A Scandinavian holiday tradition, julekage (or julekake) is a fruit-studded, lightly spiced, yeast-less bread that’s perfect for coffee with company. Here's our version, brimming with dried fruit and almonds and topped with pearl sugar for a festive touch.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease the inside of a panettone pan (or a paper panettone pan) and place on a baking sheet. For a rectangular bread, grease a 9" x 5" loaf pan.
In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients and the fruit blend. In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, melted butter, 2 of the eggs, and 1 yolk (reserve the white). Add to the dry ingredients and stir to combine. Mix in the almonds.
Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and smooth the top.
Make the topping by beating the reserved egg white with sugar; lightly brush over the top of the batter. Sprinkle with pearl sugar and more toasted almonds.
Bake the bread for 70 to 75 minutes, until a paring knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove it from the oven and cool completely on a rack before slicing or wrapping.
Store bread, wrapped airtight, at room temperature for up to 4 days; freeze for longer storage.
To substitute for the Yuletide Cheer Fruit Blend: Use 1/2 cup (85g) each candied orange peel and golden raisins, and 1/4 cup each candied lemon peel (42g) and dried cranberries (57g).
