Swedish Semla Gooey Cake (Semmelkladdkaka)

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Author: Delphine Fortin
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 20 mins
Total Time: 30 mins
Yield: 8 servings 1x
Category: Cakes and Pies
Cuisine: Swedish recipes

Inspired from the traditional Swedish Semlor prepared each year for Shrove Tuesday, this easy gooey cake version with cardamom, almonds and whipped cream is to die for!

Ingredients

Scale

For the cake:

3.5 oz (100g) almond paste*
2/3 cup (150g) unsalted butter, melted
2 teaspoons cardamom seeds, freshly ground
3/4 cup (150g) sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup (120g) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoon vanilla sugar
1 pinch salt

For the whipped cream:

1 1/2 cups (35 cl) heavy liquid cream
2 Tablespoons (30g) powdered sugar (optional)
2–3 Tablespoons (30-45g) slivered almonds, toasted and cooled

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Instructions

Preheat oven to 345°F (175°C). Line a 8 or 9-inch (20-22 cm) round baking form with parchment paper and grease the sides with melted butter.
In a medium bowl, combine the almond paste* with butter and cardamom seeds, freshly ground. Stir in the remaining ingredients until smooth.
Pour the batter into the baking form and bake for about 18-22 minutes (the sides must be cooked but the center must remain slightly under-baked).
Let cool completely, at least 2 hours before serving.
Just before serving, whip to a Chantilly the heavy cream with powdered sugar if using. Transfer to a piping bag and pipe flower/wavy patterns onto the cake. Decorate with extra cardamon seeds and toasted almonds.

Notes

* If you can’t find ready to use almond paste, you can make your own by combining 7 oz (200g) almond flour, 3 tablespoons sugar and 1 egg white. Mix well with an electric mixer and use only 3.5 oz (100g) of almond paste for the recipe. You can wrap the rest in cling film and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.