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Danish Layer Cake is a specialty dessert popular in Racine, Wisconsin. It has 7 layers of total of soft vanilla cake, homemade pastry cream, and raspberry jam, all covered in a luscious vanilla buttercream frosting.
When I was growing up, I loved it when my mom made me Danish Layer Cake for my birthday.
Her side of the family is from a town called Racine, Wisconsin (home to Danish Bakery legend O&H), so Danish Layer Cakes were part of the fabric of her childhood.
She made things easy by starting with a boxed mix, but I’m returning this cake to it’s full glory with full-on from-scratch status.
Table of Contents
Recipe ingredients
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
Equipment and ingredient notes
- 8-inch cake pans: Do not substitute 9-inch cake pans.
- Whole milk: Do not substitute low-fat milk for the whole milk in the vanilla cake.
- Seedless raspberry jam: If you cannot track this down, raspberry jam with seeds, or another seedless jam, may be substituted. Strawberry seedless jam tastes great in this cake.
Step-by-step instructions
To make the pastry cream:
- In a medium non-aluminum saucepan over medium heat, warm milk until tiny bubbles appear on the surface, about 6 to 8 minutes (about 180 degrees Fahrenheit/82 degrees Celsius).
- Meanwhile, In a large bowl, whisk together egg yolks and sugar. Whisk in cornstarch and salt.
- While whisking constantly, pour in half of the hot milk.
- Whisk in remaining hot milk and return to saucepan.
- Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens to a firm consistency, about 5 to 8 minutes.
- Whisk in vanilla. Scrape in to a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly on to the surface of the pastry cream.
- Refrigerate until chilled, about 2 to 3 hours. (Note: You will have just over 2 cups of pastry cream and you only need about 1 ½ cups for this recipe.)
To make the cake:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 2 (8-inch) round cake pans, then line parchment paper. In a small bowl, whisk together milk, eggs, and vanilla. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fit with the whisk attachment, beat together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
- With the mixer on medium-low speed, beat the butter in to the flour mixture one piece at a time. Continue beating until the mixture resembles moist crumbs, 1 to 3 minutes total.
- Add the milk mixture to the mixer and beat until light and fluffy, 1 to 3 minutes longer. Stir by hand with a rubber spatula to make sure the batter is fully combined.
- Divide the batter evenly between both pans, gently tapping the pans on the counter to settle the batter. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out dry with a few crumbs attached, 20 to 25 minutes. Rotate the pans halfway through baking time.
- Cool the cakes in the pans for 10 minutes.
- Run a small sharp knife around the inside of each pan to loosen, then flip the cakes on to a wire rack. Peel off the parchment paper, then flip the cakes right side up to cool completely, about 2 hours.
To make the frosting:
- In a stand mixer fit with the paddle attachment, cream butter until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce mixer speed to low. Add 4 cups powdered sugar, cream, vanilla, and salt (if using).
- Continue mixing 2 to 3 minutes longer. If the frosting seems too soft, add the remaining powdered sugar 2 tablespoons at a time.
- Cover and refrigerate the frosting until assembling the cake, up to 1 week in advance.
To assemble the cake:
- Slice off any domed tops of your cake to ensure they are flat.
- Cut each cooled cake in half lengthwise so there are four layers of cake total.
- Cover the edges of a cake platter with strips of parchment paper to help keep it clean. Slide the pieces of parchment out from under the cake once the frosting job is done.
- Dollop a small amount of frosting in the center of the platter to help anchor the bottom of the cake to the platter (so it doesn’t slide around as you frost it).
- Add one layer of cake to the serving platter. Add ¾ cup of the pastry cream to the center of the cake and spread in an even layer to the edge.
- Align a second layer of cake over the first and top with 1 cup raspberry jam, spreading in an even layer to the edge.
- Add a third layer of cake and top with ¾ cup of pastry cream in the center, spreading in an even layer to the edge.
- Top with the last layer of cake.
- Brush away any large crumbs, dollop frosting in the center, and spread lightly to the edges.
- To frost the sides, gather a few tablespoons of frosting on to the tip of the spatula, then gently spread it onto the side of the cake. Use gentle motions and don’t press too hard or you will end up with crumbs in the frosting. Clean the spatula as needed.
- Gently run the edge of the spatula around the sides to smooth out any bumps and tidy the area where the frosting merges between the sides and the top.
- Decorate the cake as desired with more frosting or some fresh raspberries. Store leftovers in the refrigerator.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: This recipes makes 1 spectacular 4-layer Danish Layer Cake. 1 cake serves 12 (or more or less depending on how you slice it).
- Storage: Store leftover cake in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Make ahead: The pastry cream can be made up to 3 days in advance; whisk to recombine before using. The cake layers can be baked in advance. Cool to room temperature, then wrap tightly in a double layer of plastic wrap, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight at room temperature. The vanilla buttercream can be made up to a week in advance; store covered in the refrigerator.
- Freezer: The entire assembled, frosted cake can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw for 24 hours in the refrigerator.
- Semi-homemade: I grew up with a not-so-homemade version of Danish Layer Cake, and it was the cake I requested every year for my birthday. It’s delicious and much easier than the from-scratch version below. To make my mom’s version:
- Substitute a boxed yellow cake (prepared according to package directions for 2 (8-inch) cakes) for the from-scratch vanilla cake.
- Substitute a (3.4 ounce) box instant vanilla pudding for the pastry cream. Ignore the package directiosn and make the pudding with 2 cups cold milk (chill at least 10 minutes to set).
- Substitute 16 ounces frozen whipped topping, thawed, for the vanilla buttercream frosting.
Recipe FAQs
Does Danish Layer Cake need to be refrigerated?
Yes, it does. Danish Layer Cake is made with pastry cream and raspberry jelly, and those are highly-perishable ingredients that need to be kept chilled.
Can you freeze a Danish Layer Cake?
The entire assembled, frosted Danish Layer Cake can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw for 24 hours in the refrigerator.
Where can I buy a Danish Layer Cake?
Order handmade Danish Layer Cakes to be shipped throughout the USA from O&H Bakery in Racine, Wisconsin. They also have the best kringles, too!
More Wisconsin favorites
Entertaining
Friday Night Fish Fry
Cocktail Recipes
Brandy Old Fashioned
Appetizer Recipes
Fried Cheese Curds
Entertaining
Midwest Charcuterie Board
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Danish Layer Cake (Dansk Lagekage)
Danish Layer Cake is a specialty dessert popular in Racine, Wisconsin. It has 7 layers of total of soft vanilla cake, homemade pastry cream, and raspberry jam, all covered in a luscious vanilla buttercream frosting.
Equipment
- 2 8-inch cake pans (see note 1)
Ingredients
For the pastry cream:
- 2 cups milk
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 6 egg yolks
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the yellow cake:
- 1/2 cup whole milk at room temperature (see note 2)
- 4 eggs at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 3/4 cups cake flour (7 ounces)
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar (10 ½ ounces)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon Salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter cut into tablespoons and softened (2 sticks)
For the buttercream frosting:
- 1 cup butter softened (2 sticks)
- 4 to 5 cups powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- Pinch Salt optional
To assemble the cake:
- 1 small jar seedless raspberry jam (see note 3)
- raspberries for garnish optional
Instructions
To make the pastry cream:
- In a medium non-aluminum saucepan over medium heat, warm milk until tiny bubbles appear on the surface, about 6 to 8 minutes (about 180 degrees Fahrenheit/82 degrees Celsius).
- Meanwhile, In a large bowl, whisk together egg yolks and sugar. Whisk in cornstarch and salt.
- While whisking constantly, pour in half of the hot milk. Whisk in remaining hot milk and return to saucepan.
- Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens to a firm consistency, about 5 to 8 minutes. Whisk in vanilla. Scrape in to a bowl.
- Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly on to the surface of the pastry cream. Refrigerate until chilled, about 2 to 3 hours. (Note: You will have just over 2 cups of pastry cream and you only need about 1 ½ cups for this recipe.)
To make the cake:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 2 (8-inch) round cake pans, then line parchment paper. In a small bowl, whisk together milk, eggs, and vanilla. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fit with the whisk attachment, beat together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
- With the mixer on medium-low speed, beat the butter in to the flour mixture one piece at a time. Continue beating until the mixture resembles moist crumbs, 1 to 3 minutes total.
- Add the milk mixture to the mixer and beat until light and fluffy, 1 to 3 minutes longer. Stir by hand with a rubber spatula to make sure the batter is fully combined.
- Divide the batter evenly between both pans, gently tapping the pans on the counter to settle the batter. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out dry with a few crumbs attached, 20 to 25 minutes. Rotate the pans halfway through baking time.
- Cool the cakes in the pans for 10 minutes. Run a small sharp knife around the inside of each pan to loosen, then flip the cakes on to a wire rack. Peel off the parchment paper, then flip the cakes right side up to cool completely, about 2 hours.
To make the frosting:
- In a stand mixer fit with the paddle attachment, cream butter until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Reduce mixer speed to low. Add 4 cups powdered sugar, cream, vanilla, and salt (if using). Continue mixing 2 to 3 minutes longer. If the frosting seems too soft, add the remaining powdered sugar 2 tablespoons at a time.
- Cover and refrigerate the frosting until assembling the cake, up to 1 week in advance.
To assemble the cake:
- Slice off any domed tops of your cake to ensure they are flat. Cut each cooled cake in half lengthwise so there are four layers of cake total.
- Cover the edges of a cake platter with strips of parchment paper to help keep it clean. Slide the pieces of parchment out from under the cake once the frosting job is done.
- Dollop a small amount of frosting in the center of the platter to help anchor the bottom of the cake to the platter (so it doesn't slide around as you frost it).
- Add one layer of cake to the serving platter. Add ¾ cup of the pastry cream to the center of the cake and spread in an even layer to the edge. Align a second layer of cake over the first and top with 1 cup raspberry jam, spreading in an even layer to the edge.
- Add a third layer of cake and top with ¾ cup of pastry cream in the center, spreading in an even layer to the edge. Top with the last layer of cake. Brush away any large crumbs, dollop frosting in the center, and spread lightly to the edges.
- To frost the sides, gather a few tablespoons of frosting on to the tip of the spatula, then gently spread it onto the side of the cake. Use gentle motions and don't press too hard or you will end up with crumbs in the frosting. Clean the spatula as needed.
- Gently run the edge of the spatula around the sides to smooth out any bumps and tidy the area where the frosting merges between the sides and the top.
- Decorate the cake as desired with more frosting or some fresh raspberries. Store leftovers in the refrigerator.
Recipe Video
Notes
- 8-inch cake pans: Do not substitute 9-inch cake pans.
- Whole milk: Do not substitute low-fat milk for the whole milk in the vanilla cake.
- Seedless raspberry jam: If you cannot track this down, raspberry jam with seeds, or another seedless jam, may be substituted. Strawberry seedless jam tastes great in this cake.
- Yield: This recipes makes 1 spectacular 4-layer Danish Layer Cake. 1 cake serves 12 (or more or less depending on how you slice it).
- Storage: Store leftover cake in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Make ahead: The pastry cream can be made up to 3 days in advance; whisk to recombine before using. The cake layers can be baked in advance. Cool to room temperature, then wrap tightly in a double layer of plastic wrap, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight at room temperature. The vanilla buttercream can be made up to a week in advance; store covered in the refrigerator.
- Freezer: The entire assembled, frosted cake can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw for 24 hours in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
Serving: 1sliceCalories: 770kcalCarbohydrates: 101gProtein: 8gFat: 38gSaturated Fat: 23gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 253mgSodium: 455mgPotassium: 135mgFiber: 1gSugar: 84gVitamin A: 1321IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 134mgIron: 1mg
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Hi Megan. Will the Danish Layer cake be at risk for sliding? Should I use dowels?
Hi Mille, dowels aren’t needed for this cake, it won’t easily slide. I hope you enjoy it! – Meggan
My grandmother was born and raised in Denmark, but I never new this was a Danish cake! It was just Grandma’s cake.
I LOVE this cake.
The only problem I kept running into had to do with the cake layers sliding around with the pudding in between them, making it extremely difficult to frost.
I recently tried freezing my pudding in the cake pans then assembling the cake with the frozen layers of pudding, which worked AMAZINGLY!
So if you run into this problem like I do or just suck at cake decorating, definitely give it a try 😉
So excited to find this! My mom is from Racine as well. Each year my grandmother would bring us an O&H Danish Layer cake for the holidays. I can’t wait to try this recipe.
Hello Meggan!
Back on 3-7-2019 Jae mentioned putting jam next to custard.
This brings up a version my Grandfather made. The jam/custard went between layers one and two and between three and four. Between two and three was a layer of marzipan. The cake also had a hint of almond extract in the batter. I don’t remember him using whip cream for the frosting. It was a light butter cream.
When I was a kid growing up in Chicago my Mom would put me on the North Shore and Grandma would pick me up in Racine. First stop Piggly-Wiggly for groceries. Then to one of the bakeries for a treat. Also we could get Rubsclager Pumpernickel there. It was the only bread my Grandfather didn’t bake. He was trained and served an apprenticeship in Kolding, Denmark. He owned a bakery in Chicago before retiring to Burlington, WI. There he worked, after retiring, at Burlington Hotel and Liggett’s Resort as their baker.
Those were the days, my friend!!
I will be trying the recipe you’ve given here for sure.
Thank you!!
Hi William! I love this, thank you for sharing this lovely memory! The marzipan layer sounds DELICIOUS! How wonderful that your grandfather was a Danish trained baker, I can only imagine how amazing the other breads he baked were. I hope this cake brings fond memories back! Thank you William – Meggan
Hello Meggan!
Thank you for your reply.
Not only the breads but the kringle, veinerbrod, cookies and REAL danish pastries.
If only more people could experience the real thing they’d swear off the supermarket
version!
You will notice I’ve signed up for your emails. Time well spent!!
Happy cooking!
William
I also grew up in Racine and even worked at O & H Bakery for a few years in the early 70’s, although I never was more than a dishwasher. But I did get the opportunity over the years to sample their products and continue to frequent O & H when I’m in town. Although I love O & H Danish Layer cake (of course) I love the version my mother used to make even better. It was the only cake we ever had for birthday celebrations. Although my mom was not Danish my father was born and raised there and she told me she got the recipe from her in-laws in Denmark. Her cake was more of a sponge cake texture than a yellow cake, which is what O & H uses. So fast forward decades later and I got a notion to make a Danish Layer cake for a friend’s birthday. I have my mom’s recipe stashed somewhere, but can’t seem to find it at the moment. I’ll come across it someday but in the meantime it’s Google to the rescue. The various recipes that I have clicked on are all a little bit different, some have called for a sponge cake, some have not. My take is that it is both a matter of preference and perhaps skill as I perceive a sponge cake as being more difficult to make. As for my mother’s recipe being ‘authentic’ I suspect the cake itself was authentic to my danish relative’s preference, understanding that is a relatively small sample of Danes in the big picture of things. But my mother always used whipped cream, which I suspect was because we got our milk straight from the farm, unhomogenized, and therefore always had an over abundance of cream. The filling was whatever jam or jelly we had the most of as it was always homemade and the supply varied from year to year. The filling was always boxed vanilla pudding, as my busy mother with 4 growing boys didn’t have the inclination to make it from scratch. It always turned out divine. That said I think I might attempt custard, as I have made it in the distant past and seem to recall the only real trick was to constantly stir it so it didn’t burn.
So finally a question! I happen to have my mother’s cake pans that she used to make this cake. They are 9 inch pans. They are also the only cake pans that I have. I don’t want to make the layers too thin. Is there any reason that I couldn’t scale up the cake recipe by 150% or 200% so that the pans are sufficiently filled?
Hi Allan, I love your story! I have never had the official O&H cake, I keep trying to order one but then I get to the part of paying $70 for it and not having enough people to share it with and thinking I’ll eat it all myself… plus paying so much for a cake… next time I’m in Wisconsin, I just need to get it then and share it with my family! Anyway, I think the lighter frosting from whipped cream would taste better. My mom never made custard from scratch either, and it’s only in the last month or so that I updated the recipe to include the from-scratch pastry cream/custard. I added it because readers were baffled that they would make all these different components from scratch but not the custard?? So I added the pastry cream which is really delicious anyway, no regrets there.
To your question! I think you could scale up the recipe just fine, the baking time might just be a little longer. So watch that and don’t go by my baking times. Your idea is brilliant and I need to officially test it on my end so I can advise people who have 9-inch pans. Most people only have 9-inch pans. Thanks for the idea!! You’re great. I hope you have a wonderful week. -Meggan
I thought I’d add some clarity and perhaps fun to your future bakes. My parents grew up in denmark and immigrated to a racine Wi many years ago. I’m making a traditional danish layer cake for my parents 65th wedding anniversary this weekend. The traditional cake uses custard instead of pudding and whipping cream instead of buttercream otherwise your recipe is pretty close. Bon appetit.
Hi Hugo, thank you for this! I really appreciate all your insights. I am going to update the cake recipe to include my pastry cream instead of pudding. It’s not custard, but it’s much closer. And why make everything from scratch except pudding? I also didn’t know about the whipped cream. O&H Bakery uses buttercream so that’s what I did too. Growing up, my mom (her mom was from Racine) always made it with cool whip which is closer in texture to whipped cream for sure. Thanks again!!! Great to hear from you. -Meggan
I am a 34 year old man with a wife who is what I consider to be an amazing chef and baker. The recent home isolation has brought with it a drive to take up the hobby of trying to attain to her capabilities.
I am half-Danish – my father immigrated when he was a boy, and my Farmor used to make all kinds of Danish confectionary when I was growing up. This recipe caught my eye.
This is literally the first cake I have ever made. It went shockingly well. I ended up using 9” pans which in retrospect create a much thinner cake to slice; I’m assuming this is more difficult. I would’ve preferred 8” and will use them next time.
The icing is obscenely good; I only wish I had the skill to make it as smooth as what is shown in the image.
The pudding was slightly more viscous than I expected, and so spreading without shifting the cakes was a challenge, especially after the jam layer. I wonder what a bespoke custard would do to the recipe??
Thank-you for the inspiration!!
You know what is so silly, Spencer, is that I HAVE a pastry cream recipe on my site. I use it for fruit tarts. It 100% needs to replace the pudding layer. And I already knew that, I just forgot to do it. Why would someone make a cake and buttercream from scratch but not custard? So yes. I agree with you, and I’ll definitely fix that up. And I understand about the icing – I’m not the photographer for these recipes anymore, but the guy that is always does a ridiculously good job. I have a picture from when I attempted to make and photograph this cake a long time ago, and it’s just awful.
In any case, I’ll take “shockingly well”! That’s great! It’s true, the 9-inch pans do make it trickier and you wouldn’t necessarily think so until you try it.
If you need anything else let me know. I’ll get the pastry cream written in to this post. It really needs to be there.
Take care – Meggan
I’m going to make this for my mother-in-law’s birthday next week. When reading this, I thought I would substitute the pudding for Bird’s custard. Kinda in the middle between instant pudding and from-scratch pastry cream.
Having been married to a Danish woman for 23 years (she was born and raised there and its where my 3 kids live today…) and having spent considerable time in Denmark as a local, I applaud your recipe. Its pretty darn authentic. The 2 8″ yellow cakes split in half are a rather standard technique in Denmark. And the buttercream is a must. Well done!
I don’t need to bake this one to know it will come out awesome.
Thank you.
Mine looks like a hot mess 🤣 but it tastes fabulous!