Swedish Strawberry Cake

This is called Jordgubbstårta in Swedish and it is a traditional treat to celebrate summer and the strawberry season. There are no rules, though, and you can make this and celebrate whatever you want anywhere in the world. If you’re willing to use frozen strawberries you can also make this any time of year. It looks like a lot of work, but it is really very easy.

 

MAKES AN 8-INCH TWO - LAYER CAKE

 

Ingredients:

FOR THE CAKE:

 

4 tablespoons (½ stick) butter or margarine

1¼ cups cake flour

1½ teaspoons baking powder

2 eggs

¾ cup sugar

½ cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

 

FOR THE CAKE ASSEMBLY:

 

Whipped cream using:

1 cup heavy or whipping cream

½ teaspoon vanilla

2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar

 

1 pint strawberries

About ½ cup strawberry jam

 

………………

 

Instructions:

TO MAKE THE CAKE:

 

▪ Preheat oven to 350˚ F.

 

▪ Melt the butter or margarine and set aside to cool.

 

▪ Trace the bottoms of two 8-inch cake pans onto two pieces of waxed paper and cut out the circles. Lightly grease the bottoms of the cake pans, lay the waxed paper circles in them, pressing them to stick to the pans, and then grease and flour the waxed paper covered bottom plus the sides of the two pans.

 

▪ Mix together the flour and baking powder and set it aside.

 

▪ In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs and sugar until they are foamy. Stir in the vanilla.

 

▪ Stir the milk into the cooled, melted butter then add to the eggs mixture and beat to combine.

 

▪ Add the flour mixture and beat until smooth and then for another minute.

 

▪ Pour the batter in equal amounts into the two pans and put in the preheated oven.

 

▪ The cakes will take around 20 minutes to bake and will be done when a toothpick inserted in the centers comes out clean. I recommended checking it at 18 minutes.

 

▪ Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then remove them from the pans to a cooling rack and let them cool completely before assembling the cake.

 

▪ TO ASSEMBLE THE CAKE:

 

▪ Wash the strawberries, remove the stems, and cut them in half.

 

▪ Place one cake, bottom side up, on a serving plate and spread what is now the top with strawberry jam.

 

▪ Spread some whipped cream over the jam, place about a third of the strawberry halves on the whipped cream, and then place the other cake half top-side-up over it. What were the bottoms of the cakes when they were in the pans are now at the center of the layer cake.

 

▪ Spread whipped cream all along the sides of the cake and then over the top of it. Use a light touch and don’t try to make it smooth, giving the texture an uneven swirl.

 

▪ Press the remaining strawberries into the sides and on the top of the cake. It can be random or you can make a design out of it, if you are inspired to be artistic.