With the Norwegian constitution day fast approaching on the 17th May it's time I gave you all a recipe for the ULTIMATE traditional Norwegian cake for any and all celebrations. Norway definitely has a whole bunch of traditional cakes but "bløtkake" is probably the most common, and also the one that most people eat to celebrate the constitution day on the 17th of May. It consists of "sukkerbrød" which is sort of a basic vanilla sponge except the non-vegan version is made with only eggs, flour and sugar (yes I know that sounds odd but for some reason it works). The sponge is then split into three equal parts and layered with jam, cream/vanilla cream and fresh fruits. You can definitely customise this and play around with the fillings but to start with, here's a pretty basic, traditional and yummy version that I love to make!
Ingredients: Sukkerbrød (sponge) 330g all purpose flour
330g granulated sugar
2.5tsp baking powder
0.5tsp baking soda
100g neutral oil
1tbsp apple cider vinegar
300g unsweetened soy milk
Method: Mix your apple cider vinegar and soy milk and set aside to curdle. Meanwhile mix your sugar and neutral oil before pouring in the curdled soy milk. Then, add the flour, baking powder and baking soda and mix until well combined. Line the bottom of a 22cm diameter (can also use 20cm and increase the cooking time slightly) springform pan with some parchment paper and pour the mixture in. Bake at 170 degrees C for 45 min, be careful not to open the door too early as that might make the cake collapse. Once it's finished baking I recommend cooling it in the springform pan placed upside down on a wire rack to prevent it from collapsing. Once it's completely cooled you can remove from the spring form pan and wrap it in cling film to store in the fridge until you're ready to assemble. It's easier to slice and frost when chilled as the cream will hold better so I do recommend chilling for at least an hour or two.
Vanilla cream filling
Custard
400ml unsweetened soy milk
3tbsp sugar
2tbsp + 1tsp cornstarch
2tbsp water
1.5tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp black salt
1/4 tsp turmeric
100g vegan whipping cream
Method:
To make the vanilla cream filling you want to start off by adding unsweetened soy milk, sugar, vanilla extract, turmeric and black salt to a pot. Bring to a light simmer over a low heat, being careful not to burn the milk. Mix the cornstarch with the water and slowly add it in to the pot while whisking. Keep whisking over a low simmer for about 2 minutes before transferring to a cold water bath to cool it down. Keep whisking as it cools and it should reach a fairly thick texture. Whip your vegan cream until stiff peaks form. Once the custard is completely cooled, add about 1/3 of the vegan whipped cream into the custard and fold to combine. Then, add the custard into the rest of the whipped cream and fold again until combined, careful not to knock out too much air. Leave in the fridge until assembling.
Fillings and frosting 200g vegan whipping cream + 2tsp sugar
2-3 bananas
approximately 200-300g raspberry jam
fresh berries and chopped chocolate to decorate
Whip your whipping cream along with the sugar until stiff peaks form. Then, trim off the top of your sponge to ensure it's completely even. Slice the sponge into 2-3 equal segments, 3 is more traditional but 2 is easier, this is up to you! Place the top segment at the bottom and spread evenly with a fairly thin layer of raspberry jam, you want to be able to taste it but keep in mind that you also don't want it to start pouring down the sides, about 0.5 cm should be enough. Slice the bananas and space them out until the whole surface is covered. Add the vanilla cream filling to cover and fill in the gaps between all the bananas (once again be careful not to add too much as it will start spilling out the sides). Place the next layer of sponge on top and repeat the process once more if you decided to slice the sponge into 3 segments. Once you place your last layer of sponge cake on top, start by adding about 1/3 of the whipped cream and spread it out thinly over the whole cake to lock in the crumbs. Afterwards, add the rest of the whipped cream and spread it out with an offset spatula until the whole cake is covered. Decorate with fresh berries and chopped chocolate. Refridgerate until serving and enjoy!
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