Name: Verdens Beste Kake (World's Best Cake)
Prep time: 1 h 30 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 2 h 5 min
Cuisine: Norwegian
Ingredients: 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature; 2/3 cup granulated sugar; 4 large egg yolks; 1/4 cup whole milk; 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour; 1 teaspoon baking powder; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 4 large egg whites; 1 cup granulated sugar; 1/2 cup sliced almonds; 2 cups whole milk; 4 large egg yolks; 1/2 cup granulated sugar; 1/4 cup cornstarch; 2 teaspoons vanilla extract; 1 cup heavy whipping cream

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Thinly layered sponge cake, billowy meringue, toasted almonds, and a velvety vanilla filling are just a few of the things you'll love about the Norwegian classic, Verdens Beste Kake.

Verdens beste kake on a gold cooling rack with a white bowl, a jar of vaniljekrem, plates, eggs and a bouquet in the background.

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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Translation
Step-by-step instructions
Other cake sizes
Expert tips
Storage
More Norwegian cakes
Recipe

Translation

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

Hot milk being poured into a bowl with egg, sugar and cornstarch.

First, make the vaniljekrem for the filling.

Whisk sugar, egg yolks, and cornstarch. Add ½ cup hot milk to the mixture while whisking.

Hot, freshly mixed vaniljekrem in a silver pot with a wooden handled whisk stick out to the right.

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.

Overhead of batter in a glass mixing 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.

Overhead view of cake batter spread out over a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.

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.

Close up of baked meringue sprinkled with almonds.

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.

Side view of sponge and meringue cake with custard filling on a gold cooling rack.

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.

Verdens beste kake on a white plate with a sliced strawberry next to it. More plated pieces of cake, a bowl of strawberries and a bouquet are in the background.

Other 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.

Expert tips

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. The vaniljekrem filling (minus the whipped cream) can be made 2-3 days in advance.

More Norwegian cakes

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Recipe