Kvæfjordkake - The Best Cake in the World

Serves 10-12 Prep Time 30 minutes   Rated:

Norway’s famous 'World’s Best Cake' a cloud of almond meringue, that feels like an outrageously boujee Norwegian cousin to the Aussie vanilla slice!.

If you’ve followed my travels through Norway, you’ll know that the food memories are just as important as the scenery, and Kvæfjordkake is one of the cakes that deserves a place in the Norwegian hall of fame. Often translated as “World’s Best Cake”, this Norwegian classic is made with layers of tender sponge, silky vanilla cream and a generous topping of crisp-chewy almond meringue.

If you’re Australian, there’s something immediately familiar about it. Think vanilla slice, but take away the pastry and replace it with delicate sponge and a glorious layer of almond-studded meringue. In other words, it’s the Norwegian, decidedly more boujee cousin of an Aussie vanilla slice.

As someone who considers herself a vanilla slice expert, I first fell for this cake on my Norwegian travels, and it has been on my must-make-at-home list ever since. It’s elegant enough for afternoon tea, impressive enough for a celebration and completely irresistible with a cup of coffee. One bite and you may well agree with the Norwegians: this really might be the world’s best cake. We have a few vanilla slice treats you should be aware of, try any or all of the below when you need that vanilla hit and make sure you use the best vanilla, from Heilala of course.

Vanilla Thriller Slice

Polish Vanilla Slice

Vanilla Slice

Cherry Vanilla Slice Cake

Our TM7 Vanilla Slice with Choux Pastry

 

Need

Do

1  

The Pastry Cream

2  

Pre-make the custard or pastry cream well in advance so it can set and be completely cold.

3  

Bloom the gelatin in the water and set aside.

4  

Place all remaining Pastry Cream ingredients into the mixing bowl and cook 8 min/80°C/speed 4.

5  

Scrape down sides of bowl and the lid and cook a further 3 min/90°C/speed 4. Remove from the mixing bowl into plastic jug or similar and use a cartouche to press down on top of the surface of the custard to prevent a skin forming. Set aside to cool.

6  

The Sponge Cake

7  

To make the sponge batter, place butter and sugar into a clean, dry, mixing bowl. Combine 30 sec/speed 4. Scrape and repeat.

8  

Add egg yolks and mix 20 sec/speed 4. Add milk and vanilla, mix 10 sec/speed 4.

9  

Add flour, baking powder and salt. 10 sec/dough setting. Continue mixing by hand until just combined.

10  

The Meringue

11  

Place the egg whites and cream of tartar into a clean, dry mixing bowl and whip 6 min/40°C/Butterfly/speed 3/MC off.

12  

Add the sugar all at once into the bowl, ensuring it doesn't get caught on top of the butterfly.

13  

Whip 7 min/50°C/Butterfly/speed 3/MC off.

14  

Preheat the oven to 165°C and grease and line 2 flat trays with paper.

15  

To assemble the cake for baking, divide the sponge cake batter between the two prepared trays. Keep the circles relatively tight as the meringue has to cover the cake batter completely.

16  

Scoop the meringue onto the cake batter, dividing equally. You don't need to fuss too much, just make sure all the batter is completely covered.

17  

Sprinkle the meringues with plenty of sliced almonds. Bake for 30 minutes or a few minutes longer until the meringues and almonds are golden.

18  

Cool completely.

19  

When ready to assemble, whip the cream with vanilla until soft peaks are holding. Remove from the bowl and set aside.

20  

Return the custard to the mixing bowl and keeping the butterfly in place, whip 20 sec/butterfly/speed 4 or until pipeable consistency.

21  

Transfer to a piping bag with a star nozzle.

22  

Arrange the bottom layer on your serving dish or platter of choice, meringue side down.

23  

Pipe custard in concentric circles until cake base is completely covered.

24  

Repeat with the whipped cream.

25  

Cover with the remaining layer and dust generously with icing sugar.

26  

This improves over a few hours in the fridge, so try and resist at least that long.

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Tenina Holder is a wife, mother of five and grandmother of nine, who started cooking in the olden days before Thermomix was even a thing.

Tenina has become the premium go to source for all Thermomix expertise and of course fresh and easy recipes that work. Her cooking classes and foodie trips are sold out in literally hours, her cookbooks appear on the Australian best seller lists and her social reach is in the millions. Her Insider Club is the most fun you can have with a Thermomix and you really should join her! She believes chocolate, butter and salt are health foods. Her food positivity mantra is, eat everything, just not all at once! 

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