History
The Frankfurter Kranz is said to date to the 18th century, its ring shape and golden Krokant crust designed to evoke a crown honouring Frankfurt's centuries as the coronation city of Holy Roman emperors. The construction is fixed: a firm ring sponge split into three, buttercream and a sharp red jam between the layers, the whole clad in hazelnut or almond brittle with buttercream rosettes and glacé cherries on top. It remains the benchmark of a Frankfurt Konditorei's buttercream work, and the centrepiece of family birthdays across Hessen.
Common allergens: Gluten, Egg, Milk, Tree nuts
Make it at home
Ingredients
- For the sponge: 250g butter, 250g sugar, 5 eggs, 300g flour, 100g cornflour, 1 packet baking powder, zest of 1 lemon
- For the buttercream: 500ml milk, 1 packet vanilla pudding powder, 60g sugar, 250g soft butter
- 150g redcurrant or sour cherry jam
- For the Krokant: 150g chopped hazelnuts, 100g sugar, 20g butter
- Glacé cherries to finish
Method
- Cream butter and sugar, beat in the eggs, fold in the dry ingredients and lemon zest, and bake in a ring tin at 175 degrees Celsius for about 50 minutes. Cool completely.
- Cook the pudding with milk and sugar, cool to room temperature, then beat into the soft butter a spoon at a time for the buttercream.
- Caramelise the sugar with butter, stir in the nuts, and cool the Krokant on parchment before chopping fine.
- Split the ring into three layers. Fill with buttercream and jam, coat the outside in buttercream, and press the Krokant all over.
- Pipe rosettes on top and finish each with a glacé cherry. Chill an hour before slicing.
Tip from the editors. Pudding and butter must both be at room temperature or the buttercream splits; if it does, warm the bowl briefly and beat again.
Where to eat frankfurter kranz
Frankfurter Kranz in Frankfurt
Featured by TableJourney as a signature dish of Frankfurt. See where to eat Frankfurter Kranz in Frankfurt or the Frankfurt signature dishes guide.
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