Semlor Cake – Swedish Cardamom Almond Cream Buns

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I came back from my 2 hour coffee and cake trip to Helsingborg, Sweden, just a little bit obsessed with how they cake things over there, and have been trawling the web looking for more genius Swedish patisserie. I came across Annika’s bakery house, which has all sorts of homely, berry laden, cream covered treats. Unfortunately its in Swedish, but Google Translate to the rescue and one can at least get a sense of what she’s saying!

Semlor Cake
I say a sense, because some of the translation is what I like to think of as Swinglish. Here’s a sample:

Allow the yeast stirred into the water and the bottom line. Add the remaining ingredients to a smooth dough.Prover 45 min. Prepare two molds with removable edge. Place parchment paper on the bottom and grease the edges. Make two large balls of dough and press out one in each shape. Let rise 45 minutes. Bake 180 gr hot air for 20 minutes. Let them cool in the tin. Cut the lid on a noisy background. The second one can put in the freezer until another day 🙂

No, I don’t know what this really means. I’m sure Annika’s Swedish original made much more sense!

But that’s okay, because I do know a little bit about baking, so I interpolated and messed with the recipe a little, and am ready to share with you my version of Semlor cake.

Semlor Cake

Vague internet research has suggested that this is actually a big cake version of the Semlor buns, which are yeasted cardamom buns with almond paste and whipped cream filling. Apparently they are a star on “Fat Tuesday” at the start of Lent, but on this long AFL Grand Final weekend, I find myself ill prepared to wait six more months before trying this recipe out.

Anyway, my cake looks AWESOME. The combination of a yeasted cake with a touch of cardamom and the almond and cream filling is simple but very moreish. Perfect with coffee. Well done, Sweden!

Semlor Cake

The recipe calls for marzipan, which I don’t have at home, but no matter, I have even given you your very own home made marzipan recipe below. It’s dead easy!

 Semlor cake

Semlor Cake

Makes a 22cm cake, serves 8-10 (you could also make 10-20 buns, just bake them at 200 degrees Celsius for about 15 minutes- you’ll need to double the filling!)

ingredients

1 cup warm milk
7g dried yeast
75g caster sugar
500g flour
2 tsp crushed cardamom pods, remove chaff
65g butter, very soft
1/2 egg, beaten (reserve the other half to glaze)

mixing

Combine the warm milk, yeast and sugar and allow the mixture to the foam. Add the flour, cardamom, butter and egg and mix to a smooth dough (about 5 minutes of kneading). 
Semlor dough
Let rise for 1 hour. Make a flat round ball and place in a 22 cm ring tin that has been lined with baking paper. 
Semlor dough
Let rise for 30 minutes to an hour. 
Brush the Semlor cake with the beaten egg. Bake for 50 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius or until the top is well risen and brown. Let cool on a wire rack. 
 
Semlor cake
Split the cake open and scoop some of the crumbs from the “lid”. Spread the almond filling over the bottom layer. Top with the whipped cream. Cut the “lid” into 8-10 pieces (this helps cutting the cake later) and reassemble on top of the whipped cream. Dust with icing sugar and serve (remember to cut through the bottom layer too!).

Marzipan and cream filling

ingredients 

80g icing sugar
80g ground almonds
1 egg white
1 tsp light corn syrup 
(alternatively you can use 125g store bought marzipan!)
 
Crumbs from the Semlor cake
40mL milk
50g blanched almonds, toasted and coarsley chopped 
 
200 mL cream, whipped

mixing

If making your own marzipan, combine all four ingredients and knead until smooth. Refrigerate, wrapped in cling film, for at least 30 minutes. 
Marzipan

Grate the marzipan and add to the Semlor cake crumbs. Add the milk and mix to a smooth paste. Fold in the chopped almonds. 

Semlor cake

Enjoy!xxx

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