Thinly layered sponge cake, billowy meringue, toasted almonds, and a velvety pastry cream filling are just a few of the things you'll love about the Norwegian classic, Verdens Beste Kake.
This really is the world's best cake.
But what makes it so good?
Verdens beste kake features a thin layer of Norwegian sponge cake topped with meringue and almonds toasted to golden perfection.
And if that wasn't delicious enough (I mean, really, we could stop here but we won't), the cake is then cut in half and filled with a mixture of whipped cream and vaniljekrem (a Norwegian pastry cream) for the lightest, fluffiest, most melt-in-your-mouth filling you've ever tasted.
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What's verdens beste kake?
Verdens beste kake roughly translates to "The World's Best Cake". It's also called Kvæfjordkake, named for the Northern region of Norway the woman who developed it came from (Kvæfjord).
This cake has a long history as a favorite among Norwegians, including being voted in as Norway's national cake in 2002.
Step-by-step instructions
First, make the vaniljekrem for the filling.
Whisk sugar, egg yolks, and cornstarch. Add ½ cup hot milk to the mixture while whisking.
Pour the mixture back into the pot of milk and whisk. Add vanilla and cook until it thickens to a pudding-like consistency.
Refrigerate in a covered bowl.
Second, make the cake.
Cream the butter and sugar. Mix in the yolks one at a time.
Add the dry and wet ingredients, alternating between the two.
Grease and line your baking sheet and spread the batter to the edges.
The batter will be thick so it may take some time and work to get it all spread out. It's ok for it to be thin - it'll thicken as it bakes.
Why do we cream the butter and sugar, and how do we know when it’s ready? Creaming these two ingredients together allows the sugar to aerate the butter, which is important for an otherwise dense cake, like this one. Properly creamed butter is light, fluffy, and doesn’t cling to the sides of the bowl.
Third, make the meringue.
Whip the egg whites and sugar to stiff, glossy peaks.
New to meringue? Check out my meringue guide for troubleshooting and tips.
Spread the meringue evenly over the cake batter, top with almonds and bake at 325F for 30-35 minutes.
Finally, assemble the cake.
Whip the heavy cream until stiff. Fold into the cooled vaniljekrem.
Cut the cooled cake in half.
Place one half, meringue side down, and cover with the filling. Top with the other cake half, meringue side up.
Refrigerate for one hour to set.
Expert tips
- Start with a perfectly clean bowl for meringues: Even a little bit of grease can ruin your meringue so make sure your bowl has been thoroughly scrubbed with warm, soapy water.
- Don’t use plastic bowls to make meringue: It’s very hard to completely remove fats from plastic bowls and kitchen utensils, which tend to develop a greasy coating over time. Instead, use a glass, metal, or ceramic bowl.
- Crack your eggs into a separate bowl: Egg yolks = fat and as we’ve established, fats will keep your meringue from reaching its full potential. To avoid having a single yolk ruin the whole batch, be sure to crack and separate your eggs over a small bowl before adding the white to the rest of the batch.
- Cooling the vaniljekrem faster: You can speed up the cooling process by placing the bowl of cooked cream over an ice bath. Stir continually to keep it from clumping as it cools.
More cake sizes
While the rectangular "langpanne" (long pan) style is traditional, this cake can also be made as a two-layer round cake.
You'll need two 10" round cake pans and will divide the cake batter and meringue evenly between them. Bake at 325F for 25-30 minutes.
This size will require the same amount of filling.
Storage
This cake can be stored in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. The vaniljekrem filling (minus the whipped cream) can be made 2-3 days in advance.
More Norwegian cakes
Norwegian cakes are simple, elegant and subtly sweet. If you enjoyed this cake, try one of these cakes next:
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 helps me improve them.
Recipe
Verdens Beste Kake (World's Best Cake)
Thin layers of sponge cake, billowy meringue topped with toasted almonds, filled with whipped cream and pastry cream.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Chill Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 5 minutes
- Yield: 15 slices 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Norwegian
Ingredients
Cake:
- 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- 4 large egg yolks
- ¼ cup whole milk
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 large egg whites
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup sliced almonds
Filling:
- 2 cups whole milk
- 4 large egg yolks
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
Instructions
Filling:
- Bring the whole milk to a simmer over low-medium heat in a medium-sized pot.
- In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar. Add the cornstarch and whisk until lump-free.
- Whisking continually, pour ½ cup of the hot milk into the egg mixture.
- Return the pot of milk to the stove and, whisking vigorously, pour the egg mixture into the pot.
- Add the vanilla extract and continue cooking over low-medium heat until the filling thickens to a pudding-like consistency (about 2-3 minutes).
- Pour into a bowl, cover with a piece of plastic wrap pressed against the surface of the filling, and refrigerate.
Cake:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar on medium-high until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes).
- With the mixer on low, add the egg yolks one at a time, mixing until just combined.
- Combine the remaining dry ingredients (flour and baking powder) in one bowl and the remaining wet ingredients (milk and vanilla extract) in another.
- With the mixer still on low, add the dry ingredients in two parts, alternating with the wet ingredients in one part. Mix until just combined.
- Grease a 15" x 10" jelly roll/cookie pan and cover with parchment paper (the grease is so the parchment paper sticks).
- Spread the batter out onto the parchment paper-lined pan, working it all the way to the edges. The batter will be thick so this may take some work.
- In a clean bowl, whip the egg whites and sugar for the meringue on high until stiff, glossy peaks form (about 5-10 minutes depending on the power of your mixer).
- Spread the meringue evenly over the cake batter and top with sliced almonds.
- Bake at 325F for 30-35 minutes, or until the meringue is a light golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely in its pan.
Assembly:
- In a medium-large bowl, whip the heavy whipping cream for the filling until it holds stiff peaks.
- Fold the whipped cream into the cooled bowl of filling from the fridge.
- Using a serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion, cut the cake in half.
- Place one half, meringue side down, onto a plate.
- Cover with the filling working it all the way out to the edges.
- Place the other cake half, meringue side up, on top of the filling and apply gentle pressure to seal them together.
- Place the cake in the refrigerator and allow to set for one hour before serving.
Notes
- Start with a perfectly clean bowl for meringues: This may seem like a no-brainer but even a little bit of grease can ruin your meringue. Whatever you use, make sure it’s been thoroughly scrubbed with warm, soapy water.
- Don’t use plastic bowls to make meringue: To the point above, it’s very hard to completely remove fats from plastic bowls and kitchen utensils, which tend to develop a greasy coating over time. Instead, use a glass, metal, or ceramic bowl.
- Crack your eggs into a separate bowl: Egg yolks = fat and as we’ve established, fats will keep your meringue from reaching its full potential. To avoid having a single yolk ruin the whole batch, be sure to crack and separate your eggs over a small bowl before adding the white to the rest of the batch.
- Cooling the vaniljekrem faster: You can speed up the cooling process by placing the bowl of cooked cream over an ice bath. Stir continually to keep it from clumping as it cools.
- Storage: This cake can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 314
- Sugar: 33.4g
- Sodium: 70mg
- Fat: 13.6g
- Saturated Fat: 6.9g
- Carbohydrates: 44.2g
- Fiber: 0.7g
- Protein: 5.6g
- Cholesterol: 141mg
Gloria says
When you want to make a dessert to impress your guests, this is the beste kake. A great take along to a party too. The flavour combination and texture is wonderful
Bernice says
I think you Norwegians are onto something here. This cake does look amazing and I love how perfect the layers are. So light and textural and then there's all that pastry cream! I wish I had a slice with my coffee right now!
Sean says
Any time I can combine cake and meringue I am happy. This cake was fantastic and I am making this again for Mother's Day.
Megane says
What a combination! I cannot wait to make this for Mothers Day coming up. Thanks so much for all the tips to make it perfect. I will update with how I get on. It looks amazing. Thanks Clairellyn.
Tammy says
I love light desserts like this. This cake looks airy and delicious...a perfect treat for Mother's day or any upcoming holiday! Thank you for this recipe.
Leslie says
I totally agree, this is definitely the world's best cake! Everything about this recipe is pure perfection!
Veronika says
I made this cake yesterday and it came out amazing! It's really the best cake I've ever tried! Going to make it again for my husband's birthday 😉
Jenny says
This is the most decadent dessert! I love how it looks, and it is perfect for guests. We are planning a big get-together soon, and I bet this cake sensation will be the star of the weekend. One of our good friends is Norwegian; this will be a surprise! Thanks for the idea!
Christy says
This cake is the definition of simple yet elegant. I've made it a few times now and have gotten a compliment from everyone who tasted it!
Hayley Dhanecha says
I never heard about verdens besete kake before, sound so delicious and easy to put together. Can't wait to bake over the weekend!