This super moist, tender Cloudberry Cake is infused with the subtle sweetness of white chocolate, complemented by a luscious, pleasantly tart cloudberry filling. Whether you're looking to impress your guests at a dinner party or simply spend an afternoon baking something lovely for your family and friends, this Nordic-inspired cake is sure to become a favorite!
This recipe was inspired by a couple of favorite bundt bakes on my site: this Swedish Cardamom Cake and this cozy Spiced Pear Cake with Cardamom. While the base recipes for these bundt cakes are similar, this one is studded with white chocolate chips and swirled with cloudberry jam. It's a heavenly combination!
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White Chocolate Cloudberry Cake Ingredients
For the Cake:
- Buttermilk is a great choice for creating a tender, light crumb in this cake.
- Vanilla Extract brings a subtle vanilla flavor that pairs beautifully with the cloudberry jam without being overpowering.
- Cloudberry Jam is the highlight of this cake. Not only does it bring a tart sweetness, it also helps keep the cake moist as it is swirled into the batter. Cloudberry jam can be found on Amazon or at Scandinavian specialty stores.
- White chocolate chips add rich, buttery flavor that compliments the cloudberry.
For the White Chocolate Glaze:
- Pearl sugar is a Swedish style finishing sugar that adds a lovely appearance to baked goods along with a bit of crunch! It's totally optional, but it can also be found at Scandinavian specialty stores or on Amazon.
See the recipe card below for exact amounts and detailed instructions.
Recipe Variations
- Change up the flavors: Swap the cloudberry jam for another flavor. I think raspberry or blueberry would be particularly delicious!
- Unglazed: Skip the glaze and just finish the cake with a simple dusting of powdered sugar.
- Cardamom variation: Add 2 teaspoons of cardamom to the dry ingredients.
How to Make White Chocolate Cloudberry Cake
- Step 1: Heat the cloudberry jam on the stove over medium-low heat until it has loosened in texture. Strain the warmed jam through a fine mesh strainer and let cool.
- Step 2: Whisk the dry ingredients together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Step 3: Combine the butter and sugar together in the bowl of stand mixer. Using the paddle attachment, mix on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
- Step 4: Add the eggs one at a time and the vanilla extract. Reduce the speed to low and add one third of the dry ingredients followed by half of the buttermilk. Repeat, ending with the remaining dry ingredients. Fold in the white chocolate chips.
- Step 5: Add half of the batter to the prepared bundt pan. Create a trench through the middle of the batter and spoon in half of the cooled cloudberry jam.
- Step 6: Using a skewer, swirl it into the batter by using a zig zag motion.
- Step 7: Add the remaining batter on top and create another trench. Add the remaining jam and swirl it in with your skewer. Gently smooth the top with a rubber spatula.
- Step 8: Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let the cake sit in the pan for 10-15 minutes and then invert onto a metal cooling rack. Let it cool completely before glazing.
- Step 9: Melt the white chocolate and add to the bowl of a stand mixer along with the powdered sugar, vanilla, salt, and 4 tablespoons of milk or cream. Mix at medium-high speed until smooth. Add more milk or cream to create a pourable consistency and drizzle over the cooled cake.
- Step 10: Sprinkle with pearled sugar, if desired, while the cake glaze is still wet. Serve.
Expert Tips
- This cake will stick to the pan so be sure to butter and flour (or spray) the pan generously. If a piece of cake (or two) sticks to the pan when you flip it over, simply remove the stuck bit from the pan and put it back in its place on the cake. No one will notice once you pour the glaze over the top!
- Be sure the cloudberry jam is completely cool before swirling it into the cake batter.
- Don't over mix the cake batter once you start adding the dry ingredients. Keep the mixer on a low speed and only mix until everything JUST comes together. Too much mixing leads to more gluten development and a tough, rather than tender, texture in your final product.
- Let the cake cool completely before glazing. The glaze won't properly adhere to a warm cake.
- If you are using the pearl sugar, be sure to add it to the glazed cake while the glaze is still wet so that it sticks.
- Feel free to skip the white chocolate glaze if you like. You can add a simple dusting of powdered sugar to the top and it will still be delicious!
Storage Instructions
- Storage Instructions: Carefully cover the cake with plastic wrap (or some other kind of cake cover) and store at room temperature. It will keep for about 3 days. For longer storage, consider freezing the cake (see below).
- Freezing Instructions: Wrap the completely cooled, unglazed cake in plastic wrap and then in foil. Freeze for up to 2 months. Defrost on the counter when you are ready to serve. Glaze the cake a couple of hours prior to serving if desired.
Recipe FAQs
Cloudberries are known as the “gold of the North” and are a true Scandinavian delicacy. They are foraged at high elevations in the Nordic region during the summer months. Cloudberries are high in Vitamin C, Vitamin A, iron and magnesium and are exceptionally nutritious. The Vikings actually brought preserved cloudberries with them on their long sea journeys because their high levels of Vitamin C prevented scurvy. Fresh cloudberries look like golden raspberries and have a sweet/tart flavor. Check out this article for a comprehensive discussion of all things cloudberry!
You can find cloudberry jam or preserves at Scandinavian specialty stores or on Amazon.
Related Recipes
Looking for more Scandinavian-inspired cake recipes or maybe another cloudberry recipe? Give these a try:
If you tried this White Chocolate Cloudberry Cake recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
Recipe
White Chocolate Cloudberry Cake
Equipment
- Bundt pan (10 cup capacity)
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 1 14 ounce jar cloudberry jam or preserves
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 18 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature (2 ¼ sticks)
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 1 egg yolk room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¾ cup buttermilk
- 1 cup white chocolate chips
For the White Chocolate Glaze:
- 1 cup white chocolate chips melted in the microwave at 50% power for 2-3 minutes
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 7-8 tablespoons cream or whole milk
- Pearl sugar for decorating if desired
Instructions
- Pour the cloudberry jam into a saucepan and heat over medium-low until it begins to loosen up. Pour the jam through a fine mesh strainer into a small bowl. Discard the solids in the strainer and set aside to cool completely.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 10-cup capacity bundt pan OR spray the interior or the pan with baking spray. Set aside.
- Whisk flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Combine butter and granulated sugar in the work bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Add eggs and egg yolk one at a time, allowing each one to fully incorporate into the batter before adding the next. Add vanilla extract.
- Reduce the mixer speed to low. Add one third of the flour mixture, followed by one half of the buttermilk. Repeat, finishing with the flour mixture (do not over mix). Gently fold in white chocolate chips.
- Transfer half of the batter to the prepared bundt pan and using a spoon, create a shallow trench through the center of the batter. Gently spoon half of the cloudberry jam into the trench. Using a skewer, zig zag back and forth around the pan creating a swirl of jam and batter. Dollop the remaining batter over the top and gently smooth with a rubber spatula. Create another trench through the center and add the remaining jam. Swirl with the skewer as before. Gently smooth out the top with a rubber spatula. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Cool the cake in the pan for 10 minutes. Lay a wire cooling rack over the top of the pan and invert the cake onto the rack. Remove the pan, leaving the cake behind. Cool the cake to room temperature.
- Meanwhile, make the White Chocolate Glaze: Combine the melted white chocolate, powdered sugar, salt, vanilla and 4 tablespoons of milk or cream in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Whisk on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add more milk or cream, one tablespoon at a time, until the glaze is pourable but still quite thick (about three more tablespoons).
- Pour the glaze over the cake and decorate with pearl sugar, if desired. Serve.
Notes
- Let the cake cool completely before glazing. The glaze won't properly adhere to a warm cake.
- If you are using the pearl sugar, be sure to add it to the glazed cake while the glaze is still wet so that it sticks.
- Feel free to skip the white chocolate glaze if you like. You can add a simple dusting of powdered sugar to the top and it will still be delicious!
- Store at room temperature, carefully covered with plastic wrap, for up 3 days.
Kristi
Love this cake!