Swedish Sticky Chocolate Cake (Kladdkaka - literally sticky cake in Swedish) is one of Sweden's most beloved fika treats. This deeply chocolatey, one bowl cake stays irresistibly soft and gooey in the center and offers a light, crisp crust. It's incredibly easy to make (less than an hour start to finish) and is an excellent pair with a good cup of coffee.
Kladdkaka is delicious on it's own, maybe with a sprinkle of powdered sugar on top, but it can also be dressed up with a little whipped cream and fresh berries or ice cream and suddenly it's a company-worthy dessert. If you've invited me to a dinner party recently and asked me to bring dessert, chances are you've already enjoyed this cake. I bring it everywhere!
Looking for more easy Scandinavian dessert recipes to share with friends and family? Try my Swedish Cream, this Icelandic Happy Marriage Cake or Swedish Apple Pie. For another easy and iconic Swedish chocolate treat, go with these no-bake Swedish Chocolate Balls (Chokladbollar) or this Swedish Love Cake (Kärleksmums) next.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- ♥️ It is incredibly simple, requiring a short list of easy-to-find ingredients, no mixer and just one bowl.
- ♥️ The cake can be mixed and baked in less than an hour.
- ♥️ The oohs and ahhs you'll receive from your friends and family when you serve it. Everyone loves this Swedish chocolate cake!
The Ingredients
Ingredient Notes:
- A little almond flour provides a bit of richness and helps the cake maintain a gooey texture when baked.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder and chocolate chips bring big chocolate flavor tothis cake. Both natural and dutch processed cocoa powder work well in this recipe, but the dutch processed will give the cake a darker color and deeper chocolate flavor.
See recipe card for exact amounts and detailed instructions.
How to Make Swedish Sticky Chocolate Cake (Kladdkaka)
- Begin by preheating the oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 9-inch springform pan with butter and dust it with cocoa powder. Set aside.
- Combine the melted butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cocoa powder and salt together in a large bowl. Whisk until smooth.
- Whisk in eggs, one at a time. Make sure one egg is fully incorporated before adding the next.
- Sift the all-purpose flour over the top of the batter and gently fold in using a rubber spatula. Fold in the almond flour and chocolate chips.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and smooth out the top. Bake until the cake looks just set in the center, about 30 minutes.
- Cool for at least 30 minutes in the pan. Remove the sides and serve warm or at room temperature, perhaps with a dusting of powdered sugar.
Expert Tip
Don't over bake! You want it to be just set so that it remains a bit gooey in the center.
Recipe FAQs
You can make this cake up do a day in advance. Simply wrap it tightly and store at room temperature for up to 24 hours.
If you plan to store the cake for longer than a day, consider wrapping it tightly in plastic wrap and transferring it to the refrigerator. The leftover cake can be enjoyed cold, at room temperature or warmed up in the microwave. All are delicious!
The name comes from the Swedish word "kladdig", which means sticky or messy.
The prevailing theory is that this simple cake was invented during World War II during the time of rationing and scarce ingredients.
Kladdkakans dag, Sweden's official Kladdkaka Day, is celebrated on November 7 each year. It's the perfect opportunity to bake and share this beloved fika treat!
What to Serve with Swedish Sticky Chocolate Cake (Kladdkaka)
At it's simplest, kladdkaka is delicious with just a dusting of powdered sugar and a good cup of coffee served alongside it. It is also delicious with whipped cream and fresh berries or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Here are a few other ideas for dressing up this simple cake:
- Serve it with a dollop of Whipped Vanilla Skyr Cream for a tangy twist on whipped cream.
- Cardamom Ice Cream would be an delicious stand in for vanilla ice cream.
- Drizzle with Creamy Vanilla Sauce before serving.
- Add a spoonful of Salted Caramel Sauce to the top.
More Swedish Cake Recipes to Try
Looking for more easy Swedish cake recipes? Give these a try:
If you tried this Swedish Sticky Chocolate Cake (Kladdkaka) 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
Swedish Sticky Chocolate Cake (Kladdkaka)
Equipment
- 9 inch springform pan
- fine mesh strainer or flour sifter
Ingredients
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter melted, plus more butter for greasing the pan
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder plus more cocoa powder for dusting the pan
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup almond flour
- ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips or coarsely chopped chocolate
- Powdered sugar for dusting optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees with a rack in the middle position. Grease a 9 inch springform pan and dust with cocoa powder. Set aside.
- Add the butter, cocoa powder, brown sugar, granulated sugar and salt to a large bowl. Whisk until smooth.
- Add eggs one at a time, fully incorporating one egg before adding the next. Mix in the vanilla extract.
- Sift the flour over the top of the cake batter and gently fold in by hand using a rubber spatula. Fold in the almond flour and chocolate chips.
- Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until the cake looks just set in the center, about 30 minutes. Cool in the pan until just warm or room temperature, at least 30 minutes. Remove the sides from the pan and serve warm or at room temperature, dusted with powdered sugar if desired.
Deb says
I can’t wait to try this!
What would you suggest as a substitute for almond flour to still achieve the correct texture?
Kristi says
Hi Deb,
My first suggestion would be hazelnut flour. Oat flour would work as well. You can also just use more all purpose flour (I would suggest only 1/2 the amount of the almond flour if you are using AP flour....the other substitutions are 1-1). Hope this helps!
Kristi
Paulina says
As a follower, I have a request: please put the temperatures in both Fahrenheit and Celsius, for the benefit of the rest of the world (like me)! Thanks!
Kristi says
Thanks for the reminder, Paulina! I will add those to this recipe and others as I update and create new ones.
Kristi
Kristi says
Love, love, love this cake. I make it for so many dinner parties because it's so easy and delicious and I always have the ingredients on hand. And I can mix it up in about 15 minutes! The gooey chocolate center is irresistible.
Vanessa Romano says
Hello,
Speaking about oven temperature, you give them in Farenheit right ?
Kristi says
Yes!
Christy Tupper says
I haven’t made it yet but there are 2 different recipes here when u go to print. One has butter and Choc chips. The other has oil and no chips??
Kristi says
Hi Christy,
That's so weird! I did just update the recipe. Both versions are good but the one with butter is the updated version. I just tried going to print it and only the new one is coming up for me now. Maybe try again? Sorry about that! Please let me know if you have any other issues.
Kristi
Li says
I only recently discovered this type of cake from a frozen one sold at my grocery store and was determined to be able to replicate as it changed the way I thought about brownies. This was super easy and delicious Thanks for sharing .
Kristi says
Hi Li,
So glad you enjoyed the cake! Definitely one of my favorites. Thanks for commenting!
Kristi
Siobhan Nash says
Oh my gosh, this cake! It's dangerously delicious!! Rich and chocolaty, and not at all fussy. It's the perfect anytime chocolate cake. It was easy to make and turned out wonderfully with the gluten-free flour and avocado oil because I didn't have almond flour or canola oil on hand. Bonus: the cake is gluten- and dairy-free.
Kristi says
So glad you enjoyed it, Siobhan! And it's good to know those substitutions worked out for you. It's a very forgiving cake! Thanks for your feedback!