Vegan Kransekake
A traditional Norwegian almond ring cake stacked into a beautiful tower. Easily made vegan and traditionally gluten-free!
Kransekake is a traditional Norwegian almond ring cake made of ground almonds and powdered sugar. It’s stacked into a tower and decorated with royal icing. Traditionally eaten as a wedding cake, Kransekake can be a beautiful, show-stopping dessert for any occasion.
Made with almond flour, traditionally made kransekake is gluten-free. However, the binding ingredient is usually egg whites. Kransekake is easily made vegan by swapping out the egg white with aquafaba. Therefore, I’m sharing my Vegan Kransekake recipe, which is just as delicious and beautiful!
What is Kransekake?
Kransekake is a traditional Norwegian dessert made of rings of ground almond cookies stacked into a tower and decorated with royal icing. There is a Danish version as well, called Kransekage. The word means “wreath cake” since each ring is like a wreath.
I love making and veganizing Norwegian recipes since my husband’s family is Norwegian. I love connecting to both of our cultures and backgrounds through food!
Vegan Kransekake Ingredients
The ingredients need to make Vegan Kransekake are simple:
- Aquafaba – the liquid from a can of chickpeas (garbanzo beans). Only one can is needed, and only 130 grams from the can are necessary.
- Almond Flour – Blanched Almond flour is traditional; however, whole-ground almond flour works too! It gives the kransekake a more rustic look.
- Powdered Sugar
- Almond Extract – this gives the kransekake a more almond-y flavor
- Semolina flour for dusting
- Vegan Royal Icing for decorating – use my recipe for vegan royal icing here!
Strain the Aquafaba
Whisk the Aquafaba until it’s frothy
Mix the other ingredients to make the dough
Chill the Dough
Divide the dough to make ropes
Coil the ropes into a mold pan
How to Make Vegan Kransekake
The step-by-step recipe is at the bottom of the post, however here is a break down of the basic method:
Step 1 – Whisk the aquafaba so it gets frothy.
Step 2 – Mix the dough by combining the frothy aquafaba with almond flour, powdered sugar, and almond extract.
Step 3 – Chill the dough.
Step 4 – Shape the rings. You can use Kransekake Ring Mold Pans, or hand shape them and bake on a baking sheet.
Step 5 – Bake the rings.
Step 6 – Let the rings cool.
Step 7 – Stack and decorate the rings, and let them set.
Step 8 – Enjoy!
Vegan Kransekake
Equipment
- Kransekake Ring Pans optional
Ingredients
- 130 grams Aquafaba
- 500 grams Blanched Almond Flour
- 500 grams Powdered Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Almond Extract
- Semolina for dusting
- Vegan Royal Icing
Instructions
- Add the aquafaba into the bowl of an electric mixer and whisk with the balloon whisk attachment until the mixture is frothy.
- Once the aquafaba is frothy, switch to a dough hook on the mixer and then add the almond flour, powdered sugar, and almond extract.
- Gently begin to mix the ingredients, and once the powdered sugar is blended in, turn the machine up to medium speed and mix until a homogenous dough forms.
- Remove the dough from the bowl, then wrap it in baking paper, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or up to 24.
- After the dough has chilled, preheat the oven to 375 Degrees F.
- Lightly dust the kransekake ring pan molds or a parchment-lined baking sheet and set aside.
- Roll the dough into ropes 1/2 inch thick and then coil the ropes into the molds and pinch the ends to seal them together.
- Alternatively, if you don't have the ring molds, roll the dough into 16 ropes that are 1/2 inch thick, making each rope a little longer than the next. Coil each rope into a ring free-hand. Arrange rings on the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake the kransekake rings in the oven for 10 minutes, until golden. Remove from the oven and leave them to cool in the molds or on the pan.
- Once the rings are completely cooled, unmold and assemble your kransekake tower with Vegan Royal icing.
- Place the largest ring as the bottom layer and add a zig-zag of royal icing across the top. Repeat the process with the rest of the rings, working from the biggest to the smallest ring ending up on the top layer.
- After your tower has been assembled, allow the icing to set and then enjoy.