Swedish Midsommar Cake

Perfect for summer birthday parties and baby showers... or order one for the national Swedish holiday of Midsummer (Midsommar) in June!

Someone walked by when I was doing this photoshoot, and gave me the weirdest look you could possibly imagine...

Oh, look! A wild cake...

This is my variation on a traditional Swedish Midsummer celebration cake, packed with almond flavor to accentuate the freshness of strawberries and laced with a bit of Amaretto just to keep the party going! My dad’s side of the family is Swedish, so Swedish cuisine has always been part of the big yearly celebrations at our house (Midsummer, Easter, Christmas, etc.). This cake always reminds me of the summers we used to spend in Sweden when I was a kid, and making it always takes me back! The combination of strawberries, cream, almonds, and Amaretto makes this cake perfect for any spring or summer gathering, and is sure to be the hit of the party!

Variations

Instead of Amaretto you could also use rum to give the cake a bit more of an alcoholic kick, if that’s what you’re into! Also, when making the white chocolate frosting, if it goes a bit lumpy while you are adding in the cream, just microwave the mixture for 15 seconds to melt the butter a bit, then continue whisking (the cream will combine with the butter much more easily if it is warm).

Ingredients

Custard:

• 2 eggs

• 1 cup milk

• 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

• 1/3 cup sugar

• 2 1/2 tbsp cornstarch, potato flour, or all-purpose flour

• 1/4 tsp salt

• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

• 1 ounce (1/8 stick) unsalted butter

1-Bowl Almond Cake:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 cup almond flour

• 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar

• 2 tsp baking powder

• 3/4 tsp baking soda

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 2 eggs

• 1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil

• 1 cup buttermilk

• 2 tsp almond extract

• 1/2 cup milk

• 1/2 cup boiling water

Drunken Strawberries:

• 1 punnet strawberries (about 250g), de-stemmed and sliced (not too thin!)

• 1/4 cup granulated sugar

• 1/4 cup Amaretto liqueur

White Chocolate Whipped Cream:

• 1 3/4 cups + 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

• 3/4 cups white chocolate chips

White Chocolate Buttercream:

• 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp heavy whipping cream

• 3/4 cup white chocolate chips

• 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

• 1/2 cups powdered sugar

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Decoration:

• 1 1/2 cups slivered almonds, toasted

• Strawberries

Method

For the custard:

1. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, and cream.

2. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Whisk and let sit for 1 minute.

3. Turn heat to medium-low. Slowly pour in the egg mixture into the saucepan, whisking continuously. Continue whisking over medium-low heat until the mixture thickens into custard consistency, about 7-10 minutes.

4. Remove saucepan from heat and whisk in the vanilla extract and butter. Transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

For the cake:

1. Preheat the oven to 365 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease and line two round 8-inch (20 cm) cake tins with parchment paper and set aside.

2. In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients and whisk until incorporated.

3. Add in eggs, oil, buttermilk, and almond extract. Whisk to combine.

4. In a small bowl, combine the milk and boiling water. Add this mixture into the cake batter and whisk until you have a relatively smooth batter (there will be some lumps from the almond flour - this is totally fine!)

5. Divide the batter equally among the two cake tins and bake for about 30 minutes, until the middles don't jiggle when you shake the tins.

6. Remove cakes from the oven and leave to cool. Once cooled, remove from tins and set aside.

For the white chocolate whipped cream:

1. In a microwave-safe bowl, add 1/2 cup of the cream. Microwave on high for 45 seconds to 1 minute, until the cream is steaming and a little bubbly.

2. Add the white chocolate chips to the hot cream and let sit for 2 minutes. Stir to combine and set mixture aside to cool, about 10 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whip the remaining 1 3/4 cups of cream using an electric mixture until soft peaks form. Once the white chocolate mixture has cooled, gently fold it into the whipped cream. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

4. After 1 hour, remove the bowl from the fridge and whisk the white chocolate cream mixture using an electric mixture until stiff peaks form. Re-cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed.

For the drunken strawberries:

1. While the white chocolate cream mixture is cooling in the fridge, combine the sliced strawberries, sugar and Amaretto in a bowl and stir with a spoon until all the strawberries are evenly coated. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

For the white chocolate buttercream:

1. In a microwave-safe bowl, add the 1/2 cup of cream and microwave on high for 45 seconds. Add the white chocolate chips and let stand for 2 minutes, then stir to combine. Set aside to cool.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the butter on medium speed using an electric mixture until creamy. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla and whisk to combine.

3. While still whisking, slowly pour in the cooled white chocolate mixture. *If the mixture becomes too melted/runny to whisk at this stage, refrigerate for 5-10 minutes before continuing.*

4. Slowly drizzle in the remaining 2 tbsp cream and continue to whisk on low to medium speed until the frosting is fluffy and light in color, about 10 minutes. Set aside.

Assembly:

1. Transfer the cakes to a cutting board and cut each cake in half horizontally. You should now have 4 even cake layers.

2. Transfer 1 of the 4 cake layers onto a serving tray or cake stand. This will be the base of your cake. Spoon on the drunken strawberry mixture, being careful not to spoon on too much liquid on this layer (juices from the cake will run down to the bottom layer). Pipe on 1/3 of the custard over the strawberries, then pipe or spoon on 1/3 of the white chocolate whipped cream. Cover with another cake layer.

3. Repeat this process twice until you have used all 4 layers. Refrigerate the cake until firm, about 2 hours (or overnight).

4. Frost the cake with the white chocolate frosting, and decorate with strawberries on top and toasted almonds on the sides. Serve and enjoy!