Frankfurter Kranz facts for kids
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| Alternative names | Frankfurt Crown Cake |
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| Type | Cake |
| Place of origin | Germany |
| Region or state | Frankfurt am Main |
| Main ingredients | Sponge cake, buttercream icing, red jam (typically strawberry, blackcurrant or cherry jam); brittle nuts, toasted almond flakes and/or ground hazelnuts |
The Frankfurter Kranz, also known as the Frankfurt Crown Cake, is a special and delicious cake from Frankfurt am Main, Germany. It's a famous dessert that looks like a crown!
Contents
How This Crown Cake Is Made
Making a Frankfurter Kranz starts with baking a round sponge cake. This cake is light and airy, like a big sponge.
Layering the Cake
Once the cake is baked, it is carefully sliced into two or three flat layers. Think of it like slicing a burger bun horizontally. Between these layers, thick amounts of creamy buttercream icing are spread. Usually, a layer of sweet red jam is added too. This jam is often made from strawberries, blackcurrants, or cherries.
Decorating the Outside
The outside of the cake gets a thick coating of more buttercream. Then, it's covered with special crunchy bits called Krokant. Krokant is made from nuts coated in caramel, which makes them sweet and crispy. Sometimes, toasted almond flakes or ground hazelnuts are also used. The Krokant is a very important part of this cake!
Why It's Called a Crown Cake
The Frankfurter Kranz is more than just a cake; it's a reminder of Frankfurt's history. Frankfurt used to be the city where Holy Roman emperors were crowned.
A Royal Look
The cake's round shape and its crunchy coating of Krokant are meant to look like a golden crown. The red cherries often used as decoration are said to represent valuable rubies on the crown. It's a sweet way to remember a royal past!
Changes Over Time
After World War II, it was hard to find butter in Germany. So, people sometimes changed how they made the Frankfurter Kranz.
New Decorations
Instead of buttercream on the outside, they might have used Kogel mogel. This is a sweet paste made from egg yolks. Other decorations could include dots of buttercream or bright red cocktail cherries. These changes helped people enjoy the cake even when ingredients were scarce.
Images for kids
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Frankfurter Kranz
