Beautiful Bløtkake, a Strawberry Cream Cake dream

A traditional Syttende Mai treat

Are you looking for the perfect dessert to serve to your family and friends for this year’s Syttende Mai celebration?

Rustic, elegant, and bursting with true strawberry and cream flavor, this Scandinavian Strawberry Cream Cake, known as a bløtkake—literally “wet cake” in Norway—is the perfect way to celebrate Norwegian Constitution Day with true Nordic style.

Rich pastry cream and a luscious strawberry filling sandwiched between two layers of tender vanilla cake and topped with whipped cream and fresh strawberries—it’s the perfect show-stopping dessert for any festive celebration, gathering, or weekend dinner that you have coming up in the next few months.

So what are we waiting for? Let me introduce you to this delicious (and surprisingly easy) homemade bløtkake or Scandinavian Strawberry Cream Cake.

Photos: Kristi Bissell
This luscious Scandinavian Strawberry Cream Cake, a traditional Norwegian bløtkake, is the perfect dessert to serve to your friends and family for this year’s Syttende Mai celebration. Impressive to look at and delicious to devour, it is surprisingly easy to make.Bløtkake

Scandinavian Strawberry Cream Cake

Kristi Bissell

For the Roasted Strawberry Filling:

1 pound strawberries quartered

¼ cup granulated sugar

Pinch of fine salt

For the Cake Layers:

½ cup unsalted butter

¼ cup milk

1 cup + 2 tbsps. all-purpose flour

½ cup + 2 tbsps. almond flour

1½ tsps. baking powder

½ tsp. fine salt

3 large eggs

¾ cup granulated sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

For the Pastry Cream Filling:

2 egg yolks

1½ tsps. unsalted butter

1 tbsp. cornstarch

1 cup half and half

2 tbsps. sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Pinch of fine salt

For the Whipped Cream:

1 cup heavy whipping cream

2 tbsps. granulated sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

To assemble the cake:

Roasted Strawberry Filling

Cake Layers · Pastry Cream Filling

Whipped cream

2 cups strawberries halved if small or quartered if large

Instructions

Make the Roasted Strawberry Filling: Preheat the oven to 350 °. Combine strawberries, sugar, and salt in an 8-inch square baking dish. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and stir briefly. Return to the oven and roast for an additional 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool slightly. Mash mixture with the back of a fork until it is a jam-like texture. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. Filling should be completely cool before assembling the cake. (Filling can be made up to a week in advance).

Make the Cake Layers: Warm butter in a saucepan over low heat or in the microwave until the butter is melted. Add milk. Stir and set aside to cool slightly.

Preheat the oven to 350 ° if you have not already done so to make the Roasted Strawberry Filling. Butter two 9-inch cake rounds. Place a 9-inch circle of parchment paper on the bottom of each pan. Butter the parchment paper. Flour the inside of the pans. Set aside.

Whisk flour, almond flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl until fully combined. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat eggs and sugar together on medium-high speed until light in texture and pale yellow in color, about 2-3 minutes. Reduce speed to medium-low and add vanilla.

Reduce mixer speed to low and add ½ of the cooled butter and milk mixture followed by 1/3 of the flour mixture and mix until just combined. Repeat this process two more times ending with final 1/3 of the flour mixture.

Divide the cake batter equally between the prepared pans. Using a small off-set spatula, spread batter out evenly to the edges of the pan. Bake until golden brown and a tester poked into the center of each cake comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Set cakes aside to cool.

Meanwhile, make the Pastry Cream Filling. Whisk the egg yolks, cornstarch, half and half, and sugar together in a medium saucepan. Add the butter. Place the pan over medium-low heat and whisk constantly until mixture is smooth and thick, about 3-5 minutes. Strain mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a clean bowl. Stir in vanilla. Place a piece of parchment paper directly on top of the pastry cream, followed by a layer of plastic wrap (this prevents the custard from forming a skin). Refrigerate until you are ready to use. Pastry cream should be completely cool before assembling the cake. (Pastry Cream Filling can be made up to 2 days in advance.)

When you are ready to assemble the cake, make the Whipped Cream. Place cream in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whip on medium-high to high speed until the cream starts to thicken. Add the sugar and vanilla and continue to whip until the cream can hold medium peaks.

Assemble the cake. Place one cake layer on the bottom of a serving plate. Spread Pastry Cream Filling evenly over the top, leaving a border around the edge of about ½ inch (you will have some left over). Spoon the Roasted Strawberry Filling over the top of the pastry cream (again, you may have some left over). Place the second cake layer on top of the strawberry filling. Spread Whipped Cream on the cake and arrange fresh strawberries over the top, finishing with two or three whole strawberries for garnish. Serve immediately.

This article originally appeared in the May 6, 2022, issue of The Norwegian American. To subscribe, visit SUBSCRIBE or call us at (206) 784-4617.