Serves: 8
Cost: ~€1.70, not including frosting/topping
Preparation time: ~40 minutes
Calories: ~300 per slice, not including frosting/topping
Happy Sunday folks – as promised, here’s the wonderful birthday cake I made for my wife. It’s a Swedish “sockerkaka”. A lot of countries have their own type of “sponge” cake. In England we have a Victoria Sponge. The French have a Giénoise, the US has a pound cake and then there’s Sweden, with this, which literally translates as “sugar cake”. Each recipe varies a little in ingredients and preparation, but at its heart the result is the same – a deliciously soft, moist, “spongey”, and relatively simple cake. My wife isn’t a huge fan of elaborate, chocolatey concoctions and has been eating this cake on her birthday for many years. She even told me that the one I made was “almost as good as her mother’s”, so I guess that’s a good thing :). In true summer fashion, when the weather is hot, you don’t want something heavy – fresh berries and cool whipped cream were added to this light cake, making this perfect for celebrations and other special occasions out in the summer sun.
Fortunately we had a couple of friends over the next day who were more than willing to oblige in taking a large slice of cake each. As delicious as the cake is with all the cream and sugar in the buttercream eating it all between us probably wouldn’t have been a good idea! The addition of my home-made strawberry jam on top of the buttercream made for a wonderful strawberry flavour in the middle too.
The non-crayfish dinner went well – I served us a big puddle of creamed potatoes with lots of butter, fresh chives and parsley, a nice pile of roasted tomatoes, the tournedos steak and a green peppercorn sauce. A more than adequate alternative to crayfish, in my humble opinion! I hadn’t cooked with green peppercorns before so I added rather too many which made for an interesting chomping experience, and the mash was a bit over blended which meant it was not quite so solid as I normally like, but it was still a lovely meal.
I hope you’re all having a good weekend and enjoying the last few remnants of summer. I can’t believe we’re already mid-way through August! The leaves are soon going to be falling off the trees, the blue skies will be turning grey – still though, Paris is lovely in Autumn. I look forward to taking some nice photos to share with you all! I actually have a place in mind where I’ve only been once before, several years ago, which presents some wonderful photo opportunities so I’ll be heading out there when I have a spare moment.
Enjoy the post everyone, and have a wonderful day!
Sockerkaka
Ingredients
- 250g Caster Sugar
- 3 Eggs
- 2tsps Vanilla Sugar
- 2tsps Baking Powder
- 75g Butter
- 100ml Water
- 160g Plain Flour
You’ll also need
- An Electric Whisk
Instructions
- Start off by preheating the oven to 175 degrees Celsius. Grease and flour two sandwich tins, about 20cm in diameter. Whisk together the eggs and sugar using the Electric Whisk until pale and increased in volume.
- Whisk in the vanilla sugar and baking powder. Add in the flour and continue whisking before melting the butter in a pan with the water. When the butter has completely melted, pour into the batter and continue whisking until everything is well mixed.
- Divide the batter between the two tins and then transfer the tins into the oven. Bake for about 25-30 minutes, testing by sticking the cake with a fork or small skewer after about 25 minutes. Remove when the skewer comes out clean.
- Turn out and allow to cool before sandwiching with the filling of your chice. In this case I sandwiched the cakes with home-made strawberry jam and buttercream, and I topped the cake with whipped cream and strawberries.
Between the butter in the mashed potatoes and in the birthday cake, I’m fairly sure I must have gained an extra kilo — but it was absolutely worth it! <3 Thanks for a beautiful meal and a wonderful birthday! Now, about making those foot rubs a weekly thing, rather than annual…?
You’re more than welcome wifey. Foot rubs… hmm, I’m not sure what you’re talking about 😉
Thanks for the recipe; my mother makes this every year on my Birthday also. She puts mashed strawberries and raspberries inside the sandwich, including the juice – the juices run out and soak into the cake making it soggy and delicious. Keep it in the fridge for a bit while it’s soaking in – it’s even better the next day 😉
Hi Sally, I love the idea of smushed strawberries and raspberries in the middle. I bet it makes the cake a really a nice colour too 🙂
The cake is stunning. I love a jam and cream sponge and yes, probably a welcome relief from all those strong and intense chocolate desserts. I would love to make this. It looks so light and fluffy. And now, I’m imagining you have a foot rub to attend to? xx
Thanks so much Charlie – sometimes it’s nice to go for something a bit lighter 🙂
that is sooooo yummy
It definitely was Renu 🙂
Hi Charles, that cake looks incredible, a lovely birthday cake indeed! The Hungarian version is called piskota. I’m surprised that even though you don’t separate the eggs and beat the whites it still comes out so light and airy. I made kladdkaka again and this time I substituted almond floured 1 to 1 but it really bubbled over as the almond flour is too oily, it still tasted great, very rich and chewy and sticky. I’m going to experiment a bit more before I post about it.
I can’t believe we’re halfway through August either, it’s crazy how quickly time is flying by. We’ve broken the heat wave in Toronto and today it finally stopped raining (it’s been raining since Wednesday night). The humidity is down too thank goodness. I finally turned the A/C off and opened the windows!
Thanks Eva – I think it’s due to the fact that it’s being whisked using an electric whisk almost non-stop, and it doesn’t actually have much butter in it either, which often makes a cake very heavy! Thanks for letting me know the Hungarian version – I’ll go and read up about it… I love reading about regional variations and differences like this and how they’ve evolved!
Glad you’re still enjoying the kladdkaka – great job on the almond flour sub… even if it bubbled over it sounds absolutely delicious. I might give it a try with chestnut flour now you mention that! Looking forward to seeing your post! 🙂
You are making me hungry, Charles. I have one last slice of plum cake, but no more whipping cream. I don’t have steak with green peppercorns or fresh strawberries or roasted tomatoes. Fortunately, it is breakfast time here — I’ll eat the plum cake with coffee and eat your wife’s birthday meal virtually.
Hi Sharyn – I don’t know about that… a lovely slice of plum cake sounds wonderful for breakfast 🙂
Indeed. It is not the worst thing I have ever eaten…
Well, sock it to me! How did you manage 3-layers when the batter is divided into 2 tins?
However you managed that, it looks absolutely beautiful! Great idea making it light with whipping cream instead of buttercream.
Hahaha, I knew someone would call me out on that 😀 Actually, I only have one tin so I misjudged the quantities when pouring it into the tin. I made the first much too thin, and so I cut the second one, much thicker, into two layers, to make three in total 🙂
What a wonderful birthday cake Charles! This looks like something Mr. N would surely enjoy. In fact, if I showed it to him, I wouldn’t be surprised if he requested next year. 🙂 The frosting looks delicious – I could probably just due with eating all of that…but the butter cream with homemade jam slathered into it also sounds to die for. And I’d say, “almost as good as mom’s” is a darn good compliment! Mr. N tells me that all the time about my blackberry cobbler. (It’s almost just like Grandma’s.) I figure I’ll never quite be able to top it, but I think I’m ok with that. Have a wonderful weekend. We can’t believe summer is winding down either! I’m going to miss it. Until then, we’re enjoying it full force. 🙂
Thanks Kristy – it was a wonderful cake… so filling. As I mentioned, it was so handy that a couple of people came to eat some slices the next day. I’d be waddling around stuffed full of it right now otherwise! 🙂
I hope you decide to give it a try sometime – no doubt Mr. N would love it :). Summer’s still here this weekend, but it’s been chilly recently. I love autumn and winter though… the days aren’t long but it’s a lovely time of year.
Gorgeous cake, I love the fresh strawberry topping!
Thanks a lot Laura 🙂
I’m afraid I can’t agree with you that the U.S. equivalent to sponge would be pound cake, as our pound cake is a super dense cake, usually, made in a tube pan, bundt or loaf pan because of that…or at least in my family! 🙂 But what I can agree on here is what a stupendous looking layer cake you made for your wife. It does look so light and luscious, and I could easily eat my way through the whole thing. (I mean with strawberries and whipped cream, who couldn’t?) Add that fantastic steak with green peppercorns dish, and wowsa, what a fine birthday dinner for your wife…lucky lady! 🙂
Hi Betsy – I wasn’t sure whether to mention pound cake or not. In the end I decided I would because according to Wikipedia it’s known in England as a sponge cake, which we make using a very basic formula, like pound cake: usually 6-6-6-3 (6oz Butter, 6oz Sugar, 6oz Flour, 3 Eggs) – Reading up about it it seems some people prepare it dense, while others get it quite fluffy so I don’t think it’s dissimilar! 🙂
What a lovely meal you prepared for your wife’s birthday. I’m sure the evening was as special as the cake is beautiful.
Thanks Karen, we had fun 🙂
Wow a perfect birthday cake – mine is coming up soon, can I get one too? 🙂 Love all the fresh strawberries – yum!
Thanks BA – If I’d had my way I would have added raspberries and blueberries as well, but I wasn’t allowed (the wife said “NO!”) 😀
Just looking at this cake makes me feel like a summer day! So pillowy white with gorgeous red strawberries! Sounds and looks like a perfect bday favorite cake! I’m loving the name…that’s a new one for me and one of the reasons why I’m always so fascinated with food, each country has similar recipes with a twist to their own. How wonderful of you to treat you wife so special!
Thanks Linda – different countries’ takes on things always fascinate me too. It’s like the concept of meat wrapped in pastry. Each country seems to have a different variation… it’s so fun learning about them all!
Wonderful looking cake. I spent 6 months in Sweden and didn’t see anything as delicious looking as this in the bakeries. GG
Thanks so much GG – did you at least try a prinsesstårta when you were there? They’re so lovely!
No, I didn’t have a Prinsesstarta, but having checked it out on line I suspect it’s because the mother I worked for was a model. It looks amazing with its oceans of cream and sponge. We did have Semlor with warm milk, which although sounds disgusting, is wonderful comfort food. GG
Ah, semlor are awesome. I’ve never actually tried them with warm milk – apparently that’s how an ex king of Sweden met his demise. He had rather a penchant for semlor and feasted on like nine of them one evening. Promptly had a heart attack and died! 🙁
This strawberry sponge cake looks so light and tasty that I’d love to have an excuse to make it. By the way, I’m curious as to what happened to the 4th cake layer. 🙂
Really cute tournedo of beef under the green peppercorn sauce. I thought they were capers until I read the write up. Very ‘creamy’ potatoes there.
Thanks A_ – nah, green peppercorns are like regular peppercorns (black, white etc), but for some reason they’re not dried and preserved in vinegar (maybe they’re young peppercorns?). They’re really good – an intense peppery flavour, which has a fruitiness to it. You don’t need many in a dish!
The fourth layer, lol – well, because I only have one tin I had to cook the batter in two batches. I misjudged how much of the batter was “50%” so I ended up with 1/3 of the mix in the first tin being baked, and then 2/3 in the second one, so I cut it into two, to end up with 3 layers 🙂
LOL. That’s so funny. I went out a few years ago and bought a set of 2 identical cake pans because I only had one and didn’t want to have to do that very thing. I thought maybe you snacked on the extra layer or thought the cake would be too tall. The 3 layers are pretty much the same size in any case. It’s such a pretty cake by the way … the white and the red from the jam and the fruit.
Haha, I should really get some good cake pans. This kind of cake is the most common type I make and the one lone cake tin I have is appalling. Would love to get a couple of nice spring-form pans or something.
Happy Birthday to your wife. This is the kind of cake that I’d love to have for MY birthday as well… perfect with fresh strawberries.
Thanks Yudith – couldn’t agree more. It was a great cake! 🙂
What a lucky wife!!!!! I just want to take those strawberries and start scooping that icing right off the cake. I’m always one that ask for the corner of the party cakes so I can get a heavy dose of icing. Obviously a huge icing fan! I’ve never cooked with green peppercorns so your peppercorn sauce looks interesting and quite delicious. In fact, the whole plate looks delicious!!!!
Thanks MJ – the whipped cream on top was really good. I’m not such a big fan of icing as it’s often so sweet! Whipped cream makes for a great alternative on a cake like this 🙂
The cake looks so light, moist and fluffy. This is my kind of a cake. A sponge cake with fresh berries and cream- what more can anyone ask for. Amazing pictures!
Thanks so much Asmita 🙂
Charles< what a lovely gist you gave your wife, including foot rub…:) I keep gently "reminding" my husband that the best gift for me is time with my family and his attention…
Lovely cake, makes me want to bake one myself.
Is green peppercorn same as capers, or it's a different "species"?
Hi Marina, in the morning we bought croissants and took them with a flask of coffee down to the nearby lake and had breakfast together before we went to work. Memories like that beat any gift that could be bought for money I think!
Green peppercorns are like regular peppercorns I think, but instead of waiting for full maturity, the un-ripe “corns” (I think they’re called drupes) are picked and pickled. Pepper comes from the Piperaceae family.
Capers are actually the flowers from the bush Capparis spinosa 🙂
Thank you Charles! I don’t think I’ve seen pickled peppercorn, but will keep my eyes open: that’s an intriguing recipe you have there, and definitely forth trying 🙂
Mmmm, wish I could have been there to share that cake. Looks divine!
Thanks Clare – it was really good! 🙂
You’re a perfect husband! I’d love to get a home made cake from my husband, but it will never happen most probably 🙂 And I like the strawberries’ decoration.
Aw, thanks Marta – you should drop some hints around the time of your next birthday and leave a book on “easy baking” lying around 😀
You’ve gotta be the best husband EVER! I’ve never had a homemade birthday cake (or one at all for that matter). This would make me very, very happy!!
You’ve never had a birthday cake? 😮 Damn, that sucks 🙁 Everyone’s gotta have a birthday cake on their special day!! It’s cake day after all!
Charles, you do realize you now have to post the recipes for Prinsesstårta and Semlor/Semla? 🙂
Ahhaha, Prinsesstårta I can certainly do some time – it’s not the right time of year for semlor – I was actually meaning to post some in 2012, but I missed the days when they’re traditionally eaten (thought it was later) so will have to do it in early 2013 instead!
I guess we’ll have to be patient then for the semlor to show up. 🙂
By the way, I have 2 springform pans. Unfortunately, they’re 2 slightly different sizes, one really old and beat up and the other a bit bigger and a bit LESS beat up. I’m tempted to replace them as they’re the kind where you have to push UP the base to get the cake out, and you end up with the ring dangling over your wrist, rather than having the side seam open up enough to remove the ring by raising it up.
I am sure your homemade strawberry jam made the cake even more delicious and special.
I think I would like this birthday dinner better than a crayfish one. Great presentation especially the placement of roasted cherry tomatoes. Interesting that you have 8 tomatoes. In the Chinese custom 8 is a lucky number.
Hi Norma, this was definitely more of a “sit down civilised” meal, without crayfish legs flying everywhere, but I don’t think those can be beaten to be honest 🙂
Thank you for your kind comment – what a coincidence about the tomatoes, hehe 🙂
Now if I could get my hubby to bake this cake AND give me a foot rub, I’d pass out 🙂 Truly a gorgeous cake…and suitable for any celebration! Belated birthday wishes to your wife!
Haha, thanks so much Liz – you should drop some hints just before next birthday 😉
Charles, your addition of the strawberry jam takes this over the top for me. What a wonderful birthday cake for your wife (I’m with her — I’d take this over chocolate any day). A friend made an angel’s food cake with a whip cream topping, and she added grand marnier to it, which I must say added a lovely hit of flavour. Between you both, I’m inspired to make a lovely, light cake before summer ends!
Hi Barb, I was actually going to make the cake part of this cake an angel’s food cake but then I realised I didn’t have one of those tube pans. Sockerkaka’s also cooked in tube pans sometimes too! Your friend’s cake sounds awesome… I dig that grand marnier. Bet it was amazing!
Hope you’ll post about your cake you make – looking forward to seeing it 🙂
That looks like my kind of cake! Which reminds me I really need to make a cake like this for my blog. What’s a blog with a name ‘strawberry shortcake’ when I don’t have any cake or strawberry recipes?
Happy birthday to the wife as well! 😀
Hi Jenny – haha, you raise a very good point! A strawberry shortcake blog with no strawberry shortcake! The cake is a lie! 🙂
Haha, oh Charles, being very sneaky with the calories there! 🙂
This cake looks fantastic, are the strawberries from some markets? Because the fresh market ones are so much better than the supermarket ones Down Under (in my opinion!) and yours look fantastic!
Haha, indeed, but to be fair, this cake is often eaten just on its own, so I wanted to provide the base recipe, you know? Then people can go nuts and decorate as they like!
The strawberries were very (should I say “berry”) good actually… they were French strawberries, grown in a region which is well known for these slightly smaller, but fresher and sweeter strawberries!
I can’t think of a more romantic gift than a cake cooked from scratch on your birthday… and what a beauty! 3 layers of deliciousness with fresh berries to boot. Lovely Charles. Your meal looks pretty wonderful too – green or black peppercorns with steak is my favourite. My Dad and I used to enjoy a similar meal at a resto around the corner from our home when I was young… your dish brings back nice memories of those special evenings out.
Hi Kelly – I love that you call them “restos” too by the way… It’s one of those Frenchifications that’s just kind of inserted itself into my head, but lots of people wonder what I’m talking about it when I say that :D. I think I’ll be going a bit easier on the peppercorns next time (I added a LOT), but it was very tasty nevertheless!
I really love sponge cake and angel food cake. So I can’t wait to give this a try when I have an available moment. Thanks for this one Charles 🙂
Thanks Kay 🙂 It makes a perfect cake for summer celebrations, that’s for sure!
And this.. is why I could never be totally Gluten-Free:D What a pretty birthday cake.. moist and pretty with lovely layers filled with your jammy!! It’s just the sort of summer cake I’d love.. a nice thick slice, please!! xx Smidge
Hi Barb – you should have seen the size of the slice (wedge actually) that we gave to our guests the next day. We wanted to get rid of it so we wouldn’t feel tempted anymore and off-loaded massive slices onto them! Other people can get fat… as long as it’s not us 😀
What a stunning birthday cake! Any birthday girl would be lucky to get to eat a slice of this. It looks so terribly soft and spongy.
Thanks Geni – it’s a very light cake. It’s nice to eat something which feels all whispy in the summer isn’t it? 🙂
Hi Charles! I haven’t been here to comment for a while but followed your posts via your email update. Hope all is well with you!
Happy belated birthday to your lovely wife! What a great compliment that it’s almost like her mom’s cake! Man, I don’t think my husband ever make a cake for me, but wait a minute, I’ve never made a cake with layers too. 😀 This is such a gorgeous cake Charles!
Hi Nami, I hope you had a wonderful vacation 🙂 Thanks for your kind comment! The only problem with my wife loving this cake so much is she will never let me experiment. I want to try different berries but she always vetoes my ideas! 😀
Dear Charles,
Mysaucepan better not see this post or there will be no end as to why I never make any effort for her birthday! Love the look of your steak although I got a little confused at first glance as to what was the “other sauce” next to your green peppercorn sauce 🙂
Mysaucepan is in Paris, Lyon, Epernay at the moment and having an undying passion for French restaurants, I think she has booked herself into Du Pain et des idee, Pierre Herme, Breizh Cafe and Robuchon’s L’Atelier. I am looking forward to the photos she has taken and her blogposts to share with everyone.
Hi Chopinand, haha – your post made me chuckle 🙂
I hope Mysaucepan is having a wonderful trip. Is she visiting for a specific purpose or just to see the sights? I hope she enjoys the food – I can’t wait to see the restaurant photos too!
She is on a business trip to Switzerland but took the opportunity to have a 2-week food trip to France BEFORE her work and meetings, talk about getting priorities right!
Your wife is a lucky lady to get such a refreshing and elegant cake for her B’day….belated Happy Birthday to her!! A sponge cake with strawberries and cream sounds divine and this one looks stunning!!Fantastic baking Charles:)
Thanks Malli 🙂
Happy belated birthday to your wife! I definitely would not mind having someone make this cake for me for my birthday. I love how you topped with a huge mound of strawberries–the fresh fruit is definitely the best part in my opinion.
Hi Kyleen, thanks a lot! I was lucky – I stumbled across some good strawberries (actually it was the only variety they had left!). Often, the ones we get are watery and tasteless but these were sweet and fresh and delicious! 🙂
Hi Charles,
What a ‘lush cake’ as they say over here and many happy returns to your wife!!
Thanks GD 🙂 Hehe, “lush”… that’s a word I haven’t heard in aaaages!
It’s all the rage now here finally in Wales!!
I need that cake now. Not later or tomorrow but NOW! Oh why oh why can’t you live next door! WOW!
Hi KB – Seems like you might need to whip one up yourself alas. I could offer to send a piece but I’m not sure how the whipped cream would fare in the summer heat 😀
You are so sweet to your wife charles, aw, thanks for sharing that special day with us! Love the cake, it looks like a 10x more impressive victoria sponge cake what with the triple layers and the blanket of cream on top!
Thanks Shuhan – that’s me… a little sweetie :D. It’s a very nice cake – very light and delicious. It’s often made in a ring-form, like a pound cake actually, but I didn’t have a tin like that 🙂
Charles, THAT is my kind of cake! No chocolate for me – vanilla, fruit, cream, even a little buttercream – fabulous!
Hi Jean – as addicted as I am to chocolate, sometimes it’s too much, you know? Strawberries are where it’s at when the temperatures make you feel like melting!
It’s an impressive cake, Charles! (I loooove the first photo!). You must have been proud of your wife’s compliments. Is is the dill you have put into your mash? My mum always used to put dill on potatoes. They go perfectly well together. Thanks for sharing this very special meal with us.
Thank you Sissi – in the mash I actually put chopped chives and flat-leaf parsley. Dill does go very well with potatoes, doesn’t it?! They always put it in potato salad in Sweden, although I’m not sure how well it would go with steak, so I stuck with more traditional herbs for that 🙂
Happy Belated Birthday to your lovely wife. It looks like you spoiled her rotten with all of your yummy treats. Hey birthdays only come once a year! Take Care, BAM
Thanks Bam – that’s what birthdays are all about, isn’t it 🙂
Hi Charles!
So sweet of you, baking a birthday cake! Surely my husband would do the same if we had an oven (looking for an excuse)… ^.^
Anyway.. I had to read the titel 2 times. lol sounds funny. hihi
The cake looks grande! I d love on with raspberries. I actually thought I had seen raspberries first, however its defently great with strawberries too!
Hi Helene – my sister has no oven either (lives in China) – I’d find it so hard to get buy without one… so many things I make use the grill or oven so I think I’d suffer terribly!
Oh my goodness! What a beautiful birthday cake! lucky wifey 🙂
~Melissa
Thanks Melissa – it’s the cake she requests every year without fail 🙂
A very pretty cake! I have to check at the market for strawberries, I hope they still have some for not so steep price.
Oops, I never replied to your comment here – apologies! I hope you have a chance to make it. It’s quite a lot like a pound cake but a fair bit lighter I find!
Looks like a wonderful recipe for this cake. I will try it.
Thanks Victoria – it’s a good cake – quite light and fluffy and great with strawberries 🙂
Okay, do you have a good recipe for the buttercream icing, too?
I… do… somewhere, let me see if I can find it!
Ok, found it! I’d recommend this one:
https://homesweetsweden.com/index.php/2013/05/viennese-whirls/
(Under the filling section), obviously without the jam, and the vanilla is optional. You might find it easiest to loosen up the buttercream with a little milk if you want to spread it in a cake too! Hope it’s ok!