Dessert

Finns spend much of the summer at their country cottages, when both garden and wild strawberries are ripe. They serve uncomplicated foods, such as fish chowder made with freshly caught fish from the lake, raw vegetables, and a simply made strawberry pie such as this one.

–The Great Scandinavian Baking Book, Beatrice Ojakangas

Sigh. Doesn’t that quote make you want to pack your bags and head for a summer cottage in Finland? Maybe we can’t do that today, but we can head into the kitchen and make this Finnish Strawberry Almond Tart and perhaps imagine ourselves in a quaint little cottage in Finnish lake country. I can see it now….afternoon coffee and this delicious treat at a little table near the shore of a secluded lake, wildlife all around. And our tart would be made with fresh, wild strawberries we foraged ourselves just that morning.

Fortunately for us daydreamy types, this recipe is incredibly simple to prepare and does not require any actual foraging (unless you choose to, of course!) I “foraged” for my strawberries in the local Hy-Vee produce section. And yet, this recipe is really something special. A sweet, almond dough surrounds vanilla scented strawberries, and it’s all captured in a tom. I’ve made a lot of strawberry desserts in my time but this one is easily a favorite.

The method is simple: A pat-in-the-pan dough (no rolling), a filling of sweetened strawberries thickened with cornstarch and a crisp, crumbly topping that is actually just a reserved portion of the dough and sliced almonds. Into the oven for 45 minutes and out comes this gorgeous treat. It is best served warm, with coffee of course, on the day it is made, but I’ve had it for breakfast a day or two later and had no complaints. It softens slightly over time but is no way any less delicious.

Good food writing, and good food, has the ability to transport us to another time and space. Let this tart be your passport to Finland for the afternoon, to uncomplicated summer living at a cozy cottage by the lake. I’ll meet you at that little bistro table down by the water for a steaming cup of coffee and a slice of this heavenly tart.

Finnish Strawberry Almond Tart

An easy summer tart filled with vanilla scented strawberries and surrounded by tender almond dough and sliced almonds.

• Author: Kristi
• Prep Time: 20 minutes +30 minutes chilling time
• Cook Time: 45 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
• Yield: One 14 x 4 inch tart 1x
• Category: baking
• Method: baking
• Cuisine: Nordic, Scandinavian, Finnish

Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

For the Crust:

1 cup all purpose flour

1 cup almond flour

½ cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon fine salt

10 tablespoons cold unsalted butter (1 stick), cut into ½ inch cubes

1 tablespoon cold milk

 

For the Strawberry Filling:

1 pound fresh strawberries, hulled and quartered

3 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons cornstarch

½ vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise and seeds scraped

1 teaspoon lemon juice

2 tablespoons sliced almonds

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Combine flour, almond flour, sugar and salt in the work bowl of a food processor.  Process briefly to combine. Sprinkle cubes of butter over the top and pulse until mixture has a sandy texture, approximately 12 pulses.

3. With the machine running, add the milk through the feeder tube. Process until dough just begins to clump together in pieces.  It will seem dry, but when you squeeze the dough in your hand it should stick together.

4. Press approximately two-thirds of the dough into a 14 x 4 inch tart pan with a removable bottom, starting at the bottom of the pan and working the dough up the sides as you go.  The crust should be about ¼ inch thick. Wrap remaining dough in plastic wrap and reserve for the topping.

5. Refrigerate the tart shell and the reserved dough for 30 minutes.  (The crust can be prepared the day before. In that case, wrap the tart shell in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours).

6. Meanwhile, prepare the Strawberry Filling.  Combine all ingredients except almonds in a medium bowl.  Set aside to macerate at room temperature while the dough continues to chill.

7. Remove the tart pan from the refrigerator.  Fill with the strawberry filling. Crumble the remaining dough over the top in small pieces and sprinkle with sliced almonds.

8. Place tart pan on a sheet pan and transfer to the oven.  Bake until the tart is golden brown and bubbly, 45-50 minutes.  Let cool slightly before cutting into slices and serving warm. This tart is best on the day it is made.

Notes

Recipe inspired by The Great Scandinavian Baking Book by Beatrice Ojakangas and minimally adapted from the Spring 2017 issue of Sift Magazine.

Otherwise known as the cake that singlehandedly stopped this blog in its tracks for a week. Not a real catchy title but a true statement. This recipe took more time and effort than I originally thought it would. I really wanted it to be ready last Friday on Syttende Mai (Norwegian Constitution Day) as this is the traditional dessert served in celebration of the day that Norway became an independent kingdom with the signing of its constitution in 1814. Alas, the recipe was not ready for publication. We did have plenty of test cakes to eat, though, so the day did not go uncelebrated here. I worked out all of the kinks over the weekend and arrived at this final glorious version yesterday afternoon. And I have to say, it was worth the wait. This cake is everything that I had hoped it would be…rich pastry cream and a luscious strawberry filling sandwiched between two layers of tender vanilla cake and topped with whipped cream and fresh strawberries. It’s the perfect show-stopping dessert for any summer celebration, gathering or weekend dinner that you have coming up in the next few months. So what are we waiting for? Let me introduce you to this delicious Scandinavian Strawberry Cream Cake.

The Nordic countries are known for their wild summer berries so it’s not surprising that a strawberry cream cake would be a popular dessert all over the region. As I mentioned above, it’s the go-to celebration cake for Norwegian Constitution Day and a popular choice for Midsummer celebrations in June. The summer strawberry cream cake is a Scandinavian classic and one that anyone interested in Nordic baking should have in their repertoire.

The Right Amount of Richness

Let’s start with the cake itself. Some of the recipes I came across in my research contained butter and some didn’t. I tried both and much preferred the cake made with butter (surprise!) but not too much butter. One version I tried was simply too rich and buttery once the entire cake was assembled. A modest amount of butter was the answer, just enough to provide a luxurious mouthfeel and the right amount of richness. My final recipe turned out to be a variation of the cake I used for my Tosca cake a few weeks ago but with less butter and a little less sugar. I also wanted to avoid cutting the cake in half to create layers. We all know that deep down I’m a lazy baker and hate fussy techniques…cutting cakes into layers being one of them. One false move and your layers are hopelessly uneven. I baked the layers in separate 9 inch cake pans which worked perfectly and allowed me to skip that stressful cutting altogether.

Roasted Strawberries for Maximum Flavor

Now that I had the cake dialed in, it was time to address the filling. Some of the recipes I found called for using strawberry jam and pastry cream. Some just whipped cream and strawberries. I really liked the idea of the jam and pastry cream (I cannot say no to pastry cream) so I started there. My first version contained my standard pastry cream recipe and some store-bought strawberry jam stirred into chopped fresh strawberries. The fresh berries were fine, but the jam wasn’t adding anything other than a bit of sweetness and an artificial strawberry flavor. I really wanted the strawberry filling to taste deeply of strawberries and surprisingly, the combination of fresh strawberries and jam didn’t achieve that. Then I remembered my Roasted Strawberry Rhubarb Compote recipe in which I roast strawberries and rhubarb in the oven with some sugar to create a delicious jam-like concoction. What if I tried that technique for the strawberry filling? I roasted a pound of chopped fresh strawberries in the oven with a quarter cup of sugar and a pinch of salt. Success! This was the deep strawberry flavor I was after. Store-bought jam out….roasted strawberries in.

Easy Assembly

Once I had mastered the cake and filling, it was time to assemble the cake. As I’ve said before, I’m a rustic baker by nature and am not much for elaborate decorating techniques. I really liked the idea of a cake that was open on the sides and piled high with whipped cream and minimally cut fresh berries. Most of the recipes I found called for whipped cream made with powdered sugar rather than granulated sugar. I tried both and much preferred the version made with granulated sugar. Powdered sugar contains cornstarch and thickens the cream really quickly. This can lead to over-whipped, curdled-looking cream in the blink of an eye. I liked the soft texture and appearance of the whipped cream made with granulated sugar much better, and it was easier and more forgiving to work with.

Rustic and yet elegant and bursting with true strawberry and cream flavor, this cake is the perfect way to celebrate summer with true Nordic style.

Scandinavian Strawberry Cream Cake

★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

A show-stopping Nordic celebration cake filled with roasted strawberries and pastry cream and topped with whipped cream and fresh strawberries.  Perfect for any summer occasion!

• Author: Kristi
• Prep Time: 1 hour
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour and 20 minutes + cooling time
• Yield: 1 9-inch layer cake 1x
• Category: Cake
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: Nordic, Scandinavian

Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

For the Roasted Strawberry Filling:

1 pound strawberries, quartered

¼ cup granulated sugar

Pinch of fine salt

 

For the Cake Layers:

½ cup unsalted butter

¼ cup milk

1 cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

½ cup + 2 tablespoons almond flour

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon fine salt

3 large eggs

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

 

For the Pastry Cream Filling:

2 egg yolks

1 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 cup half and half

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Pinch of fine salt

 

For the Whipped Cream:

1 cup heavy whipping cream

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

 

To Assemble the Cake:

Roasted Strawberry Filling

Cake Layers

Pastry Cream Filling

Whipped Cream

2 cups strawberries, halved if small or quartered if large

Instructions

1. Make the Roasted Strawberry Filling: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine strawberries, sugar and salt in an 8 inch square baking dish.  Roast in the oven for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and stir briefly.  Return to the oven and roast for an additional 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool slightly.  Mash mixture with the back of a fork until it is a jam-like texture. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. Filling should be completely cool before assembling the cake.  (Filling can be made up to a week in advance).  

2. Make the Cake Layers:  Warm butter in a saucepan over low heat or in the microwave until the butter is melted.  Add milk. Stir and set aside to cool.

3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees if you have not already done so to make the Roasted Strawberry Filling.  Butter two 9 inch cake rounds. Place a 9 inch circle of parchment paper on the bottom of each pan.  Butter the parchment paper. Flour the inside of the pans. Set aside.

4. Whisk flour, almond flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl until fully combined.  Set aside.

5. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat eggs and sugar together on medium-high speed until light in texture and pale yellow in color, about 2-3 minutes.  Reduce speed to medium-low and add vanilla.

6. Reduce mixer speed to low and add ⅓ of the cooled butter and milk mixture followed by ⅓ of the flour mixture and mix until just combined.  Repeat this process two more times ending with final ⅓ of the flour mixture.

7. Divide cake batter equally between the prepared pans.  Using a small off-set spatula, spread batter out evenly to the edges of the pan.  Bake until golden brown and a tester poked into the center of each cake comes out clean, about 20 minutes.  Set cakes aside to cool.

8. Meanwhile, make the Pastry Cream Filling.  Whisk egg yolks, butter, cornstarch, half and half and sugar together in a medium saucepan.  Place pan over medium low heat and whisk constantly until mixture is smooth and thick, about 3-5 minutes.  Strain mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a clean bowl. Stir in vanilla. Place a piece of parchment paper directly on top of the pastry cream, followed by a layer of plastic wrap (this prevents the custard from forming a skin).  Refrigerate until you are ready to use. Pastry cream should be completely cool before assembling the cake. (Pastry Cream Filling can be made 1-2 days in advance.)

9. When you are ready to assemble the cake, make the Whipped Cream.  Place cream in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.  Whip on medium-high to high speed until the cream starts to thicken. Add sugar and continue to whip until the cream can hold medium peaks.  Add vanilla.

10. Assemble the cake.  Place one cake layer on the bottom of a serving plate.  Spread Pastry Cream Filling evenly over the top leaving a border around the edge of about ½ inch.  Spoon Roasted Strawberry Filling over the top of the pastry cream. Place the second cake layer on top of the strawberry filling.  Spread whipped cream on the cake and arrange fresh strawberries over the top, finishing with two or three whole strawberries for garnish.  Serve immediately.

Notes

Using a serrated knife will help create clean cake slices.

 

If you want to make the cake in advance (up to a couple of hours), hold off on topping it with the whipped cream and strawberries until just before serving.  Simply wrap the unfrosted, filled cake with plastic wrap and refrigerate until you are ready to add the whipped cream and strawberries.

Keywords: Strawberry, Cream, Cake, Scandinavian, Summer, Nordic