That’s the official name for this Norwegian beauty and we’re not disagreeing. Maria Villmones Bondeson‘s recipe layers crisp meringue, sponge cake and clouds of custard to make a show-stopping treat.
Learn how to master meringues with these 10 secrets everyone should know.
Ingredients
For the custard filling
- 4 large free-range egg yolks
- 30g cornflour
- 60g caster sugar
- 1 vanilla pod, seeds scraped
- 300ml whole milk
- 300ml double cream
For the cake
- 300g unsalted butter, softened
- 600g caster sugar
- 10 large free-range eggs, separated
- 300g plain flour
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 120ml whole milk
- 100g flaked almonds
You’ll also need…
- Deep rectangular cake tin or roasting tin (about 38cm x 29cm), lined with non-stick baking paper with a 4cm overhang
Method
- Start with the custard for the filling, as it needs to be completely cold before you use it. Put the egg yolks, cornflour and 60g caster sugar in a medium heatproof bowl and beat using an electric mixer until pale and thickened.
- Put the seeds from the vanilla pod into a large saucepan with the 300ml milk and 200ml of the cream. Set over a low-medium heat until it starts to steam. Pour about half the hot milk into the bowl with the egg yolk mixture and whisk until combined, then pour everything back into the pan. Cook over a medium-high heat, stirring continuously, for 15 minutes or until the custard is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Strain into a bowl, then cover with cling film touching the surface. Leave to cool, then chill until cold.
- For the cake, heat the oven to 170°C/150°C fan/gas 3½. Put the butter and 300g of the sugar in a large mixing bowl, then beat using an electric mixer until pale and creamy. Mix in the 10 egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition. Sift in the flour and baking powder, then beat until combined. Finally, add the 120ml milk and beat until incorporated. Scrape the batter into the lined cake tin/roasting tin and spread out to an even layer using a spatula. Set aside.
- Make the meringue topping. In a large, very clean mixing bowl, whisk the 10 egg whites with a pinch of salt until they form soft peaks when the beaters are removed. Gradually whisk in the remaining 300g sugar to make a stiff, shiny meringue. Gently spread on top of the cake mix using a spatula, creating swirly peaks. Scatter over the flaked almonds.
- Bake the cake on the middle shelf of the oven for 35-40 minutes until the meringue is puffed and golden. (If the top darkens quickly, cover with a sheet of non-stick baking paper for the remaining bake time.) Leave to cool completely in the tin.
- Whip the remaining 100ml cream in a mixing bowl to stiff peaks, then gently whisk it into the chilled custard until combined. Carefully remove the cake using the paper and transfer to a board. Cut in half widthways with a serrated knife. Put one half of the cake, meringue-side down, on a large serving plate. Spread the filling over to make a thick, even layer. Put the other half of cake on top, this time meringue-side up. Serve straightaway, with sliced banana or fresh berries if you like.
Nutrition
- 604kcals Calories
- 35.5g (1.9g saturated) Fat
- 1.1g Protein
- 59.6g (43.2g sugars) Carbs
- 0.8g Fibre
- 0.5g Salt
For 16
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Reviews
I made this cake a couple of Easters ago and it has become a staple. The soft colours and mellow flavours are perfect for the Easter holiday. It’s somehow very rich and very light at the same time! Can’t wait to make this again come the long weekend.
Thank you for your comment – we’re glad it’s become an Easter staple!
Loved loved loved this cake, new favorite in the family! Recipe worked beautifully, will def make again :-)
We’re delighted to hear you enjoyed this recipe!
The lady that made the first comment is right. I have now cooked it for an extra 15mins at 180 degrees and it is only just starting to cook. The timing and temperature is completely wrong.
Hello. Some advice from Emily in our food team: she suggests increasing the temperature a little to 190C / 170C fan. Exact timing is tricky as the moisture from the meringue will slow things down a little.
This is the only failed recipe I have made from Delicious, I left the cake in for longer than the time specified but when I cut into it there was raw sponge mix in the middle, I was sooooo looking forward to this cake but the problem is you are unable to test the sponge as the cake probe comes up with meringue on it. Would really like to try again as I love the combination so has anyone else tried it?
Hi Louise, thank you for your feedback. Each recipe we publish has been tested three or more times to ensure consistency, and we are sorry this recipe didn’t work for you. We’ll give it another go and get back to you. Thanks, Thea.
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