Beware! This recipe is in Norwegian units

Kransekake is used for special occasions. My mother-in-law makes the best Kransekake I have ever tasted. If you go to the Norwegian pavillion at the EPCOT center at Disneyworld in Florida (correct me if I'm wrong!) you can buy this cake. There it is called Ring King Cake. This is really a king among cakes.

A kransekake, suitably decorated for the occasion, is an indispensable centrepiece for Christmas, weddings and confirmations. It is easiest to bake the cake in special moulds, which consist of graduated rings, but if these are not available, the dough can be piped straight onto ovenproof paper on which the rings are drawn. The rings must be of increasing size so as to form a tower. Start with the smallest, which should measure about 6.5 cm in diameter, and increase by 1 cm in diameter each time.

250 g unblanched almonds
250 g blanched almonds
500 g icing sugar
3 egg whites

Icing:

100 g icing sugar
1 egg white

The almonds must be completely dry before they are ground. Grind them twice, first alone and then together with the icing sugar. Add egg whites to make a firm dough. Preheat the oven to 200°C. On a low heat, knead the dough until it is almost too hot to handle. Pipe the dough into rings or into greased moulds. Bake until the rings are dry and firm on the outside and chewy inside. This takes about 12-15 minutes. Cool the rings a little before removing them from the moulds to cool completely.Mix the icing sugar and egg white to make a fairly thick icing. Use the icing to glue the rings together in ascending order. Pipe the icing in thin zigzags on the sides of the tower. Garnish with sweets, small crackers, flags, etc.

The cake should be deep freezed and thawed before serving. This will improve the taste and handling. Make sure the cake does not get the chance to dry while stored.