Danish Dream Cake

This fluffy vanilla "dream cake" (drømmekage), gets its dreaminess from a light crumb and a gooey, glossy, caramelized coating.

Makes
12 servings
Cook Time
50 minutes
Active time plus cooling
plus cooling
Rating
4

In our version of the Danish baked good known as drømmekage (dream cake), a light, fluffy vanilla cake meets a buttery coconut–brown sugar topping. The topping is spread onto the still-warm cake, then a brief stint under the broiler caramelizes the surface. When applying the topping, spoon it onto the cake’s edges, which are sturdier than its center, then spread inward to cover the entire cake. You will need a broiler-safe 9-by-13-inch baking pan for this recipe (note that neither nonstick nor Pyrex is considered broiler-safe). For slicing, use a serrated knife to make clean cuts. Wrapped well and stored at room temperature, leftovers will keep two days.

Tip

Don’t underwhip the eggs and sugar. The mixture should be beaten with the whisk attachment until pale and thick. The air incorporated during whipping is in part what makes the cake light. Also, don’t forget to tent the finished cake with foil after broiling. It’s an unusual step, but the foil traps a little moisture and prevents the topping from forming a brittle crust so the cake is easier to cut for serving.

Ingredients

210
grams (1¾ cups) cake flour, plus more for the pan
1½
teaspoons baking powder
4
large eggs
214
grams (1 cup) white sugar
2
teaspoons vanilla extract
¼
teaspoon table salt
1¾
cups whole milk, divided
299
grams (1½ cups) dark brown sugar
170
grams (12 tablespoons) salted butter, cut into 3 or 4 chunks
338
grams (3¾ cups) unsweetened shredded coconut

Step 1

Heat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the middle position. Mist a broiler-safe 9-by-13-inch baking pan with cooking spray, dust evenly with flour, then tap out the excess. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder, then sift into a medium bowl or onto a large sheet of kitchen parchment.

Step 2

In the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, beat the eggs, white sugar, vanilla and salt on low until sugar dissolves, about 20 seconds. Increase to medium-high and whip until the mixture is pale and thick, 5 to 6 minutes.

Reduce to low, add about one-third of the flour mixture and mix until almost incorporated, about 10 seconds. With the mixer running, slowly pour in ½ cup of milk. Repeat with half of the remaining flour mixture and another ½ cup of the remaining milk.

With the mixer still running, add the remaining flour mixture and mix just until no flour clumps remain, about 20 seconds. Using a silicone spatula, fold the batter, scraping along the bottom of the bowl, to ensure the ingredients are well combined.

Step 3

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until just beginning to brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 22 minutes. Set the pan on a wire rack and heat the broiler.

Step 4

In a medium saucepan,combine the remaining ¾ cup milk, the brown sugar and butter. Bring to a boil over medium-high, stirring to dissolve the sugar, then boil for 4 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the coconut and stir until evenly moistened.

Spoon the topping onto the outer edges of the warm cake, then, using an offset or silicone spatula, gently spread into an even layer over the surface. Broil until the top is bubbling and deep golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes, rotating the pan if needed for even browning.

Step 5