The cake is thought to have originated in Dresden in the 1400s. At that time, however, the Catholic Church, as part of the fasting rules in preparation for Christmas, forbade the use of butter during Advent, turning the stollen of the Middle Ages into a rather tasteless pastry. The baking tradition as it exists today began in 1650. At the request of bakers in Dresden, Prince Ernst von Sachsen successfully petitioned Pope Urban VIII to lift the restrictions on the use of butter during Advent specifically for Dresden.

Since the cakes really are very tasty, we thought you might want to try your hand at baking one yourself, so here’s a simple recipe for you:

Ingredients 

Dough: 
 
4 1/3 cups flour 
 
1 to 1 1/2 cups milk 
 
2.5 ounces yeast 
 
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons margarine or butter 
 
3/4 cup sugar or honey 
 
1 teaspoon salt
 
Flavoring: 
 
1/2 cup candied lemon peel 
 
1/2 cup chopped almonds 
 
1 lemon, grated for rind 
 
1/4 cup rum 
 
1 3/4 cups raisins
 
Topping 
 
1/4 cup melted butter 
 
1/2 cup powdered sugar

Instructions 

Make a soft, pliable yeast dough from ingredients listed in the first section and let stand in bowl for 10 minutes. Knead the spices, except the raisins, into the dough. When all other ingredients are equally distributed, add the raisins. Roll into an oval and place on a greased baking sheet. Let rest for 10 to 15 minutes. Still on baking sheet, wrap dough well in aluminum foil and store in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight. Remove from refrigerator and take off foil. Sprinkle flour around the loaf to prevent the dough from spreading. Place loaf in a pre-heated (350-400 degrees Fahrenheit) oven and bake 50-60 minutes, till pale gold in color. Remove from oven. Brush with melted butter and dust with powdered sugar. Repeat until butter and sugar are used up. Stollen should have a thick, white layer.