Julekake Version 2 - A Norwegian Christmas Bread

Am baking this Norwegian christmas bread for the second time, this bread goes for this month's We Knead to Bake, monthly event by Aparna, My Diverse Kitchen.Julekake or Julekaka/ Julekaga is a rich holiday bread flavoured with cardamom which is traditionally served at Christmas in many Scandinavian countries. It is particularly popular in Norway and Denmark.Julekake means “Yule Bread” in Norwegian.  This bread is more cake-like in texture and sometimes it is dusted with powdered sugar or glazed with a white sugar icing. If it is not glazed or left plain, then it is usually served warm at breakfast with butter or a goat milk cheese called geitost/ brunost. 

In Norway, Julekake traditionally only a lime green citrus peel called sukat is added along with the cardamom. Nowadays many people also add red and green cherries to reflect the colours of Christmas. Other popular additions are raisins, candied orange peel, and coloured candied peel.  Some recipes for Julekake also feature almonds, but the main flavour in this bread comes from cardamom.I have already tried an Eggless version Julekake already and hence my today's post is simply prepared with egg. Obviously this Norwegian Christmas bread makes an excellent holiday bread with mild cardamom flavor.

2tsp Active dry yeast

1/4cup Lukewarm water

1/2cup Lukewarm milk

1no Egg

50gm Butter(room temperature)

1/2cup Sugar

1/4tsp Salt

5 pods Cardamom(powdered)

2 +1/2 cups All-purpose flour

1/2cup Golden or dark raisins

1 tbsp milk

Pearl sugar or chopped almonds

Take the water, milk and 1 tsp sugar (from the 1/2cup) in a small bowl and add the yeast to it. 

Mix well and keep aside for 5 to 10 minutes till it becomes “frothy”.

Take this yeast mixture, the egg, butter and sugar and salt in a larger bowl.Mix well, and then add the flour and the powdered cardamom. Knead well until you have a dough that is soft, smooth and elastic.

Take the dough out and flatten it as a circle. Sprinkle the raisins evenly and then roll it up, swiss roll style.  Then just knead the dough lightly by hand and roll it up into a ball.

Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover loosely and let it rise till double in volume, for about an hour .

Lightly knead the dough to deflate slightly and shape it into a ball. 

Place it on a greased baking round pan, let it rise for about 45 minutes.

Brush it with milk and sprinkle it with sugar pearls or chopped almonds. 

Bake at 180C/350F for about 30 minutes till the bread is golden brown and done.

If you find the bread browning too quickly, cover it with foil after about 15 minutes in the oven to avoid further browning.

Let it cool completely before you slice it.

Julekake - Pain Norvegien aux raisin secs

2c à café de Levure sèche
1/4verre de L'eau tiède
1/2verre Lait tiède
1 Oeuf
50g Beurre ( température ambiante )
1/2verre Sucre
1/4c à café Sel
5gousses de Cardamome (en poudre )
2+1/2verre de Farine
1/2verre de Raisins secs
1c à soupe Lait
Perles de sucre ou amandes hachées


Prenez l'eau , le lait et 1 cuillère à café de sucre dans un petit bol et ajouter la levure.

Mélangez bien et garder de côté pendant 5 à 10 minutes jusqu'à ce que le mélange devienne " mousseux " .

Prenez ce mélange de levure, versez  l'œuf , le beurre et le sucre et le sel dans un grand boule.

Mélanger bien , puis ajoutez la farine et la poudre de cardamome . Pétrir jusqu'à ce que vous avez une pâte qui est lisse et élastique.

Sortir la pâte et l'aplatir en cercle.

Saupoudrer uniformément les raisins puis les rouler. Ensuite, pétrissez la pâte légèrement à la main et  rouler en boule .

Placez la pâte dans un bol graissé, couvrir et laisser lever pendant environ une heure .

Dégazez la pâte et façonner en boule .

Placez-la sur un moule rond beurré , laisser lever pendant environ 45 minutes .

Badigeonner avec du lait et saupoudrer avec des perles de sucre ou des amandes hachées .

Cuire au four à 180 ° C / 350 ° F pendant environ 30 minutes jusqu'à ce que le pain soit doré.

Laisser refroidir complètement avant de le trancher .