Embrace the upcoming dark winter like the Danes: indulge in cake.

The array of traditional Danish cakes resembles a richly decorated encyclopedia. Just to highlight a few, there’s drømmekage (a fluffy cake topped with caramel), lagkage (a layered creation with jam and vanilla), rugbrodkage (a rye cake complemented by blackberry jam), hindbærsnitter (shortcrust pastries filled with raspberry jam), and the well-known Spandauer, more akin to a pastry than a cake (often referred to as a “Danish” in the U.S.) filled with custard and topped with white icing. These delights populate the shelves of bakeries and cafés throughout Denmark, and they’re also regularly baked in Danish homes alongside an abundance of sourdough breads.

“Historically, as an agricultural and dairy-rich nation, Danes have always utilized butter and cream,” explains Talia Richard-Carvajal, a pastry chef at the renowned Hart Bageri in Copenhagen, “which has greatly influenced the Danish culinary tradition.” This explains why the rural region of Sønderjylland on the Jutland peninsula, abundant in butter, cream, and eggs, hosts a unique cake-eating ritual: the elaborate Sønderjysk kaffebord, a high-tea-style gathering that involves consuming no fewer than 14 cakes in a specific order.

Similar to a cake kaiseki, this winter custom starts with a selection of three soft cakes like wheat buns and gugelhupf (a yeast cake baked in a Bundt pan), followed by four layered cakes: a rye cake with grated hazelnuts and whipped cream, a potato cake, a plum pie, and a puff pastry filled with prunes. The feast concludes with seven so-called “hard” cakes or cookies, including goderåd, a delicate waffle-like treat, and ingenting, a shortcrust biscuit topped with meringue. While such gatherings are seldom held in private homes nowadays—who has the time to prepare 14 cakes?—they are frequently enjoyed in taverns and remain a significant source of local pride. “Sønderjysk kaffebord is a marker of Sønderjylland identity,” states Anne-Marie Overgaard of the Museum Sønderjylland.

While consuming over a dozen cakes in one sitting isn’t practical—or advisable—for daily life, this tradition embodies a comfort-driven approach to living here. “Cakes symbolize coziness and joy,” notes Overgaard, highlighting the intimacy of sharing sweet treats during tea time. Cake consumption has even integrated into the Danish workweek, with Fridays celebrated as “fredagskage,” or “Friday Cake,” where colleagues gather for a shared breakfast of cake and pastries. In Denmark, enjoying cake isn’t reserved for birthdays, special occasions, or dessert; it’s a daily celebration, woven into the very fabric of Danish hygge—a lifestyle centered on savoring guilt-free comforts and valuing community and surroundings as fully and frequently as possible.

In addition to groundbreaking initiatives like free public healthcare, tuition-free college, subsidized childcare, and a renowned design aesthetic, could the casual enjoyment of bulk cake be one of the reasons why, despite the long, dark, damp winters, Danes consistently rank among the happiest people in the world? Meik Wiking, CEO of the Happiness Research Institute (yes, it exists), thinks so. 'Eating cake with friends is a perfect way to infuse more hygge into your life,' Wiking explains. Richard-Carvajal echoes this sentiment: 'Perhaps it’s the cake (not just the welfare state) that contributes to Denmark’s overall peaceful and collaborative spirit.'

Collaboration is essential. Cakes are inherently communal; unlike other snacks, cakes are meant to be shared. Enjoying a slice of chocolate gateau with friends holds much more significance than munching alone on a donut or candy bar, as is common in the U.S. Even when Americans gather for cake, it's often reserved for special occasions. In Denmark, however, even a simple slice of cake is reason enough to celebrate.

'Cake brings people together,' says Jakob Baer Mogensen, pastry chef and co-founder of Copenhagen’s Leckerbaer. 'It’s something to relish on weekdays just as much as during holidays.' While cake is a beloved year-round treat in Denmark, there are also seasonal and celebratory varieties. 'I often joke that there’s a specific bun for every occasion,' Richard-Carvajal remarks. 'Fastelavnsboller in February, hveder in May, and teboller year-round after school.'

During the winter holidays, most indulge in warming treats like Danish kransekage, a majestic almond cake typically served on New Year’s Eve, and honninghjerter (which translates to honey hearts), a gingerbread delicacy. Hart’s version of honninghjerter is a rich gingerbread cake coated in 70 percent chocolate. 'It’s a Christmas classic in Denmark and is best enjoyed beside a crackling fire with strong coffee,' Richard-Carvajal suggests. That sounds incredibly inviting on a chilly, wet night, no matter where you are.

As we all cozy up this holiday season—when days grow shorter and the effects of COVID-19 linger—there’s no better time to start baking and sharing your creations with your quaranteam. As the Danes remind us, when times get tough, eat cake. So whether you’re whipping up a traditional kransekage, a fruit-laden Christmas cake, or even a simple sheet of Funfetti, make this season “hyggeligt”—leave a slice on a neighbor’s doorstep or share a piece with friends over Zoom, ideally while wearing cozy socks.

Mary Holland is the former online editor of GQ and Glamour South Africa, currently based in New York.