Fastelavnsboller (Danish Carnival Buns)
February 26, 2025


Fastelavnsboller
Fastelavnsboller season is in full swing in Denmark! These fluffy, cardamom-spiced buns filled with luscious pasty cream are a must-have treat leading up to Fastelavn, one of the most beloved childhood holidays.
Ingredients
Dough
- ⅔ cup whole milk
- 2 ½ tsp active dry yeast
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 egg yolk
- ¼ cup sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp cardamom
- ½ tsp salt
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
Vanilla Cream (kagecreme)
- 3 large egg yolks
- ¼ cup sugar
- pinch of salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 vanilla bean, seeded
- 2 ½ tbsp cornstarch
- 1 ¾ cups whole milk
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
Raspberry Whipped Cream
- ⅔ cup frozen raspberries
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 tbsp powered sugar
- 1 vanilla bean, seeded
Optional add-ons
- raspberry jam
- freeze dried raspberry powder
- fresh raspberries
Instructions
- Danish Pastry Cream (kagecreme)
- (make kagecreme first as it needs to cool)
- Add egg yolks, sugar, salt, vanilla extract, vanilla beans (seeded) and cornstarch to a medium size bowl. Easiest is to use an electric whisk (although you can use a regular whisk as well, it will just take longer), whick until smooth, pale in color and a little frothy,
- Heat milk in a medium size saucepan on medium low heat. Stir occasionally so that milk doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan. Once milk starts to simmer, you will see small bubbles forming around the edge, remove it from the heat.
- While whisking, slowly pour half of the milk into the egg mixture.
- While on medium heat, pour egg/milk mixture into the pan with the rest of the milk, and continue whisking until mixture starts to thicken and almost to a boiling point. When it has fully thickened, take off the heat, add butter to the mixture, and continue whisking until it has fully melted.
- Transfer to a bowl, and cover with plastic wrap, making sure the plastic touches the cream to avoid a skin forming. Refrigerate and cool for at least 2 hours.
Make Dough
- Heat the milk on low until it is warm to the touch – not too warm as it will kill the yeast.
- Meanwhile place the yeast and sugar in bowl, stir to mix.
- Once the milk is warm (to the touch), add it to the yeast/sugar mixture, and stir until just combined. Let it rest for at least 10 minutes until yeast mixture starts to bubble
- Add egg, egg yolk, sugar, vanilla extract, vanilla bean, cardamom, and salt to a large bowl, and mix well.
- Add milk/yeast mixture to the to the egg mixture, and stir to combine.
- Slowly add flour, stir to combine with a wooden spoon, then add softened butter. Once dough starts to come together, you can start kneading with your hands.
- Cover with a warm damp dishtowel, and let it rise for at least 1 hour, or doubled in size.
- Once dough has risen, dump it out on a clean surface, and divide into 12 equal pieces (use a scale for best results), and shape into buns, using a little flour if it's a little too sticky.
- Let buns rest for 30-40 minutes covered with a warm, damp dishtowel.
- After the buns have risen, you are now going to fill them with kagecreme. Flatten the buns into a disc. Add about a teaspoon of the kagecreme in the middle of the disc, make sure to not overfill, as it will explode when baking. Then form the disc back into a bun, making sure to pinch the sides together so the cream doesn't leak out of the bun.
- Place the buns on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover the buns with a warm, damp dishtowel and let them rise another 30-45 minutes, or at least doubled in size.
- Preheat oven to 350℉. Place a water filled deep (1-2") pan in the oven to act like a steam oven.
- Once buns have risen, eggwash the buns, and bake for 12-15 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Let the buns cool completed on a wire rack.
Make Raspberry Whipped Cream
- Place frozen raspberries and sugar in a small pot on medium heat. Let it simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring occassionally.
- Remove raspberry mixture from heat and let it cool. Once cooled, place mixture in a blender, blend until smooth. Put mixture aside.
- Place the cream in a medium bowl, add the vanilla bean and powdered sugar. Whip with an electric whisk, and whip until you have a soft peaks.
- Carefully fold the raspberry mixture into the whipped cream until just combined. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Put the Fastelavnsboller together
- Cut the buns in half, evenly.
- Spread about 1 tsp raspberry jam on the bottom half of each bun
- Place 5-6 raspberries on the bottom of each bun with space in between each berry
- Pipe Raspberry cream in between each berry, and pipe some more in the center.
- Place top bun on top of bottom bun. Add some more whipped cream on the top of the top bun. Sift raspberry powder on top and all over top bun.
- Serve, and enjoy!
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