Kvæfjordkake

you will need

1 x roulade tin or baking tray

1 x baking sheet

Baking paper

Kvæfjordkake batter

150g of butter

150g of caster sugar

4 egg yolks

1 tsp vanilla extract

150g of plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

4 tbsp of whole milk

Pinch of salt

Pinch of cinnamon

Meringue

4 egg whites

1 pinch of salt

200g of caster sugar

Filling (creme diplomat)

375g of whole milk

3 egg yolks

1 egg

75g of caster sugar

30g of cornflour, sifted

2 tsp vanilla paste

25g of unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

125ml of double cream

Pinch of cinnamon

topping

100g of flaked almonds

Icing sugar to dust

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4, grease and line a roulade tin or baking tray with baking paper.

To make the batter, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Gradually add the egg yolks, whisking between each addition to combine.

Stir in the vanilla, add sifted dry ingredients and fold, then lastly add the milk. Spread the cake batter evenly in the roulade tin and set aside.

To make the meringue, whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff, but not dry. Gradually add a spoonful of sugar at a time and whisk until glossy.

Spread the meringue over the top of the raw cake batter and scatter over the flaked almonds. Bake for 35–40 minutes, or until a carefully inserted skewer comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin.

For the filling put the eggs, egg yolks, vanilla, sugar and cornflour in a bowl and whisk together until pale and creamy.

In the meantime, heat the milk in a saucepan until it just comes to the boil, be careful as the milk will rise and spill over if left for too long.

Pour the hot milk over the egg mixture and whisk together before transferring the mixture back to the pan.

Stir continuously over a very gentle heat for a minute or two, before increasing the heat and bringing to the boil.

The custard can catch on the bottom of the pan and burn so make sure you constantly stir.

Keep stirring the bubbling mixture until the crème pâtissière has thickened. Take the pan off the heat and vigorously whisk in the butter until it has melted.

Transfer to a tray and cover in cling film to prevent a skin forming. Once cool, transfer to the fridge.

To make creme diplomat, whip the cream till soft peaks then add cooled custard and a pinch of cinnamon and whisk to combine. You can transfer the filling into a piping bag if you wish or use a spoon.

Cut the cake in half horizontally and lift one piece onto a serving plate. Pipe or spread the filling generously over before layering the second piece of cake on top.

Dust with icing sugar and enjoy.

Store in the fridge.

Happy eating

with love

x

Kvæfjordkake CAKE is MADE up OF A LIGHT SPONGE, TOASTED MERINGUE, FLAKED TOASTED ALMONDS AND CREME DIPLOMAT

The cake is named for Kvæfjord, a municipality in Norway it was a request made last week by a follower from Norway, It’s simple and delicious with lots of textures and not overly sweet, which I love. This recipe is by the company Great British Chefs, the only thing I tweaked was adding a pinch of cinnamon to the sponge and the custard as I am a cinnamon addict.

(You will need a total of 8 eggs for this cake)

Happy baking

side note

I used a baking tray as I didn’t have a roulade tin on hand. I cut the cake in half horizontally and used the one sheet to make the layer. I also left the sponge and meringue to cool overnight in the fridge before assembling the next day.

Creme patissiere, known as pastry cream in English, is a vanilla-flavored custard

Diplomat Cream or crème diplomat is crème patissiere or custard lightened with whipped cream