Semla — Swedish Cardamom Cream Bun

About This Recipe

The semla is Sweden's most emotionally charged baked good: a soft, fragrant cardamom wheat bun that is hollowed out, filled with a mixture of marzipan and the scooped-out crumbs soaked in milk, then crowned with a generous swirl of whipped cream and dusted with icing sugar. Traditionally eaten on Fettisdagen (Shrove Tuesday) before the Lenten fast, the semla was the last indulgence of the season — and legend has it that King Adolf Fredrik of Sweden died in 1771 after eating 14 of them. Today, semlor (plural) appear in Swedish bakeries from late January, and Swedes consume millions of them. Making them at home fills the kitchen with the intoxicating scent of cardamom.

Ingredients

Serves 8

• 500 gstrong white flour
• 7 g sachetfast-action yeast
• 60 gcaster sugar
• 1 teaspoonground cardamom
• 0.5 teaspoonsalt
• 250 mlwhole milk(warm)
• 80 gbutter(softened)
• 1egg
• 200 gmarzipan or almond paste(grated)
• 100 mlmilk(for almond filling)
• 400 mldouble cream(whipped to soft peaks)
• 2 tablespoonsicing sugar(plus extra to dust)
• 1egg(beaten, for glazing)

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the dough

   Combine flour, yeast, sugar, cardamom and salt. Add warm milk, softened butter and egg. Mix to a soft dough and knead for 8 minutes until smooth and elastic. Cover and prove in a warm place for 1 hour until doubled.

2. 2

   Shape and bake

   Divide dough into 8 equal pieces. Roll each into a smooth ball. Place on lined baking trays, spaced apart. Prove for 30 minutes until puffy. Brush with beaten egg. Bake at 200°C for 12–15 minutes until golden. Cool completely.

3. 3

   Make almond filling

   Cut a lid off the top third of each bun. Scoop out a little of the soft interior. Mix the scooped crumbs with grated marzipan and enough milk to make a soft paste. Taste — add a pinch of sugar if desired. Fill the hollowed bun with the almond paste.

   Don't scoop out too much — you want a shell with some bun intact to absorb the cream.

4. 4

   Top with cream and serve

   Pipe or spoon a generous swirl of whipped cream over the almond paste. Rest the lid on top at an angle. Dust generously with icing sugar. Serve immediately.

Variations

• •

  Some modern versions use saffron in the dough for colour and flavour.

• •

  A 'princess semla' replaces the whipped cream with crème pâtissière.

Storage

Unfilled buns keep for 2 days in an airtight container. Once filled, eat within 2–3 hours — the cream softens the bun quickly.

Frequently Asked Questions