Fyrstekake is a traditional Norwegian cake made with a buttery, shortbread crust filled with almond paste. Baked to golden perfection, this simple, not-too-sweet treat is perfect with a cup of coffee.
My first introduction to fyrstekake was at the bakery I worked at in Norway. And while the beautiful, latticework-crusted squares seemed at first a daunting dessert to make, like many Norwegian treats, I was pleasantly surprised to learn how easy they actually are.
And, perhaps best of all, fyrstekaker freeze beautifully. Don't tell anyone, but bakeries regularly freeze cakes.
And I can confirm that this one, in particular, thaws and tastes as though it's never been frozen (Kransekaker and marzipan cakes are also great options for making ahead and freezing).
Jump to:
What is fyrstekake?
Developed in a Trondheim bakery in 1856, fyrstekake (sometimes called "Prince's Cake" or "Royal Cake" in English) is a popular Norwegian cake.
Made with a simple shortbread (mørdeig) crust and filled with an almond paste (makronfyll), you're just as likely to find this cake served over a casual coffee as you are to find it at a special event.
Ingredients
This easy cake is made primarily with pantry staples, so you likely already have most of the ingredients you'll need in your kitchen.
Below you'll find tips and recommendations for a few of the ingredients. You can find a full list, including measurements, in the recipe card.
- Eggs: The egg for the crust should be at room temperature, which will allow it to be more evenly incorporated into the batter. If you're using leftover egg whites (they'll whip up best if they're cold and fresh) in the filling, three egg whites are equal to about 3.6 ounces.
- Unsalted butter is best because it allows us to control exactly how much salt we'll be adding to this recipe (and we don't need much).
- Slivered almonds: I like to use slivered almonds because they create a slightly chunkier, chewier filling, which is a nice contrast to the smooth, crisp crust.
Step-by-step instructions
First, make the crust.
Cream the butter and sugar. Add the egg, salt and vanilla. Mix in the flour until a cohesive ball of dough forms.
Wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Second, make the filling.
In a food processor, pulse together the almonds and powdered sugar.
Beat the egg whites to soft peaks and fold into the almond mixture.
Finally, assemble the cake.
Roll ⅔ of the dough out into an 11" circle.
Press into a parchment-lined 9" springform pan. Trim the sides down to 1".
Pour the filling into the crust.
Roll out the remaining dough into a 9 ½" circle.
Cut 1" strips and arrange across the top in a latticework pattern.
Trim the excess dough, brush with egg and bake at 350F for 40-45 minutes.
Dust cooled cake with powdered sugar.
Variations and substitutions
- Nuts: While this cake is traditionally made with almonds, you can add or substitute other nuts of any kind at a one-to-one ratio.
- Almond flour: Don't have slivered almonds on hand? You can substitute with almond flour at a one-to-one ratio. Pulse in your food processor with the powdered sugar until just combined.
Expert tips
- Softening refrigerated butter: Cut butter into ½ tablespoon squares. Place on a plate and microwave in 5-second increments until softened.
- Bringing cold eggs to room temperature quickly: If you need to bring your eggs to room temperature quickly for this recipe, place them in a bowl of hot tap water for 5 minutes.
- Moving the crust into the pan: The safest way to move a delicate dough like this one is to gently wrap it around a rolling pin and unroll it over your pan.
- Cutting your fyrstekake: The easiest way to cut through the crust without crushing it is to use a serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion.
Other cake sizes
Don't have a 9" round pan or would prefer to make a larger cake for a crowd? Here's how to scale this recipe:
- Square pan: Bake in an 8" square cake pan until the crust is golden and the filling is set (35-45 minutes). This recipe does not need to be scaled for this pan size.
- Sheet cake: Double the ingredients and bake in a 9"x13" dish until golden and set (about 45-55 minutes).
- Pie dish: Don't have a round, springform pan? You can substitute with a pie dish. Be sure to trim down the edges to meet the filling.
Storage
This cake can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one week. If the cake has been cut, place a piece of plastic wrap over the cut area.
Fyrstekake also freezes well and will keep for up to 3 months. To thaw, place in the refrigerator overnight.
If you want to work ahead, you can make and refrigerate the shortbread dough for up to 2 days or wrap tightly and freeze for up to 3 months.
More Norwegian cakes
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.
Recipe
Fyrstekake
The Norwegian fyrstekake has a shortbread cookie crust filled with a marzipan-flavored almond and powdered sugar filling.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Chill Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
- Yield: 12 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Norwegian
Ingredients
Shortbread crust:
- 2 cups (240g) all-purpose flour
- 10 tablespoons (150g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1 egg, at room temperature
- 1 egg yolk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Almond filling:
- 2 cups (250g) slivered almonds
- 1 ⅔ cups (200g) powdered sugar
- 3 egg whites
Instructions
Shortbread crust:
- Cream the butter and granulated sugar on medium until light and fluffy (2-3 minutes).
- With the mixer on low, add the egg, salt and vanilla extract, mixing until just combined.
- Add the flour and beat on low-medium until the dough forms a cohesive ball and pulls away from the sides.
- Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Filling:
- In a food processor, pulse the almonds and powdered sugar until mixed and the almonds have been reduced to a fine crumb.
- Whip the egg whites on high until soft peaks form.
- Fold the egg whites into the almond/powdered sugar mixture, folding gently so the egg whites don't deflate. Mix until just combined.
Assembly:
- Line the bottom of a 9" springform pan with a piece of parchment.
- Remove the shortbread dough from the refrigerator and set aside ⅓ of it (about 175g).
- Roll the remaining dough out on a lightly floured surface until you have an 11" circle.
- Gently transfer the dough to the parchment paper lined pan, and press it into the bottom and about 1" up the sides.
- Pour the filling into the crust, spreading it evenly to the edges.
- Use a small pairing knife to trim away any excess crust more than ¼" above the filling.
- Roll the remaining dough out on a lightly floured surface until you have a 9 ½" circle.
- Cut the dough into 1" wide strips and arrange on top of the filling in a latticework pattern.
- Trim the excess dough from around the edges.
- In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolk and brush over the latticework pieces of crust.
- Bake at 350F for 40-45 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the filling is set (there will be a gentle jiggle but there shouldn't be sloshing).
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before removing from its pan.
Notes
-
- Softening refrigerated butter: Cut butter into ½ tablespoon squares. Place on a plate and microwave in 5-second increments until softened.
- Bringing cold eggs to room temperature quickly: If you need to bring your eggs to room temperature quickly for this recipe, place them in a bowl of hot tap water for 5 minutes.
- Moving the crust into the pan: The safest way to move a delicate dough like this one is to gently wrap it around a rolling pin and unroll it over your pan.
- Cutting your fyrstekake: The easiest way to cut through the crust without crushing it is to use a serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion.
- Storage: This cake can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one week.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 362
- Sugar: 25.5g
- Sodium: 85mg
- Fat: 18.5g
- Saturated Fat: 6.9g
- Carbohydrates: 44.4g
- Fiber: 2.5g
- Protein: 7.1g
- Cholesterol: 53mg
Marta says
My daughter and I loved baking this fyrstekake for our baking project this week. The texture was perfectly, not super spongy but not dense either. So lovely.
Tammy says
Oh wow this is a beautiful dessert! I've never heard of this before but it reminds me slightly of the Italian Easter Cake...it's so elegant and I cannot wait to make this. I love almond desserts.
Mindy S says
A delicious and lovely cake! I had it once when a Norwegian coworker brought it to work and I want to learn how to make it.
Sharon says
This fyrstekake has the best shortbread crust and the easy and crunchy almond filling is the perfect treat for tea time or anytime.
Kristina says
Everything about this cake was delicious and it was quite fun to make. I can't wait to try some more of your Scandinavian goodies- they all look amazing!
Isabelle says
You're right, this seemed daunting but it was quite simple and really very good! Served with a scoop of ice cream on top was absolutely perfect.
Lori | The Kitchen Whisperer says
This is a work of art. It's almost too pretty to eat - almost! The texture is everything! I can't wait to make it again but this time I'm not sharing 🙂
Sandhya Ramakrishnan says
I am in love with the shortcake crust and the almond filling is just the best! I love trying out desserts from different cuisines and glad to have tried this!
Veronika says
The almonds totally made the cake taste like marzipan! I loved the flavors and how it wasn't overly sweet. We'll definitely make it again!
Dee Broughton says
Why have I not heard of fyrstekake? This looks amazing! Bookmarking for later.