Wednesday, 8 February 2012

Recipe - Swedish Apple Cake / Recept - Svensk Äppelkaka

Another trip down memory lane...

There's been quite a few recipes recently where I've revisited old flavour memories (if there's such a term) from my childhood and years in Sweden. They've all been savoury recipes so far, this will be my first sweet recipe from Sweden.

This is a very traditional style Swedish apple cake that is quite a way removed from the apple pies that is more traditional here in the UK. It is more along the line of a pound cake.

It would be quite normal to serve it with either custard (hot or cold) or plain vanilla ice cream. I'm far too ascetic for such frivolities so I eat it plain. ;)

The recipe gives you quite a lot of apple cake so some of it was brought in to work for my colleagues to try. Based on the feedback I was given, and the fact that no one died or took seriously ill, I'd say that this cake was quite the success.

I know that here in the UK there's quite a following for the Danish TV series The Killing and Borgen. If you watch some reruns of those, why not try a slice of cake from a proper Nordic country as you watch it? ;)

Enough winding up of what Sir David Attenborough referred to as 'the lesser Swedes'* in one of his TV series. Let's look at the recipe now.

Ingredients (makes quite a lot)
4 eggs
500 ml sugar
200 gr butter, melted and allowed to cool down
200 ml milk
600 ml plain flour
4 tsp baking powder
4 - 5 apples (I used Granny Smiths) - peeled, cored and cut into wedges
4 tbsp sugar
4 tsp cinnamon

Pre-heat the oven to 200c.

Whisk the eggs and sugar until nice and airy. Mix in the flour and baking powder. Add the milk and butter.

Pour the batter into a deep baking tray ( 38 x 28 z 6 is the size of the one I used) that you have lined with parchment paper.

Mix the sugar and cinnamon in a bowl. Turn the apple wedges in the sugar and cinnamon mixture and then put them into the batter in a nice and orderly fashion. Pour any remaining sugar/cinnamon mix over the batter and apples.

Put the baking tray into the oven and bake for 25 - 35 minutes or until a knife you insert into the batter comes out dry.

Remove the baking tray from the oven, let it cool down a little bit and cut the cake into squares, rectangles or other shapes of your liking.


*this may or may not be true and totally made up by me right now.


  1. Very very nice, might have to make this today. Turning apple wedges in sugar and cinnamon and then "put them into the butter" had me confused but I assume it's meant to read "batter" rather than "butter" (I'm sorry, it's the dreaded grammar nazi out again).
    This cake, served warm with some vanilla ice cream and a strong cup of coffee = heaven

    1. Minna,

      Many thanks - both for the kind words and making me aware of my fat-fingered typo. ;) All corrected now.

      Your serving suggestion is most excellent!

      // Mike

  2. Ja, svensk mat är ingenting att skämmas för.Jag brukar laga mycket polskt och lägga upp på min blogg

    1. Hejsan Pralin,

      Sa lange det ar gott, intressant och kanske lite annorlunda sa spelar det ju ingen roll var receptet kommer ifran.

      Att man sedan kan inspirera folk att testa mat fran ett annat land ar ju bara en bonus.

      Hade en snabb titt pa din blogg, ser valdigt trevlig ut. Skall titta vidare ikvall nar jag kommer hem fran jobbet.

      // Mike

  3. You are treading on very thin ice m'friend... :)
    ...Apart from that, it tasted delicious, thanks !

    1. I know... I've been keeping a very close watch on over my shoulder - just in case there's some revenge coming my way.

      Glad you enjoyed it! Not bad for a pesky Swede, eh? ;)

      // Mike

  4. I love Swedish Appel cake but haven't had it in years. I will have to make this, ideal for cold nights in front of the fire! GG

    1. Hi GG,

      I don't think I had tasted it for at least 13 - 15 years until I made it again.

      Fresh out of the oven, with a big cup of coffee and the cold goes away...

      // Mike

  5. omg i have been looking for a recipe for a Swedish Apple cake and voila! thanks soo much!

    1. Sumayya,

      Twitter works in mysterious ways. One random follower and you find a recipe you've looked for materialises. :)

      Glad you found something of use here on the blog. Please do let me know how the recipe works out for you.

      // Mike

  6. just one suggestion, if you can take more pictures on how to make it that's really great.



// Mike
