Swedish Sandwich Cake (Smörgåstårta)

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Swedish Sandwich Cake

Swedish Sandwich Cake (Smörgåstårta)

Does anybody know how to say “obsessed” in Swedish? Because this is what I have been since I first laid eyes on a Swedish Sandwich cake on Pinterest. My brain has been fussing and fuming over these sumptuous, wildly creative,  savoury sandwich cakes for weeks now! I mean every waking moment has been consumed with how I would make one; what I would put in it, and how I would frost and decorate it. One of the problems was that most of the youtube videos I watched were in Swedish. So unfortunately, while I could guess at the ingredients, I didn’t know exactly what they were using. I mean mayo, sour cream, crème fraîche and cream cheese mostly look the same. In the end, I combined what I thought would taste good and behave nicely, and it worked. The cake was a resounding success, and only the first of many Smörgåstårta to come out of my kitchen, I’m sure.

My research taught me that these “cakes” are very much free style. Whatever you and your friends fancy, can be worked into the creation, and they can be made in any size and shape. Rather than cake and buttercream, they are made of bread and sandwich fillings, and savoury decorations. The Swedes serve them for celebratory gatherings, and pride themselves on the beauty of the cakes.  My girl friends and I were having a brunch to celebrate L’s significant birthday, and I knew this would be perfect for the party. Well what a hit it was! I believe that I may have started a new tradition amongst my friends,  for special birthdays!

Go crazy with the decorating!

I used the ring of my 9-inch spring form pan as the mold for the cake. If you have a mousse cake mold, you can use that too. I made vegetarian fillings, but you could use chicken salad, or shrimp or salmon mousse as fillings. You can add layers of smoked salmon on top of your other fillings, or sprinkle freshly chopped herbs on the layers as well. Anything goes. You can use white sandwich bread, but I chose to use Russian Rye sandwich bread. Be sure to cut the crusts off as you assemble the cake.

I will be sharing this pretty cake with my buddies over at Fiesta Friday this week; co-hosted by Monika @ Everyday Healthy Recipes, and Sue @ Birgerbird.

Swedish Sandwich Cake

  • Difficulty: Easy and Fun!
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Ingredients:

For a 9-inch layer cake:

Slices of Russian Rye sandwich bread

First Layer: (Green)

3 or 4 avocados

Red onion

Cilantro

Lime juice

Salt

Second Layer: (Yellow)

Hard Boiled Eggs (about 6)

Mayonnaise

Dijon mustard

Pickles, diced

Green onions, chopped

Salt and pepper

Third Layer (Pink)

1-14 oz. can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

3 or 4 small pickled beets

1 – 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon rind

1 clove garlic, minced

salt and pepper to taste

Icing:

1 large container spreadable cream cheese (1 kg)

1 cup crème fraîche

Decorations:

Smoked salmon

Shrimp

Parsley

Cucumber

Carrots

Cherry tomatoes

Radishes

Olives

Capers

Baby dill

Mint

Parsley

Green onions

Method:

For each of the layers, mix the ingredients in a medium bowl.  Add any additional ingredients that you would like to include in the sandwich cake and check for seasoning.

Place your mold or springform ring on your cake plate.

Begin by removing the crusts from the slices of sandwich bread.  Place slices of bread in the mold to form a base.  Cut pieces to make an even layer of bread with no holes.

Spoon in the first layer of filling and smooth it out to the edges, making an even layer.

Add a second layer of bread slices, and the second filling.

Add a third layer of bread and the third filling.

Top with a final layer of bread slices.

Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. The cake will firm up and the flavours will marry.

On the day of serving, whip together the spreadable cream cheese and crème fraîche (or thick cream).  It should be a good, spreadable consistency. You can whip this by hand or with a mixer.

Remove the ring from the cake.

Spread the frosting on the cake and decorate it as you desire. I made rosettes with slices of smoked salmon.  You could make rosettes from slices of salami or other cold meats. Punch out shapes in sliced carrots.   Use lots of fresh herbs.  Let your inner artist go crazy!

I had so much fun making this!

Really ugly iPhone photo, but it shows the layers!

I don’t ever show my ugly iPhone photos, but I wanted to show you what the inside looks like.  Because this was a birthday party, I couldn’t cut the cake and photograph it properly before the birthday girl arrived.  So here is what it looked like while the guests were gobbling it up.

 

55 Responses to “Swedish Sandwich Cake (Smörgåstårta)”

  2. Elaine @ foodbod

    I’ll be honest…as soon as I see a post is about a cake I pretty much switch off as I have no interest in sweet things…but as I scanned down your post and saw the list of ingredients, I knew I wanted to read the whole post in detail!
    That is a very very cool, and very beautiful cake! Fabulous! That’s the kind of cake I’d be interested in 😊😊😀

    Reply
    • chefjulianna

      I’m so glad you like this, Elaine! I don’t eat a lot of sweets either, so this was right up my alley. I love it because you can completely taylor-make it to your tastes! You could fill it with some of your amazing vegetable recipes! I would love to see what you would create!! 😀

      Reply
  3. Mrs.S LDN

    Oh goodness! This is on a whole new level!! How did you find this?! I can’t get over it!! What a deadly idea. 👍😀 How messy was it cutting it up?! Thanks for sharing!!! Xx

    Reply
    • chefjulianna

      Well, a post with some Swedish Sandwich cakes came into my mailbox from Pinterest. It took off from there! It’s not too messy to cut because you refrigerate it overnight and then again after it has been frosted, until your guests arrive. I good sharp knife is the ticket! 😀

      Reply
      • Mrs.S LDN

        I sent your post link to my Swedish friend being like ahhhh is this for real and she thought it was hilarious I had never heard of this 😂😂 I am so trying this out when I get a minute!! Thanks for sharing xx

  7. Johanne Lamarche

    As much as you have been obsessing with this style of cake, I have been living under a rock and never heard of them! LOL. WOW. So cool. So beautifully done. And it looks so delicious!

    Johanne Lamarche

    >

    Reply
    • chefjulianna

      Too funny, Johanne! I had never heard of them before, until I saw one and then started obsessing!! :D. I’m so glad you find these as cool as I do!!

      Reply
  8. Loretta

    Oh my just swooning Juliana! Not only does it takes one breath way, the ingredients are nothing short of amazing! Who’d have thought a cake could be presented this way?

    Reply
    • chefjulianna

      Thanks Loretta! I was so excited too, when I first saw them! Aren’t they amazing? I love that they are versatile! I plan to play with these cakes again, very soon! 😀

      Reply
  9. Les Harasymek

    OMG! Wow1 Gorgeous!! MUST have taken hrs to put together. Looks delicious A pity to destroy.

    Reply
    • chefjulianna

      Hey Les! Thanks! It takes a “bit” of time to pull together, but now as much time as I spent obsessing over it! ;-). You would love making one of these! Hope all is well with you!

      Reply
  11. rutujaks

    This is new for me..interesting 🙂 Definitely going into my “to make” list.

    Reply
  12. petra08

    I love it! The Swedish word is “besatt” (obsessed) and I have never seen such a pretty Sandwich cake! I love them but have only made them once since I moved to the UK as no one really seems to “get” them here. The last one I made was described as a “massive slab of sandwich”, clearly he had the taste buds of a very non foodie person! Fantastic, it would make any Swede proud to serve! 🙂 x

    Reply
    • chefjulianna

      Oh, thanks so much, Petra! Now I know how to say that in Swedish! I had forgotten that you were Swedish.. Too bad that the folks in the UK don’t “get” these cakes. They don’t know what they are missing! I can’t wait to make some more and try out new designs for the decorating. Happy Fiesta Friday to you!

      Reply
      • petra08

        Hi Julianna
        I can’t wait to see what else you will be making! 🙂 x

  13. Sue

    Holy Cow! This is seriously one of the most amazing things I’ve seen ever. I absolutely love it. What creativity! So springy too! Thank you for bringing to FF this week. !!

    Reply
  14. chefjulianna

    Thanks so much, Sue! I really had so much fun making this cake! And what a surprise when the guests arrive to find out that it is a savoury cake. My birthday girl thought she had 2 birthday cakes at first, until I explained to her that one of them was the main course! 😀

    Reply
  17. annika

    I am speechless. This is gorgeous! Perfect cake for when you want a savoury treat instead of sweet!

    Reply
  18. Hilda

    What a fantastic idea – and kudos to you for making such a stunning version of it. You have inspired me again!

    Reply
  19. Angie | Fiesta Friday

    What the..what?! I am speechless! Behold, the greatest thing in the world EVER!! Don’t know what else to say really. It’s a masterpiece!! 😍😍

    Reply
    • chefjulianna

      Hey Angie! Thanks so much! Yes, the whole time I was making it I was in a state of disbelief that something so amazing exists! You just have to try making one and putting your own spin on it! You will love it…. and it tastes awesome! 😀

      Reply
  20. Lily

    Wow Julianna, this is the coolest savory cake I’ve ever seen! Great job on the decorating. I love the smoked salmon roses. This would also be perfect for a Mother’s day brunch. So cool:)

    Reply
    • chefjulianna

      Hey Lily! It would be completely perfect for a Mother’s Day brunch or a baby shower! My friends have already put their orders in for their birthdays!! I will try making some different fillings next time!

      Reply
  21. Zeba@Food For The Soul

    This is just so amazing Julianna! I have never seen a cake like this and for someone who does not have a sweet tooth, it’s totally up my alley. Incredible job 🙂

    Reply
  23. chefjulianna

    Hey Zeba! Yes, for those of us who prefer savoury to sweet it is so wonderful. I can’t wait to make one again!! And it is so amazingly versatile! 😀

    Reply
  27. Brooklyn's Corner

    This is very different, lunch that looks like dessert. I love it.

    Reply
  29. hejhej7

    Oh yum! I’m gonna make this today. I miss them so much. I’m Swedish but living in the Middle East and haven’t had a “smörgåstårta” in ages!

    Reply
  31. Foiled again | Fancy Notions

    […] eggs but mainly just whatever you feel like would be good in a sandwich cake. Ham slices, radishes, chickpeas and beets… with frosting made of cream cheese and maybe some ranch dressing. […]

    Reply

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