for Christmas & cold evenings! (glögg or mulled wine recipe) 

*how to make aeblskiver (æbleskiver)

*how to make Danish Christmas Klejner

*how to make easy Danish cucumber salad (arguksalat)

*how to make Danish sugar browned potatoes (brunede kartofler)

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