Sweet Summer 9: Swedish cinammon cake

Another lovely Swedish recipe from Stephanie Smee: cinammon cake.


 This one's a bit of a favourite in our house. My mother has been making a version of this for us for years, but I recently started using a recipe out of a gorgeous little traditional Swedish cake cookbook called Sju Sorters Kakor, (2005, Ica Bokförlag, Forma Publishing Group AB). Even though it is a recent publication, the book contains all my favourite Swedish baked goods recipes from way back. The title means "Seven Sorts of Cakes" as traditionally, if you invite somebody over for coffee and cake in Sweden, it was customary to offer seven different sorts of cakes or biscuits. I have a cousin who still keeps things in the freezer for just such an occasion, although she is my mother's age and I doubt my generation would have the time or energy to keep up the tradition! Still, it's a lovely idea!

So here's the recipe: Kanelkaka (Cinnamon cake)

(The cookbook notes that it was a "prizewinner" (!) in 1965!!

NB, Swedish cake recipes tend to measure dry and wet  ingredients in decilitres … 1 decilitre is 100ml. I find it very handy as it means you don't have to mess with scales. Most stainless steel measuring jugs from IKEA you'll find are marked with decilitres as well as the other metric/US measurements …

Set oven at 175 deg C.

Butter and line a springform cake tin

Ingredients

3 eggs

2 declitres (200ml) caster sugar

2.5 dl (250ml) plain flour

2.5 tsp baking powder

1 tbsp ground cinnamon

75g butter

1 dl (100ml) water.

Decoration (optional) flaked almonds

You can also add a teaspoon of ground cardamon which adds a lovely flavour. (my addition …)

Melt butter and water together over low heat and set aside.

Beat eggs and sugar until light and fluffy.

Blend flour, baking poweder and cinnamon and add to egg mixture.

Add melted butter and water.

Pour into cake tin. If using, sprinkle flaked almonds over the top.

Bake in oven for about 40 minutes or until an inserted skewer emerges dry.

I tend not to ice these sorts of cakes … my children are not fond of icing. But I do like to sprinkle either with caster sugar or icing sugar.