Strawberry Cake is a traditional cake at birthday parties and any other occation in the summer. With dark blue candles you get the colors of the American flag.

Make the cake half a day before serving so that the flavors of the fillings get absorbed into the cake layers.

Or make the cake but do not garnish the cake until the following day. Keep the ungarnished cake covered overnight in the refrigerator.

10-12 servings

Ingredients

Ingredients Sponge Cake

• 4 eggs
• 200 ml sugar
• 100 ml wheat flour
• 75 ml potato flour
• 1.5 tsp. baking powder

Ingredients First Layer Filling - Vanilla Cream

• 400 ml milk
• 1 vanilla bean cut lengthwise splitting it open
• 100 ml sugar
• 4 egg yolks
• 4 tbsp corn starch

Ingredients Second Layer Filling - Strawberries

• 300 ml mashed strawberries
• optional: strawberry jam
• 200 ml whipped cream

Ingredients Garnish

• 500 ml fresh strawberries
• 300 ml whipped cream

Directions

1. Grease and sprinkle unflavored bread crumbs in a form about 26 cm in diameter.
2. Beat the eggs and sugar well.
3. Mix wheat flour, potato flour and baking powder and add to the egg mixture until the batter is smooth.
4. Pour the mixture into the pan and bake in the lower part of oven at 175°C or 350°F for about 40 minutes.
5. Turn the cake over onto a plate and let it cool down.
6. Rinse strawberries and remove the green. Allow strawberries to dry on the paper.
7. Cut the bottom in 3 layers. (Use a bread knife and carefully cut around and then in the middle. Use wide spatula for lifting the bottom.)
8. Add the bottom layer on the serving plate.
9. Make vanilla cream according to the directions below and let it stand in refrigerator for 10 minutes.
10. Spread the vanilla cream on the bottom cake layer.
11. Add on the next layer. Distribute the mashed strawberries evenly. A little strawberry jam can ber added. Spread whipped cream on top of the strawberries.
12. Add on the top cake layer.
13. Spread whipped cream around the sides and on top.
14. Distribute the rest of the strawberries on top of the cake.

Directions Vanilla Cream

1. In a bowl combine half the sugar, cornstarch, and eggs. Mix well.
2. In a pan combine the milk with the other half of sugar, salt, and vanilla bean. Bring to boil
3. Reduce heat on pot. While stirring constantly, pour milk mixture into egg mixture. Strain.
4. Place back over medium heat, stirring constantly until it simmers and thickens.
5. Remove from heat. Let it cool.

This is not an easy fast cake to make. It requires some skills to make it look as fabulous as it tastes.

Ingredients: Princess Cake

• 1 sponge cake, 3 layers
• 125 ml raspberry jam
• 300 ml vanilla cream
• 300 ml whipping cream
• 1 packet of rolled marzipan, light green or pink to cover cake
• 2 tbsp. powdered sugar
• 3 tbsp. marzipan, pink (for the rose)
• 1-2 tbsp marzipan, green (for the leaves)

Directions

1. Be sure to distribute the ingredients evenly over cake layers as follows:
2. Spread raspberry jam on bottom sponge cake.
3. Place top sponge cake on top and spread vanilla cream. Save the middle sponge cake for the top.
4. Whip the cream until firm but not hard.
5. Add 2/3 of the cream in the middle of the cake, on top of vanilla cream, and shaping cream into a smooth dome.
6. Gently place the middle sponge cake on top. Gently mold it to a domed top.
7. Cover the whole cake with the rest of the whipping cream. Remove a thin layer with a spatula to make the cream even.
8. Cover the cake with plastic wrap and refrigerate half a day or overnight.
9. Let the rolled up marzipan remain in its plastic packaging. Sprinkle a rolling pin with powdered sugar, or use parchment paper, to prevent the marzipan from sticking to rolling pin. Rool out the marzipan and trim it so it is about height + width of the cake.
10. Gently lift the marzipan with both hands and place it centered over the cake. Smooth the marzipan gently over top of cake, but let the marzipan hang loose over the edges of the cake.
11. Finish one side of the cake by stretch out the marzipan with one hand and press firmly against the edge of the cake with the other. Do the same thing on the edge on the opposite side.
12. Cut off any excess marzipan save it for decoration. Use a fine-meshed sieve to sprinkle powder sugar on top of the cake.
13. Add some green food coloring to the saved green marzipan. Roll out and cut out shapes of three or five leaves. Use the edge of a spoon or knife to make veins on the leaves.
14. Make five 1 ½ cm sized balls of pink marzipan. Flatten the balls with the back of a spoon. Just press the If the marzipan stick to the spoon, clean spoon and lubricate it with some oil.
15. Roll out one of the five pieces of pink marzipan for inner petals. Pinch the other four pieces at the bottom to make the outer petals.

The Crumble Pie, "Smulpaj", at its' best when served with vanilla sauce. If you ever had Authentic Vanilla Sauce with this pie, you know it is is worth the extra effort.

Choose your favorite berry, fruit or rhubarb; raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, gooseberries, strawberries, apples or peaches into slices, rhubarb chopped into 3cm pieces. Or, make your own mixture. If you mix raspberries with blueberries and you get Queen's Mixture, an old common blend, especially in jam (Hemmets Kokbok published in 1903).

Ingredients

Ingredients Dough:

• 500 ml (300 grams) flour
• 100 ml granulated sugar
• 250 grams butter
• 100-200 ml chopped or slivered almonds

Ingredients Filling:

• 1.5-2 liters (~6.3-8.5 cups) filling
• 2-3 tbsp. granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp. potato flour

Ingredients Authentic Vanilla Sauce

• 400 ml half and half
• 2 vanilla beans
• 2/3 ml salt
• 4 tbsp. sugar
• 4 egg yolks
• 300 ml heavy whipping cream

Directions

Directions Pie

1. Preheat oven to 200° Celsius.
2. Mix flour and sugar to the dough in a bowl.
3. Add the butter cut into pieces, and disperse the butter with your fingertips, a fork, or a knife, into a grainy mass/crumble.
4. Work half the dough into a ball and press it out into the pie dish.
5. Sprinkle with half of the almonds and press them into the dough mixture.
6. Mix sugar and potato flour.
7. Fill the pie dish with the filling and sprinkle the potato flour-sugar mixture over it.
8. Add the other half of the almonds to the crumbled mass in the bowl.
9. Spread the crumble over the filling.
10. Bake in middle of oven until the filling has softened and the surface is nicely golden brown, about 30 minutes.
11. Serve the pie after cooling off, but warm with cold vanilla sauce.

For very jucy fillings, such as raspberry and bluberries, place the pie dish in oven on upper shelf for 5-10 minutes until lightly brown before adding the filling.

For less tartness, sprinkle littlle more sugar on filling before spreading the crumbled dough over the filling.

Directions Authentic Vanilla Sauce

Do not use whisk made of stainless steel in a pan made of aluminum. It could discolor the sauce

1. Pour the coffee cream in a saucepan.
2. Cut a slit along each whole vanilla bean.
3. Put them down in the cream and cook over low heat for 10-15 minutes.
4. Take the saucepan off the heat and remove the vanilla beans but let the black dots/seeds remain in the cream (evidence of authentic vanilla sauce).
5. Add salt, sugar, and egg yolks.
6. Simmer the mixture on low heat, whisking continuously until it thickens. Do not let it boil. It will separate if it boils.
7. Stir the sauce until most of the heat has disappeared.
8. Let it cool.
9. Whip the cream and and add it to the vanilla mixture.

Vanilla Sugar Sauce

An alternative to the Authentic Vanilla Sauce is Vanilla Sugar Sauce. It usually contains powder sugar, potato flour, vanilla bean seeds, and vanilla flavor.

Ingredients Vanilla Sugar Sauce

• 2 tbs vanilla sugar or to taste
• 8 tbs powdered sugar
• 4 egg yolks
• 500 ml heavy cream

Directions Vanilla Sugar Sauce

1. Whip vanilla sugar, powered sugar, and egg yolks until fluffy.
2. Add heavy cream and whip until creamy.

Suggestions

Whip the left over egg whites and add sugar to make meringue

10-12 servings

Ingredients

Batter

• 100 gram butter
• 200 ml powdered sugar
• 5 egg yolks
• 150 ml flour
• 1.5 tsp. baking soda
• 4 tbsp. half and half

Meringue Topping

• 5 egg whites
• 200 ml granulated sugar
• 25 grams slivered almonds

Filling

• 300 ml heavy whipping cream

Directions

1. Heat oven to 175°C (345°F).
2. Stir together butter and powdered sugar until fluffy.
3. Add the egg yolks, one at a time.
4. Mix flour and baking powder and then stir it into the mixture along with the half and half.
5. Spread the batter on parchment paper, approx. 20cm x 30cm (8" x 12").
6. Beat egg whites until stiff in a bowl.
7. Fold in the granulated sugar into the egg whites and beat for a few minutes.
8. Spread the meringue mass over the batter and sprinkle with almonds.
9. Bake the cake until the meringue get some color, about 20-25 minutes
10. Let the cake cool.
11. Whip the heavy cream for the filling.
12. Split the cake in half vertically and then horizontally.
13. Spread the whipped cream on the lower halves and place the other halves with the meringue on top of the cream.
14. Serve with fresh berries, such as strawberries or bluberries, on the side.

Ingredients

• 1-2 tbsps. butter
• 100 ml bread crumbs
• 3 eggs
• 100 ml granulated sugar
• 250 ml grinded hazelnuts
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder

Directions

1. Heat oven to 175°C-200°C (345°F-390°F).
2. Butter and bread the form. Set aside in cool place.
3. Beat eggs until fluffy.
4. Add granulated sugar and beat for a few minutes.
5. Mix grinded hazelnuts and baking powder and stir it into batter.
6. Pour batter into the breaded form.
7. Bake about 30 minutes. Use toothpick to make sure it fully done.
8. Let it cool a bit and then place a plate on top and turn over so the cake lands on the plate.

Serve as is or top with berries and whipped heavy cream. Paired with cookies, and coffee or "saft".

Suggestions

Bake nut cake in two separate forms for layered cakes. Place a nut cake as bottom layer on a plate. Spread filling and add a layer of regular sponge cake.

Double recipe and bake 50-60 minutes until fully done.

Replace grinded hazelnuts with grinded walnuts or almond meal.

Sprinkle some candied orange peel over the cake before baking.

Try the Candied Orange Peel Recipe >>

Ambrosia has candied orange peels sprinkled on top. To make you own, view our Candied Orange Peel Recipe >>

Ingredients Cake

• 3 eggs
• 200 ml granulated sugar
• 200 ml (100 grams) flour
• 150 grams butter

Ingredients Filling - Optional

This filling is for cake 23-26 cm (9-10 inches) in diameter.

• 2 eggs
• 200 ml milk
• 1.5 tbsp. granulated sugar
• 2 tsp. potato flour
• 1 vanilla bean (or 2-3 tsp. vanilla sugar)

Ingredients Frosting

• 200 ml sifted powder sugar
• 1.5 tbsp. water

Ingredients Toppings

• 2-3 tbsp. candied orange peel, diced
• 10 chopped almonds

Directions Vanilla Cream

1. Cut a slit along the whole vanilla bean and cut it in half sideways.
2. Whisk together eggs, milk, sugar and potato flour in a pan.
3. Add the vanilla bean.
4. Simmer the mixture on low heat, whisking continuously until it thickens. Do not let it boil. It will separate if it boils.
5. Set the cream aside and let it cool. Remove the vanilla bean before spreading the cream between the two cake layers.

Directions for the rest of the Ambrosia Cake

1. Melt butter and set it aside to cool.
2. Grease and sprinkle unflavored bread crumbs in a form or cast iron griddle about 17-20 cm for cake without filling and 23-26 cm in diameter for cake with filling.
3. Heat oven to 175°C(345°).
4. Whip eggs until fluffy.
5. Add sugar and whip for a couple of minutes.
6. Add flour and stir.
7. Add cool melted butter.
8. Place batter in breaded form or cast iron griddle.
9. Bake in oven until until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 30 minutes.
10. Remove cake and let it cool.
11. If you made vanilla cream: Split cake in half and spread vanilla cream as a layer between the two halves.
12. Chop almonds.
13. Mix powder sugar and water and spread it on top of the cake.
14. Sprinkle almonds and orange peel on top.

Ingredients

• 200 grams butterr
• 300 ml sifted powder sugar
• 3 eggs
• 200 ml (140 grams) potato flour
• 100 ml (50 grams) wheat flour
• 1.5 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 lemon peel grated
• 25-30 blanched almonds

Directions

1. Heat oven to 175°C (345°F).
2. Grease and sprinkle unflavored bread crumbs in a form or cast iron griddle about 17-20 cm.
3. Stir butter and sugar until fluffy.
4. Add one egg at the time and beat the mixture in between .
5. Combine the two flours and the baking powder and then stir it into the batter.
6. Grate the peel off half a lemon and stir it into the batter.
7. Pour batter into breaded form.
8. Bake and without moving the cake carefully place the almonds on the cake after baking for 10 minutes.
9. Continue to bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 35 minutes
10. Allow cake to cool little in the pan before removing it and place it on a plate.

The dough has the same ingredients and directions as the Basic Cookie Dough (Cookies >>)

Ingredients

• 600 ml (300 grams) wheat flour
• 100 ml granulated sugar
• 200 grams butter
• 250 ml raspberry jam (about 300-325 grams)

Directions

1. Mix flour and sugar in a bowl.
2. Cut the butter into small pieces and add it to the dry mixture.
3. Use gloves or a fork to work the mixture into a grain-like mixture.
4. Let the dough rest in the fridge until firm.
5. Heat oven to 200°C (390°F).
6. Roll out 2/3 of the dough until about 1/2 cm thick and place it in a form.
7. Spread raspberry jam on top.
8. Roll out the rest of the dough and cut out strips.
9. Place the strips in square pattern on top.
10. Bake about 12-15 minutes.

Ingredients for Meringue With Left Over Egg Whites

• 4 egg whites
• 160 ml granulated sugar
• cocoa to sprinkle on top

Directions

1. Heat oven to 175°C (345°F).
2. Beat egg whites until stiff in a bowl.
3. Fold in the granulated sugar into the egg whites and beat for a few minutes.
4. Spoon some meringue mass in large paper baking cups or on a baking sheet and sprinkle with cocoa.
5. Bake until the meringue has some color, about 20 minutes
6. Let the the meringue cool.

Lucia Buns are traditional sweet bread at Lucia celebrations in the morning of December 13th and other occations during the Christmas Season.

The most common style of Lucia buns are Julgalt (Christmas Pig/Boar) shaped like an 'S' with a raisin at each end. Another is the Christmas Horse made with two stings of dough next to each other and with each end curved with a raisin in the middle. One common shape for loafs is the Priest's Hair.

Ingredients

Ingredients Lucia Buns

• 1.4 grams (0.04 oz.) saffron
• 200 ml sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 200 ml butter
• 500 ml milk (400 ml + 100 ml)
• 50 grams yeast
• 150 ml (900 grams) wheat flour

Ingredients Garnish

• raisins
• 1 egg

Directions

1. Grind the saffron with a mortar and pestle with little of the sugar. Set aside.
2. Melt the butter in a pot on the stove.
3. Add the milk and warm it until lukewarm, 95-100°F.
4. Crumble the yeast into a bowl.
5. Pour the warm mixture into the bowl and stir until the yeast is dissolved.
6. Add the saffron, sugar, salt, and 400 ml of the milk.
7. Work the dough on baking surface until shiny and smooth (about 10 minutes) but has loose consistency.
8. Cover with towel and let it rise to twice its size, 30-45 minutes.
9. Bring the raised dough onto floured baking surface and work the dough smooth.
10. Divide the dough into about 36 pieces and roll each piece between your hands into a cigar like shape. Make the buns you prefer.
11. Place on a greased baking sheet and garnish with a raisin in each curved center.
12. Cover with towel and let it rise for 20-25 minutes. Heat oven to 225°C (435°F or if using convection 345°F).
13. Brush the bread with whisked egg.
14. Bake buns in the middle part of oven for about 5-10 minutes. If you make a braided loaf instead of buns, bake in the lower part of the oven for 15-10 minutes.
15. Let the bread cool on a rack, under a towel.