Swedish Midsummer Berry Cake

Swedish Midsommar! Long days, blue skies, flower crowns, white dresses, and smörgåsbord.  Sounds heavenly doesn’t it?  Cake, cream and summer berries are an essential part of this celebration.

This cake takes no time at all to make and bake.  The key is to whip as much air a possible into the eggs and sugar and then gently fold in the flour without knocking out the air.  Try and buy the best quality raspberries and strawberries or pick your own at a local farm, it’s a great way to spend a day out doors!

You can find another recipe for Swedish Midsummer cake here

Print Recipe

Swedish Midsummer Berry Cake

Prep Time30 minutes mins

Total Time30 minutes mins

Course: Dessert/Fika

Cuisine: Scandinavian

Servings: 6 people

Equipment

• 3 x 18 cm tins

Ingredients

• 255 g egg cracked weight
• 170 g caster sugar
• 130 g self raising flour
• 2 tsp natural vanilla extract
• 400 ml double cream
• 250 g fresh strawberries
• 280 g fresh raspberries
• ½ tsp cornflour
• 2-3 Tbls Icing sugar
• 5 Tbls raspberry or strawberry jam

Instructions

• Grease and line each tin with a parchment disc. Set the oven to 160C/fan.
• Crack the eggs into a free standing mixer and add the sugar and 1 tsp of the vanilla extract. Beat for at least 5 minutes or until really thick and glossy.  Once you have reached this stage very carefully fold in the flour until incorporated.  Divide equally into the greased tins and place in the oven.  Bake for 18-20 minutes or until golden and, if you insert a cocktail stick in the centre of the cakes, should come out clean.  Leave to cool.
• In the meantime take 10 raspberries and smash them with a fork in a bowl. Then tip them into a fine sieve and push through the pulp so you end up with a smooth puree. Add icing sugar to taste. Now pour this puree into a small saucepan and heat gently. Mix the cornflour with a tablespoon of cold water and whisk it into the raspberry puree and simmer gently until it thickens. Take off the heat and cool.
• Place the jam in a bowl. Now take the strawberries (keep a few for decorating) and slice, add them to the jam. Add the raspberries, again leaving a few to decorate.
• Lightly whip the cream with 1 tablespoon of icing sugar and the remaining vanilla extract. Be very careful not to over whip the cream, it will stiffen as you apply it to the cake.
• Peel away the parchment from the cake layers. Place the first layer on a plate and add half of the jam mixture and a small amount of cream. Place another layer on top and repeat. Top with the remaining layer, making sure the base of the remaining cake is upper most, as this has a flatter surface.
• Cover the cake with the whipped cream, then place in the fridge for an hour.
• Once chilled artistically paint on with a small palette knife some of the raspberry puree. Place the remaining berries on the top of the cake and drizzle any remaining puree on the top.