Kransekage
Almond Wedding Cake

This cake consists of at least 20 rings called kranse, of graduating sizes, placed on top of each other to make a cone. It is decorated with four large candles and as many smaller ones as you wish.  Favors, white birds, and candle flowers in gay colors of the bride's choice are stuck on the cake with melted sugar.

3 pounds almond paste
1 1/2 pounds granulated sugar
8 egg whites, unbeaten

Mix ingredients well in order given into a stiff paste.    Heat the mixture, but do not let it boil, in the top of a double boiler over hot water.    Make the layers of the cake as follows:  Roll paste into rings about 1/2 inch thick, taking enough of the mix at one time to make the size ring you wish.  Pinch off the end of the dough before you close the circle to make the ring just a fraction smaller than the previous one.  One of the easiest ways to get exact circles is to lay a length of waxed paper over a cookie sheet. Use a compass to draw the circumference of the bottom ring  the largest one  and as many more of the progressively smaller rings as you can fit on the cookie sheet.  Continue in this fashion until you have marked out as many rings as you plan to have.    Butter and dust the cookie sheets with flour. Lay the rings on the sheets after they have been shaped on the waxed paper patterns.  With your fingers, squeeze the tops of the rings enough to make them somewhat pointed in the center to build the foundation for the smaller ring with will top each.    Bake in a slow oven, preheated to 250ºF, until edges are browned.  Place on a rack to cool.

Frost between layers as follows:
4 egg whites
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Beat ingredients by hand until stiff.  Squeeze out through a pastry bag to decorate each ring before putting the cake together.

Almond Paste

1 1/2 pounds shelled almonds
3 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups water
9 tablespoons orange juice
6 drops rose water

Blanch the almonds.  Grind the nuts a least 4 times through the finest blade of you grinder to get the nuts as oily as possible.    Cook the sugar and water in a pan to the soft-ball stage, 240º F.  Add the nuts, orange juice and rose water. Stir all until well blended and creamy.  Cover with a towel and let rest 10 to 12 hours.    Dip hands in powdered sugar to make kneading easier.  Place the almond paste on a clean, hard surface (ideally, a marble slab) dusted with powdered sugar.  Knead the paste until smooth.  Place in a covered jar or tin to ripen from 6 to 8 days.