[This post is also published over at www.blogs.denmark.dk – the official website of
Denmark run by the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs]
It’s our DD’s (dear daughter’s) birthday soon. She’s chosen a theme, we’re working on party
invitations and stocking up – selvfølgelig – on Danish flags. Hmm, what’s next? Oh yes. The Cake. In Denmark there are three options…
Temakage – a themed cake. That we would make ourself (like the one below) or order from the bakers.
Lagkage – a classic Danish layer cake, served at both adults and kids birthday parties. It’s a light sponge cake (similar to Victoria sponge that we eat in the UK) that you can easily assemble yourself. Just pick up a packet of
readymade (and readysliced) cake layers from the supermarket or baker. Vanilla or chocolate. Add plenty of cream or icing between
the layers, perhaps some sliced banana or strawberry, the appropriate number of
candles, a few Danish flags and, hey presto, it’s ready. Or you could go down the more trashy route – as we sometimes do – and stick half a Barbie doll in the layer cake… ;D
And last but not least, my own particular favourite. En kagemand (a ‘cake man’)…
…or kagekone (‘cake lady’), if it’s for a girl. Which you order from the baker and will set you back around kr. 175,- (approximately £20 or US $32). Yep, they don’t come cheap. But then again, they’re kingsize (do not attempt to transport one on the back of your bike) and should easily feed a large gathering of excited family and friends or an entire class of hungry nursery or school kids.
Why do I love kagemand (or should that be kagemænd?) so much despite the cost? No work for Mum. Lots of lovely Danish marcipan. Yum! And all that lovely gooey Danish pastry (that you can keep pinching tiny slices of, when no-one is looking).
But, perhaps best of all, you get to wield a huge knife and shout…”Off with his head!”
Have a wonderful Wednesday! 🙂