Julekake: Norwegian Christmas Bread Recipe

When the holiday season approaches, there’s no better way to bring warmth and tradition into your home than by baking Norwegian Christmas bread. This easy to make recipe, filled with chocolate chips, dried fruits, and a hint of cardamon, celebrates the Norwegian baking heritage. Perfect for holiday gatherings, family moments or as a thoughtful homemade gift.

What is Julekake Bread?

Jukekake also known as Julebrød or Norwegian Christmas bread, made from a sweet yeasted dough that typically containing flour, sugar, milk, butter, egg and spiced with cardamom or nutmeg then studded with dried fruits like golden and black raisins, and candied fruits and sometimes chocolate chips. Jukekake loaf is often served sliced and topped with butter or jams along with coffee or tea. 

how to pronounce Julekake

Jukekake is a combination of two words: “jolly” meaning Christmas and “cake” meaning cake, also known as julebrød meaning Christmas bread. And it is pronounced as YOO-luh-kah-kuh.

Grab These Ingredients:

Here’s the ingredients used to make Julekake recipe: 

• Bread flour: You can use all-purpose flour or bread flour in this recipe. There are no additional change to the recipe if you use all-purpose flour.
• Salt: As usual, I used coarse sea salt to flavor the bread.
• Instant Yeast: For a more quicker rise, I recommend using Platinum Red Star Platinum Yeast. You can also use active and fresh yeast but the rise will be slightly longer.
• Butter and milk: Butter and milk create a softer, more flavorful bread. Make sure they are at room temperature.
• Sugar: No sweet bread without sugar.
• Chocolate chips, black raisins & dried fruits: Traditionally, Norwegian Julekake is filled with black raisins, candied peel and sometimes nuts, but I love the slightly melted chocolate and the texture of dried cherries in the crumb. However, you can add or remove these toppings as you wish, but keep in mind not to use fresh or frozen fruit, as the dough is very moist. 
• Spices: Cardamom, nutmeg, or both – the choice is up to the baker.
• Eggs: One for dough and one for washing.

In Picture: How To Make Norwegian Christmas Bread

There is no long time work, no kneading or fancy technique. Just 5 steps and you can enjoy your baked sweet julekage bread.

The first step is to mix your dry ingredients together in a stand mixer or by hand using a wooden or Silicone spatula and a large bowl. This includes bread flour, milk, yeast, spices, salt, sugar and one egg.

Once the ingredients are well combined, add the diced butter and continue beating until the butter is completely incorporated.

Then you can throw in chocolate, raisins, candied citrus, or whatever toppings you like.
Transfer the dough to a greased mixing bowl. Cover and let rise until doubled in size in a warm place.
Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface, divide it, shape your dough and place on a baking sheet.

Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rise again in a warm place.

Wash your dough with egg and bake for 35-40 minutes or until darker golden brown. Egg-washed bread may be baked on the outside before the inside if the oven temperature is not set correctly. To avoid this, place an upside-down baking sheet at the above rack position of the bread.

Julekake : Norwegian Christmas Bread Recipe

Hafedh Garfa

Christmas Bread has never been easier. This simple kneading method produces a very sweet, buttery bread with very little hand work! See the recipe note and FAQ section for substitutes, serving and storage instructions.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save RecipeSaved!

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Bake Time 35 minutes mins

Rise Time 2 hours hrs

Total Time 2 hours hrs 50 minutes mins

Course Sweet Bread, Yeast Bread

Cuisine Norwegian

Servings 2 loaf

Ingredients

  

• 3 ½ cups (500g) bread flour (or all-purpose flour)
• 1 cup (90g) unsalted butter diced (at room temperature)
• ½ tsp (3g) ground cardamom (you can also add 1/2 tsp nutmeg)
• 2 medium eggs
• 1 ½ cup (300ml) Milk (at room temperature)
• ⅓ cup (70g) granulated white sugar
• 1 tsp (7g) instant yeast
• 1 tsp (7g) coarse sea salt
• ⅓ cup (70g) chocolate chips
• ¼ cup (60g) dried cherries
• ¼ cup (50g) black raisins

Instructions

 

• Knead the dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer, add milk, flour, yeast, cardamon, salt, one egg and sugar. Knead the dough with a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook on low speed for 5 minutes or until combined. (If you don't have a stand mixer, simply use a large mixing bowl and mix the dough with a spatula or wooden spoon.) 
• Add the diced butter and beat for an additional 5 minutes or until the butter is completely incorporated. At this stage the dough should be a little elastic and smooth. 
• Add the dried cherries, chocolate chips and raisins to the dough and mix for a maximum of 1 minute.  
• 1st Rise: Transfer the dough to a greased mixing bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a closed oven to rise for 1 hour until doubled in size.
• Remove the dough from the oven, punch down the dough (to degas bread dough) and place it on a lightly floured surface. Roll it into a ball.
• Shape the Julekake: Divide the dough into two equal parts. Roll each piece into a ball and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
• 2nd Rise: Cover the balls, place in a closed oven and allow them to rise for another hour or until they have doubled in size.
• Preheat the oven to 360°F (180°C).
• Brush the dough with egg and score with a sharp knife.
• Bake: Bake for 35-40 minutes or until darker golden. 

Notes

The temperature when I made this Julekake: 62 Fahrenheit (17 Celsius).

Flour: Both bread flour and all-purpose flour works in this recipe.

Yeast:  If you don’t have instant dry, you can use fresh or active yeast. But remember to mix the active yeast with the milk before kneading, and allow to sit for 5 to 10 minutes. If you use fresh yeast, you need to triple the amount.

Rising Time: The rise time can be longer or shorter depending on the temperature of your home. Adjust it by adding more fermentation time or a small amount of yeast in the dough.