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December 22, 2017 By linda 56 Comments

A trip to Norway + Brownies with salted caramel and toasted meringue and a gingerbread bundt cake

Last week, I was lucky enough to spend a few days in winter wonderland… errr, I mean at Melgården in Norway with some wonderful friends, Olivia of Adelasterfoodtextures, Samantha of The Botanical Kitchen, Kati of Blackwhitevivid and of course, the lovely lady of the house, Live of Melgården. Only sweet Krissy of Cottage farm missing!

Melgården truly looked like my idea of winter wonderland, SO cold (-19°C one day, brrr) and lots and lots of snow. Rolling hills, fog and frost on the windows. Like a dream come true. It made me feel like a kid again on so many levels. My fingers and toes weren’t as excited as I was though, nor was my camera gear or my phone battery which died within 10 minutes outside.

Melgården is like something out of a fairytale, or possibly a Wes Anderson movie, and I dare to say it’s every food photographer’s dream with all the rustic backdrops and props, and that GORGEOUS scenery. We drove through a snowy Sweden all the way up to snowy Rena, Norway, with the car full of fresh vegetables and props. We almost couldn’t fit in there!

I couldn’t believe how efficient we were. With about 5 hours of daylight each day and in two days, I shot FOUR cakes (I can only share two of them here though.. 🙂 ) and a whole bunch of other beautiful things that you can see in this post. That’s why I love working in a team so much, especially this team <3

And this is why I’m delighted to share that Olivia, Krissy and I will be hosting a workshop again, at Melgården in 2018! I literally can’t wait!! If you’re interested, make sure to subscribe by e-mail for more details and prerelease. You can fill in your e-mail address in the sidebar on the right 🙂

I’d also like to take the time to thank you for your continued support this year! It wouldn’t have been the same (or at all!) without you. Wishing you all Happy Holidays and a very Happy 2018!

BROWNIES WITH SALTED CARAMEL AND TOASTED MERINGUE

9-12 servings

Some notes about this recipe: If you’re not a fan of hazelnuts, you can definitely make these brownies with walnuts, pecans or almonds (I’ve tried all and they’re all delicious!). The brownies are also super delicious without caramel and meringue if you prefer that. When test baking, I baked my brownies for 32 minutes – it was almost set, slightly wobbly in the middle and it came out gooey and delicious. After a day in the fridge it has exactly the consictency I like in brownies! Make sure to have a look HERE in case you’d like to make an edible gift out of this recipe.

INGREDIENTS

Brownies

  • 100 g (3.5 oz) hazelnuts
  • 150 g (about 1 + 1/3 stick) salted butter
  • 4 tbsp. (1/4 cup) coffee
  • 150 g (1 cup) all purpose four
  • 1/2 tsp. baking powder
  • 30 g (1/3 cup) cocoa powder
  • 1/2 tsp. flaky salt
  • 135 g (1/2 cup + 2 tbsp.) granulated sugar
  • 110 g (1/2 cup + 2 tbsp.) light brown muscovado sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 150 g (5.2 oz) dark chocolate, chopped

Caramel

  • 110 g (1/2 cup) granulated sugar
  • 50 g (3 tbsp.) salted butter, in small cubes
  • 75 ml (1/3 cup) heavy cream
  • 1/4 tsp. flaky salt

Meringue topping

  • 2 large egg whites
  • 90 g (1/3 cup + 1 1/2 tbsp.) granulated sugar
  • 1/2 tsp. lemon juice
  • zest from 1 orange

INSTRUCTIONS

Brownies

  1. Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F). Place the nuts in a baking dish and toast for 10-12 minutes or until fragrant and slightly browned. If the nuts aren’t already skinned, wrap them in a kitchen towel and rub until most of the skins come off. Let cool completely, then chop them coarsely.
  2. Melt the butter in a saucepan and set aside to cool.
  3. Butter a baking pan, approximately 17 x 17 cm (measured at the bottom of the pan, the top is 20 x 20 cm) and cover it with baking paper.
  4. In a large bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, cocoa powder, salt, granulated sugar and brown sugar. Add the melted butter, coffee, eggs, chopped nuts and chocolate and stir until completely smooth.
  5. Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and bake for 30-35 minutes or until cake is almost set but the center wobbles slightly.
  6. Remove from the oven and let the cake cool in the pan.

Caramel

  1. Place the sugar in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Place the pan over medium to high heat until the sugar starts melting around the edges. Turn the heat down to low and stir gently with a wooden spoon until sugar is completely melted and golden brown. Be careful not to burn the sugar! Stir in the butter, piece by piece, stirring between each addition.
  2. Little by little and very slowly pour the cream into the saucepan with the melted sugar and butter (it will bubble up so make sure to be careful as this stuff is hot!). Stir until smooth. Pour caramel into a heat proof bowl and let cool completely.

Meringue topping

  1. Place egg whites, lemon juice and sugar in a clean and heatproof bowl (preferably stainless steel or glass).
  2. Put the bowl over a saucepan with simmering water. The bowl should fit snugly, and the simmering water should not be touching the bowl. Whisk the sugar and egg whites constantly with a whisk until the mixture reaches about 65°C (about 140-150°F). If you don’t have a sugar thermometer, just rub some mixture between your fingers. If the sugar has melted and mixture is hot to the touch, it’s ready.
  3. Remove the bowl from the heat, beat until white, fluffy and cool to the touch with a stand- or electric mixer. This step can take about 5-10 minutes. Stir in the orange zest.

Assembly

  1. Place the cake on a plate or serving platter. Drizzle/spoon caramel on top, then spread the meringue over the caramel. Brown the meringue using a kitchen torch.
  • Print

GINGERBREAD BUNDT CAKE

Makes 1 bundt

Some notes about this recipe:I used a 10 cup bundt pan to bake this cake and it was actually slightly too small for the batter so I would suggest putting a piece of baking paper underneath the pan while baking so the batter doesn’t end up on the floor of your oven, or reserving some of the batter to bake some muffins. A 12 cup pan would probably be more suitable.

 

INGREDIENTS

Gingerbread bundt cake

  • 540 g (3 3/4 cups) all purpose flour
  • 2 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp. flaky salt
  • 1 tbsp. ground cinnamon
  • 1 tbsp. ground ginger
  • 2 tsp. freshly ground cardamom
  • 2 tsp. freshly ground cloves
  • 1 tsp. ground bitter orange peel (can be omitted)
  • 4 large eggs
  • 240 g (1 1/4 cup) light brown muscovado sugar (or regular light brown sugar)
  • 200 ml (3/4 cup + 1 1/2 tbsp) cane syrup
  • 250 g (2 + 1/4 stick) salted butter
  • 200 ml (3/4 cup + 1 1/2 tbsp) heavy cream
  • 300 ml (1 1/4 cup) milk

Cream cheese glaze

  • 120 g (3/4 cup + 1 1/2 tbsp) powdered sugar
  • 100 g cream cheese
  • 1-3 tbsp. freshly squeezed orange juice

INSTRUCTIONS

Gingerbread bundt cake

  1. Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F). Grease and flour a large bundt pan with 10-12 cup (preferably 12 cup) capacity. Set aside.
  2. Mix flour, baking soda, salt, spices and ground bitter orange peel in a bowl. Set aside.
  3. Beat eggs and sugar until fluffy and lighter in color, about 3-4 minutes. Add cane syrup and beat until smooth.
  4. Melt the butter in a saucepan and stir in cream and milk.
  5. Add dry ingredients and butter mixture to the egg mixture in additions, and stir until completely smooth.
  6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake in the lowest oven rack for 55-65 minutes, but start checking doneness after 50 minutes. Keep an eye on the cake during the whole baking time so the top won’t brown too fast (if it does, carefully place a piece of baking paper or aluminum foil on top).
  7. Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then unmold onto a cooling rack to cool completely. The cake will most likely come out domed, so feel free to even that out with a sharp serrated knife once the cake is cool.

Glaze

  1. Combine powdered sugar and cream cheese in a bowl. Beat until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute.
  2. Stir in orange juice to desired consistency. Pour the glaze over the cooled cake.
  • Print

Filed Under: Bundt cakes, Caramel, Cardamom, Chocolate, Christmas, Cinnamon, Glaze, Hazelnut, Meringue, Single layer cakes, Travel & workshops, Uncategorized, Winter

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Dawn Deisler says

    December 22, 2017 at 2:39 pm

    Just SPECTACULAR!!!!

    From the recipes to the photos- such a pleasure to see.

    The photo of that amazing white house would make an INCREDIBLE gingerbread house!

    LOVE your website.

    Reply
    • linda says

      December 22, 2017 at 5:59 pm

      Thank you so much Dawn, so very kind of you 🙂 And I totally agree, it would be the perfect gingerbread house for someone ambitious 🙂 😉

      Reply
  2. Kristina Lund says

    December 22, 2017 at 3:42 pm

    Oh, Linda, det är ju så vackert.

    Reply
    • linda says

      December 22, 2017 at 5:39 pm

      Tack snälla Kristina! Verkligen en speciell plats!

      Reply
  3. Alicia says

    December 22, 2017 at 3:44 pm

    Thank you for sharing the recipes and the beautiful pictures.

    Happy holidays!

    Reply
    • linda says

      December 22, 2017 at 5:37 pm

      Thank you so much Alicia! Glad you like the photos 🙂 Happy holidays!

      Reply
  4. Zoe says

    December 22, 2017 at 4:13 pm

    Honestly Linda! I have no words how incredible this blog post is. These photographs are amazing! Each one of them. That mood that they transfer. Breathtaking. And I am not overdoing it 🙂

    All the best and happy Holidays for you from Germany,

    xo, Zoe

    Reply
    • linda says

      December 22, 2017 at 6:00 pm

      Aww, thank you SO much Zoe, that makes me super happy to hear! I literally spent hours just putting them in the ‘right’ order.. haha. But I enjoy it so much! Wishing you the Happiest of holidays and Happy new year! xx

      Reply
  5. Haylee Herrick says

    December 22, 2017 at 4:50 pm

    Oh my goodness! These recipes look soooo delectable! Also the design of that bundt cake is to die for. Is there anywhere that bundt pan design is purchasable?

    Keep making beautiful things!

    Reply
    • linda says

      December 22, 2017 at 5:31 pm

      Thank you so much, Haylee! Oh yes, absolutely, the pan is called Bavaria and it’s made by Nordic Ware. I highly recommend it!!

      Reply
  6. Adrienne says

    December 22, 2017 at 6:44 pm

    Beautiful photos!

    Reply
    • linda says

      December 22, 2017 at 7:43 pm

      Thank you so much Adrienne!

      Reply
  7. Lili @ Travelling oven says

    December 22, 2017 at 6:46 pm

    I don’t have words dear Linda to say how much I love this post!!! These photos are simply breathtaking! And you are right, this place is any food photographer’s dream, I mean, those wooden tables, windows, the light, scenery, every detail! Thank you for sharing this beauty and a little bit of magic with us! ❤️

    Reply
    • linda says

      December 22, 2017 at 7:45 pm

      Thank you dear Lili <3 Means so much hearing it from you! Yes, it's funny how Live told us to bring props because she didn't have any.. Haha! There was magic in every corner. So special! <3

      Reply
  8. Kari says

    December 22, 2017 at 7:12 pm

    These photos are just stunning!!!
    Kari
    http://sweetteasweetie.com/birds-nest-breakfast-bowl/

    Reply
    • linda says

      December 22, 2017 at 7:43 pm

      Thank you so much Kari! 🙂 Makes me so happy to hear!

      Reply
  9. Agnes {Cashew Kitchen} says

    December 22, 2017 at 8:05 pm

    WOW vad vackert!!! Ska försöka komma på er workshop, vore drömmen ju <3 Längesen jag var på en workshop nu dessutom! Eller tja, i våras. Men en om året måste en ju åka på!

    Reply
    • linda says

      December 23, 2017 at 7:45 am

      Men TACK! Åh, det vore fantastiskt <3 Håller med om att den där workshop-boosten behövs en gång om året. Så härligt att känna inspirationen flöda igen!

      Reply
  10. Keryn says

    December 22, 2017 at 8:17 pm

    Stunning as always.

    Reply
    • linda says

      December 23, 2017 at 7:46 am

      Thank you so much Keryn! xx

      Reply
  11. Justina says

    December 22, 2017 at 8:22 pm

    It’s an amazing post. Beautiful fairy tale of winter. All pictures are breathtaking!
    Happy holidays!

    Reply
    • linda says

      December 23, 2017 at 7:45 am

      Thank you so much Justina! It really was sooo breathtakingly beautiful! Happy Holidays x

      Reply
  12. Kris says

    December 22, 2017 at 9:15 pm

    These look wonderful as does the whole house. Your photos are so beautiful. I’ll definitely be making the gingerbread cake this weekend ready for Christmas. Thank you. I’d love to come along to your workshop in 2018. I just need to work out how!! Merry Christmas.

    Reply
    • linda says

      December 23, 2017 at 7:44 am

      Hi Kris!
      Would be absolutely wonderful if you came 🙂 Crossing my fingers! Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! x

      Reply
  13. Lili Fujiy says

    December 22, 2017 at 10:44 pm

    Beautiful and magic ‘wonderland’! Happy holidays!

    Reply
    • linda says

      December 23, 2017 at 7:43 am

      Thanks Lily! Happy holidays!

      Reply
  14. Mette says

    December 23, 2017 at 6:11 am

    Utrolig vakkert! Jeg må vel si at du har vært på et av de kaldeste plassene i Norge. Rena er kjent for det brrrrrrr

    Reply
    • linda says

      December 23, 2017 at 7:43 am

      Tuusen tack! Jaså, det visste jag inte! Inte undra på att det var kallt då 😉 -19 har jag nog aldrig ens upplevt förut..

      Reply
  15. Jessica says

    December 23, 2017 at 7:26 am

    Gorgeous photos as always Linda…this looks like an amazing visit. xox

    Reply
    • linda says

      December 23, 2017 at 7:42 am

      Thanks so much Jessica! It really was amazing. Can’t wait to go back! xx

      Reply
  16. Anaïs - carnetdeprintemps says

    December 23, 2017 at 6:56 pm

    It’s so so magical ! These pictures are so beautiful <3

    Reply
    • linda says

      December 24, 2017 at 7:17 am

      Thank you soo much Anaïs! <3 <3

      Reply
  17. Sanda says

    December 26, 2017 at 8:43 am

    Looks so magical, real winter wonderland!!!

    Reply
    • linda says

      December 28, 2017 at 7:33 am

      Indeed! I wish we had that much snow this Christmas.. Hope you’re well, Sanda! x

      Reply
  18. EILEEN NEMEROFF says

    December 27, 2017 at 10:50 am

    What a beautiful display of edible art! You are right, it is magical. I really enjoy the pictures and your post.

    Reply
    • linda says

      December 28, 2017 at 7:52 am

      Thank you Eileen! <3

      Reply
  19. Juliana says

    December 27, 2017 at 2:31 pm

    Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful!

    A workshop here would be a dream come true for me.

    Reply
    • linda says

      December 28, 2017 at 7:52 am

      Thank you Juliana! I totally agree, such a wonderful place!

      Reply
  20. Milena Nunes says

    December 27, 2017 at 3:22 pm

    So magical and dreamy! Superb photos <3 Congrats! Love your blog

    Reply
    • linda says

      December 28, 2017 at 7:51 am

      Thank you so much Milena <3

      Reply
  21. Michelle Edgcumbe says

    December 28, 2017 at 7:18 am

    Linda, I’m not a big blog commentor, but I have to say that yours is clearly a reliable inspiration to lots of people, including me. The thoughtful styling, photos full of quiet light and bursts of colour, the easy to follow recipes, the gentle humour and written context, they all make it something I come back to time and again. And at Christmas, when it’s HOT in South Africa, the winter scenes are so refreshing and festive!
    Wishing you all the best for your endeavours in 2018, and with thanks for your help and guidance from across the miles xx
    Michelle

    Reply
    • linda says

      December 28, 2017 at 8:23 am

      Dear Michelle, Thank you so much for taking the time to leave such a thoughtful, lovely comment. It truly made my day, and makes me even more motivated to keep blogging. So thank you so much for that! I can imagine it must be so hot! It’s a fascinating thought, to celebrate Christmas during summer. I’d love to experience that some time.
      Wishing you all the best in 2018! xx Linda

      Reply
  22. Alex says

    December 30, 2017 at 6:59 pm

    Such magical images, Linda! Your talent in beyond!!!! Much love, Alex

    Reply
  23. camilla jorvad says

    January 1, 2018 at 6:02 pm

    Melgården er sådan et fantastisk sted og Live’s billeder er noget helt særligt. Hvor skønt at se gården gennem dit kamera også. Jeg er sikker på workshoppen bliver eminent!
    Rigtig godt nytår og et fantastisk 2018 til dig 🙂

    Reply
  24. Elaine says

    January 2, 2018 at 5:48 pm

    Hello Linda,
    The photos are beautiful! Took me back to the time I lived in Alaska. I stood in freezing cold to get photos of wildlife and scenery. Never had enough photos always looking for one more perfect one. It was fun. Do you know what kind of red berries those are? Want to try those brownies. Loved looking at all the photos. Happy New Year!

    Reply
  25. Hind686 says

    January 4, 2018 at 5:56 am

    Such gorgeous photos as always

    Reply
  26. Rach says

    January 13, 2018 at 2:21 am

    I´m alone at home, in a friday night, I lightened a candle and I´m having an amazing moment looking at your photos and recipes… this is exactly the amount of beauty I needed.
    Your work is amazing and such an inspiration.

    Reply
  27. Bavneet Kaur says

    January 13, 2018 at 11:04 am

    thank you so much for sharing this with us. the cake looks awesome and thanks to you for sharing the recipe with us with all the ingredients.

    Reply
  28. Jodi says

    January 16, 2018 at 7:13 am

    Hi Linda,
    There’s nothing else I could say that hasn’t been said already in the comments above. Still, I try! The detail and composition of your photographs are beautiful, gorgeous, breathtaking, interesting… I want to mount them as wall hangings, everywhere!
    I just found your website, there was a note on Google about your blueberry pie crust. The first recipe I try will be the cardamon streusel-topped blueberry muffins. Thank you for sharing everything with us — I look forward to exploring your blog for more pictures and recipes. Warm greetings from Ohio (which is also covered in snow and -12°C)!

    Reply
  29. Denae@MyWayGourmet says

    June 20, 2018 at 2:01 pm

    Your outdoor shots are just gorgeous!! What camera and lens do you use?:)

    Reply
    • linda says

      August 24, 2018 at 2:24 pm

      Thank you!! You can read about my gear in my FAQ section! 🙂

      Reply
  30. OyeGifts says

    September 19, 2018 at 10:51 am

    Such a nice post and thanks to share this lovely recipe with us.

    Reply
    • linda says

      September 21, 2018 at 12:06 pm

      Thank you! 🙂

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Gotland Workshop 2017 + A 2018 workshop announcement says:
    March 14, 2018 at 1:17 pm

    […] we visited Melgården back in December when it was freezing – you can find my post about it here – so I’m very excited to see it in summer when the nights are super long (imagine being […]

    Reply
  2. Points North workshop - Norway 2018 - Call Me Cupcake says:
    August 28, 2018 at 11:24 am

    […] time we visited Melgården was back in December. Needless to say, it looked completely different then, all covered in snow. This time, everything was lush and green (perhaps a little brown and beige […]

    Reply
  3. Rose petal sugar - Call Me Cupcake says:
    October 25, 2018 at 8:47 am

    […] a workshop that I hosted with Krissy and Liv with the help of Sam and Kati, at Melgården which we visited back in December. It was amazing seeing Melgården in summer, but more about this in an upcoming […]

    Reply

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