Prinsesstårta — Swedish Princess Cake

About This Recipe

The Prinsesstårta is Sweden's most celebrated cake, eaten at birthdays, name days, graduations and weddings across the country. Its architecture is as distinctive as its taste: three layers of light sponge filled with pastry cream and jam, topped with a mountain of lightly sweetened whipped cream, and then completely encased in a smooth dome of rolled green marzipan. A dusting of icing sugar and a single marzipan rose on top complete the look. The cake was created in the 1920s by Jenny Åkerström, a cooking teacher to Swedish royalty, and named after three princesses who allegedly loved it. Every Swedish bakery sells their own version, and making it at home is a significant but deeply rewarding project.

Ingredients

Serves 10

• 4eggs
• 150 gcaster sugar
• 150 gplain flour
• 1 teaspoonbaking powder
• 3 tablespoonsraspberry jam
• 4egg yolks(for custard)
• 80 gsugar(for custard)
• 3 tablespoonscornflour(for custard)
• 400 mlwhole milk(for custard)
• 1 teaspoonvanilla extract
• 600 mldouble cream(whipped to soft peaks)
• 500 ggreen marzipan(ready-rolled or block)
• 2 tablespoonsicing sugar(for dusting)

Instructions

1. 1

   Bake the sponge

   Preheat oven to 175°C. Whisk eggs and sugar with an electric mixer for 8 minutes until pale and tripled in volume. Sift in flour and baking powder, fold gently. Pour into a greased 22cm tin. Bake for 25–30 minutes. Cool completely, then slice horizontally into 3 layers.

2. 2

   Make pastry cream

   Whisk egg yolks, sugar and cornflour in a bowl. Heat milk until steaming. Gradually pour milk into yolk mixture, whisking constantly. Return to pan and cook over medium heat, stirring, until thick. Stir in vanilla. Cover with cling film touching the surface and cool completely.

3. 3

   Assemble

   Place bottom sponge layer on a plate. Spread with jam, then pastry cream. Add second layer. Spread with more pastry cream. Add top layer. Spread whipped cream in a thick domed layer — the dome shape is essential. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to firm up.

   The cream dome must be generously rounded — the marzipan drapes over it and needs the height to create the characteristic shape.

4. 4

   Cover with marzipan

   Roll green marzipan into a large circle about 38cm diameter and 4mm thick. Carefully lift and drape over the cream dome. Smooth gently, trim excess at the base. Dust with icing sugar and top with a marzipan rose.

Variations

• •

  Pink marzipan is used for the rose on top; the traditional dome is always green.

• •

  Some bakers add a layer of sliced strawberries with the cream for a summer version.

• •

  Vegetarian: swap the protein for roasted king oyster mushrooms, smoked tofu or cooked chickpeas — adjust seasoning slightly upward to compensate.

• •

  Spicier: add a finely chopped fresh chile or a teaspoon of crushed Aleppo/Urfa pepper to the aromatics for warm, layered heat instead of a single sharp hit.

Storage

Refrigerate for up to 3 days. The marzipan may sweat slightly in the fridge — dust with icing sugar before serving. Best served at room temperature.

Frequently Asked Questions