Monday, September 7, 2015

Danish Dream Cake for Mark


On Friday, it was my manager, Mark's, last day at work.  Mark is of Danish heritage, so I decided to make him a cake that reflected that.

 
As one of Mark's leaving gifts, we bought him a copy of The New Nordic cookbook by Simon Bajada, which included a recipe for Danish Dream Cake with Barley and Berries.  Brilliant!  This is what I decided to make.



Danish Dream Cake has a sponge base studded with berries, and topped with a caramelised grain topping.  I used red currants for the berries, having stashed them in the freezer earlier in the year for such an occasion as this to use them (as they are rare as hen's teeth and expensive in Australia). 
 
I didn't have barley flakes for the topping, so I used the alternative suggested of porridge oats.  The recipe also called for dark malt as an optional addition - I didn't have any and didn't notice it was optional, because I was on the phone while I was making it.  So, I unnecessarily added golden syrup, thinking that might make up for the malt. Oh well, it didn't seem to harm anything.
 
Here is Mark carving up this rather sturdy cake:
 
 

Here's a peek inside:


and here is a slice of cake showing clearly all of the elements:



If you like caramel, sponge and berries, you will love this Danish cake.

7 comments:

Liz That Skinny Chick Can Bake said...

Oooh, it looks like a winner! I love the idea of pairing a cookbook with a dessert as a going away gift :)

Unknown said...

Mmmm, looks good!Lucky you...here in North Queensland I have never seen red currents! Love the topping.

Kari said...

What an amazing cake. And I too love the cookbook / cake combo idea.

Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella said...

Ooh I have a friend that is Danish! I really want to make this cake now. I'm going to pass it onto him and see if he likes it.

Beth said...

Wow! This cake sounds spectacular - love all those flavours.

Johanna GGG said...

wow that looks so good - love the topping

Kayte said...

What a special cake for Mark's last day...a Dream Cake is just perfect. It looks wonderful, very exciting and interesting inside and out. Mark surely felt much appreciated with the wonderful gift and cake!