Today, I’m sharing a traditional Swedish cake with you. It’s not really a cake, but well, a pancake is also not really one and still has the word ‘cake’ in its name.
A pancake cake consists of several layers of pancakes, in-between which you’ll find layers of whipped cream and berries. On top, you’ll add more cream and more berries. Easy.
My cake today is a bit different, because I’m using pastry cream mixed with whipped cream as a filling. I also added strawberries along with some pistachios. It’s pretty easy to make and goes fairly quick. I made the pastry cream a day in advance, the pancakes as well. Just make sure to wrap both tightly in clingfilm so the cream’s surface doesn’t get set and the pancakes stay soft. Keep the cream in the fridge, the pancakes can be outside.
Once made, you can eat the cake straight away, but you can also refrigerate it for a few hours so the custard cream can set and won’t escape the layers.
Let’s go!
1. The Custard
Ingredients
- 250ml milk
- 64g sugar
- 3 egg yolks (60g in total)
- 20g corn starch
- 1/2 vanilla pod, seeds scratched out
- 25g butter
Method
In a pot bring milk with 32g of sugar and vanilla pod + seeds to almost a simmer/ until it’s steaming.
In a heatproof bowl mix egg yolks with remaining 32g sugar and corn starch until well combined. Slowly pour in the warmed milk, whisking constantly. Pour the whole mix back into the pot and keep on a medium heat, still whisking constantly. The mix will slowly thicken. When it begins to bubble, take off heat.
Fill into a bowl, whisk in butter and let cool down slightly. Then, pass through a sieve. Add cling film onto the surface and cover the whole bowl. Put into the fridge and let set overnight.
2. The pancakes
Ingredients
- 280g spelt flour
- 40g sugar
- A pinch of salt
- 4 eggs
- 400ml milk
- Butter for frying
Method
Mix flour, sugar, salt. In a separate bowl mix eggs and milk. Slowly pour the egg mix into the flour mix, whisking until you get an even batter with no lumps.
Heat a pan on medium heat. Add a bit of butter and let melt, then add a small ladle of batter and spread thinly in the pan. Fry until the top looks slightly dry and little bubbles appear. 2-3 minutes. Flip the pancake and fry for another 1-2 minutes. Repeat with all pancakes.
3. The custard cream (Crème diplomate)
Ingredients
- 200g of the custard from above
- 200ml whipping cream
Method
In a bowl, whip the cream until smooth. Take the pastry cream from the fridge and in another bowl, whip for a minute until smooth. Fold 2/3 of the whipped cream gently into the pastry cream. Use the leftover 1/3 whipped cream for the top of the cake.
4. For assembling the Pancake Cake
Ingredients
- All pancakes
- 400g grams of fresh strawberries, one half pureed, one half cut into thin slices
- 100g pistachios, roughly chopped
- All of the custard cream
- Extra whipped cream
Method
Start with a pancake and put it on a plate. Spread some strawberry slices, pistachios, a tablespoon strawberry puree and around 2 tablespoons of custard cream evenly on top of the pancake. Place another pancake on top and continue as you started.
If your cake gets a bit unstable you can do a few layers with just strawberry puree and custard cream, leaving out the strawberries and pistachios.
You should end with a final pancake. On top, you can spread the extra whipped cream, more strawberries and pistachios. Serve immediately or refrigerate for around 3 hours until the custard cream is set and more stable.
Cut the cake into slices like you would do with a normal cake. This works easiest if you dip the knife into warm water and wiping it off, before cutting a new slice.
