'The Great British Baking Show': What is a Danish Cornucopia Cake, The Sadistic Semi-Final Technical Challenge? - Decider

The Great British Baking Show is known for throwing awful technicals at the bakers in the Semi-Finals, but this week’s challenge was absolutely sadistic. Paul Hollywood chose a Danish Cornucopia Cake for Patisserie cake, throwing French baker Hermine through a loop and reducing Laura Adlington to tears. The almond cake stymied Peter Sawkins for a moment and left Dave Friday with the most hilariously phallic bake of the season. But what exactly is a Danish Cornucopia Cake and why was it particularly mean?

This was it. The last episode of The Great British Baking Show in 2020 before the all-important finale. As we’ve mentioned before, this is one of the most wildly tight years ever and anything can happen. That means every round of baking counts and the tiniest of flaws can send a baker home. It also means there’s more pressure on the Technical than usual.

So what does Paul Hollywood decide to throw the bakers’ way? A Danish “horn of plenty” Cornucopia Cake that relies on flour-less dough, mathematical precision, and the foresight to bake the cookies in separate batches. It was more than mean; it was absolutely sadistic. And it elicited tears in the tent.

But what exactly is a Danish Cornucopia Cake and how do you make it? And will we ever get over how hilariously horny Dave’s version was?? (No, at least I will not.) Here’s everything you need to know about Danish Cornucopia Cake, the Technical Challenge in The Great British Baking Show “Patisserie Week.”

Dave's phallic cornucopia cake on Great British Baking Show — Photo: Netflix

WHAT IS A DANISH CORNUCOPIA CAKE, THE TECHNICAL CHALLENGE FOR THE GREAT BRITISH BAKING SHOW SEMI-FINALS?

Okay, from what this amateur baking enthusiast can figure, the Danish Cornucopia Cake on this week’s The Great British Baking Show is merely a really messed up, overly complicated take on the traditional Kransekake (which is ironically a cake hardcore Great British Baking Show fans will recall Paul used in the earliest Holiday specials).

A Kransekake is a traditional Danish wedding cake made of stacked rings. It can be molded and decorated in a variety of styles — such as a cornucopia, sure — but it’s usually stacked like tree or pyramid. Hence why Paul has busted one out as a Christmas Tree design.

As mentioned on the show, one thing that really makes the cake stand apart is that the base for the dough isn’t flour, but almonds or marzipan.

WHERE CAN I FIND A DANISH CORNUCOPIA CAKE RECIPE ONLINE?

Good news! If you want to make the exact same cake the bakers on The Great British Baking Show did, look no further than the official British website for the show. Paul’s recipe comes with convenient templates for shaping your dough and chocolate work, but be warned all the temperatures and measurements are calibrated for British chefs. You’ll have to convert Celsius to Fahrenheit, amongst other frustrating bits of math.

If you’d like to bake something similar, but perhaps less intimidating and decidedly more “American” in measurements, Martha Stewart has her own version of a Kransekake recipe online.

Watch The Great British Baking Show on Netflix

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