Brunsviger is a traditionally danish cake. It is a classic yeast dough, with a mixture of brown sugar and butter on top, which caramelises so beautifully in the oven. Here you will get my recipe for the classic danish brunsviger cake.
When the dough has risen, make small indentations with your fingers. It is in those holes that all the good sugar filling must run down, so that the filling is not only distributed on top of the cake but also runs down into the cake.
In the eyes of the Danes, Brunsviger originates from Funen (Fyn). However, pictures have been found from a German town Braunschweiger (translated brunsviger to Danish) back in 1800, where a cake similar to it was baked.
In Denmark we celebrate Brunsvigeren's Day every year. We celebrate it on the last Thursday before the autumn holidays. In the year 2024 it will be October 10.
Brunsviger cake
Ingredients
Dough
- 1 dl whole milk
- 50 g butter
- 25 g yeast
- 25 g sugar
- 1 egg
- 250 g all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
Filling
- 125 g butter
- 175 g brown sugar
- 2 tablespoon syrup
Instructions
Dough
- Heat the milk and butter until the butter is melted. The liquid should only be lukewarm.
- Crumble the yeast in the warm milk and butter.
- Add sugar, eggs, wheat flour and salt and knead the dough until it becomes shiny and flexible. I use a mixer for this.
- Put the dough in a form approximately 24x34 cm lined with baking paper.
- Press the dough well to all the edges and make sure to make a small border around the sides so that the filling does not flow too much under the cake during baking.
- Put a damp tea towel over the dough and let it rise in a warm place for about 1 hour. While the dough rises, make the filling.
Filling
- Put butter, brown sugar and syrup in a saucepan and let it melt together over medium heat. It doesn't have to come to a boil, just heat until it can be stirred completely. Set aside.
- Collect the brownie
- Put a little water on your fingers and poke deep holes with your fingers in the dough. But without poking a hole in the bottom. Make plenty of holes!
- Spread your cooled but still warm filling over the pan.
- Put the brownie in a heated oven (general heat) at 200 degrees for 15 minutes.
- When it comes out of the oven, I tilt the mold a little so that the filling comes a little over the edges as well.
- Allow the brunsviger to cool and then serve while it is still freshly baked.
Tips for the recipe!
You have to be careful not to bake it too long in the oven. Don't overbake the cake, otherwise it can become dry. In fact it is better the cake is a little bit underbaked.
Brunsviger is one of those cakes that you should eat within a few hours. It tastes extra good when it has just set and is still a little warm.
Brunsviger variations
Some peope eat brunsviger with whipped cream on top, it seems to be mostly in North Jutland. I have also read versions where there is vanilla cream in the filling.
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