Vegetarian
Norway
Kvæfjord Cake “Verdens Beste” (World’s Best Cake)
Allergens: Eggs, Gluten, Milk, Nuts, Peanuts
Norway's 'world's best': meringue and almond cake with vanilla cream.
Ingredients
- Plain flour 1.25 cup
- Sugar 1.5 cup
- Butter 0.67 cup
- Cream 1.25 cup
- Eggs 7
- Milk 0.5 cup
- Almonds
- Baking powder 1.5 tsp
- Cornflour 2 tbsp
- Vanilla pod 1
Method
- Vanilla custard
- Separate the egg yolks and set aside the whites to use in the meringue.
- Whisk together the egg yolks, cornstarch and sugar in a bowl.
- Heat the cream and milk in a saucepan.
- Split open the vanilla pod and add the beans to the saucepan.
- Once the milk begins to bubble pour about half of it into the bowl with the egg mixture, whisking constantly.
- Then return the saucepan to the heat and pour the egg mixture back into the saucepan with remaining milk, whisking constantly.
- Once the mixture thickens lower the heat and continue whisking for about 30 seconds.
- Pour the custard into a clean bowl and cover with plastic wrap, placing the plastic directly on the top layer of the custard.
- Chill in the fridge.
- Cake
- Mix together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add egg yolks one at a time, setting aside the egg whites for the meringue.
- Add the flour mixed with baking powder.
- Stir in the milk, beating until smooth (you can use an electric mixer if you prefer).
- Preheat oven to 320°F (160°C).
- Cover a baking sheet with baking paper and spread out the batter into a large, even rectangle.
- Meringue topping
- Whisk together the egg whites and sugar until you get glossy, stiff peaks. The meringue should hold its form – if it still melts continue whisking.
- Spread out the meringue on top of the cake batter.
- Use a spatula to form light waves with the meringue.
- Sprinkle almonds on top of the meringue.
- Bake for about 30 minutes, until the meringue and almonds are golden.
- Cream filling
- Whisk the cream into stiff peaks.
- Carefully fold in the vanilla custard.
- Assembly
- Once the cake has cooled, cut it in half. You can use scissors for this, or a knife on a cutting board, slicing through the baking paper as well.
- Place half of the cake on a serving platter with the meringue side down and peel off the baking paper.
- Spread the cream filling across the cake. Then carefully remove the other half of the cake from the baking paper and place it over the cream filling, meringue side up.
- Serve with fresh berries.