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Christmas Baking - Helen's Koenigskuchen
by Helen
(Powassan Ont)
Koenigskuchen (King's Cake) is a traditional German Christmas cake recipe I like to make this time of year. Although the original Koenigskuchen recipe uses all-purpose flour, I like to make it with whole wheat flour. Not only is the whole wheat healthier, it gives the cake a darker colour, similar to a regular fruitcake.
Traditional recipe is:
250 grams butter
200 grams sugar
one package vanilla sugar (or 1/2 tsp.vanilla extract)
a pinch of salt
grated peel of 1/2 lemon (or 1/2 tsp. lemon juice)
4 eggs
1/8 liter milk
350 grams all-purpose flour
1 package (one or two teaspoons) baking powder
4 tablespoons rum (I believe it helps in the leavening of the cake)
40 grams finely minced citron
150 grams each of raisins and currants.
Crumble the butter or margarine into a lukewarm bowl.
Beat until foamy, then add sugar, eggs, vanilla, salt, and lemon rind, a bit at a time, stirring continually about four to five minutes for each egg.
Sift together flour and baking powder and add a spoonful at a time alternating with small amounts of milk. The flour must be mixed in completely before you add the milk.
Then add the floured raisins and currants. The dough must stick to the spoon.
Bake at 175 -190 Celsius for 67 -75 minutes.
Dust with powdered sugar or glaze.
My changes are:
I use whole wheat flour.
I don't use citron.
If I don't have currants, I add the same amount in raisins.
I also add one can pitted sour cherries, drained, to the dough as this gives me a drier dough. Because of the whole wheat flour, I add cherry juice till I have the right consistency.
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