This recipe is the gluten-free version of mazarin cake, or mazarinkage in Danish, a cake that is deservedly popular in Denmark but sadly not very well known elsewhere. You’ll find many more tips and background details in the original mazarin cake recipe.
And just how delicious is it? And how much do you need to worry about the gluten-free version changing the flavor?
I made this version at the same time as the original mazarin cake made with all-purpose flour, and the family members who do eat gluten actually said this one was even tastier! And truly, you can’t tell at all that it is any less delicious or lower quality. In fact, the almond flour makes this cake even more aromatic.
Gluten- and Dairy-Free Version
If you also avoid dairy, use a good-quality plant-based butter instead of butter, and make sure there is no milk in the chocolate either. The cake shown in the photos was made this way too, and it was heavenly!
Gluten-Free Mazarin Cake
Ingredients
For the mazarin cake
- 18ö g butter 13 tbsp, at room temperature
- 1öö g sugar ½ cup
- 250 g marzipan paste 8.8 oz
- 3 eggs
- 60 g almond flour ⅔ cup
- 2.5 g baking powder ½ tsp
- 1 pinch salt
- butter a little extra for greasing the pan
For the chocolate glaze
- 150 g dark chocolate 5.3 oz, 55–70% cocoa content
- 25 g butter 2 tbsp
Instructions
Making the Cake Base
- To make the mazarin cake, first grate the marzipan on the large holes of a grater. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C), using top and bottom heat.
- Beat the room-temperature butter with an electric mixer for about 1 minute, until fluffy. Add the sugar, and beat everything for a few minutes until light and fluffy.
- Add the grated marzipan in 4–5 additions, mixing with the electric mixer until it is as evenly combined as possible. It will be harder to make it uniform at the beginning, but by the end, when you have added all the marzipan, it will come together nicely.
- Now add the eggs one at a time, mixing everything completely after each egg.
- In a bowl, mix together the almond flour, baking powder, and salt, then fold it into the marzipan mixture with a spatula. Do not overmix.
Baking
- Line the bottom of an 8- to 9-inch (20–22 cm) cake pan with parchment paper, and generously butter the sides, roughly halfway up.
- Pour the batter into the pan, and smooth it out as much as possible with a spatula.
- Bake for about 50 minutes in the oven preheated to 350°F (180°C). When the cake is done, take it out of the oven and let it cool completely in the pan. The baking time can vary, so it’s worth checking the cake after 40 minutes. The top will be golden brown, and it is ready when the entire surface is slightly springy and the middle no longer looks wobbly. Do not overbake.
Chocolate Coating
- Take the cake base out of the pan and place it on the large plate or cake platter you will serve it on.
- Chop the chocolate with a sharp knife.
- Melt the butter in a saucepan, then turn off the heat underneath it. Add the chocolate, and stir with a spatula until it melts completely and becomes nicely fluid and smooth. You may need to put the saucepan back on the heat a few times while doing this. If you are using gas or induction, put it back on the lowest flame or setting; if you are using an electric burner, use only the residual heat, putting it back on for 5–10 seconds at a time while stirring constantly.
- Pour all of the chocolate glaze into the center of the cake. Using a spatula, smooth it outward toward the edge. Let it run down the sides as well, and coat them too. Mazarin cake is rustic; the coating does not need to be perfectly smooth. Coat the entire surface, including the sides, as this is what will protect it from drying out.
- Let the chocolate glaze set completely at room temperature. Store the cake at room temperature, covered. It is delicious served at room temperature too, but the flavors come through even more if you put it in the fridge for 30–60 minutes beforehand.
