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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

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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.

Carrot cake with lime cream cheese frosting & salted caramel sauce

By 13 Comments

After a fabulous workshop in Paris with Joann, Elise and Eva, and our amazing guests, I was happy to come home to super hot summer weather in Sweden (still going strong!). I decided to make one of my favorite cakes for the workshop, my carrot cake.

I know, I’ve posted it before but it’s just so insanely good so no harm in posting it again. This time with the addition of lime in the cream cheese frosting and a salted caramel sauce. Let me tell you, it’s so so good!? I love this combination so much.

You wanna know a little secret? The cakes came with me to Paris all the way from Sweden, in my checked bag by the way. Obviously not the assembled cake with frosting, that would be a very bad idea. But still! It’s the second time I try it and it works like a charm. I know it sounds crazy to do this as I had access to a fabulous kitchen in Paris, but I just like to be prepared and I find it difficult to bake in a new kitchen. Perhaps that should be my next blogpost, how to bring cake on a flight? 😉

CARROT CAKE WITH LIME CREAM CHEESE FROSTING & SALTED CARAMEL SAUCE

Yields one cake, serves 6-8

INGREDIENTS

CAKE

  • 150 g (1 1/4 stick) salted butter
  • 3 large eggs
  • 135 g (2/3 cup) granulated sugar
  • 110 g (1/2 cup) light brown sugar, firmly packed
  • 180 g (1 1/4 cup) all purpose flour
  • 2 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp. flaky salt
  • 250 g (about 1 3/4 cups grated) carrots, finely grated
  • 150 ml (1/2 cup + 2 tbsp.) apple sauce

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

  • 150 g (1 1/4 stick) softened unsalted butter
  • 110-150 g (3/4 – 1 cup) powdered sugar
  • 200 g cream cheese
  • 1/4 tsp. vanilla bean powder
  • zest from 1 organic lime

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

INSTRUCTIONS

CAKE

  1. Preheat oven to 175°C (350°F). Grease and flour two 6-inch (15 cm) cake pans.
  2. Melt the butter and set aside to cool.
  3. Beat eggs and sugars until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add in the melted butter and stir until smooth.
  4. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt, then gently stir dry mixture into the batter until just smooth. Add grated carrots and apple sauce and stir until combined. Divide batter between the two cake pans.
  5. Pour the batter into the prepared baking pans, smoothing the tops with a spatula. Bake in the lower part of the oven for about 40-43 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 15 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely.

FROSTING

  1. Beat butter and powdered sugar (start with the smaller amount and add more if needed) until pale and fluffy. Add cream cheese and vanilla and beat until just smooth. Stir in the grated lime zest.
  2. If the frosting seems soft, place the bowl in the fridge while you prepare the next steps.

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!). Add the salt and stir until smooth. Pour the caramel into a heat proof bowl and let cool completely.

ASSEMBLY

  1. Cut both cake layers in half with a serrated knife so you get four cake layers.
  2. Put 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 while if it seems unstable.
  4. Pour the caramel sauce over the cake, letting it drip down the sides. Top with fresh berries if desired.

 

Chocolate cake with chocolate chip mascarpone filling and chocolate fudge frosting

By 46 Comments

Sponsored post.

Spring is nowhere to be seen, which also means there is no produce yet. Chocolate to the rescue! I don’t mind at all, although I do long to see the first rhubarb stalks at the market. Sooner than later, I hope. But for now, I have chocolate and that’s pretty great.

This chocolatey beauty of a cake is perfect for anyone who loves chocolate as it’s super rich and moist, made with chocolate from Tales chocolate. The chocolate bar, “Gamla Stan” is created to tell a story of Stockholm’s Old Town with a sculptural map on the bar itself, but also through the flavour and taste experience. This is their first chocolate bar, and I can’t wait to see what they come up with next! They’re sold at selected Designtorget stores in Stockholm and they also have an online shop with worldwide shipping, in case you yourself would like a small piece of Stockholm!

I rarely buy 85% chocolate because I tend to think it’s too strong for me, but I was so wrong! This one is smooth and fruity, perfect to eat as is, and also wonderful for baking. It looks good, it tastes good, and it’s also organic, fair trade and additive free. I mean, what more could one wish for?

As for the cake, I had one piece the day I made it, and one piece the day after and I must say it keeps getting better and better. I gave the leftovers to my mom, and she’s been eating it for a few days now. She says it gets even better, especially with a little sprinkle of salt.

*This post was made in collaboration with Tales chocolate. All opinions are as always, my own 🙂

Chocolate cake with chocolate chip mascarpone filling and chocolate fudge frosting

Makes one 8-inch cake, serves 10-12

Ingredients

Chocolate cake

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

Chocolate chip mascarpone filling

  • 250 g mascarpone
  • 2 tbsp. powdered sugar
  • 150 ml (2/3 cup) heavy cream
  • pinch of salt
  • 80 g (2.8 oz) dark chocolate (85%), finely chopped

Chocolate fudge frosting

  • 100 g (3.5 oz) dark chocolate (85%), chopped
  • 175 g (~1 1/2 sticks) salted butter, softened
  • 150 g (1 cup) powdered sugar
  • 4 tbsp. (1/4 cup) cocoa powder
  • 2-3 tbsp milk or heavy cream
  • 4 tbsp. (1/4 cup) sour cream (can be omitted, but tastes really nice with the chocolate)
  • flaky salt, to sprinkle

Instructions

Chocolate cake

  1. Preheat oven to 175°C (350°F). Butter two 20 cm (8-inch) cake pans and dust them 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 liquid at this point).
  5. Divide the batter evenly between the two cake pans. Bake the cakes on the lowest rack for 22-26 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in their pans for 10 minutes, then invert onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
  6. When cakes are completely cool, split them in half using a serrated knife.

Chocolate chip mascarpone filling

  1. In a medium bowl, beat mascarpone and powdered sugar until smooth and creamy. Add the cream and salt and beat until mixture thickens. Stir in the chopped chocolate.

Chocolate fudge frosting & assembly

  1. Melt the chocolate and set aside to cool.
  2. Beat butter, powdered sugar and cocoa powder until pale and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the cooled, melted chocolate and beat until smooth. Add milk or heavy cream and sour cream and beat until incorporated. If frosting feels loose, put the bowl in the fridge for a few minutes.
  3. Place the first cake layer on a plate or cake stand. Spread with a layer of mascarpone filling. Repeat with remaining layers.
  4. Spread the chocolate frosting on the top and sides of the cake using an offset spatula. If you have chocolate frosting left over, feel free to pipe it on top of the cake. Sprinkle with flaky salt.

Mini pumpkin cakes with caramel pastry cream and toasted lemon meringue frosting

By 30 Comments

I can’t believe summer is already over! It went by way too fast this year, but no wonder since I’ve been busy moving (I seriously can’t believe how much stuff we had crammed into our old apartment) and shooting my friend My’s book which by the way is SO much fun. A new experience for sure, and we’re nearly there. Can’t wait until it’s published next spring, I need to show you guys what we’ve been up to for basically the past 1 1/2 years 🙂 Moving has been such a transition. Life feels better and the new apartment is great, but getting back into work, learning how the light ‘works’ here is definitely a learning process. Living without a dishwasher is also something I haven’t done in a few years…

My and I found this amazing little farm shop called Kaggagård where we shot some pictures for her book. They had the most gorgeous pumpkins so I decided to bring a few home with me. I made some pumpkin puree, roasted pumpkin and these little cakes. I think I might make some soup aswell, and pie. What’s your all time favorite pumpkin recipe?

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Mini pumpkin cakes with caramel pastry cream and toasted lemon meringue frosting

Makes 4 small cakes

This is a delicious version of my favorite ever carrot cake, where I use both grated pumpkin, pumpkin puree and sour cream instead of grated carrot and apple sauce/peach puree. If you prefer using carrot or if you want to make a 6 inch cake, you can find instructions for the cake layers here and here.

 

INGREDIENTS

PUMPKIN CAKE

  • 150 g butter
  • 1 3/4 cups grated pumpkin
  • 3 large eggs
  • 150 g (2/3 cup) granulated sugar
  • 65 g (1/3 cup + 1 1/2 tbsp.) light brown muscovado sugar, firmly packed
  • 180 g (1 1/4 cups) all purpose flour
  • 2 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp. flaky salt
  • 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • 80 ml (1/3 cup) sour cream
  • 80 ml (1/3 cup) pumpkin puree (if you don’t have pumpkin puree, use sour cream or apple sauce instead)

CARAMEL PASTRY CREAM

  • 150 ml (2/3 cup) milk
  • 100 ml (1/3 cup + 2 tbsp) heavy cream
  • 1/2 vanilla bean
  • 3 large egg yolks (save egg whites for frosting)
  • 4 tbsp. (55 g) granulated sugar, divided
  • 2 tbsp. (17 g) cornstarch
  • pinch of salt
  • 1 tbsp. (15 g) butter

MERINGUE FROSTING

  • 4 large egg whites
  • 200 g (1 scant cup) granulated sugar
  • zest from 1 small organic lemon

INSTRUCTIONS

PUMPKIN CAKE

  1. Heat oven to 350°F (175°C). Butter a 30 x 40 cm/ 11 x 16 inch sheet pan and cover with baking paper.
  2. Melt the butter and set aside to cool.
  3. Peel and grate the pumpkin.
  4. Beat eggs and sugars until fluffy and lighter in color and texture, about 3 minutes. Add the melted butter and beat until combined.
  5. Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a bowl, then stir into the batter until just smooth.
  6. Add grated pumpkin, pumpkin puree and sour cream to the batter and stir until combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth with a spatula.
  7. Bake for about 16-18 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean.
  8. Let cake cool completely before cutting out rounds with a 6,5 cm/2.5 inch cookie cutter. Wrap the rounds in plastic wrap or store in an airtight container if not using immediately.

PASTRY CREAM

  1. Pour milk and cream into a saucepan. Scrape the seeds out of the vanilla bean and add seeds and bean to the saucepan. Cook over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil. Remove from heat.
  2.  In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 tbsp sugar, cornstarch, salt and yolks. Set aside.
  3. Put the remaining 3 tbsp of 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 carefully with a spoon until sugar is melted and golden brown. Be careful not to burn the sugar! Stir in the butter.
  4. Very carefully pour some of the hot milk mixture over the melted sugar (it will bubble up so make sure to be careful as this stuff is hot!). Add the milk mixture little by little, then heat until everything is melted again.
  5. Slowly pour half of the hot milk mixture over the egg mixture to temper the eggs. Pour everything back into the saucepan and remove the vanilla bean.
  6. Whisk over medium heat until the mixture becomes very thick. Put the saucepan in a cold water bath, stirring every now and then to prevent a skin from forming. When mixture is cool, pour into a clean bowl and cover with plastic wrap, pressing the plastic wrap against the surface of the pastry cream. Put the bowl in the fridge until pastry cream is cold and thick – about 2 hours, but preferably longer.

ASSEMBLY

  1.  Put the first small cake layer on a small plate or cake stand. Spread with a layer of the pastry cream, then put the next cake layer on top. Repeat until you’ve used four layers for each little cake. Put the cakes in the fridge while you prepare the frosting.

MERINGUE FROSTING

  1.  Pour egg whites and sugar in a clean and heatproof bowl (preferably stainless steel or glass). Put the bowl over a saucepan with simmering water. The bowl should fit snugly, and the simmering water should not be touching the bowl.
  2. Whisk the sugar and eggs 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 lemon zest.
  4. Cover the cakes with meringue frosting and toast the meringue with a kitchen torch.

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Citrus ginger cake with honey chocolate frosting

By 15 Comments

Citrus ginger cake with honey chocolate frosting As you can see, I’ve been really into making cakes lately. For the longest time now, I’ve been kind of sick of cake. I have no idea why! I guess I go through these weird creative cycles where I can only think about one type of recipe and right now, my obsession seems to be cake. I hope you don’t mind… Actually I know you don’t mind 😉

I can’t believe it’s almost December! Yesterday was the first of advent here in Sweden.. Christmas still feels very distant. This cake is kind of suitable for Christmas/winter actually. Orange and chocolate is a combination I adore. And with the addition of ginger, and honey in the frosting, it’s even better!

Citrus ginger cake with honey chocolate frosting
ClementinesCitrus ginger cake with honey chocolate frosting
Citrus ginger cake with honey chocolate frosting
Citrus ginger cake with honey chocolate frosting
Citrus ginger cake with honey chocolate frosting
Citrus ginger cake with honey chocolate frosting Citrus ginger cake with honey chocolate frosting

CITRUS GINGER CAKE WITH HONEY CHOCOLATE FROSTING

Yields one 8-inch cake, serves 8-10

What I really like about this cake, besides the moist, buttery crumb, is the frosting. It’s perfect if you don’t  like it super sweet. As for which citrus fruits to use, it’s up to you! I used zest from 1 orange and 1 clementine but you could also use lemon, blood orange or lime. Make sure to not throw away the fruits after using the zest. Save them for the topping!

INGREDIENTS

CAKE

  • 270 g (barely 2 cups) all purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 175 g (1 1/2 stick) softened butter
  • 270 g (1 1/4 cups) granulated sugar
  • 1/2 tsp. vanilla powder
  • 3 large eggs
  • 225 mL (barely 1 cup) sour cream
  • 1 tbsp. grated fresh ginger
  • 2 tbsp. finely grated citrus zest (save the fruits for the brûlée topping)

FROSTING

  • 200 g semi sweet- or dark chocolate (50-70%)
  • 300 g cream cheese, at room temperature
  • pinch of salt
  • 4-5 tbsp. fluid honey

BRÛLÉED CITRUS

  • 1 orange
  • 1 clementine
  • handful of kumquats if desired
  • 3 tbsp. turbinado sugar

INSTRUCTIONS

CAKE

  1. Preheat oven to 175°C (350f). Grease and flour a 20 cm (8 inch) cake pan.
  2. In a medium bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
  3. Beat butter, sugar and vanilla powder until light and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.
  4. Add the flour mixture, sour cream, zest and ginger to the butter mixture and stir until batter is smooth.
  5. Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake in the lower part of the oven for 48-50 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then invert onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

FROSTING & ASSEMBLY

  1. Coarsely chop the chocolate, then melt it and let it cool for a few minutes until lukewarm.
  2. Beat the cream cheese, honey and salt until smooth, then add the melted chocolate and beat until smooth again. If the cream cheese is too cold, the mixture might harden quickly. If it does, carefully heat the mixture in a pan so a small part of the chocolate melts, then beat smooth and creamy again.
  3. Split the cake in half so you have two layers. Place the first layer on a plate or cake stand, then spread with a layer of frosting. Put the second layer on top and cover the cake with the rest of the frosting.

BRÛLÉED CITRUS

  1. Slice the fruit and cut away the remaining peel and pith from each slice. Pat dry with a paper towel. Sprinkle sugar on top and using a kitchen torch, slowly and evenly caramelize the sugar until it bubbles and browns. Let cool for a minute, then place brûleed slices on the cake. Decorate with kumquats.

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Chocolate cake with chocolate hazelnut frosting

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Chocolate cake with chocolate hazelnut frosting Chocolate cake with chocolate hazelnut frosting  By popular demand… here it is. The chocolate cake with chocolate hazelnut frosting and dark chocolate glaze. Or to be more specific- chocolate heaven. I didn’t make it for the blog and wasn’t initially going to post the recipe, but that would have been kind of selfish, wouldn’t it? I made it for my brother who turned 20 the other day aaand let’s just say he and my other little brother had two pieces each in one go. He later said that he dreamed about it that night and that he had a piece for breakfast too. Apparently it was even better the day after. I didn’t want to cut into his birthday cake just to take photos, which is the reason I only have photos of the outside of the cake. But at least you can see all the layers!

I know I’ve been swearing by my other go-to chocolate cake recipe (find it HERE) but I’m kind of leaning towards this one being my new favorite. It bakes up beautifully and comes out fairly flat on top. I adapted the cake recipe from one of my own books, My sweet kitchen (my third book, originally Sweet food & photography in Sweden), which will be out in the US on February 17. You can pre-order it on Amazon already!  I adapted this cake from the stout cupcakes with cream cheese frosting and chocolate pretzels (yum!). I doubled the recipe and used milk and coffee in place of stout. Feel free to try out stout in this recipe too! I bet it would be delicious.

On another note, I usually only use two pans when I make cake but this time I used three. If you only have two pans and want to make this cake, I say go ahead and bake it in two pans, then split the layers in half so you end up with four layers. There should be enough frosting for it. Just make sure to adjust the baking time which will be a little longer, but start checking at 35 minutes anyway. Oh, and make sure to use baking pans that are not too shallow. Just FYI!

Chocolate cake with chocolate hazelnut frosting Chocolate, cocoa powder and saltChocolate cake with chocolate hazelnut frosting Chocolate cake with chocolate hazelnut frosting Chocolate cake with chocolate hazelnut frosting
Chocolate cake with chocolate hazelnut frosting

Chocolate cake with chocolate hazelnut frosting & dark chocolate glaze

Yields one 6-inch cake, serves 8-10

Ingredients

Chocolate sour cream cake

  • 200 g (~1 3/4 sticks) butter
  • 125 mL (1/2 cup) milk
  • 240 g (1 2/3 cups) all purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
  • 68 g (2/3 cup) cocoa powder
  • 315 g (1 1/2 cups) granulated sugar
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 2 medium eggs
  • 150 mL (2/3 cup) sour cream
  • 125 mL (1/2 cup) hot coffee

Chocolate filling

  • 75 g (2.6 oz) semi-sweet chocolate (50%)
  • 35 g (2 1/2 tbsp) butter
  • pinch of salt

Chocolate hazelnut frosting

  • 150 g (~1 1/4 sticks) butter, softened
  • 100 g (~1/2 cup) cream cheese, cold
  • 60 g (1/3 cup + 2 tbsp) powdered sugar
  • 250 g (3/4 cup + 2 tbsp) chocolate hazelnut spread (such as Nutella, or make your own -recipe HERE)
  • pinch of salt

Dark chocolate glaze

  • 75 g (2.6 oz) dark chocolate (70%)
  • 45 g (3 tbsp) butter
  • pinch of salt

Decoration

  • chocolate sprinkles

Instructions

Chocolate sour cream cake

  1. Preheat oven to 175°C (350°F). Butter three 6-inch (15 cm) cake pans and dust them with 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 liquid).
  5. Divide the batter evenly between the three cake pans. Bake the cakes on the lower rack for 32-35 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in their pans for 15 minutes, then invert onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

Chocolate filling

  1. Coarsely chop the semi-sweet chocolate and place it in a saucepan together with butter, over low heat. Stir often until everything is melted. Add a pinch of salt. Let cool to spreadable consistency – meanwhile you can prepare the frosting.

Chocolate hazelnut frosting & assembly

  1. Beat butter until pale and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the cream cheese, powdered sugar, chocolate hazelnut spread and salt and beat until frosting is completely smooth and fluffy. If frosting feels loose, put the bowl in the fridge for a while.
  2. Place the first cake layer on a plate or cake stand. Spread with chocolate filling, then pipe or spread a layer of frosting on top (make sure to save some frosting for piping the top of the cake). Don’t pipe or spread all the way out to the edge as the weight of the cake will make it spread.
  3. Place the second layer on top of the first layer. Spread second layer with chocolate filling, then pipe or spread a layer of frosting on top. Put the third layer on top. Put the cake in the fridge to stabilize it while you prepare the dark chocolate glaze.

Dark chocolate glaze & decoration

  1. Coarsely chop the dark chocolate and place it in a saucepan together with butter, over low heat. Stir often until everything is melted. Add a pinch of salt. 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.
  2. Pipe some blobs of frosting on top of the cake and decorate with chocolate sprinkles.

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Cinnamon bun cake with lingonberries

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Cinnamon bun cake with lingonberries
No matter how many delicious things I try, cinnamon buns will always be on the very top of my list. Definitely in top five at least. Possibly even top three. I’ve been toying with the idea of turning the classic Swedish cinnamon bun into a cake and this is definitely it. I guess this recipe should be called ‘cardamom cake with lingonberries, brown butter cinnamon frosting and cream cheese glaze’ but I don’t think I have space for that on here. Cinnamon bun cake with lingonberries it is.

Cinnamon bun cake with lingonberriesThose who have been following for a while probably know how much I love cardamom and cinnamon. There is just something about that smell that makes me… feel things. I just want to sit down by the fireplace I wish I had, and enjoy a big cup of tea or coffee and eat this cake. Really, having a fire place is one of my biggest dreams.

The brown butter cinnamon frosting in between the layers of this cake reminds me of cookie dough, in the best way possible. And if you have access to it, I recommend using pearl sugar for “dusting” the pan as it gives the cake a lovely crunch and definitely makes it more cinnamon bun-like. Pearl sugar (‘pärlsocker’ in Swedish), or nib sugar, is a large granule sugar that doesn’t melt when baked. Here in Sweden it’s most commonly used for cinnamon buns and chocolate balls. I read somewhere that dusting the pan with granulated sugar instead of flour will create a lovely crunchy crust on the outside of the cake but I have yet to try. The lingonberries add some tartness to an otherwise quite sweet cake. I’m sure cranberries would work well too!

Cinnamon bun cake with lingonberriesCinnamon bun cake with lingonberries
Cinnamon bun cake with lingonberriesCinnamon bun cake with lingonberriesCinnamon bun cake with lingonberries

Cinnamon bun cake with lingonberries

Yields one 6-inch cake, serves 6-8

This cake is absolutely delicious and reminds me of Swedish cinnamon buns. Note that if you use the pearl sugar in the pan it gets quite sweet, but it does add a lovely crunch to the cake which makes all the difference.
Cake recipe adapted from the book “Allt om det goda – Kaffekalas”.

Ingredients

Cardamom cake
  • 300 g (2 cups) all purpose flour
  • 2 tsp. baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 2 tsp whole cardamom seeds, finely ground
  • 100 g (1 scant stick) softened butter
  • 270 g (1 + 1/4 cup) granulated sugar
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla powder
  • 1 large egg
  • 100 mL (1/3 cup + 1 1/2 tbsp) sour cream
  • 150 mL (2/3 cup) milk
  • 60 g lingonberries (fresh or frozen)
  • Pearl sugar (can be omitted)
Brown butter frosting
  • 100 g unsalted butter
  • 1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • 45 g (1/3 cup) powdered sugar
  • pinch of salt
  • 1-2 tbsp. milk
Cream cheese glaze
  • 75 g cold cream cheese
  • 75 g (1/2 cup) powdered sugar
  • 1-2 tbsp. milk
Decoration
  • Cinnamon
  • Pearl sugar

Instructions

Cardamom cake

  1. Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F). Grease two 6 inch (15 cm) cake pans. “Dust” the sides and bottom of the pans with pearl sugar. If you don’t have pearl sugar – bread crumbs or all purpose flour also work, but you won’t get that lovely crunch. Dusting the pan with granulated sugar might work as well, but I haven’t tried it.
  2. In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, salt and ground cardamom. Set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, beat butter, sugar and vanilla until pale and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the egg and beat until smooth.
  4. Fold the dry ingredients into the butter and egg mixture. Add the sour cream and milk and stir until batter is smooth.
  5. Divide half the batter (1/4 of the batter in each pan) between the prepared cake pans and smooth the tops with a spoon. Sprinkle lingonberries on top – then divide remaining batter between the pans, smoothing the tops again with a spoon. Sprinkle with more pearl sugar.
  6. Bake cakes on the lower rack for about 50 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in their pans for 5 minutes, then invert cakes onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Brown butter frosting & assembly

  1. Place unsalted butter in a small saucepan on medium heat and stir until it melts completely. Continue cooking, stirring frequently until the milk solids turn brown and the butter smells nutty, about 5-10 minuter longer.
  2. Scrape the melted butter and browned bits into a small bowl and chill until almost solidified but still soft enough to be beaten with an electric mixer (about 20-30 minutes in the freezer, an hour or so in the fridge).
  3. Beat the butter until pale and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the cinnamon, powdered sugar and salt and beat until completely smooth and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add milk and beat until frosting is smooth.
  4. Put the first cake layer on a plate and spread with frosting. Place the second layer on top of the frosting.

Cream cheese glaze & decoration

  1. Beat cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth. Add milk to desired consistency.
  2. Pour or spoon glaze over the cake. Dust with cinnamon and sprinkle with pearl sugar.

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A peach carrot cake with cream cheese frosting + A Saveur blog awards finalist!

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First things first… THIS CAKE! Peach and carrot may sound like a strange combination but it definitely isn’t. It’s one of the most delicious cakes I’ve ever made, and I ate about half of it in a couple of days (don’t worry, the other half was eaten too, but not by me).

And you know what else? I forgot about my blog birthday.. yet again. I forget every year! I guess that happens when the blog is growing up, each birthday gets less and less noteworhty. Now the blog is 7 years old. Crazy!

I also have some other exciting news to share with you.. I’m one of the finalists in the Best Baking & Sweets category in the Saveur Blog Awards. It’s seriously such a great honor to be a finalist! Click here to view all finalists and to cast your votes, or click the Saveur link in the sidebar to the right. Remember to vote early and often!







PEACH CARROT CAKE
WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Makes one 6-inch cake, serves 8-10
Ingredients
For the cake
150 g salted butter
3 large eggs
2/3 cup (135 g) granulated sugar
1/3 cup + 1 1/2 tbsp (65 g) light brown muscovado sugar, firmly packed
1/4 tsp vanilla powder
1 1/4 cups (180 g) all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp sea salt flakes
1 tsp ground cinnamon
250 g carrots (about 1 3/4 cups when grated)
1 can (around 410 g) of peach halves in juice (2/3 cup of peach puree will be used in the cake, save the rest for filling)

For the cream cheese frosting
150 g softened butter
200 g cream cheese, at room temperature
3/4 – 1 cup (110-150 g) powdered sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla powder

For the filling
Remaining peach puree

Caramelized peaches
3-4 fresh peaches (I used donut peaches)
3 tbsp butter
3 tbsp light brown muscovado sugar, loosely packed

Fresh blackberries

Directions
Cake
1. Heat oven to 350°F (175°C).
2. Butter and flour two 6-inch (15 cm) cake pans.
3. Melt the butter and leave to cool.
4. Beat eggs and sugars until fluffy and lighter in color and texture, about 3 minutes. Add melted butter and vanilla and beat until combined.
5. Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a bowl, then stir into the batter until just smooth.
6. Peel and grate the carrots. Put the peaches (without the juice) in a blender or food processor and process until smooth.
7. Add grated carrots and 2/3 cup of the peach puree to the batter and stir until combined. Divide batter between the two cake pans.
8. Bake for about 40-43 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean.
9. Leave to cool in the pans for 20 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Cream cheese frosting
1. Beat butter until pale and fluffy. Add cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla and beat until just smooth.
2. Put the bowl in the fridge while you cut the cake.

Assembly (Check out my ‘How to fill and cover a cake’-guide)
1. Cut both cake layers in half with a serrated knife so you end up with four cake layers.
2. Put 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, then spread a layer of the peach puree over. Repeat this until you’ve used up all layers.
3. Spread a thin layer of frosting all over the cake and put in the fridge while you prepare the topping.

Caramelized peaches
1. Slice the fresh peaches. Heat the butter over medium heat in a non-reactive skillet. Add brown sugar and swirl with a wooden spoon until the sugar melts.
2. Add the peach slices and caramelize for 2-3 minutes. Let cool completely, then put them on top of the cake with blackberries.

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Mini princess cakes | Miniprinsesstårtor

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Princess cake has been on my to-do list for a while now. Since last summer I think, but I never got around to making one. I’ve eaten so many slices of princess cake in my life and I figured it was high time to make my own. Princess cake is one of the most typical Swedish pastries, and I’ve been very into making Swedish pastries lately. I know there is always some debate as to whether a real princess cake should contain raspberry jam or not. Nowadays they usually always do, as far as I know.  I chose to go with raspberry cream instead of jam, because why not? Raspberries are delicious. As they’re not really in season right now, I went for frozen ones.
And if I can, I always go for mini format. It does take a bit longer but aren’t they adorable? Totally worth it in my opinion, to be able to serve individual little cakes for your guests.
And what’s not to like? A light sponge, pastry cream, raspberry cream with a hint of lemon, more whipped cream and marzipan. They are actually lighter than you would think despite all that cream, and they aren’t overly sweet. Delicious.







MINI PRINCESS CAKES
Makes 10 small cakes

Notes on this recipe
-Sponge cakes can be prepared 1-2 days in advance as long as they are stored in airtight containers, pastry cream can be made one day in advance. The finished cakes taste best the first two days.
-Don’t use the marzipan that you buy already rolled out, it’s way too stiff and thick to cover these tiny cakes. Believe me, I tried (so much for being lazy..)!
-Marzipan tends to dry out quickly, if this happens, wet your hands ever so slightly with some water and knead until smooth again. 
-It can be difficult to roll out all of the marzipan at once, especially to get the thickness even. My advice is to roll out half the marzipan, cover 5 cakes, and then do the rest. 

Ingredients
Sponge cakes
3 tbsp + 1 tsp (30 g) all purpose flour
3 tbsp + 1 tsp (40 g) potato starch
1/2 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
2 large eggs
1/3 cup + 1 1/2 tbsp (90 g) granulated sugar
1/8 tsp vanilla powder

Pastry cream
(makes 1 cup, a bit more than you need)
1 cup (250 ml) milk
1/2 vanilla bean
3 tbsp (45 g) granulated sugar
2 tbsp (17 g) cornstarch
pinch of salt
1 large egg
1 egg yolk

Raspberry cream
75 g raspberries, fresh or frozen (thawed)
1 tbsp granulated sugar
finely grated zest from 1/2 lemon
1/4 cup (60 ml) heavy whipping cream

Topping
1 2/3 cup (400 ml) heavy whipping cream
2 tsp granulated sugar

350 g marzipan
green food coloring, if desired
powdered sugar, for dusting

Directions
Sponge cakes
1. Preheat oven to 175°C (350°C). Prepare a cupcake pan with 10 cupcake liners.
2. In a medium bowl, stir together flour, potato starch, baking powder and salt with a fork (to get rid of any lumps).
3. In a large bowl, beat eggs, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy – about 2-3 minutes.
4. Fold in the dry ingredients and stir until batter is smooth.
5. Divide the batter between the 10 cupcake liners, filling them about 2/3 full.
6. Bake for 15-16 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Let cool completely.

Pastry cream
1. Put milk in a saucepan. Scrape the seeds out of
the vanilla bean and add seeds and bean to the saucepan. Cook over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil. Remove from heat.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together sugar, cornstarch, salt, egg and egg yolk. Slowly whisk in half of the hot milk to temper the eggs. Pour everything back into the saucepan and remove the vanilla bean.
3. Whisk over medium heat until the mixture becomes very thick. Put the saucepan in a cold water bath, stirring every now and then to prevent a skin from forming. When mixture is cool, pour into a clean bowl and cover with plastic wrap, pressing the plastic wrap against the surface of the cream. Put bowl in the fridge.


Raspberry cream
1. In a bowl, mash the raspberries with sugar and lemon zest. Set aside about 2 tbsp of the mixture for brushing the cakes.
2. In a medium bowl, beat 1/4 cup cream until stiff peaks form. Add the raspberry mixture (not the reserved 2 tbsp) and stir until smooth.


Assembly
1. Remove the cupcake liners from the cupcakes. Cut each cupcake into three layers.
2. Put the widest layers (the “top” of the cupcake) on small plates or a cutting board. Pipe or spread a layer of pastry cream onto the first cake layers. Put the second layers on top and brush with the reserved raspberry mixture. Pipe or spread a layer of the raspberry cream over. Put the last layers on top.
3. Beat 1 2/3 cups cream with 2 tsp sugar until stiff peaks form. Spread a layer of cream over the cakes. Put the cakes in the fridge while you prepare the marzipan.
4. Knead the marzipan with a tiny amount of green food coloring, if desired. Sprinkle some powdered sugar on your work surface to prevent the marzipan from sticking to it.
5. Roll the marzipan out very thinly, about 2 mm thick. Cut out rounds large enough to cover the whole cake, my rounds were approximately 14 cm (5.5 inches) across. Drape the marzipan over the cakes and smooth out any wrinkles with your hands. Cut off excess marzipan around the edges. Dust with powdered sugar and decorate with fresh roses or marzipan roses. Store cakes in the fridge.