Icelandic Cake Recipes

VíNARTERTA - ICELANDIC CELEBRATION CAKE

Steps:

• Heat water and prunes in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook until the prunes are very soft and water is evaporated, stirring occasionally- approximately 30 minutes. Once the prunes are very soft, mash them with a potato masher or blitz them through a food processor. Add lemon juice, cardamom, vanilla, sugar and cinnamon and stir well. Set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 350.
• In a large bowl or stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together. Beat in eggs one at a time.
• In a small bowl, mix together the milk, vanilla extract and almond extract.
• In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, cardamom and baking powder.
• Add a third of your dry ingredients to the creamed butter bowl and mix well. Then, add a third of the milk mixture to the butter bowl and mix well. Continue to alternate adding dry ingredients and wet ingredients to the butter bowl until everything is mixed together.
• Roll dough out on to a floured surface until roughly ¼ inch thick (or rather, thin!). Using an inverted 9 inch round springform pan OR an inverted 8 inch rectangular brownie pan, trace a square/circle with a knife. Gently place your dough square/circle on to a baking sheet (I like to roll it on to a rolling pin and then roll it off on the sheet). If you have two baking sheets, you can bake two layers at once, cutting down your cooking time. You should end up with 5-7 'cookie' layers in total, depending on the width of each layer and the size your are cutting them to.
• Bake each layer of dough for 10-12 minutes, until firm, but not browned. As they are baked, gently transfer each to a wire rack to cool completely. The baked and cooled squares/circles should have a firm, cookie-like consistency.
• Once all your dough layers are baked and fully cooked you can start to put them all together! Place one cookie layer down on a piece of wax paper. Using a spatula, gently spread a layer of the prune mixture over the cookie, getting as close to the edges as possible. Place the second cookie layer overtop and do the same. Repeat this until you have one cookie layer left and place that on top but do not cover your top layer with the prune mix.
• Wrap the cake in plastic wrap and/or tinfoil and store in a cool, dry place for at least 3 days or up to 4 weeks, until ready to serve. The longer you let it sit, the softer your cookie layers will be. I like to wait at least a week buuuut... sometimes I just can't resist and break into it early. ???? To serve, slice into slices or squares.

ICELANDIC FISH CAKES (FISH BALLS)

Steps:

• Break cod into pieces and place in a food processor with soy creamer, onion, eggs, potato starch, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper; process until evenly blended. Transfer to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
• Remove from the refrigerator and shape into balls (think crab cake size but thicker.)
• Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add fish balls and saute on all sides until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Add 1/2 inch water to the skillet with wine. Cover, bring to a simmer, and cook until cooked through, about 10 more minutes.

ICELANDIC HAPPY MARRIAGE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°. Butter or grease a 9-inch cake or pie pan.
• In a mixing bowl, combine oatmeal, flour, brown and white sugar, and baking soda. Cut in the butter (as you would for pie crust); with a pastry blender or with your hands, rub the butter into the dry ingredients until well blended.
• Beat in one egg and vanilla extract.
• Press 2/3 of the cake dough into the bottom of the pan. Spread the rhubarb jam evenly over the layer, then crumble remaining dough over top of cake.
• Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until crust is golden brown.
• Cool in pan on wire rack.
• Slice and serve.

MONDLUKAKA - ICELANDIC ALMOND CAKE DESSERT

Steps:

• Set oven temp at 350°F.
• Cream butter and gradually add sugar. Beat in egg yolks (1 at a time), beating well after ea addition. Stir in vanilla and almonds.
• Sift together the flour & baking powder and gradually add to batter. Beat egg whites till stiff (but not dry); fold into batter.
• Bake in three 8-inch buttered & floured layer pans for about 30 minutes or till golden brown. Cool at least 5 minutes before removing from pans.
• Spread strawberry jam between cooled layers and cover top and sides with swirls of whipped cream. Serve immediately and watch as it disappears.

ICELANDIC CAKE

Steps:

• Pre heat the oven to 240C/fan 220C/gas 9.
• Grease a large baking tin (at least 2 inches deep)
• Mix together the oats, flour, sugar, baking powder and butter either by hand or with a food processor until like a dough in consistency. If the mixture is a little dry add a small splash of milk.
• Put half of the dough mix into the pre prepared tin, spread the mixture out and push down. Take care to make sure all the corners are covered.
• Spread the whole jar of jam over the first layer of mixture, it looks like a sandwich cake! Make sure the jam is evenly spread.
• Cover the jam layer evenly with the second half of the mixture. Push down slightly and ensure all the jam is covered.
• Cook at 240C/fan 220C/gas 9 for 10 minutes, then turn the oven down to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3 for 30-40 minutes, until the top has turned a golden colour.