Strawberry Summer Layer Cake

This entertaining introduction to Scandinavian food contains over 80 recipes to try at home, developed by Bronte Aurell, owner of the popular ScandiKitchen Cafe in London’s West End.

There’s so much more to Nordic food than pickled herring and meatballs. Stretching from the midnight sun of northern Norway to the flat, fertile fields of Denmark, Scandinavian food culture is a lot more varied than you might think. Dishes and ingredients link all the regions together, bringing a uniquely Nordic food experience to life that was created by thousands of years of heritage and shared culture. Scandinavian food is simple. Natives call it ‘husmanskost’ (farmer’s fare). It’s natural and honest. When you work with the very best produce, there’s no need to overcomplicate it. Its appeal lies in the fact that it is healthy, wholesome, flavoursome, simple to make and beautiful to look at.

This book features recipes for all occasions and times of the day, ranging from morning buns, lunchtime savories, hearty dinners and indulgent desserts, to bakes and other foods for special celebrations. Enjoy fresh and simple open sandwiches, healthy Nordic salads, delicious traditional hot dishes and indulgent cakes. Discover new flavours and textures from mustard pickled herring and gravlax to sticky Kladdkaka cake.

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Strawberry Summer Layer Cake

In Sweden, this cake is called ‘Jordgubbstårta’ and it’s got all the flavours of a Nordic summer. Don’t be put off by the components: the process is surprisingly easy!

1 x quantity Crème Pâtissière (see page 113), cooled in the fridge

CAKE LAYERS:

3 eggs

90 g/scant ½ cup caster/ granulated sugar

90 g/ 2/3 cup plain/all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon vanilla sugar

20 g/ 4 teaspoons melted butter

WHIPPED CREAM:

600 ml/ 2 ¼ cups whipping cream

2 tablespoons icing/ confectioners’ sugar, plus extra to dust

1 teaspoon vanilla sugar

ASSEMBLING THE CAKE:

75 g/ ¼ cup raspberry jam/preserve

600 g/ 6 cups strawberries, washed, trimmed and sliced

3 baking sheets greased and lined with baking parchment piping bag fitted with a star nozzle/tip

SERVES 6–8

Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F) Gas 6.

Trace 3 identical circles approximately 20 cm/ 8 in. in diameter (use a plate as a guide) onto the baking parchment-lined baking sheets. If you wish, you can bake the cake layers in two batches as they only need to be in the oven for a short while.

To make the cake layers, whisk the eggs and sugar until white and fluffy. The key here is to whisk for a long time to incorporate as much air as possible. Sift the flour and vanilla sugar into the egg mixture and fold, very carefully, until completely incorporated. Fold thoroughly but very gently in order to preserve as much air as possible. Lastly, add the melted butter and stir carefully.

Using a spatula, carefully divide the batter between the 3 circles and ensure the batter neatly fills the circles all the way around. Bake in the preheated oven until just golden brown and done – thiswill depend on your oven, but 5–6 minutes is usually fine. Remove from the oven and leave to cool completely on a cooling rack. When cool, very carefully remove the baking parchment  – if it sticks, wet the back of the paper a little bit and it should come off easily.

Whisk the whipped cream ingredients until stiff peaks form. Fold one-third of the whipped cream together with the Crème Pâtissière until completely incorporated (the remaining whipped cream is used to decorate the final cake).To assemble the cake, place the first layer cake on the plate you wish to serve on. Spread a layer of raspberry jam/preserve, followed by a generous layer of the Crème Pâtissière mixture. Add a good handful of sliced strawberries, evenly spread out. Add another cake layer, then the raspberry jam/preserve, Crème Pâtissière and strawberries again, and place the final cake layer on top. Trim any excess cream away from the edges of the cake with a spatula. Using a palette knife, spread a thin layer of the whipped cream on the top of the cake. Add the rest of the cream to a piping bag and pipe carefully around the edge of the cake in an up-and-down motion until the sides are covered. If you do not have a piping bag, you can use the palette knife for this and just smooth the edges.

Finish by adding the remaining strawberries on the top of the cake. It doesn’t have to look too arranged – just scatter them so the cake is evenly covered. Dust with icing/confectioners’ sugar.

Serve with lots of sunshine!

Recipe reprint with permission from Ryland Peters & Small.