German Christmas Cake (Stollen Recipe)

Christmas is right around the corner and it's about time to bake traditional German Christmas Cake - Stollen. Packed with a delicious mixture of dried and candied fruits, almonds and marzipan, this decadent cake is a true Christmas treat.

This post is packed with useful information as well as step-by-step tutorial, so keep on reading my friend:)

Stollen (German Christmas Bread)

How was your Thanksgiving my friend?

Good?

I hope it was filled with family, friends, laughter and of course delicious food.

Now, that Thanksgiving is officially over, it's time to think about Christmas menu. In particularly, about Christmas desserts.

As known, one of the best Christmas desserts come from Europe.

In Germany - Christmas dinner is not complete without a traditional German Cake called Stollen. It is originated in Dresden and is an absolute must for Christmas holidays.

What's so special about Stollen?

German Christmas Stollen or Weihnachtsstollen is generously sprinkled with powdered sugar and represents baby Jesus wrapped up in a blanket.

Stollen is literally packed with dried fruits, candied fruits, nuts and marzipan. It doesn't require any special cake pan and is easier to make than you think.

Another special thing about Christmas Stollen is that it is usually prepared 2-3 weeks before Christmas. That way all dried fruits will saturate the cake giving it even more unique flavor.

Did I mention it's not too tricky to make it?

I was actually prepared for the opposite and reserved the full day just to make this German Stollen Bread.

In the middle of the process, I realised that cake is almost ready and I wasn't even tired yet:)

Despite that Stollen is an easy dessert, don't expect it to be ready in 30 minutes. Sorry:)

Since we're adding yeast to the dough, it will take some time until the dough rises. You'll have to leave the dough to rise several times during the process.

So while it may take long to make Stollen, you're not going to be involved the whole time.

Let's take a closer look.

How To Make Stollen?

1. Macerate the raisins

The night before making this delicious German Stollen, start macerating the raisins. In a small bowl combine raising and rum. Let it stay overnight or at least 4 hours.

2. Proof the yeast

The next day, in a small bowl combine warmed to 115 F milk, 1 tablespoon of sugar and active dry yeast. Leave it to rise, about 15 minutes. I love using food thermometer to ensure the proper temperature.

3. Prepare the dough

Using an electric mixer fitted with a hook, mix flour, remaining sugar, salt, butter, yeast and eggs on a medium speed until dough is smooth and elastic.
Cover the bowl with a towel and set aside in a warm place for 40-60 minutes until the dough doubles in size.

4. Chop dried fruits and nuts

Meanwhile, finely chop the almonds (if using whole almonds) and candied fruit.

5. Combine all ingredients

When the dough doubles in size, in the same bowl knead it with your hands for a few more minutes.

Then add raisins, almonds, candied fruit, lemon juice, lemon zest, vanilla and cinnamon.

Knead the dough again until all ingredients are incorporated and the dough is elastic. Cover with a towel again and leave it in a warm place to rise for 2.5 - 3 hours. During this time, knead the dough 1-2 more times.

6. Add marzipan

Remove the dough from the bowl and place it on a lightly floured surface.

Divide the dough in half and roll out each piece into 9 by 10 inch rectangle-like disc.

Divide marzipan in 2 and roll out each piece into a 9 inch long log. Using a rolling pin, make the indentation in he dough lengthwise, slightly off-center (like shown on the picture below).

Place marzipan log in the indentation and cover marzipan with the wider side of the dough.

Repeat with the other piece of dough and transfer Stollen on a parchment lined baking sheet. Leave it at room temperature for 30 minutes.

7. Bake 

Bake Stollen for 15 minutes in a preheated to 390 F oven, then reduce the temperature to 335 F and bake for another 45 minutes. (Don't open the oven door during this time).

When Stollen is ready, remove it from the oven and very generously coat with melted better from all sides even from the bottom.
Very generously sprinkle Stollen with icing sugar and let it cool.

And that's it. You made it! Congratulations!

Stollen Storage

You have a few options on how to properly store Stollen.

1. Tightly wrap Stollen in plastic, then in aluminum foil, place in a zipper freezer-friendly bag and store in a cool dry place for 2-3 weeks, preferably basement.

2. If you can't wait until Christmas (I don't blame you, it's so delicious), you can wrap Stollen in plastic and keep at room temperature for up to 3 days.

3. You can also freeze this German Stollen Bread for up to 2-3 months. Don't forget to warp it tightly in a plastic wrap.

When ready to serve Stollen, thaw in the fridge overnight or defrost in a microwave and enjoy the richness and taste of an incredible Christmas treat.

Can I substitute Almond Paste for Marzipan?

In this Stollen recipe, you can absolutely substitute one for another. These 2 ingredients are practically the same.

The only difference is that Almond Paste contains less sugar and more almonds and Marzipan contains more sugar and less almonds.

This is a brand of Marzipan and Almond Paste that I use all the time in my baking recipes.

I hope you'll love this traditional and beautiful German Christmas Stollen.

Friends, if you like this recipe, please take a second to PIN IT! I would greatly appreciate this!

More European Christmas Desserts  Risalamande - utterly delicious and airy Danish Christmas Rice Pudding  Dutch Christmas Log - super easy puff pastry recipe with almond paste  Joulutorttu - Finnish Christmas cookies with prune jam  Viennese Cookies - beautiful, 5-ingredient cookie recipe perfect for Christmas gift exchange

If you're looking for a quick overview of the recipe, please check out my Christmas Stollen web-story.

If you make this recipe, please leave me a comment below and rate it. I always appreciate the feedback. Also, you can follow me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest.

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