Fourth of July
3-Cup Berries & Cream Cake (Swedish Midsummer Cake)
- Prep time 15 minutes
- Cook time 2 hours 45 minutes
- Serves 12-14
Author Notes
This classic Swedish Midsummer cake is filled with homemade vanilla pastry cream and strawberry jam, and decorated with whipped cream, fresh berries, and mint. I’ve made it a little more festive and 4th of July-appropriate by also adding blueberries.
For this recipe, I use a 3-cup method which makes the cake even more straightforward and achievable. Instead of using measuring cups to measure the ingredients out, all you have to do is start with 5 eggs in a tall clear glass, then add the flour and sugar in two identical glasses so they line up to the same height. The cake’s components can also be made in advance for you to easily assemble at the last minute.
The cake itself is super light and airy, and gets most of its height and texture from whipped eggs and sugar. I’ve noted below a few tips and tricks to make it sure it keeps its structure.
• Although baking powder is in the cake, the main leavening agents are the beaten eggs and sugar. It’s what will give the cake a super light and airy texture, so it’s important to beat more than you think. Once you think it’s done, beat a little more. It should fall in thick ribbons.
• Make sure to use large eggs for this recipe. If you want to use a kitchen scale, that’s great, but the 3-cup method works just as well. As long as the height of all three cups is roughly the same, the cake should turn out great.
• These types of cakes tend to deflate slightly as they cool. To prevent this as much as you can, flip it upside down as soon as it’s out of the oven, removing the cake pan to keep it from weighing the cake down.
• Because the whipped eggs and sugar are what give the cake most of its structure, it’s important to keep a few things in mind to avoid it sinking in the middle while baking. Make sure to spoon in the flour when measuring to avoid accidentally using too much. Make sure the oven isn’t too hot (better too low than too hot). Don’t open the oven door the first 30 minutes of baking. Whip as much air into the eggs and sugar as you can, and fold in the flour really carefully to avoid breaking too many of the air bubbles.
—Nea Arentzen
Ingredients
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FOR THE CAKE:
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5
large eggs (278 grams), room temperature
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240 grams
all-purpose flour (see tip about the 3-cup measuring method above if you don't have a scale)
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150 grams
granulated white sugar
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2 teaspoons
baking powder
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1/4 teaspoon
kosher salt
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FOR THE CUSTARD:
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1 cup
(250 grams) whole milk
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3
egg yolks
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1/4 cup
(50 grams) granulated sugar
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1 1/2 tablespoons
cornstarch
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1 teaspoon
unsalted butter
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1 teaspoon
vanilla bean paste or extract
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1/8 teaspoon
kosher salt
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TO ASSEMBLE:
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1/2 cup
strawberry jam
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2 cups
heavy whipping cream, cold
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2 cups
sliced almonds
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1 pound
fresh strawberries, cut into different sizes
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1 pint
fresh blueberries
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Fresh mint, optional
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 325ºF/162ºC with a rack placed in the bottom third rung. Grease then line the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform cake with parchment paper, placing it so it comes up above the cake pan by at least 3 inches. This will help give extra height to the cake and allow it to bake up higher.
- If you have a kitchen scale, measure out the eggs, flour, and sugar. If you don’t, or if you prefer not to use it, place three identical tall glasses on the counter. Fill the first one with all 5 eggs. Fill the second one with sugar until you have the same volume as the cup with eggs. Spoon flour into the third cup until it matches the other two cups (see tip), then mix in the baking powder.
- In a large bowl using an electric mixer, beat the eggs and sugar together until super light and fluffy, 10 to 15 minutes (see tip). Sift the flour and baking powder into the beaten egg mixture, then add the salt and fold with a spatula until all the flour is just combined and fully incorporated. Make sure to scoop to the bottom and into the sides to get rid of any flour pockets. Don’t overmix as this will deflate the air bubbles, and will cause the cake to not rise as much.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared cake pan, then bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Make sure not to open the door for the first 30 minutes. Once done, quickly cut off the remaining parchment paper, then flip over onto a parchment-lined cooling rack and remove the springform pan. Let it cool upside down (see tip), then remove the parchment paper and cut the cake into 3 equal layers.
- Meanwhile, make the custard. In a medium saucepan over low, warm the milk until very warm to the touch but not boiling. In a medium bowl, combine the egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch until smooth and no clumps remain. While continuously whisking, slowly pour in all of the warm milk (this is to temper/partially cook the eggs before they go into the saucepan). Transfer the custard mixture back into the saucepan, then cook over low, stirring constantly and making sure to get into the side crevices, until really thickened, 4 to 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter, vanilla, and salt. Transfer back into the bowl, then place parchment or plastic wrap directly on the surface of the custard to avoid a skin forming. Let it cool completely.
- In a large bowl with an electric mixer, whip the cream until slightly thickened, about 4 minutes. Add ¼ cup of the pastry cream (this helps to stabilize it) then keep whipping until soft peaks form, about 1 minute more. Stop before you think you should because as it sits and as you work with it it’ll stiffen. If it’s already at stiff peaks, it’ll start to split and look buttery as you spread it across the cake.
- Spread half of the strawberry jam on the bottom layer, then top with half of the cooled custard. Add the second layer, then repeat with the remaining strawberry jam and custard. Top with the final layer, then cover the top and sides with the whipped cream.
- Cover the sides with slivered almonds. Spread the strawberries and blueberries on top, then finish with whole mint leaves.
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