Call Me Cupcake

Sweet food & photography

Cakes

Caramel Apple Upside Down Cake

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Ahh, my favorite season is finally here, apple season! There is just something so inspiring with a new season, and especially autumn when the air gets crisp and you can just stay inside and bake caramel apple upside down cake. Hehe.

I made my first upside down cake back in 2017 but without caramel, a blood orange upside down cake. While that was so delicious and pretty, I absolutely love fruit baked in caramel, so I made a banana upside down cake later that year and that is the recipe I used when I made this, with a few tweaks here and there.

Remember, when you make the apple pattern, what you see when you make it is not what you will see when you turn the cake upside down! I know, it’s a little confusing. I started making a beautiful pattern but then remembered, it won’t look like this when it’s baked so I sort of had to make the opposite. You can see how I placed the apple slices in one of the photos. Let me know in the comments if you try this recipe!

CARAMEL APPLE UPSIDE DOWN CAKE

6-8 servings

This cake is best served slightly warm, with a dollop of whipped cream with yoghurt, since the cake itself is already rather sweet. But if you have a sweet tooth it would be delicious with some vanilla ice cream too! Feel free to experiment with the spices, maybe add some ginger or allspice, or use lemon instead of orange! Do make sure to use flaky salt and not table salt, because that would make it veeery salt.

INGREDIENTS

TOPPING

  • 75 g salted butter
  • 125 g (1/2 cup + 1 tbsp, tightly packed) light muscovado sugar
  • 1/8 tsp. flaky salt
  • 2 apples

CAKE

  • 200 g (1 1/3 cup + 1 1/2 tbsp.) all purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp. ground cardamom
  • 1/4 tsp. flaky salt
  • 125 g softened salted butter
  • 180 g (3/4 cup + 1 1/2 tbsp) granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 150 ml (2/3 cup) thick yoghurt (greek or turkish), at room temp.
  • zest from 1 orange

INSTRUCTIONS

TOPPING

  1. Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F). Butter a 22 cm (9 inch) springform pan and cover the bottom of the pan with a round piece of baking paper.
  2. Slice the apples thinly.
  3. Melt 75 g butter in a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Stir in the muscovado sugar and cook for 2-3 minutes over medium heat until combined and sugar is melted. Stir in the salt. Don’t worry if the mixture feels gritty, it will disappear once the cake is baked. Spread the caramel over the baking paper in the bottom of the pan. Place the apple slices in a pattern on top of the caramel.

CAKE

  1. Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, cardamom and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the dry ingredients in three additions, and the yoghurt in two, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Add orange zest and beat until just smooth.
  3. Gently spoon the batter into the prepared pan, over the caramel and apples. Smooth the top with a spatula.
  4. Make sure to place a baking sheet covered with baking paper on the lowest rack of the oven to catch any drips from the cake (it will most likely leak a little bit). Bake the cake on the middle rack, for 40-45 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Start checking around 35 minutes, as you might need to cover the cake with foil if it’s browning too much.
  5. Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare a large serving platter or plate to put the cake on. After 5 minutes, carefully remove the sides of the springform pan (they’re hot!). Invert the cake onto the platter and peel off the piece of baking paper. Let cool a bit before serving with yoghurt whipped cream.

Chocolate Swirl Pavlova with Whipped Cream and Raspberries

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Once again, I’ve missed my blog birthday. Call Me Cupcake turned 11 years old about 3 weeks ago! Last year I decided to celebrate with a pavlova, and this year was no exception. I absolutely love the combination of the meringue, the cream, the berries, chocolate and toasted (salted!) pistachios. The meringue is crisp on the outside and soft on the inside.

I don’t recommend making and filming this kind of recipe when it is 30°C inside and you’re wearing jeans though. Hehe. But there is no better time eating it! I hope you like this recipe, and the video I made for it too!

CHOCOLATE SWIRL PAVLOVA WITH WHIPPED CREAM, RASPBERRIES

and toasted pistachios
Serves 6

If you can’t get your hands on caster sugar (fine sugar), place granulated sugar in a food processor or blender and pulse a few times until fine but not powdery. If you’re making the meringue a day ahead, it is best to store it in a cold oven (no need to cover it or anything). Also, it’s delicious to serve this cake with salted pistachios since the cake itself is quite sweet!

INGREDIENTS

MERINGUE

  • 4 large egg whites
  • 1/2 tsp. white wine vinegar or lemon juice
  • 225 g (1 cup) caster sugar
  • 100 g dark chocolate (70%), melted and at room temperature

Topping

  • 350 ml (1 1/2 cups) heavy cream
  • 1/4 tsp. vanilla powder
  • Cocoa powder, to dust
  • 250 g fresh raspberries
  • 2 tbsp. toasted pistachios (preferably salted)
  • Powdered sugar, to dust
  • Edible leaves/flowers

INSTRUCTIONS

MERINGUE

  1. Preheat oven to 125°C (257°F) and line a baking sheet with baking paper.
  2. Whisk egg whites and white wine vinegar/lemon juice until frothy. Gradually add in the sugar. Using an electric mixer or stand mixer, whip until meringue holds stiff peaks and there is no sugar grit left.
  3. Drizzle the melted chocolate into the bowl with the meringue, and with a spoon, fold a few times (don’t mix). Spread mixture into two equally sized rounds on the prepared baking sheet.
  4. Place in the oven and lower the temperature to 100°C (212°F). Bake for 60-80 minutes (or until meringues look crisp and no longer stick to the paper). Turn off the oven, leave the door ajar and let meringues cool completely in the oven.

TOPPING & ASSEMBLY

  1. Whip cream until soft peaks hold. Place the first meringue disc on a cake stand. Spread with half of the cream, dust with cocoa powder and dot with a few berries.
  2. Place the second disc on top, then spread with the remaining cream. Dust with cocoa powder, decorate with remaining berries, toasted pistachios and edible flowers, if desired. Dont’t worry if the cake sinks at this point, it’s crisp on the outside but soft on the inside. Dust with powdered sugar. The cake is best eaten the same day.
 

Grilled Pound Cake with Lime Marinated Strawberries

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We are continuing down the simple dessert path! Hehe. Like I mentioned in one of my previous posts, I’ve been so focused on intricate desserts and tall cakes that I completely forgot about my love for simple desserts like a Swedish ‘Sockerkaka’ (like a fluffy pound cake!).

I’ve been thinking about this dessert for a while and it has been on my to do-list for a few years now. I have a list on my computer where I write down all my ideas and some just tend to stay there for a long time, no matter how great they sound. So when I told my friend Emelie about this idea she said ‘you have to make that’ – I think for quite selfish reasons, hehe.

I must say it was quite the success! Now I’m curious to see what else I can make on the grill. Tell me, have you ever made dessert on a grill? Maybe grilled fruit?

GRILLED POUND CAKE WITH LIME MARINATED STRAWBERRIES

with whipped vanilla cream
Cake serves 8-10

This cake is what we would call ‘sockerkaka’ in Swedish, which basically means sugar cake. It’s fluffy, buttery and just absolutely delicious. It works just as well to eat it as is, without grilling it, without the cream and the strawberries – but this combination is just lovely! In winter, you can use for example oranges instead of lemon and lime. You can easily fry the slices in some butter too, if you don’t have a grill. And the syrup can be omitted but it does make the cake really moist!

INGREDIENTS

POUND CAKE

  • 180 g (1 1/4 cup) all purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp. flaky salt
  • 100 g (1 scant stick) salted butter
  • 100 ml (1/3 cup + 1 1/2 tbsp.) milk
  • 2 medium eggs
  • 180 g (3/4 cup + 1 tbsp.) granulated sugar
  • zest from 1 lemon & 1 lime
  • 1/4 tsp. vanilla powder

LEMON SYRUP

  • zest from 1 lemon
  • juice from 1 lemon, about 50 ml
  • 2 tbsp. water
  • 2 tbsp. granulated sugar

LIME MARINATED STRAWBERRIES

  • 500 g fresh strawberries
  • zest and juice from 1 lime
  • 2 tbsp. granulated sugar

TO SERVE

  • Whipped cream with vanilla
  • Edible flowers/herbs to sprinkle

INSTRUCTIONS

PIE CRUST

  1. Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F). Butter and flour a loaf pan.
  2. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Set aside.
  3. Melt the butter and combine with the milk. Set aside.
  4. In a large bowl, beat the eggs and sugar until light and fluffy. Fold in the flour mixture, and then the butter/milk mixture.
  5. Add zest from lemon and lime and vanilla powder. Gently fold until combined and batter is smooth.
  6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake on the lowest rack for 35-40 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. While the cake is baking, you can prepare the syrup.

LEMON SYRUP

  1. Combine the lemon juice, water and sugar in a small saucepan. Simmer until reduced, about 5 minutes. Stir in the zest.
  2. Let the cake cool for 10 minutes, then poke a few holes in it and drizzle with the syrup.

LIME MARINATED STRAWBERRIES + SERVING

  1. Hull and quarter the strawberries (or halve if they are very small) and place them in a bowl.
  2. Add the lime zest, juice and sugar and mix well. Cover the bowl and marinate for 30 minutes in room temperature.
  3. Light a grill. Remove the cake from the pan and slice it with a serrated knife.
  4. Place slices of cake on the grid and grill over moderate heat until golden brown. If you don’t have a grill, you can fry the slices in a skillet with some butter.
  5. Serve while still warm, with the marinated strawberries, whipped cream and edible flowers or herbs if desired.
 

The Journey 2020 Workshop Announcement + A Salted Double Chocolate Bundt Cake

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Beautiful styling by Mandy Couzens

THE JOURNEY 2020 – June 3-7 in France

I’m so incredibly excited to announce this year’s The Journey Workshop, with me, Sissel, Christian, Elle-May and Olivia.

We will stay in the country side of the Loire Valley in France, in the most beautiful artist home and painting studio with sooo many fantastic opportunites for photography, painting, creating cinemagraphs or short films, branding, or perhaps you’d like to cook or bake something special? This is what The Journey is about, you work on your dream project and we are there to guide and assist you with whatever you need.

We had an incredible experience last year, and were lucky enough to have Elle-May and Christian come for a day as guest teachers but now they are back as hosts! Tickets are released to our mailing list on February 19 and the website on February 20, so make sure to sign up to our mailing list now! If you’d like more information, you can find it here!

Ahh, where do I even begin? It has taken me ages to get this post up for some reason. I don’t even have words for how amazing this experience was! Just incredible and so inspiring. Sissel was kind enough to invite us all into her home in the Loire Valley in France, and it is just the epitome of France – for me, that is, haha. A beautiful old, stone building with so much charm and many quirks. I love that.

I think you all know by now that I’m a woman of few words, so I will let the photos speak for themselves. Hopefully I’ll see you in France instead, and we can experience it together!

Part of the group! Here is Mandy, Christian, Elle-May, Aurore, Kiri, Olivia and Sophia. Outside the frame is Sissel, Didi, Stella and Egle. <3 And I was also lucky to meet Ruth and Melanie on the last day!
Beautiful ceramics by Tina Kami. Drinking my coffee from one of those cups as I’m writing this!

Salted Double Chocolate Bundt Cake

Yields one bundt cake, serves 10-12

Some notes about this recipe: I suggest using coffee in the cake as it heightens the chocolate flavor, but water works too. I suggest making it a day ahead of when you plan on serving it because it honestly gets even better after a day or too!

 

Ingredients

Chocolate cake

  • 200 g (~1 3/4 sticks) salted butter
  • 125 ml (1/2 cup + 1 tsp) milk
  • 240 g (1 2/3 cups) all purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
  • 68 g (2/3 cup) cocoa powder
  • 300 g (barely 1 1/2 cups) granulated sugar
  • 1/2 tsp. flaky salt
  • 2 medium eggs
  • 150 ml (2/3 cup) sour cream or thick yogurt
  • 125 ml (1/2 cup + 1 tsp) hot coffee or hot water

Dark chocolate glaze

  • 100 g (3.5 oz) dark chocolate (70%), finely chopped
  • 50 g salted butter
  • Extra salt to sprinkle

Instructions

Chocolate cake

  1. Preheat oven to 175°C (350°F). Grease a 10-cup bundt pan (2.4 liters) and dust with flour or cocoa powder.
  2. Melt the butter, add milk and set aside to cool.
  3. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, cocoa powder, sugar and salt. Add the butter mixture, eggs and sour cream to the dry ingredients and beat until just smooth.
  4. Add the hot coffee and stir until smooth (batter will be quite runny).
  5. Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan. Bake on the lowest rack for about 45 minutes (but start checking around 35 minutes) or until a cake tester comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool in the pan for 20 minutes before inverting it onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Dark chocolate glaze

  1. Combine the chopped chocolate and butter in a saucepan and place it over low heat. Stir until everything is completely melted. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
  2. Pour the glaze on top of the cake. Sprinkle with extra salt if desired.
 
Gorgeous dreamware from Polders Old World Kitchen
Sissela and Egle painting on a Son de Flor dress
Beautiful pandan chiffon cake by Aurore

A Summer Berry Pavlova + Celebrating my 10th blog birthday!

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Can you believe it’s been TEN years already?! Well, ten years and four days to be exact. I never manage to blog on the exact day anymore and this year was no exception, but hey, at least I remembered! I was going to bake something more spectacular since after all, it is my 10th blog birthday. To be completely honest I haven’t baked in months so even making a simple pavlova like this was a bit of a struggle (and it was like, the hottest day so far this summer!).

It’s been good to take a little break from baking and social media. The past 10 years have been so much about work and constantly updating that I needed it. I’m trying to focus on real life right now and doing meaningful work, being a little healthier overall, being present and meeting friends – something I’ve neglected over the past few years. Not only because of work but also because I’m an introvert and I go into hermit mode more often than I’d like. Hehe.

Don’t get me wrong, I still love baking and blogging and goodness, I have learnt and grown so much over these years! I’ll of coursee continue to bake and post recipes here – but I might add some other things too, like my previous post about camera gear. It just feels.. right! After all, photography is a huge part of this blog. And I always want to hear what you guys think, I already got some awesome suggestions in the last post but I’d love to hear more! Let me know in the comments 🙂

SUMMER BERRY PAVLOVA

Serves 6-8

This is such a simple recipe that is easy to customize to your liking. Perhaps make an infused cream? Maybe add some jam, a curd of some sort or simply other seasonal fruits? I love it simple like this, but sometimes it’s fun to change things up.

INGREDIENTS

MERINGUE

  • 180 g (5-6 medium eggs) egg whites
  • 270 g (1 1/4 cup) granulated sugar
  • 1/2 tbsp. white wine vinegar

TOPPING

  • 350 ml (1 1/2 cups) heavy whipping cream
  • 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract, if desired
  • Fresh berries (I used strawberries, wild strawberries and red currants
  • Powdered sugar, to dust

INSTRUCTIONS

MERINGUE

  1. Preheat the oven to 125°C (260°F). Line a baking sheet with baking paper.
  2. Place the egg whites in a large, clean mixing bowl. Beat the egg whites until soft peaks form, then add the sugar one tablespoon at a time with a few seconds between each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then beat for about 5-6 minutes, or until the mixture is thick and glossy.
  3. Add the white wine vinegar and beat for another minute. Spoon the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake in the lower part of the oven for 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes or until the meringue easily lifts of the baking paper, then turn off the oven and leave the meringue to cool completely in the oven.

TOPPING

  1. Beat the cream with the vanilla extract until thick. Place the meringue on a serving platter and top with the whipped cream, berries and powdered sugar.

Chocolate Cake with Strawberry Buttercream and Dark Chocolate Glaze – The Swedish Grace cake

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This post is a paid collaboration with Rörstrand.

A few months ago, Swedish iconic brand Rörstrand reached out to me and asked if I wanted to create a cake for their new Swedish Grace cake stand (you’ve probably already seen this beautiful cake stand in my Gingerbread Village cake post). I think it’s pretty clear what my answer was?! YES!

At first it was difficult to think of something other than a classic Swedish princess cake or a cream cake with strawberries. I wanted to create something that felt like me, something that looked fantastic but wasn’t overly complicated and that you could bake all year round with either fresh or frozen berries. This chocolate cake is my very favorite, and the swiss meringue buttercream tastes like the best strawberry ice cream ever, paired with a dark chocolate glaze. Simple yet oh so delicious! And this cake will feed a LOT of people.

I find that this cake tastes even better after a couple of days in the fridge (but definitely make sure you don’t have strong smelling foods in the fridge, or place a cake dome/cover over the cake if possible), there’s just something about chocolate cake that’s been allowed to rest for a couple of days. You can make the cake layers a day or two ahead if you want!

As for the frosting, if you’re unfamiliar with swiss meringue buttercream PLEASE don’t throw it out if it curdles. That is completely normal! It happened to me the first time I tried it too (actually it happens quite often, but I know now it will come together) and I swore there was something wrong with the recipe. So I piped the curdled buttercream onto my cupcakes and let’s just say it wasn’t pretty. So please just keep beating and it will come together eventually. I promise, it’s so worth it! It’s the best buttercream ever. You can totally use raspberries instead of strawberries if you prefer the flavor combo of those two. Or why not a mix of strawberries and raspberries!?

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CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH STRAWBERRY BUTTERCREAM AND DARK CHOCOLATE GLAZE

Makes one 20 cm cake – serves 15-20

This cake can be made 1-2 days ahead (actually it gets better after a day or two), wrapped in plastic wrap or stored in a airtight container. If strawberries aren’t in season, frozen work too! You can find the recipe in Swedish on Rörstrand’s website.

INGREDIENTS

CHOCOLATE CAKE

  • 300 g (2 3/4 sticks) salted butter
  • 175 ml (3/4 cup) milk
  • 360 g (2 1/2 cup) all purpose flour
  • 100 g (1 cup) cocoa powder
  • 2 1/4 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp. flaky salt
  • 450 g (2 cups + 1 1/2 tbsp.) granulated sugar
  • 3 medium eggs
  • 250 ml (1 cup) sour cream
  • 150 ml (2/3 cup) freshly brewed, strong coffee

STRAWBERRY BUTTERCREAM

  • 225 g fresh or frozen strawberries
  • 8 medium egg whites
  • 400 g (barely 2 cups) granulated sugar
  • 500 g (2 1/4 cups / 4 1/2 sticks) butter (I use salted butter but go ahead and use unsalted if you prefer)
  • 2 tsp. vanilla extract

DARK CHOCOLATE GLAZE

  • 125 g dark chocolate (70%), chopped
  • 75 g salted butter

INSTRUCTIONS

CHOCOLATE CAKE

  1. Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F). Grease and flour/breadcrumb two 20 cm (8 inch) round cake pans.
  2. Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the milk to the pan.
  3. Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt into a large bowl. Add the butter mixture, sugar, eggs, sour cream and coffee and stir until smooth.
  4. Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans.
  5. Bake on the middle oven rack for 35-40 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.
  6. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then invert them onto a wire rack to cool completely.

STRAWBERRY BUTTERCREAM

  1. If you’re using fresh strawberries, rinse and hull them and use an immersion blender to make a puree. If you’re using frozen strawberries, heat them in a sauce pan or microwave, then mix into a puree. Strain the mixture for a smoother buttercream, but this step isn’t necessary.
  2. Combine the egg whites and sugar in a clean and heatproof bowl (preferably stainless steel or glass). Place the bowl over a saucepan with simmering water. The bowl should fit snugly, and the water should not be touching the bowl.
  3. Constantly whisk the sugar and egg white mixture 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.
  4. Remove the bowl from the heat, beat until white, fluffy and cool with a stand- or electric mixer. This step will take anywhere from 5-15 minutes.
  5. When the bowl feels cool to the touch, start adding the butter, piece by piece. Don’t worry if the mixture looks curdled and soupy just keep beating – eventually it will become smooth! Add the vanilla and strawberry puree and beat until completely smooth.

ASSEMBLY & DARK CHOCOLATE GLAZE

  1. Split both cake layers in half using a serrated knife. Place the first cake layer on a plate or cake stand. Spread with a layer of buttercream. Repeat with remaining layers.
  2.  Spread the buttercream on the top and sides of the cake using an offset spatula. Check out my guide on how to fill and cover a cake here. Save some of the buttercream for piping on top of the cake. Place the cake in the fridge while you prepare the glaze.
  3. Glaze: Place the chocolate and butter in a sauce pan and place it over low heat. Stir often until everything is melted. Let cool to room temperature (but make sure it doesn’t thicken too much, it should still be liquid). Pour the glaze over the cake and quickly spread it over the edges of the cake to make it run down the sides. Let stand for a few minutes before piping the leftover frosting on top of the cake.
 

Gingerbread Village Cake

By 43 Comments


I have to say, I absolutely LOVED creating this cake. It’s the most fun I’ve had in the kitchen in a long time, and I definitely felt like I was a kid again. Which I think is exactly what baking and blogging should feel like! I can’t say it was without a little bit of frustration too, which is also part of baking, photographing and blogging I guess.

I can’t even remember the last time I piped icing on gingerbread cookies and at first it was just frustrating but after a good night’s sleep (it never fails me), I sort of got the hang of it. I will probably never be a master at it but I do enjoy it! Perhaps this year will be the year I make a gingerbread house again? We’ll see, we’ll see…

I love experimenting with recipes and tried a couple of different versions for the gingerbread layer, but in the end, this one with lingonberries was definitely my favorite. Lots and lots of flavor and so moist (I know a lot of people hate that word but I don’t know what other word to use, hehe).

I also experimented with getting that blueish grey shade on the cake. I was thinking about how blueberry powder reacts when I add lemon juice to it – it becomes pink when you add something acidic, so I figured it would become more blue when adding something alkaline. And it totally worked! Feel free to try it if you want, or don’t if you think it sounds weird. I promise you it’s not though! Hope you like it!

GINGERBREAD VILLAGE CAKE

Makes one 9-inch layer cake

Some notes about this recipe:
-If you can’t find lingonberry jam for this recipe, I bet frozen lingonberries would work too, just thaw them and stir them together with a little bit of sugar. Apple sauce might work too but I haven’t tried either of those suggestions.
-I used store-bought gingerbread dough for this cake but feel free to make your own! If your cookies float out too much during baking, be prepared with a sharp knife as soon as they get out of the oven – and cut the edges again. The cookies are still soft when they get out of the oven!
-Because I prefer not to use artificial food coloring, I experimented with black sesame and blueberry powder! I wanted the cake to be slightly grey/blue so I added some black sesame paste which does give a slight taste to the cake. Omit the sesame seeds if you know you don’t like them. I added baking soda to blueberry powder to change the ph of it. This doesn’t affect the flavor at all, but feel free to omit this from the recipe if you want. Or use a food coloring of your choice! Or just leave the cake white. All options are totally fine!

INGREDIENTS

Gingerbread cake

  • 200 g (1 3/4 stick) salted butter
  • 360 g (2 1/2 cups) all purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp. flaky salt
  • 1 tbsp. ground cinnamon
  • 1 tbsp. ground ginger
  • 1 tsp. freshly ground cardamom
  • 2 tsp. freshly ground cloves
  • 1 tsp. allspice (can be omitted)
  • 4 large eggs
  • 360 g (1 2/3 cup) granulated sugar
  • 250 ml (1 cup) sour cream
  • 150 ml (2/3 cup) lingonberry jam

Gingerbread cookies

  • about 500 g of gingerbread dough (I used store-bought but feel free to use homemade)
  • 150 g (1 cup) powdered sugar
  • 1 1/2 – 2 tbsp. lemon juice (or as needed)

Frosting

  • 200 g (1 3/4 stick) softened butter (I use salted but feel free to use unsalted)
  • 250 g (1 2/3 cup) powdered sugar
  • 300 g cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 1/4 tsp. vanilla bean powder
  • zest from 1 orange
  • 2 tbsp. black sesame seeds + 2 tbsp. maple syrup (can be omitted)
  • 2 tsp. blueberry powder + 1/4 tsp. baking soda + 1-2 tsp. water (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

GINGERBREAD CAKE

  1. Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F). Grease and flour two 23-24 cm (9 inch) springform pans. Set aside.
  2. Melt the butter and set aside.
  3. Mix flour, baking soda, salt and spices in a medium bowl. Set aside.
  4. Beat eggs and sugar until fluffy and lighter in color, about 3-4 minutes.
  5. Add the dry ingredients and butter to the egg mixture in additions, and stir until completely smooth. Stir in the sour cream and lingonberry jam.
  6. Divide the batter between the prepared pans. Bake on the middle rack for 25-27 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.
  7. Let cool in the pans for 15 minutes, then unmold onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

GINGERBREAD COOKIES

  1. Knead the dough lightly with floured hands to make it soft and pliable. Lightly flour the table and the rolling pin and roll out to 2-3 mm thickness.
  2. Cut out little house shaped cookies using a knife, or a cookie cutter if you have one (I made my cookies between 5-8 cm high, as the cake is around 8 cm high). Bake the cookies at 175°C (350°F) for about 5-8 minutes depending on size. Let cool completely.
  3. Stir together powdered sugar and lemon juice in a small bowl. Start with a small amount of juice and add more until icing reaches a good piping consistency. Your mixture should be thick enough that it will not run when piped, but not so thick that you can’t squeeze it through a piping bag.
  4. Transfer icing to piping bag and cut a tiny hole in the bag for piping. Decorate the cookies and let the icing harden before placing the cookies on the cake.

FROSTING

  1. Beat butter and powdered sugar until pale and fluffy. Add cream cheese and vanilla and beat until just smooth. Stir in the orange zest.
  2. Place the black sesame seeds and maple syrup in a mortar and pestle. Crush and grind the seeds until a paste forms. Stir the paste into the frosting.
  3. If the frosting seems soft, place the bowl in the fridge while you prepare the next steps.

ASSEMBLY

  1. Cut both cake layers in half using a serrated knife so you get four cake layers.
  2. Place the first cake layer on a cake board or directly onto a plate or cake stand. Spread a layer of frosting on the first layer. Repeat this until you’ve used up all layers.
  3. Spread a thin layer of frosting all over the cake. Place the cake in the fridge for a few minutes if the frosting is soft.
  4. Place the blueberry powder and baking soda in a small bowl and stir in some water. Let stand for a couple of minutes, then add to the remaining frosting. Stir until smooth.
  5. Cover the cake with the remaining frosting and decorate with the gingerbread cookies. I placed toothpicks behind the cookies on top of the cake to get them to stand up. Dust with snow (aka powdered sugar) if desired.

Spiced Pear Cake

By 16 Comments

A few months ago I saw this beautiful spot right next to the water on one of our daily forest walks with Mozart (our little westie, in case you’ve missed him in my instagram stories). I knew I had to have a shoot there at some point because it was just so pretty. But then, life happened and I forgot all about it.

Honestly I have so many ideas all the time, so many things I want to do. It becomes almost too much, and I end up doing nothing – which means staring at my computer screen and all the e-mails I should be responding to and then feeling bad about not being able to and decide to punish myself a little bit more by staring at my screen for another few hours, getting absolutely nothing done. It’s a vicious circle.


So a couple of days ago, after test baking this cake a couple of times – I decided that spot I had found was the perfect place to shoot this cake. Of course it was also the same day we had to service our car so I had to take my bike. I don’t mind at all, I actually LOVE cycling and I don’t drive – but with the cold and the wind and a heavy crate on my bike I almost turned around after a little while. I’m so glad I didn’t though! I forget how much I love shooting outside, and that I was finally able to shoot with these gorgeous pieces from Leu Ceramics (that cup is my new favorite for espresso and in this case, apple juice, hehe).

I was however not able to bring my tripod on my bicycle and I wanted to make a couple of cinemagraphs so I had to build a ‘tripod’ on top of the crate using a 100mm lens, an 85 mm lens, my phone and a tampon. Yeah… don’t even ask. It worked though! Perhaps not the angle I wanted, but still. You can see them right underneath the recipe. As for the recipe, it’s sort of like a soft gingerbread cake, which is one of my favorite things to eat this time of year.




SPICED PEAR CAKE

Makes 1 cake

Choose pears that are quite firm for this cake, or they will become mushy when the cake is baked. I’ve tried this recipe with yogurt and creme fraiche and both work like a charm!

INGREDIENTS

SPICED PEAR CAKE

  • 200 g (1 1/3 cup + 1 1/2 tbsp.) all purpose flour
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 3/4 tsp. ground ginger
  • 3/4 tsp. allspice
  • 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • 125 g softened salted butter
  • 200 g (1 cup) granulated sugar
  • zest from 1 orange
  • zest from 1 lemon
  • 1/8 tsp. vanilla bean powder
  • 2 large eggs
  • 150 ml (2/3 cup) creme fraiche or thick yogurt, at room temp.
  • 5 pears
  • Powdered sugar, for dusting

INSTRUCTIONS

SPICED PEAR CAKE

  1. Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F). Grease and flour/breadcrumb a springform pan (about 23 cm/9 inches in diameter).
  2. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, allspice and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, beat together the butter, sugar, zests and vanilla until light and creamy, about 2-3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the flour in three additions, and the creme fraiche/yogurt in two, beginning and ending with flour. Beat until just smooth.
  4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Smooth the top with a spatula. Wash the pears and pat them dry with a clean kitchen towel. Cut of a little bit of the bottom of the pears so they stand up straight in the batter. If you skip this step, they will tip over. Press the pears down into the batter, stem end up.
  5. Bake the cake on the lowest rack of the oven for 50-55 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Start checking around 40 minutes, as you might need to cover the cake with foil if the pears are browning too much.
  6. Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then remove the sides of the springform pan, or if you’ve baked in another pan you can leave the cake to cool completely in the pan. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.

Banana bread with brown butter chocolate spread

By 20 Comments

I’ve been thinking about making banana bread for some time now, but haven’t been patient enough to wait for bananas to become ripe. Hehe. Sounds silly, I know! I even tried making a banana bread using roasted banana but it was definitely not the same. The bananas simply NEED to be very ripe to get the right sweetness and flavor. I know there are some tricks for speeding up the process but I haven’t tried them myself.

I’m not sure what else to say about this recipe other than it’s seriously dangerous and you will want to eat the whole thing by yourself. Especially slathered in that creamy brown butter chocolate spread. Yuum. It’s perfect for the beautiful autumn weather we’re having – accompanied by a cup of coffee or chai tea.

If you’re looking for other banana recipes, you can find my Banana bundt cake with butterscotch sauce HERE and my Banana upside down cake HERE. I very much encourage you to try those too as they are two of my favorite recipes ever.

BANANA BREAD WITH BROWN BUTTER CHOCOLATE SPREAD

Makes 1 loaf cake

This cake can be made 1-2 days ahead (actually it gets better after a day or two), wrapped in plastic wrap or stored in a airtight container.
Recipe from my book “Sweet food & photography” / My Sweet Kitchen

INGREDIENTS

BANANA BREAD

  • 125 g unsalted butter, softened
  • 210 g (1 scant cup) granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 210 g (1 1/2 cup) all purpose flour
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp. flaky salt
  • 1 cup (about 2-3) very ripe mashed bananas
  • 125 ml (1/2 cup) sour cream or thick yogurt
  • 1 banana, for topping

BROWN BUTTER CHOCOLATE

  • 225 g (1 cup/2 sticks) unsalted butter
  • 75 g semi sweet chocolate (55%), chopped
  • pinch of salt
  • 1-2 tbsp. powdered sugar

INSTRUCTIONS

BANANA BREAD

  1. Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F). Grease and flour/breadcrumb a 5 cup (1,2 liter) loaf pan.
  2. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until pale and creamy, about 3-4 minutes. Add the egg and beat until smooth.
  3. In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda and salt.
  4. Fold the dry ingredients into the butter and egg mixture. Combine the mashed banana and sour cream and add to the batter, then stir until smooth.
  5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Split a banana in half lengthwise and place on top of the batter, dot the bananas with a little extra butter if desired.
  6. Bake on the lower rack for about 60-67 minutes (but start checking a little earlier) or until a cake tester comes out clean. Keep an eye on the cake so it doesn’t brown too much on top. If it does, cover the pan loosely with a piece of aluminum foil or parchment paper (make sure to not seal it, the cake needs room to breathe and rise!). Let the cake cool in the pan for 15-20 minutes, then invert it onto a wire rack to cool.

BROWN BUTTER CHOCOLATE

  1. Place the butter in a light colored saucepan (so you can see the butter change color) over medium heat and leave until it melts and start bubbling.
  2. Continue cooking, stirring frequently until the milk solids turn brown and the butter smells nutty, about 5-10 minuter longer. Take care not to burn the butter (it will continue to brown even after you remove it from the heat, so take it off in time). Pour the butter into a bowl and let cool for a few minutes, then add the chopped chocolate and salt and stir until smooth.
  3. Either leave at room temperature or place the bowl covered in the fridge until the spread thickens to a soft butter consistency. Beat the mixture until fluffy, and add in powdered sugar if desired.

Apple cinnamon bundt cake

By 18 Comments

Whilst it’s not a good year for blueberries, it’s definitely a good year for apples which makes me super happy since apples are amongst my favorite things to bake with. And most of all, I needed a good reason to use some of my thrift store finds in a shoot, like that bundt pan, the pretty cake stand I bought at a flea market on our way to the Norway workshop, the broderie Anglaise apron (I’m absolutely obsessed with broderie Anglaise!), that vintage bicycle basket and the new hand carved beautiful utensils from Grain and Knot.

If you follow me on Instagram, you probably recognize some of these finds from my stories and know that I’m sort of obsessed with thrift shopping. More on this soon, hehe. Anyway, this apple bundt cake reminds me a of a soft gingerbread cake. Perhaps that’s why I love it so much? I was very tempted to add some cardamom too, but I already add cardamom to basically everything I make so cinnamon had to suffice. I mean, cinnamon and cardamom are basically two of the best flavour out there. Especially together. I’m thinking of cinnamon and cardamom buns which is preeeetty much the best thing ever, right?!


APPLE CINNAMON BUNDT CAKE

Serves 8

This cake is basically a Swedish ‘sockerkaka’ which, roughly translated, means sugar cake. It’s very fluffy and quite light in texture. Feel free to add other spices, like cardamom or cloves. Or replace the lemon with orange, so good! Note that I baked this cake in a vintage cake pan which usually takes a little longer – make sure to start checking doneness around 30-35 minutes.

INGREDIENTS

  • 100 g (1 scant stick) salted butter
  • 100 ml (1/3 cup + 1 1/2 tbsp) milk
  • finely grated zest from 1 lemon
  • 180 g (1 1/4 cup) all purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
  • 2-3 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 2 apples (about 280 g)
  • 1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp. all purpose flour
  • 3 large eggs, at room temp
  • 180 g (3/4 cup + 1 1/2 tbsp) granulated sugar
  • Powdered sugar, for dusting

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Preheat oven to 175°C (350F). Grease and flour a 4 1/2 – 5 cup (about 1 – 1.2 litre) bundt or loaf pan.
  2. In a saucepan, melt the butter and stir in the milk and lemon zest. Set aside.
  3. In a medium bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.
  4. Core, peel and dice the apples (to about 1 x 1 cm dices). Toss them in a bowl with lemon juice and 1 tbsp flour.
  5. In a large bowl, beat eggs and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Sift in the flour mixture and stir gently until combined. Add the butter mixture and stir until completely smooth. Should there be lumps of flour left in the batter, beat until just combined. Stir in the diced apples.
  6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake on the lowest rack in the oven for 40-45 minutes (start checking doneness around 30 minutes) or until a cake tester comes out clean. Let cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar. Serve with whipped cream if desired.

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