Several DIS faculty are known for their love of the kitchen and treating students to baked goods. DIS hosts many events around the theme of food.
Faculty in Stockholm hold a cooking class for any DIS students who wish to attend, and several faculty in Copenhagen co-host evening events utilizing their connections with local New Nordic chefs. Past events included topics like foraging and eating bugs for protein!
Sune’s Dream Cake
Sune teaches a Core Course in the Environmental Science of the Arctic Program. It’s his tradition to surprise his class with a Danish dream cake on the Short Study Tour while gazing at the K-T Boundary.
What is the K-T Boundary you may ask, and why does Sune use this picnic break to examine climate change? This layer in the cliff’s sediment is 65-million-year-old evidence, marking the point between the Cretaceous (K) and Tertiary (T) periods, when a change in the earth’s climate brought about the extinction of over three-fourths of the world’s living plants and animal species.
Adapted from the recipe of Sune Olander Rasmussen, DIS Faculty Member
Danish Dream Cake (Drømmekage)
Ingredients
Serves 10
Sponge cake
Butter, for baking pan
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
4 eggs
21/2 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
31/2 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled slightly
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon whole milk
Topping
9 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup whole milk
11/4 cups light brown sugar, packed
31/2 ounces grated coconut
Instructions
For the sponge cake
Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease a 9- by 13-inch baking pan and line it with parchment paper, greasing the paper. Set aside.
In a bowl, sift together the flour and baking powder. Set aside.
In another bowl, using a hand mixer, beat the eggs, powdered sugar, and vanilla until pale and fluffy. Gently fold in the sifted dry ingredients. Combine the butter and milk and gently fold into the batter.
Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and bake for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean.
For the topping
While the cake is baking, melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Add the milk and brown sugar and bring to a boil. Cook for a minute or two. Stir in the grated coconut. Set aside.
To finish the cake
Remove the cake from the oven; increase the oven temperature to 425°F. Spread the topping quickly and evenly on top of the sponge cake. Return the cake to the oven and bake for about 10 more minutes until the topping begins to caramelize and crisp up.