Norwegian Cardamom Cake Recipes

YARNALL FAMILY'S FYRSTEKAKE (NORWEGIAN CARDAMOM-ALMOND TART)

Steps:

• For crust:
• Whisk flour, baking powder, cardamom, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside. Using an electric mixer, beat 1/2 cup butter and sugar in a medium bowl until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in egg yolk and milk. With mixer running on low speed, gradually add dry ingredients and beat just until thoroughly combined.
• Pat dough into a ball; break off one-quarter of dough. Form each piece into a ball. Flatten balls into disks. Cover separately and chill dough disks for at least 2 hours or overnight.
• For filling and assembly:
• Butter tart pan. Break larger dough disk into small pieces and scatter over bottom of tart pan. Using your fingertips, press dough onto bottom and up sides of pan. Use the flat bottom of a measuring cup to smooth the surface and trim the edges. Roll out smaller dough disk to about 1/8" thick. Using decorative cookie cutters, cut out shapes and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Cover and chill crust and cutouts for 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Pulse almonds, powdered sugar, cardamom, and nutmeg in a food processor until nuts are finely ground. Transfer dry ingredients to a large bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat egg whites and vanilla in a medium bowl until medium peaks form. Gently fold egg whites into dry ingredients.
• Whisk egg yolk and 2 teaspoons water in a small bowl to blend. Fill chilled crust with almond mixture; smooth top. Arrange cutouts on top and brush cutouts with egg wash.
• Bake tart until crust and cutouts are golden brown and filling is set, 30-35 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool. DO AHEAD: Tart can be made 2 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.

NORWEGIAN CARDAMOM BREAD BRAIDS

Steps:

• In a bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add warm milk, sugar, butter, 2 eggs, cardamom, salt and 6 cups flour; beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough., Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1-1/4 hours., Punch dough down; cover and let rest for 10 minutes. Divide into fourths. Divide each portion into thirds; shape each into a 12-in. rope. Place three ropes on a greased baking sheet and braid; pinch ends to seal and tuck under. Repeat with remaining dough. Cover and let rise in a warm place until nearly doubled, about 45 minutes., Preheat oven to 375°. Beat remaining egg; brush over loaves. Sprinkle with sugar. Bake until golden brown, 20-25 minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks.

CARDAMOM CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180c fan.
• Grease and flour a 23cm round cake tin.
• Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl.
• Add butter, egg, and milk and stir to a smooth batter.
• Pour batter into tin, smoothing the surface with a spatula.
• Bake in the lower half of the oven for approx 30 minutes.
• Let cool before removing from tin.

NORWEGIAN CARDAMOM CAKE

Steps:

• Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
• Grease a 9-inch bundt pan with butter; dust with cookie crumbs. Set aside.
• Combine flour and baking soda in small bowl; set aside.
• Place sugar and butter in bowl of electric mixer; beat until light and fluffy, 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition, about 5 minutes total.
• Beat in cardamom and cinnamon.
• Add flour mixture; beat until just combined. Add sour cream; beat until smooth, about 1 minute.
• Pour batter into pan.
• Bake until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean, about 50 minutes.
• Let stand 5 minutes; turn out on a wire rack. Cool completely.
• Dust with confectioners' sugar.

NORWEGIAN CREAM CAKE (BLOTKAKE)

Steps:

• Set an oven rack in the middle position. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Grease a 9-inch springform pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
• To make the cake: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat together the eggs and sugar until pale and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, if needed. Beat in the water. Remove the bowl from the mixer. Gradually sift in the flour and baking powder and fold together with a rubber spatula until just combined. Transfer to the cake pan and bake until the center springs back when you poke it; 1 hour to1 hour and15 minutes. Cool in the pan.
• To assemble the cake: Once the cake is cooled, slice in half crosswise. Place the bottom of the cake cut-side up on a cake round or directly onto a cake stand or serving platter. Spread whipped cream on top and dot with a layer of sugared cranberries. Place the remaining half of the cake on top, cut-side down. Spread the whipped cream on the top and sides of the cake to cover. Decorate the top of the cake with remaining cranberries and a few sprigs of rosemary.
• In a large mixing bowl with a hand-mixer, or in the bowl of stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla to medium-stiff peaks.
• Just before assembling the cake, combine cranberries and sugar in a bowl and toss to coat.

NORWEGIAN SPICE COOKIES

Steps:

• Combine flour, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, salt, nutmeg and cardamom in bowl.
• Beat butter and sugar in large bowl until creamy.
• Beat in eggs and vanilla until fluffy.
• Stir in flour mixture.
• Divide dough in half; flatten into disks.
• Wrap in plastic.
• Refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Heat oven to 350°.
• Coat 3 ½ - 4 ½-inch cookie-cutter molds with nonstick cooking spray.
• On lightly floured surface with floured rolling pin, roll out half of dough ¼-inch thick.
• Press cutter molds gently into dough.
• Gently pull cookies out of molds.
• Place on ungreased baking sheets.
• Brush with egg white.
• Reroll scraps.
• Repeat with remaining dough.
• Bake in 350° oven 10-12 minutes, until golden.
• Remove to racks to cool.
• Store at room temperature or freeze.