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    Home » Scandinavian Baking

    Published: Apr 8, 2022 · Modified: May 17, 2023 by Claire

    Bløtkake (Norwegian Cream Cake)

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    Jump To Recipe Print Recipe

    Bløtkake is a classic Norwegian cake worthy of celebrations both big and small. Made with a sponge cake known as sukkerbrød, filled with a sweet fruit filling and slathered in whipped cream, this easy cake takes just an hour to make.

    blotkake topped with berries and chocolate ganache

    At their core, Scandinavian treats are three things: Simple, delicious and fresh.

    And let's not forget stunning.

    Whether it's a classic marzipan cake, a showstopping kransekake or an unassuming eplekake, they're the kind of treats that can be whipped up on a weeknight with pantry staples and look like they came out of a five-star restaurant for the fanciest of occasions.

    They taste the way summer smells and somehow always leave you both satisfied and wanting more.

    And the classic Norwegian bløtkake is unequivocally all of these things.

    Jump to:
    • What is a bløtkake?
    • Ingredients
    • Step-by-step instructions
    • Variations
    • Expert tips
    • Frequently asked questions
    • Storage
    • More Norwegian cakes
    • Recipe

    What is a bløtkake?

    A bløtkake is a kind of Norwegian layer cake made up of sponge cake (sukkerbrød), fresh fruit, and whipped cream. It can also include vaniljekrem and is particularly popular in the summer and around Norway's Constitution Day.

    Like many Norwegian cakes, this one has a long history with the earliest known iteration of this recipe appearing in a cookbook from 1692.

    Ingredients

    Guess what! Your shopping list will be short for this cake. Hurray!

    But before you hit the store, here are a few thoughts on some of the ingredients you'll want to grab. A full list can be found in the recipe card.

    • Eggs: Fresh, cold eggs make for the most stable cake batter.
    • Heavy whipping cream: Heavy cream and heavy whipping cream can be used interchangeably (they're actually the same thing). Whipping cream with less than 36% milk fat is not recommended as a substitute.
    • Baking powder: Due to the low acidity of this batter, we're using baking powder exclusively.
    • Vanilla extract: Traditionally this recipe calls for vanilla sugar, but I prefer the taste of the extract.

    Step-by-step instructions

    First, make the sponge cake.

    Whip eggs and sugar until fluffy (about 5 minutes).

    Fold in flour, baking powder, and vanilla.

    Pour into a parchment paper-lined cake pan and bake at 325F for 30-35 mins.

    A note on greasing your cake pan: Unlike other cakes, you won't want to grease your pan for this one. Line the bottom with parchment paper for easy removal and use a paring knife to release the edges.

    leveled layers of sponge cake on a cooling rack

    Second, make the whipped cream.

    In a large bowl, combine the heavy whipping cream and vanilla extract. Beat on high until stiff peaks form.

    Be careful not to overbeat the whipping cream as this can cause it to separate.

    Finally, assemble the cake.

    Cut the cooled sponge cake in half and spread a thin layer of jam to about ½" from the edge. Cover with an even layer of whipped cream using a little over ⅓ of the whipped cream you made

    sponge cake with raspberry jam

    Cover with the second layer of cake and use the remaining whipped cream to cover the top and sides. Decorate with fresh fruit.

    iced sponge cake

    Variations

    Although I chose to make this cake with raspberry jam because that's what we most often used in the bakery I worked at in Norway (and it's a favorite flavor in our household), that's not your only option.

    If you'd like to keep it traditional, you can also fill it with strawberry jam, apricot jam, or a vanilla pastry cream known as vaniljekrem.

    If you're open to less traditional fillings, any sort of fruit filling (like lemon curd or a peach bourbon jam) will work.

    blotkake having a slice removed

    Expert tips

    • Don’t grease your cake pan: This sponge cake is very sensitive to oil and greasing your pan may keep it from rising properly. Instead, line the bottom of your pan with parchment paper. To remove the baked cake from the pan, simply run a thin knife around the edge.
    • Let your cake cool in the pan: Because this cake is so light and delicate, leave it in the pan to keep the cake from collapsing as it cools.
    • If you want to work ahead, the sponge cake can be wrapped and frozen for up to 3 months.
    • Leave about ½″ of jam-free cake around the edge: As you spread out your jam, be sure to leave about ½″ of jam-free cake around the edge. Any closer to the edge and it may get pulled over the edge and into the whipped cream.
    • Make sure your whipped cream has a stiff consistency: This is a very soft cake that will be topped with a heavy piece of marzipan. It needs a very stiff whipped cream to hold it all together.

    Frequently asked questions

    What does bløtkake mean/translate to?

    If you want to directly translate its parts, bløt means wet or soft and kake means cake in Norwegian. However, this cake is more often translated as "cream cake" or "layer cake".

    How do you pronounce bløtkake?

    Bløtkake, sometimes also written as blautkake, is pronounced /bløːtˈkɑːkə/ or BLUH-kaka.

    How is a bløtkake different from a hvit dame?

    A hvit dame is essentially a bløtkake covered with marzipan.

    sliced blotkake in front of cake and berries

    Storage

    This cake will keep in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.

    Once your cake is cut, you’ll want to protect the exposed cake area. The easiest way to do this is with a piece of plastic wrap or two.

    More Norwegian cakes

    • Slice of fyrstekake on a plate with a bite taken out of the center. In the background are a bouquet of white flowers, cake on a cake stand, a white bowl and a gold candle stick.
      Fyrstekake (Norwegian Prince's Cake)
    • apple cake sliced with two slices still in the pan and one on a nearby blue plate.
      Eplekake (Norwegian Apple Cake)
    • Verdens beste kake on a gold cooling rack with a white bowl, a jar of vaniljekrem, plates, eggs and a bouquet in the background.
      Verdens Beste Kake (World's Best Cake)
    • marzipan cake in front of a vase of flowers.
      Norwegian Marzipan Cake (Marsipankake)

    Did you make this recipe? Please leave a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below! I regularly update these posts and feedback from wonderful readers like you help me make them better.

    Print

    Recipe

    Bløtkake (Norwegian Cream Cake)

    sliced blotkake in front of cake and berries
    Print Recipe

    ★★★★★

    5 from 1 reviews

    Made with a sponge cake known as sukkerbrød, filled with a sweet fruit filling and slathered in whipped cream, this easy cake takes just an hour to make.

    • Author: Claire Coffey
    • Prep Time: 25 minutes
    • Cook Time: 35 minutes
    • Total Time: 1 hour
    • Yield: 16 slices 1x
    • Category: Dessert
    • Method: Baking
    • Cuisine: Norwegian

    Ingredients

    Units Scale

    For the sponge cake:

    • 4 eggs
    • 125g (~½ cup + 1 tbsp) granulated sugar
    • 125g (~1 cup) all purpose flour
    • 1 tsp baking powder
    • 1 tsp vanilla extract

    For the filling:

    • 3 cups heavy whipping cream
    • 1 tsp vanilla extract
    • ⅓ cup raspberry jam

    Instructions

    1. Combine the eggs and sugar in a bowl and whip on high until almost white and fluffy (about 5 minutes). Be sure to really give the batter the full 5 minutes or so of whipping as this is what will give the cake its light and fluffy texture, and is also part of what will help it rise.
    2. Fold in the remaining cake ingredients (flour, baking powder and vanilla extract).
    3. Pour into parchment paper lined 8" round cake pan and bake at 325F for 30-35 minutes.
    4. In a large bowl, whip heavy whipping cream and vanilla extract and until stiff peaks form.
    5. Cut the cake in half and spread jam on top of one of the layers.
    6. Cover with about ⅓ of the whipped cream mixture.
    7. Top with the other half of the cake and cover the top/sides with the remaining whipped cream.
    8. Decorate with fresh fruits.

    Notes

    • Don’t grease your cake pan: This sponge cake is very sensitive to oil and greasing your pan may keep it from rising properly. Instead, line the bottom of your pan with parchment paper. To remove the baked cake from the pan, simply run a thin knife around the edge.
    • Let your cake cool in the pan: Because this cake is so light and delicate, leave it in the pan to keep the cake from collapsing as it cools.
    • If you want to work ahead, the sponge cake can be wrapped and frozen for up to 3 months.
    • Leave about ½″ of jam-free cake around the edge: As you spread out your jam, be sure to leave about ½″ of jam-free cake around the edge. Any closer to the edge and it may get pulled over the edge and into the whipped cream.
    • Make sure your whipped cream has a stiff consistency: This is a very soft cake that will be topped with a heavy piece of marzipan. It needs a very stiff whipped cream to hold it all together.
    • Storage: This cake will keep in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Once your cake is cut, you’ll want to 

    Nutrition

    • Serving Size: 1 slice
    • Calories: 179
    • Sugar: 13.5g
    • Sodium: 24mg
    • Fat: 9.5g
    • Saturated Fat: 5.5g
    • Carbohydrates: 21.5g
    • Fiber: 0.2g
    • Protein: 2.7g
    • Cholesterol: 72mg

    Keywords: bløtkake, blotkake, norwegian cream cake, norwegian cake recipe

    Did you make this recipe?

    Tag @thesimplesweetlifeblog on Instagram and hashtag it #thesimplesweetlife

    Oh hey there!

    I see you made it to the bottom of this post. If you're here, I imagine it's because Norwegian cuisine holds a special place in your heart, either because it's something you grew up with or because of its connection to someone you love.

    Although my family's roots lie in Norway and the Americanized version of the cuisine was something I grew up making and eating, making Norwegian bakverk (baked goods) will always take me back to the five years I lived and worked at the end of a fjord in the Hardanger region.

    If you're looking for more authentic Norwegian treats, I highly recommend checking out the Scandinavian baking section of this blog. And if you have a favorite recipe you're looking to recreate but don't see it here, don't be afraid to drop me a comment or an email.

    In the meantime, let me take you (vicariously) to summer in the Hardangerfjord.

    summer day looking out over a fjord

    More Scandinavian Baking

    • Hand pulling a skillingsboller out of a silver loaf pan with plates, a glass of milk and other skillingsboller around it.
      Skillingsboller (Norwegian Cinnamon Rolls)
    • Vaniljekrem (Norwegian Pastry Cream)
    • Overhead view of iced Norwegian gingerbread cookies on a silver cooling rack with other cookies and a bottle of milk around it.
      Pepperkaker (Norwegian Gingerbread Cookies)
    • Overhead view of rosettes on a grey backdrop, some on a cooling wrack, some directly on the backdrop, with a hand reaching from the lower right side of the screen to take one.
      Rosette Cookies (Rosettbakkelse)

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    Comments

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      Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

    1. Sue says

      April 12, 2022 at 4:34 pm

      This is such a delicious and elegant cake!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
    2. Vijay says

      April 24, 2022 at 3:46 am

      How do you make the light marzipan for this blotkake/cake please. We had it at a friend's home last week. I would love to try to make this.

      Reply
      • Claire | The Simple, Sweet Life says

        April 25, 2022 at 1:04 pm

        Hi Vijay! I'm so excited to hear you want to try to make this! Might you be thinking of a hvit dame (Norwegian marzipan cake)? A hvit dame is essentially a bløtkake covered in a layer of marzipan. You can find a tutorial/recipe for that cake here: https://thesimple-sweetlife.com/norwegian-marzipan-cake/

        Reply
    3. Rene says

      July 21, 2022 at 8:41 am

      Can I make this in a jelly roll pan to make a square cake?

      Reply
      • Claire | The Simple, Sweet Life says

        July 31, 2022 at 6:22 pm

        Hi Rene! While I haven't made this specific cake at that size, it should work as long as you adjust the baking time. 🙂

        Reply

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