Butter cake or smørkage as it's known in Denmark features remonce (almond paste) - a classic filling for Danish pastries. Usually baked, it is integral to many Nordic cake and pastry recipes.
Serve with pastry cream.
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Yields: 8
Prep Time: 45 mins
Cook Time: 40 mins
Total Time: 1 hr 25 mins
Ingredients
- 25 g fresh yeast or 13g dried yeast
- 150 ml whole milk, heated to 36 - 37 degrees c
- 2 tbsp. Caster sugar
- 1 medium egg
- 400 g Strong White Flour
- 1/2 tsp. ground cardamon
- 150 g soft butter, cubed
- 1 beaten egg, for brushing
- 25 g flaked almonds
For the remonce
- 100 g marzipan (minimum 50% almond), grated
- 100 g Butter, softened
- 50 g soft dark brown sugar
- 50 g Caster sugar
For the filling
- 1/2 portion of pastry cream (recipe below)
- 50 g Raisins
For the topping
- 50 g Icing sugar
- 1 tbsp. cocoa powder
Directions
- Step 1To make the almond paste, mix together the marzipan, butter and sugars. Whisk everything together until smooth. Set aside.
- Step 2If using fresh yeast, add the yeast and warm milk to a stand mixer with a dough hook attached. Mix until the yeast has dissolved. If using dried yeast, pour the warm milk into a bowl. Sprinkle on the yeast and whisk together. Cover with clingfilm and leave in a warm place for about 15 minutes until frothy and bubbly. Pour into the stand mixer with the dough hook attached.
- Step 3Add the sugar and egg and mix again at medium speed. Start to add some of the flour, along with 1/2 tsp salt and cardamom. Add the butter, at this stage mixing it in alternately with the flour. Stop adding flour once you have a fairly soft dough. Cover the bowl with clingfilm and leave in a warm place for about 40 minutes to rise.
- Step 4Grease and line a 26cm springform round cake tin with baking parchment. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for a minute. Set two thirds of the dough aside. Roll the one third out into a circle that will fit into the cake pan. Spread on a layer of almond paste (about one third), then a generous, even layer of pastry cream (recipe here) to cover the dough (you may not need it all). Add the raisins and put the pan to one side.
- Step 5Roll out the remaining dough to a 30cm square and add the rest of the almond filling, spreading evenly. Roll the dough up into a tight roll and cut into 8 equal swirls. Place one swirl in the middle of the pan on top of the pastry cream and the rest around it, evenly. Squash the swirls down a bit if needed. Cover the pan with clingfilm, then leave to rise for another 25 minutes.
- Step 6Heat the oven to 180°C (160°C) gas mark 4. Brush the cake with beaten egg, scatter over the flaked almonds and bake in the oven for around 20 minutes. Cover the top with foil and turn the heat down by about 20°C. Bake for another 20 minutes or until cooked. Remove from the oven and cover with a damp kitchen cloth to prevent a crust from forming. Leave to cool.
- Step 7To make the topping, sift together the icing sugar and cocoa and stir with a few spoons of hot water until smooth. Swirl over the cake and leave to set. This cake is best served the day of making.
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Butter cake or smørkage as it's known in Denmark features remonce (almond paste) - a classic filling for Danish pastries. Usually baked, it is integral to many Nordic cake and pastry recipes.
Serve with pastry cream.
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