Fastelavnsboller (Danish Carnival Buns)

This weekend is Shrove Sunday, and in Denmark (and some other Nordic countries), that means it’s Fastelavn! Don’t ask us about the religious significance/background of this holiday, because we have literally NO idea. We just like the baked goods and the fun traditions!

What is Fastelavn?

Fastelavn means “Carnival,” and it’s a holiday that somewhat resembles Halloween, as kids dress up in costumes. But, there are some unique traditions as well! In Denmark, kids play a game where they take turns hitting a barrel full of candy with a bat (like a piñata). In Danish, we call the game “to hit the cat out of the barrel.” A bit of a strange name, but it’s because people used to play it with a real cat in the barrel. The kid who hits out a specific part of the barrel (sometimes the bottom, sometimes the last piece) is crowned the “kattekonge,” or “cat king.” Another kid is crowned the “kattedronning,” or “cat queen.” The rules on crowning these two titles vary from place to place, but it’s such a fun and exciting tradition that we loved as kids!

Fastelavnsboller

Another great Fastelavn tradition is eating lots and lots of fastelavnsboller, or “carnival buns.” You can find an insane variety of fastelavnsboller in Denmark alone. They range from simple pastry cream-filled buns to buns cut in half and topped with almond paste and whipped cream, to traditional buns that have raisins and orange peel in them. You may be most familiar with the Swedish semlor buns, which are also known as fastelavnsboller in some places. These buns are all valid and delicious in their own way 🙂

But, we decided to go the route of making pretty traditional, homemade fastelavnsboller. They are made of a sweet, cardamom-flavored, yeasted dough, filled with vanilla pastry cream, and topped with chocolate icing and sprinkles. Simple, yet absolutely incredible! And so festive to look at!

The Recipe

The recipe itself is not too difficult, but you may run into some unexpected trouble with the buns. Since the filling is an egg-based custard, it will expand when baking and may cause the buns to explode. This has happened to us before, so don’t worry too much if it happens to you. We promise that they will still taste absolutely delicious! But, to avoid this, make sure you shape the buns correctly. After the dough’s first rise, shape the buns without any filling, as if you were just making regular bread rolls. Then, let them rest for about 20 minutes. Then, simply flatten each bun, add the filling and pinch the ends together. You do not need to shape the buns again! This will only create weak spots where the filling can run out during baking. We hope you try making these buns, as they are so yummy and fun to decorate. Leave any questions or comments down below. Enjoy!

Fastelavnsboller (Danish Carnival Buns)

4.84 from 6 votes

These pastry cream filled cardamom buns are one of the most delicious treats – they're fluffy, creamy, sweet, and just taste absolutely amazing! In Denmark, we eat these in the lead-up to one of our favorite holidays as children – Fastelavn!

Servings 12 servings

Prep Time 2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 14 minutes mins

Total Time 2 hours hrs 44 minutes mins

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IMPORTANT NOTE:

We always bake using a digital scale and the metric system (grams and milliliters). We can’t promise that our cup measurements will be as accurate! Additionally, we bake and develop our recipes in a convection (fan) oven.

Ingredients

  

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DOUGH

• 150 ml (2/3 cup) milk
• 2 tsp instant yeast (2.25 tsp active dry yeast, 17.5 fresh yeast)
• 1 large egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 50 grams (1/4 cup) sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp cardamom
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 375 grams (3 cups) all-purpose or bread flour
• 57 grams (4 tbsp) unsalted butter, softened

FILLING AND DECORATION

• 1/2 portion kagecreme (for these fastelavnsboller, you will likely only need half of the kagecreme recipe – we usually just make a whole portion anyway and then eat the leftover pastry cream or use it for something else!)
• 1 egg for egg wash
• Powdered sugar
• Cocoa powder
• Water
• Colorful sprinkles

Instructions

 

• We would recommend making your kagecreme ahead of time so that it has sufficient time to cool in the fridge.
• If using active dry yeast – Heat up the milk, either in the microwave or in a saucepan, until it is “fingervarm” (finger warm), meaning it should feel warm to the touch but not hot. Add the yeast and stir to dissolve. Let it rest 5-10 minutes until it begins to froth and bubble a little bit. If using instant yeast – just add the yeast and milk to a bowl.
• Add the egg, egg yolk, sugar, vanilla extract, cardamom, and salt (and milk and instant yeast if using it) to a large bowl. Mix well.
• If you’re using active dry yeast, once the yeast has bubbled up, add the milk and yeast mixture to the egg mixture and whisk to combine.
• Slowly add the flour and the softened butter, stirring with a wooden spoon. Once the dough starts to come together, you can start kneading.
• Knead until smooth and elastic, probably around 10-15 minutes. Add a bit of flour if the dough sticks to your hands or the surface. If you prefer not to get your hands messy, feel free to use a stand mixer for this step. The texture of your dough before its first rise should be soft and smooth, not sticky and not too dry.
• Cover and let your dough rise for about 45 minutes, or until doubled in size.
• Once the dough has risen, dump it out on a flat surface. Divide into 12 equal pieces, and shape into buns. How to: take a piece, pinch together into a ball shape, then cup it in your hand with the top of the roll touching your palm. Place your hand on an unfloured surface with the seam touching the table. Move your cupped hand in quick, tight circles – this will cause the seam to come together and create tension on the surface of the dough.
  
• Let the buns rest for about 20 minutes on the table, covered with plastic wrap or a damp dishtowel. I also like to spray or brush the tops of the dough with a bit of vegetable oil, just to make sure they don’t form any skin or dry spots.
• Next, you are going to fill the buns with kagecreme. To do this, take a bun, place it on your table or surface dome side down (seam side up) and flatten it, just by hitting it with the heel or palm of your hand. You may need to pick up the circle of dough and use your hands to enlarge the circle a bit, that's totally fine. Either pipe or spoon a dollop of filling (a dollop on the smaller side; we can usually get a few teaspoons of filling in each – just be careful not to overfill, or else your buns will explode) into the center of the dough circle. Pull up the sides and pinch them together. You do not need to do anything else to shape the buns at this point! This will only create weak spots where the filling can run out during baking. Place your filled bun on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
  
• Let the filled buns rise another 30 minutes. In the meantime, preheat your oven to 350 F (175 C).
  
• Once your buns are about doubled in size, egg wash the buns. Then bake them in the preheated oven for 12-14 minutes, or until golden brown and hollow sounding.
• Let the buns cool on a wire rack. Once cool, prepare your decoration. Mix together about a cup of powdered sugar, a tablespoon of cocoa powder (to start), and a tiny bit of water. Keep adding water, or sugar, or cocoa powder until the icing reaches the consistency and taste that you like.
• Spoon the icing onto each bun, letting it drip down the sides. Add colorful sprinkles on top, let the icing harden a bit, and enjoy!

Course: Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: Danish

Keyword: carnival, chocolate, classic, custard, fastelavn, fluffy, icing, pastry cream, soft, traditional

Difficulty: Advanced