Icelandic Cream Cake
Text SIGRÍÐUR BJÖRK BRAGADÓTTIR Photo KARL PETERSSON
In the past, the Icelandic cream cake was the main cake at every gathering. My grandmother used to bake this cake on Sundays when the family gathered at her house. Sometimes she made waffles or pancakes, but it was always a special treat when she took the time to make this beautiful cake. She often put berry jam between the layers as well as macaroon cakes and shredded chocolate. The cake was beautifully decorated, with whipped cream from a cream dispenser along the sides, pineapples forming flowers on top and flaming red cherries and jam adding the final touches.
ICELANDIC CREAM CAKE
Serves 10-12
4 eggs
180 g sugar
70 g potato starch
70 g wheat
1 tbsp. vanilla drops
60 g butter, melted and cooled
Filling and trimming
½ – ¾ liter cream
1 large can of cocktail fruit (825 g) or other types of canned fruit
Small can of pineapple slices
Whip cream
Heat the oven to 200°C.
Whisk together eggs and sugar until the consistency is light and fluffy. For best results, make sure the eggs are not cold and whisk the egg mass for 5-10 minutes.
Sieve potato starch, wheat, and baking powder and mix gently with a spatula. Add vanilla drops and butter. Butter is not necessary for the cake layers, but it makes them softer.
Butter or place baking paper on the bottom of two clip pans, 22 cm in diameter. Bake the layers for 18-20 minutes and cool.
Sieve the fruit and save the juice.
Place one cake layer on a cake platter and moisten it thoroughly with juice.
Spread some of the cream on top and then about 1/3 of the fruit. Place the other cake layer on top, moisten it with the fruit juice, and cover the entire cake with cream, the top as well as the sides.
Decorate with pineapple slices and cocktail fruit.
