Danish Mazarin Cake (Mazarinkage)

This Danish Mazarin Cake (Mazarinkage) is a beloved classic made with marzipan and ground almonds, this cake is known for its deep almond flavor, buttery texture, and melt-in-your-mouth softness. Traditionally served with coffee or tea, this is a staple of Danish home baking and café culture.

If you enjoy this Danish Marzipan cake than you’ll likely enjoy Dream Cake with it’s sponge like cake texture and caramelized coconut topping. This Danish Coffee Cake is rustic and sticky with a yeast brioche style texture or these Butter Cookies that are ideal regardless of whether it’s the holidays or not.

Ingredients and substitutions for Danish Mazarin Cake (Mazarinkage)

• Marzipan: The type used here is the version most readily available at supermarkets for decorating a fruit cake. The marzipan blends best if you heat it up until it’s just slightly warm to the touch.
• Sugar: Superfine or caster sugar gives sweetness without adding additional flavoring. You could replace with white sugar, however, the larger granules would potentially leave a grainy texture whilst mixing and create a slightly different overall texture in the final baked cake. Due to the dense texture in this cake, it is not recommended to replace with brown sugar.
• Butter: It must be room temperature here to create the nice and fluffy base of the cake. Unsalted was used, though, you can substitute with salted butter.
• Eggs: Room temperature eggs are essential to bind with the butter and sugar. This allows more air to be introduced and helps set the texture in this cake.
• Sliced almonds: They help compliment the topping for a beautiful rustic appearance. If you cannot source the almonds or don't eat them, you omit entirely or replace with roughly chopped or even whole almonds.
• Chocolate: Roughly chopped chocolate was used here as it’s higher quality than baking chocolate and adds a complimentary flavor to this cake. You could definitely replace with milk chocolate for a sweeter flavor to the cake.

See recipe card for quantities.

How to make Danish Mazarin Cake (Mazarinkage):

Step 1: Cake base: Whip the marzipan, sugar and butter until smooth.

Step 2: Egg time: Add one egg and whip, repeating with each egg.

Step 3: Flour: Toss in the flour and whip on low until just combined.

Step 4: Tin and bake: Spoon into the baking tin and smooth out. Bake until golden.

Step 5: Cool before chocolate: Allow to cool completely before coating in the melted chocolate and topping with the halo of sliced almonds.

Step 6: Set and serve: Allow to set completely before slicing with a warm knife and serving up. Enjoy!

More almond cakes you'll love

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Swedish Almond Cake (Toscakaka)

Portuguese Almond Cake (Bolo de Amêndoa)

Danish Mazarin Cake (Mazarinkage)

Sylvie Taylor

This Danish Mazarin Cake (Mazarinkage) is a traditional Scandinavian dessert for a flavorful cake with a delicious almond taste that pairs beautifully with coffee or tea.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Setting time 2 hours hrs

Total Time 3 hours hrs

Course Dessert

Cuisine Danish

Servings 8

Calories 382 kcal

Ingredients

  

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Marzarin Cake

• 130 grams / 4.6 ounces butter softened
• 100 grams / ½ cup superfine/caster sugar
• 150 grams / 5.3 ounces marzipan see note
• 165 grams / 3 large eggs room temperature
• 53 grams / ⅓ cup plain flour

Topping

• 150 grams / 5.3 ounces dark chocolate melted
• 25 grams / 3 ½ tablespoons almonds sliced or roughly chopped

Instructions

 

Mazarin Cake

• Preheat the oven to 180C/350F and line the base of a 18 centimeter or 7 inch baking tin with parchment paper.
• Place the butter, sugar and marzipan into a bowl and beat until pale and fluffy, approximately 3 minutes.
• Add in one egg and whip until combined.
• Repeat with each of the remaining eggs.
• Toss in the flour and whip on the lowest setting until your batter is formed.
• Spoon into your prepared cake tin and spread out evenly.
• Bake in the oven until golden, approximately 45 minutes.
• Remove and allow to cool in the cake tin for 5 minutes before removing and setting onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

Topping

• When ready to coat with the chocolate, invert onto your serving plate.
• Melt ⅔ of the chocolate slowly and steadily in a double boiler or microwave, removing from the heat and stirring in the remaining chocolate until smooth.
• Pour the chocolate over the cake nice and evenly until fully coated.
• Sprinkle over the almonds pieces on the edge of the cake and set aside to allow the chocolate to set fully at room temperature.
• Slice, serve and dig in!

Notes

• Marzipan: Store bought marzipan can be found in most baking aisles, particularly around Christmas as it’s a traditional frosting for fruitcakes. This plain marzipan is likely to be quite firm so it’s best to warm lightly in the microwave or place into the warm opening for 1-2 minutes just until it’s softened enough to bind with the butter and then eggs.
• Chocolate: Roughly chopped chocolate was used here as it’s higher quality than baking chocolate and adds a complimentary flavor to this cake. You could definitely replace with milk chocolate for a sweeter flavor to the cake.
• Cake tin: A 18 centimeter or 7 inch cake tin was used here for a higher cake due to the batter not making large cake. The smaller your tin the higher the cake will be.
• Best kept: Store mazarin cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or refrigerate for up to 5 days.
• You can freeze: Wrap tightly and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.

Adapted from arla.dk

Nutrition

Calories: 382kcal

Keyword almond baking, cake, chocolate

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