Julekage (Danish Christmas Fruit Loaf) with candied pineapple

The Cooking of Scandinavia, Foods of the World Series by Dale Brown and the Editors of Time-Life Books, photographed by Richard Meek 1969 Netherland

The cover of the book - no Julekage there ...

This is Julekage.

Julekage (Danish Christmas Fruit Loaf)

To make 1 large loaf: 1oz (28g) active dry or compressed yeast; 2oz (4 tblspn) castor sugar; 1/5 pint, 4oz (236ml) lukewarm milk; 1 saltspoon salt; 2 saltspoons vanilla; 2 salt spoons grated lemon rind; 2 eggs, lightly beaten; 2 saltspoons grated cardamom; ¾ to 1 lb (3 cups) sifted flour; ¾ cup mixed candied fruits (lemon, orange, cherry, pineapple) I used candied pineapple, mango and ginger; 1 tblsp flour; 1/4lb (125g) unsalted butter, softened

Sprinkle the yeast and 1 tblsp of the sugar over the lukewarm milk. Let the mixture stand in the cup for 2 to 3 minutes, then stir gently to dissolve them. Set in a warm place, perhaps in an unlighted oven. When the yeast begins to bubble in about 8 to 10 minutes, stir it gently, and, with a rubber spatula, transfer it to a large mixing bowl.

Stir in the salt, vanilla, lemon rind, eggs, cardamom and the remaining sugar. Then add ¾ lb (3 cups) of sifted flour, a little at a time, stirring it first and then kneading it with your hands until the dough becomes firm enough to be formed into a ball.

Shake the candied fruits in a small paper bag with 1 tblpsn of flour. (The flour will prevent the fruits from sticking together and enable them to disperse evenly throughout the dough). Now the add the fruits and the softened butter to the dough and knead for about 10 minutes, adding more flour if necessary, to make the dough medium soft. The finished dough should be shiny and elastic, and its surface blistered. Shape into a ball and place in a large buttered bowl. Dust the top lightly with flour, cover with a kitchen towel and set in a warm, draught-free spot (again, an unlighted oven is ideal). In 45 minutes to 1 hour the dough should double in bulk and leave a deep impression when two fingers are pressed into the centre.

After removing the dough, preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Punch the dough down with your fists and knead again quickly. Shape it into a fat loaf and put it into a lightly buttered 1 ½ quart loaf tin. Cover again with the towel and let the dough rise in a warm spot for 15-20 minutes until it is almost double in bulk.

Bake the julekage in the centre of the oven for 45 minutes. Remove the loaf from the tin and let cool on a cake rack. It will keep well for 2 to 3 weeks if wrapped in aluminium foil and refrigerated.