Recipe for Danish Butter Cake (Dagmar Tart) - Simple and easy-to-make! (2024)

On this page, you can find the easy-to-make recipe for the traditional Danish Dagmar Tart (Dagmartaerte) or Danish Butter Cake (Smorkage) as it is also called. This old-fashioned and very traditional Danish cake is based on a delicious butter dough stuffed with smooth vanilla- and cinnamon cream. I have heard before that this cake looks like it is difficult to make. Luckily, that is not true. This cake is actually really easy to make.

So grab you apron and get started.

On this page, I will share the recipe and step-by-step picture guide. Continue reading and see how easy it is to make a homemade Danish Dagmar Tart.

Danish Dagmar Tart or Butter Cake

This traditional Danish cake actually has two different names depending on where in Denmark you are located. If you know Denmark or look at a map, you know that Denmark can be divided into three main parts - Jutland, Fyn and Zealand.

See also: Recipe for traditional Danish cinnamon twist

If you are located in Jutland and Fyn the name of this cake is typically called Dagmart Tart (Dagmar tærte) and if you are located on Zealand this cake is called Butter Cake (Smorkage).

Even though, Denmark only has a population the size of one of a bigger US city we still have several dialects and different names for the same things across the country. The name of this cake is a good example that even though Denmark is a small country, we are still a quite diverse country.

The three parts of a Dagmar Tart (Smorkage)

I normally divide the making of a traditional Danish Dagmar Tart in three main parts and a number of smaller sub-steps. The three main steps are making of tart crust, the cinnamon rolls on top and the stuffing in-between.
Once you learn how to make the three parts, the final assembly of the cake is easy.

In the following section, you can read much more about the steps on how to make this delicious cake. For your convenience, everything is also summarized in a printable recipe further down this page.

Read also: Traditional recipe for Danish birthday cake

Step 1: Butter Dough for Tart Crust and Cinnamon Rolls

You start by making the dough for the tart crust and the cinnamon buns. It is the same dough where 1/3 is used for the tart crust and 2/3 is used for the cinnamon buns. When the dough is assembled and set aside for rising, you continue preparing the vanilla cream and cinnamon cream.

In a large bowl, you add the lukewarm water and dissolve the fresh yeast. If you are using dry yeast then just add this together with the flour. In this recipe, you need 25 grams of fresh yeast, which is about the equal to 1/2 oz active dry yeast, and 1/4 oz instant yeast.

In the bowl, add all the ingredients for the dough and knead everything into a nice and smooth dough. Set it aside and let it rise for 45-60 minutes.

Step 2: Vanilla Cream for Dagmar Tart

I normally make a vanilla cream based on a powder mixture found in most grocery stores. However, you can also make a homemade version based on fresh vanilla beans, milk and sugar. You can find the recipe for the homemade vanilla cream here on my blog. Use the search field on the front page.

Step 3: Cinnamon Cream for Dagmar Tart

The cinnamon filling is super easy to make. You simply just pour the soft butter, cinnamon powder and brown sugar into a small bowl and mix it together. Easy, and done in two minutes.

Step 4: The Dagmar Tart Crust

After the dough has risen, take 1/3 of it and use it to make the tart crust. Use a rolling pin to flatten is out into a circle about 30 centimeter in diameter (11.5 inch).

Transfer the dough into a buttered spring form pan or similar tart pan with tall sides. The diameter of the spring form/tart dish should be about 26 centimeter (10 inch). Make sure that the dough covers the entire bottom of the pan and 1-2 centimeter (2/5 - 4/5 inch) up the sides.

Distribute about 1/4 of the cinnamon cream and vanilla cream on the tart crust. Set the rest of the cream aside for the cinnamon buns.

Step 5: The Cinnamon Rolls

Take the rest 2/3 of the dough and roll it into a flat 30x40 centimeter (12x16 inches) square. First, use a knife to distribute the cinnamon cream on the dough and then use the same knife to add the vanilla cream on the top. Now gently roll the dough on the long side into a long cinnamon roll. Use a sharp knife to cut 3-4 centimeter (1-1.5 inch) thick cinnamon buns.

How to assemble the Danish Dagmar Tart

In this final step, we need to assemble the Danish Dagmar Tart. The tart crust with the vanilla cream and cinnamon cream, and the cinnamon rolls must be put together. This is simply done by distributing the cinnamon rolls on the tart crust and giving them a gentle press on top to flatten them a little.

It is okay that there are some space in-between the rolls. When baked, they will rise up and close the gap.

Now let the cake rise for another 20 minutes before baking it at 200 C (400 F) for about 25 minutes. When baked, let it cool of before decorating it with frosting.