The traditional Danish New Year's Eve dessert made from a ring-shaped stack of almond cakes is kransekage.
Kransekage, also spelled kransekake, is built from concentric rings of almond paste, sugar, and egg white. The rings are baked, assembled into a cone or tower, and commonly decorated with white icing. In Denmark, it is strongly associated with celebrations such as New Year's Eve, weddings, and other special occasions.
The name means “wreath cake,” reflecting the cake's ring structure. Danish versions are often assembled as a tall, stable tower, while closely related Scandinavian preparations may use somewhat different shapes or spellings.
A common mix-up is to identify any Danish festive pastry as kransekage. Æbleskiver are spherical pancake-like treats, while risalamande is a rice dessert. Kransekage is distinctive because its defining form is a stack of almond rings rather than a filled pastry or spooned pudding.