It’s time for another German Classic – if you never heard of it you missed out on something delicious: a Frankfurt Crown Cake aka. Frankfurter Kranz. This popular cake can be found in bakeries all over Germany – not only in Frankfurt as the name might let you think. The cake dates back to the 18th century when the German Emperor was crowned in Frankfurt. A cake with some history ;)
It took a while for me to make my first Frankfurter Kranz – looking at the cake with the layers, the jam filling and the decorations – I always thought it would be quite complicated to make this cake at home. Well… it’s not, to be honest ;) If you made a simple layer cake already, this one is also not difficult to prepare. Getting the hazelnut brittle on the cake is a bit annoying, but that is the same with every other cake that gets a coating with some form of nuts, chocolate shreds or sprinkles… you need some patience – that’s all ;)
The cake you use for the layers is an easy bundt cake with a lot of eggs. Unlike “regular” recipes I sneaked in some Eierlikör because that makes those cakes nice and moist. But besides that, there is not much to mess up – unless you weight out the ingredients wrong and end up with a crumbly mess… that’s what I did when making the cake for these pictures here. The first attempt was a complete failure ;) Always use a proper functioning scale and pay attention to what you are doing with it! :P Well… the second attempt was perfect, the cake came out easily out of the bundt pan and was easy to cut. The buttercream used for this kind of cake is normally a German buttercream. That kind of buttercream is made with a vanilla custard and uses much less sugar than an American buttercream or a Swiss meringue buttercream – something I really appreciate lately. The rest is cake 101 – some layering, some cake covering and decorating with the hazelnut brittle. Easy peasy to be honest. Still don’t know why I was so intimidated by this cake :P
If you are stacking the cake layers and buttercream as high as I do to create a tall version of this cake, you need a proper box to transport the cake from A to B. My favorite supplier for kitchen gadgets, bowls, and boxes – keeeper* – offers several boxes for cakes and the one you can see on the pictures is tall enough to fit even a big cake like this Frankfurt Crown Cake with all the decorations on top ;) Finding a proper cake box to transport cakes is not easy – if you have taller cakes they often do not fit into “regular” boxes. Also many are not really well constructed from my experience. Every box covers the cake, of course, but the closing mechanism and the handles on top of the boxes are often a weak point in the construction… and you don’t want to end up with an open box in the middle of the street… believe me. Happened to me once with a cupcake box. Not cute ;) My friend marcello* here is well constructed and when you close the box you can hear a “click” – which means the box is sealed and ready to travel wherever you want to go ;)
There is something I like in particular with those boxes – besides the fact you can transport a cake easily. If you use one of those boxes in winter to store a cake on your balcony you can basically save some space in your fridge. For someone like me – who is baking a lot – a blessing ;) No matter if it is raining or snowing. As long as it is cold enough you don’t have to worry and the cake is definitely safe and stays fresh. You should make sure it is not too much below freezing – unless you want to serve an icebox cake :P
I think you should really make this cake. Now! ;) This homemade version is so much better than all the versions you can get from bakery chains here in Germany. I promise. So much better! ;)
INGREDIENTS / ZUTATEN
8.8 oz. (250g) butter, softened
1 cup (200g) sugag
1 tbsp. vanilla sugar
pinch of salt
5 medium eggs
1 3/4 cups (230g) all-purpose flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1/3 cup (80ml) Eierlikör
For the pudding buttercream:
3 1/2 cups (850ml) milk
2/3 cup (80g) cornstarch
1/4 cup (50g) sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
8.8 oz. (250g) butter, softened
1.8 oz. (50g) confectioners’ sugar
For the decoration:
7 oz. (200g) raspberry jam
7 oz. (200g) hazelnut brittle
3.5 oz. (100g) heavy cream
1 tsp. confectioners’ sugar
some candied cherries
250g weiche Butter
200g Zucker
1 EL Vanillezucker
1 Prise Salz
5 Eier (M)
230g Mehl (Type 550)
3 TL Backpulver
80ml Eierlikör
Für die Pudding-Buttercreme:
850ml Milch
80g Speisestärke
50g Zucker
2 TL Vanille Extrakt
250g weiche Butter
50g Puderzucker
Für die Dekoration:
200g Himbeermarmelade
200g Haselnusskrokant
100g Schlagsahne
1 TL Puderzucker
einige Belegkirschen
One thing I really like about the cake boxes from keeeper is the fact that they all have a little hidden compartment in the bottom of the box. Underneath the serving plate is room for a knife, forks and/or napkins. No matter if you want to serve your cake in the office or somewhere on a green meadow – you are always prepared to give out cake immediately. Well… if you want to serve this cake here you might want to pack also some plates – could get messy otherwise ;P
DIRECTIONS / ZUBEREITUNG
2. Add the softened butter, sugar, vanilla sugar, and salt to a large bowl and mix until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one after another and mix well after each addition. Mix the flour with baking powder and add together with the Eierlikör to the bowl – mix until just combined. Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan, smooth out the top and baking in the lower third of the oven for about 45-50 minutes or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Take out of the oven and let cool down for some time in the pan, then carefully remove and let cool down completely on a wire rack.
3. For the pudding buttercream add about 1/2 cup (100ml) of the milk into a small bowl and mix with the cornstarch, sugar, and vanilla extract until well combined. Add the rest of the milk to a large pot and bring to a boil. As soon as bubbles appear on the surface of the milk add the milk-cornstarch mixture and mix in. Stir until thickened and bubbles come up again, then remove from the heat and cover immediately with a piece of plastic wrap – directly on top of the pudding – to prevent the development of a skin. Let cool down completely. This can be done a day in advance.
4. Add the softened butter and confectioners’ sugar to a large bowl and mix until light and fluffy. Add the cooled pudding gradually while whisking constantly. To make sure the buttercream is completely smooth and has no pudding pieces you can press the pudding through a fine-mesh sieve before. Whisk on high speed for about 4-5 minutes until the buttercream is creamy and fluffy.
5. Cut the bund cake horizontally into three equal layers/rings. Place the bottom layer on a serving plate and spread half of the raspberry jam on top. Try to stay away from the edges of the cake with the jam – just a bit so it won’t overflow the edges. Add some buttercream on top of that and spread evenly. It works best if you add the buttercream to a piping bag with a large round tip and pipe rings on top of the jam, but using only a rubber spatula is also fine. Place the middle cake layer/ring on top of the buttercream and repeat the process with jam and a second layer of buttercream. Finish with the top cake layer/ring. Coat the complete cake with a thin layer of buttercream and place it in the fridge for about 20 minutes to firm up. Take out of the fridge and add a second layer of buttercream on the cake with the remaining buttercream. Sprinkle with the hazelnut brittle and press a bit into the cream so it sticks. Whisk the heavy cream with the confectioners’ sugar until stiff peaks form. Fill into a piping bag with a star tip and pipe little swirls on top of the cake – finish with the candied cherries. Place in the fridge before serving and slicing.
2. Die weiche Butter mit Zucker, Vanillezucker und Salz in einer großen Schüssel hell und luftig aufschlagen. Die Eier einzeln dazugeben und jeweils gut unterrühren. Mehl mit Backpulver vermischen und dann zusammen mit dem Eierlikör zur Schüssel dazugeben und alles kurz verrühren. Den Teig in die vorbereitete Form füllen und glatt streichen. Im unteren Drittel des Ofens etwa 45-50 Minuten backen – mit einem Holzspieß testen, ob noch Teig kleben bleibt und erst herausholen, wenn er sauber herauskommt. Den Kuchen aus dem Ofen holen und kurz in der Form abkühlen lassen, dann vorsichtig stürzen und aus der Form lösen. Auf einem Kuchengitter komplett abkühlen lassen.
3. Für die Puddingcreme etwa 100ml von der Milch in eine kleine Schüssel geben und mit der Stärke, dem Zucker und Vanille Extrakt glattrühren. Den Rest der Milch in einen Topf geben und zum Kochen bringen. Sobald Blasen aufsteigen, die Särkemischung dazugeben und unterrühren. Den Pudding andicken lassen und noch einmal kurz aufkochen, dann vom Herd nehmen und ein Stück Klarsichtfolie direkt auf die Oberfläche des Puddings legen, damit sich keine Haut bildet. Komplett abkühlen lassen. Den Pudding kann man schon einen Tag eher vorbereiten.
4. Die weiche Butter für die Buttercreme zusammen mit dem Puderzucker in eine große Schüssel geben und hell und luftig aufschlagen. Den abgekühlten Pudding löffelweise dazugeben und unterrühren. Wer sichergehen möchte, dass die Puddingcreme keine Puddingklümpchen hat, sollte den Pudding vorher noch durch ein feines Sieb streichen. Die Pudding-Buttercreme für 4-5 Minuten auf höchster Stufe aufschlagen, bis sie schön luftig und cremig ist.
5. Den Gugelhupf horizontal in drei gleich dicke Scheiben/Ringe schneiden. Den untersten Teigring auf eine Kuchenplatte setzen und mit der Hälfte der Marmelade bestreichen – versucht dabei nicht ganz bis an die Ränder zu gehen. Eine Schicht Buttercreme auftragen und glatt streichen – funktioniert am besten, wenn man die Creme in einen Spritzbeutel mit runder Tülle füllt und damit dann die Creme in Ringen aufspritzt. Den mittleren Teigring aufsetzen und ebenfalls mit Marmelade bestreichen, dann wieder eine Schicht Buttercreme auftragen. Den letzten Teigring aufsetzen und dann den kompletten Kuchen dünn mit Buttercreme einstreichen. Für etwa 20 Minuten in den Kühlschrank stellen, damit der Kuchen stabiler wird. In einer zweiten Runde den Kuchen mit der restlichen Buttercreme einstreichen. Das Haselnusskrokant auf den Kuchen streuen und rundum festdrücken. Die Sahne mit dem Puderzucker steif schlagen, in einen Spritzbeutel mit Sterntülle füllen und kleine Tupfen auf den Kuchen aufspritzen und dann jeweils eine Belegkirsche aufsetzen. Bis zum Servieren kaltstellen.
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Here is a version of the recipe you can print easily.
Frankfurt Crown Cake (aka. Frankfurter Kranz)
- Prep Time: 1h
- Cook Time: 45m
- Total Time: 5h
- Yield: 1
- Category: Cakes
- Cuisine: German
Description
Delicious classic German bake: Frankfurt Crown Cake aka. Frankfurter Kranz. A bundt cake filled with buttercream and jam, coated with hazelnut brittle… yummy!
Ingredients
Instructions
Notes
Enjoy baking!
*I have partnered with keeeper to bring you this delicious Frankfurt Crown Cake. That’s why I have to declare this here in Germany as Advertising. All I wrote in this article is still based on my own opinion and has not been affected by anybody :)
You mentioned that you use Eierlikor in the recipe, however, you gave no recipe for it.
Hi Holly,
I have Eierlikör recipes here on the blog – you can use the search tool on the blog.
I do not mention that because Eierlikör is something you can buy in stores here – it’s like a regular ingredient ;)
Cheers
Marc