Kvæfjordkake

Kvæfjordkake (Norwegian Cream-Almond Layer Cake)

A beloved Norwegian layer cake from the island of Kvæfjord in northern Norway, often called 'the world's best cake' (verdens beste). It pairs a light sponge with a creamy custard, whipped cream, and toasted almonds.

Prep

35 min

Cook

25 min

Total

60 min

Serves

10

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •130 g (1 cup) all-purpose flour
• •8 g (2 tsp) baking powder
• •60 g (½ cup) blanched almonds, finely ground; substitute almond flour if unavailable
• •150 g (¾ cup) granulated sugar
• •125 g (½ cup) unsalted butter, softened
• •120 ml (½ cup) whole milk
• •4 g (1 tsp) vanilla extract, preferably vanilla bean paste
• •4 whole (4 large) eggs, separated; whites beaten to stiff peaks
• •250 ml (1 cup) whole milk, for custard
• •40 g (3 tbsp) cornstarch, for custard
• •60 g (3 tbsp) granulated sugar, for custard
• •2 g (1 tsp) vanilla sugar or vanilla extract, for custard
• •2 whole (2 large) egg yolks, for custard
• •300 ml (1¼ cups) heavy cream, cold, for filling and topping
• •60 g (½ cup) blanched almonds, toasted and chopped, for topping
• •10 g (2 tbsp) powdered sugar, for dusting

Steps

1. 1 Preheat oven to 175°C (350°F). Grease and line two 20 cm (8 inch) round cake tins with parchment paper.
2. 2 Whisk flour, baking powder, and ground almonds together in a bowl; set aside.
3. 3 In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Beat in the egg yolks one at a time, then add vanilla and milk.
4. 4 Fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until just combined.
5. 5 In a separate clean bowl, beat egg whites to stiff peaks. Gently fold the whites into the batter in three additions to keep it airy.
6. 6 Divide the batter evenly between the prepared tins, leveling the tops. Bake for 20–25 minutes, until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean; the internal crumb should read about 95°C (200°F) on an instant-read thermometer.
7. 7 Cool the sponges in the tins for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
8. 8 Make the custard: whisk egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch, and vanilla in a small bowl. Heat the milk in a saucepan until it just begins to simmer, then slowly whisk it into the yolk mixture. Return the mixture to the pan and cook over low heat, whisking constantly, until it thickens to a pudding-like consistency and reaches 75°C (170°F) to ensure the yolks are safely cooked.
9. 9 Pour the custard into a clean bowl, press plastic wrap directly onto the surface, and chill until completely cold, at least 2 hours.
10. 10 Whisk the chilled custard to loosen it, then fold in 200 ml (¾ cup) of the cold heavy cream that has been whipped to soft peaks. Keep the remaining 100 ml (scant ½ cup) cream for topping.
11. 11 Slice each sponge horizontally to create four thin layers. Place the bottom layer on a serving plate, spread one-third of the cream-custard mixture, then repeat with the remaining layers, finishing with a smooth top layer.
12. 12 Whip the reserved cream to soft peaks and spread it over the top and sides of the cake.
13. 13 Decorate the top generously with toasted chopped almonds and dust with powdered sugar. Chill for at least 1 hour before slicing to let the layers set. Store refrigerated and serve within 2 days.