However I adore a dessert, it’s rarely on my mind as a meal draws to an end. I usually surrender after the main dish and nibble on a piece of cheese and a little seasonal fruit. No a dessert has to be savoured so I wait a couple of hours then I enjoy something sweet, when I have space in my tummy and it will get the attention it warrants.
This is a Swedish classic, however more commonly made with dark chocolate. Lingonberries grow in forests in Scandinavia and are frequently foraged for. Not readily available here so I’ve substituted them for cranberries, a relative of the lingonberry and widely available in December. Equally any other berry works too.
This is a cake for serious chocolate fans only, sticky, dense and squidgy. I prefer to serve small slices due to the richness of the cake. I think the berries counter the sweet white chocolate perfectly.
White Chocolate & Cranberry Kladdkaka
Ingredients
- 200 g white chocolate chopped
- 150 g unsalted butter
- 150 g caster sugar
- 3 eggs, medium room temperature
- 135 g plain flour
- Zest of an unwaxed lemon
- 125 g cranberries or blueberries
- ¼ tsp sea salt, fine
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven 165C fan, grease a 20cm loose bottom tin and line the bottom with parchment paper.
- Whisk the eggs and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Melt the butter in a saucepan on a medium to low heat then remove. Add the chopped chocolate and stir until it melts, pour into a mixing bowl. Now whisk in the egg mixture to the melted chocolate with the vanilla extract, it will thicken as you whisk.
- Sift the flour, salt and the lemon zest and then fold into the white chocolate batter.
- Pour the batter into the tin and smooth out and then sprinkle over the berries, pushing them into the batter a little way.
- Bake the cake for about 30-35 minutes or until it’s golden at the edges but still wobbly in the centre. The exact time can vary, so keep an eye on the cake. A perfect kladdkaka is very soft in the middle, but not too runny once cooled. It won’t rise but will puff up slightly during baking. Cool for 20 minutes before removing from the tin.
- Dust with icing sugar. Serve with whipped cream.
Tips:
- As I have suggested other berries work well too, try blueberries, red or blackcurrants.
- It is important to use eggs at room temperature otherwise when you combine the chocolate with the egg mixture it will stiffen too quickly.
- Ovens do vary, in mine this is perfect baked for 30 minutes, you may need to alter the cooking time.
- This cake freezes very well. Defrost naturally and serve at room temperature.
Salmon, Fennel & Avocado Tartare
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