Brunsviger

The story

Brunsviger is a flat yeast cake from the Danish island of Funen, baked under a thick layer of butter and brown sugar that melts into dimples pressed into the dough. Danish recipe writers describe it as a classic Funen cake, and the tourist office in Nyborg notes that it is the cake islanders traditionally set out for parties such as birthdays and anniversaries. Funen also holds its own Brunsviger Day every year.

The cake is simple. A soft, slightly sticky dough enriched with milk, egg and butter is spread straight into the pan, left to rise and then poked all over with the fingertips. The topping of butter melted with farin, the soft Danish brown sugar, goes on just before baking and bubbles into a toffee-like layer that soaks into the top of the bread. Recipes differ mainly in how generous they are with the topping, and some add cinnamon or cardamom. The same dough can also be shaped into a kagemand, the decorated Danish birthday cake man.

Brunsviger is best on the day it is baked, so bake it the morning of the party and serve it with coffee, still slightly warm if you can.