Strawberry Cream Cake (Jordgubbstårta)
Strawberry cream cake is the showstopper at every Swedish Midsummer table, and this is the authentic version I grew up with: light sponge, fresh strawberry whipped cream, and a generous pile of berries. It comes together far more easily than it looks, with no fussy pastry cream or extra ingredients needed.
Servings 12
Calories 321kcal
Ingredients
- 1 cup eggs 4-5 eggs depending on size
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup all-purpose flour + a little extra for coating the pan
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla powder / vanilla sugar
- butter small amount for coating the pan
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 4 lb strawberries cleaned and stem removed - you can also use less, see notes for options
Instructions
Sponge Cake
- Preheat your oven to 350 °F
- Bring out a springform that's about 11 inches (27 cm) in diameter, and lightly grease it with butter. Then add in a small amount of flour and turn the springform to make sure it coats the form evenly on both the bottom and sides. Shake out any excess flour.butter
- Crack the eggs into a large mixing bowl and add the sugar. Mix 1-2 minutes until fluffy, but not more. Mixing too long can make the cake sink in the middle.1 cup eggs, 1 cup sugar
- In a small bowl, sift flour and baking powder and combine well. Add to the eggs and sugar together with the vanilla extract. Fold together gently and do not mix more than necessary.1 cup all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoon baking powder, 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Bake at the bottom of the oven for 45 minutes, or until done. Test with a cake tester or toothpick - it should come out dry when inserted in the middle of the cake. Do not open the oven door for the first 30 minutes - if you do, the cake will likely sink. Keep an eye on it from outside instead.
- Allow the cake to cool, then cut in half so you get a top and a bottom.
Strawberry Whipped Cream
- Puree 8-10 strawberries, you want to get about ½ cup of strawberry puree.2 cups heavy cream, 1 tablespoon sugar, 4 lb strawberries
- Mix the heavy cream until quite firm. Fold in sugar and strawberry puree, then mix again if you need it to firm up a bit more.
Topping the Cake
- Slice 20 large strawberries. Keep the rest whole.
- Decorate your cake just before serving. Flip the top half of the cake so the crusty top becomes the bottom. Then spread ⅓ of the whipped cream on top, followed by half the sliced strawberries.Layer the second half of the cake on top, and spread out the rest of the whipped cream on the top and sides. Even out, then top with whole strawberries on top and sliced strawberries on the sides.
Video
Notes
Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days. It is best on days 1 and 2.
Measure eggs by volume. The number of eggs you need will depend on their size, 4-5 eggs usually correspond to 1 cup.
Do not overmix the batter. If you mix it too much you will incorporate too much air, which can make the cake sink after baking. While it's still tasty it will be difficult to slice in half and won't look as pretty.
Bake on the lowest rack. We bake for quite a long time and don't want it to burn or get too much color.
Do not open the oven. It's vital you don't open the oven for at least the first 30 minutes of baking, as this can also make the cake sink. I usually leave it for the full 45 minutes before checking. If it starts to brown too much, feel free to start checking it after 30 minutes - but not before!
Flip the right side down. Using the crusty top of the sponge as the base for the cake makes a huge difference! Don't waste that nice crust by adding whipped cream on top.
Can't puree the strawberries? You can also chop them small, or just make a regular whipped cream.
Save the best for the top. Make sure the best, prettiest, most colorful strawberries go on top! You can use the others for the puree and slices.
Options for sponge cake: I do recommend using the recipe provided but you can also use any other classic sponge cake, homemade or store bought.
I prefer to use 4-5 pounds of strawberries to make this cake, and add whole strawberries on top, but you can make it with as little as 2 pounds.
To make it with less strawberries, here are some options:
- Use sliced strawberries everywhere. Even on top!
- Don't add strawberries to the whipped cream. This is just an extra touch, and it's delicious without it as well.
- Use strawberry jam in the middle. Not as fresh, but still delicious.
Nutrition
Calories: 321kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 120mg | Sodium: 42mg | Potassium: 377mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 26g | Vitamin A: 711IU | Vitamin C: 89mg | Calcium: 92mg | Iron: 2mg