German Crown Cake (Frankfurter Kranz)

German Crown Cake (Frankfurter Kranz)

The Spruce / Christine Ma

Prep: 2 hrs
Cook: 30 mins
Cool Time: 4 hrs
Total: 6 hrs 30 mins
Servings: 10 servings

The German Frankfurter kranz has nothing to do with sausages. It is a cake developed by an unknown master baker in 1735. It symbolizes a crown with the golden croquant around the outside and the jewel-like cherries as decoration.

Frankfurt was seen as the crown city of the German Empire for many years, hence the name of this dessert.

Frankfurter Kranz takes a little time to make, but it's one of the easiest German cakes for a beginner.

Ingredients

For the Sponge Cake:

  • 2 large eggs, separated

  • 1 tablespoon cold water

  • 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, or rum or butter flavoring

  • 1/2 cup (60 grams) all-purpose flour

  • 1/3 cup (40 grams) cornstarch, or potato starch

  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

For the Croquant:

  • 3/4 cup chopped nuts, such as hazelnuts, almonds, or peanuts

  • 2 tablespoons (30 grams) butter

  • 2/3 cup (120 grams) granulated sugar

For the Frosting:

  • 1 (3-ounce) package vanilla pudding, prepared and cooled

  • 10 tablespoons (140 grams ) unsalted butter, room temperature

  • 2 tablespoons (30 grams) granulated sugar

  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract, or rum extract

  • 1/2 cup tart cherry jelly

  • 3 to 4 candied cherries

Steps to Make It

Make the Sponge Cake

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Sponge Cake ingredients

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

  2. In a large bowl, beat egg whites with water on medium speed until foamy. Increase to high speed and beat while adding the sugar a little at a time until the meringue is stiff and white, 4 to 5 minutes. Scrape the bowl as necessary.

    meringue in a bowl

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

  3. Remove the meringue to another bowl and add egg yolks to the mixing bowl. Beat on high until light yellow and fluffy. This should take about 3 to 5 minutes.

    egg yolks in a bowl

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

  4. Pour the egg yolks over the egg white meringue, add the vanilla and fold carefully a few times.

    Pour the egg yolks over the egg white meringue, add the vanilla in a bowl

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

  5. Sift the flour, cornstarch, and baking powder over the egg mixture and continue to fold until all the flour is incorporated. Do not over mix.

    Sift the flour, cornstarch, and baking powder over the egg mixture

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

  6. Butter the bottom, but not the sides, of a 3-cup pan. The most traditional form has a hole in the middle (an angel food cake pan or a springform pan with a special insert, but some people choose to bake this in a small loaf pan). Spoon the batter evenly into the pan and smooth the top.

    batter in a pan

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

  7. Bake at 350 F for 25 minutes or until set. Cool completely.

    baked cake in a pan

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

Make the Croquant

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Croquant ingredients

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

  2. Chop the nuts fine. Toast them in a 350 F oven for about 5 minutes. Or skip the toasting step and use them raw.

    nuts on a baking sheet

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

  3. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a pan and add the 2/3 cup sugar. Stir and cook over medium-high heat until the sugar begins to melt.

    butter and sugar in a pan

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

  4. Keep stirring until the sugar is melted completely and the sugar turns light brown.

    sugar mixture in a pan

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

  5. Add the nuts, stir, and remove from heat.

    candied nuts in a pan

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

  6. Spread the candy on an oiled cookie sheet. Use only a spoon, not your hands, as the candy is very hot.

    nuts in a baking dish

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

  7. Cool the candy, then chop into small pieces on a cutting board and store in an airtight container.

    candied nuts on a cutting board

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

Make the Frosting

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Frosting ingredients

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

  2. Using the paddle attachment in a stand mixer, if possible, beat the 10 tablespoons softened butter, 2 tablespoons sugar and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy, 5 to 10 minutes.

    butter, sugar and vanilla in a stand mixer

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

  3. Add the pudding, a spoonful at a time, stirring at medium speed after each addition until it is fully incorporated. Keep stirring for 5 to 10 minutes total, until the buttercream is completely smooth.

    pudding added to the butter mixture in a stand mixer

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

  4. It can be used immediately or refrigerated until use, although it might have to stand at room temperature again to be spreadable. See the section below on Buttercream Tips.

    frosting in a bowl

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

Frost and Decorate the Frankfurter Kranz

  1. Cut the cake horizontally into three pieces. Place the bottom layer on a cake rack over a cookie sheet.

    cake on a cooling rack

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

  2. Spoon some tart, red jelly over the bottom layer, then some buttercream frosting about 1/4- inch thick.

    cake and buttercream frosting

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

  3. Place the middle layer on top of that and add another, thick layer of buttercream.

    buttercream and cake on a cooling rack

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

  4. Place the top layer on that and frost the sides and top of the cake thinly with the buttercream. Leave at least 1/2 cup of buttercream for the decorator bag.

    frosting covered cake on a cooling rack

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

  5. Sprinkle the top and sides of the cake with the croquant. Sometimes you can angle the cake up and press some of the candy onto the sides. Press in lightly to stick.

    Sprinkle the top and sides of the cake with the croquant

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

  6. Using a decorator bag and a star tip, pipe 10, small rosettes on top of the cake.

    German Crown Cake (Frankfurter Kranz) on a cooling rack

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

  7. Quarter the candied or maraschino cherries and place one piece on top of each rosette. Press lightly to stick.

    German Crown Cake (Frankfurter Kranz) on a cooling rack

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

  8. Transfer the cake to a cake stand. Serve the cake or chill until serving time.

    German Crown Cake (Frankfurter Kranz)

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

Tips

  • The longer the cake sits, the more it will soak up the cream and jelly and the more moist it will be. Some people let it sit overnight before serving.
  • Butter and pudding must have the exact same temperature to start with or the butter will congeal in the pudding forming hard, little lumps and look grainy.
  • If this happens, you can heat the frosting gently over a hot water bath, stirring constantly with a whisk. This sometimes helps the butter melt into the pudding.
  • If you heat the ingredients too much, the butter could melt completely, making fatty puddles in the pudding. You will need to start over if this happens.
  • You can try a different buttercream frosting. This recipe describes a typical German buttercream. Italian buttercream does not need the ingredients to be room temperature and can be finished in about an hour, or French buttercream is another option.

All About Croquant

Croquant, or krokant in German, is a nut brittle made with chopped hazelnuts or almonds. It also can be made with any nuts you have on hand that you like including peanuts, macadamia nuts, pecans, or walnuts. The nuts can be raw or roasted. Usually, they are blanched and the skins removed.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
422 Calories
20g Fat
58g Carbs
4g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 10
Amount per serving
Calories 422
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 20g 26%
Saturated Fat 10g 50%
Cholesterol 74mg 25%
Sodium 324mg 14%
Total Carbohydrate 58g 21%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Total Sugars 44g
Protein 4g
Vitamin C 2mg 8%
Calcium 41mg 3%
Iron 1mg 5%
Potassium 110mg 2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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