The Scandikitchen recipe: Love Cake for Valentine's Day
Spoil your beloved and bake this delicious chocolatey love cake from Scandi chef Bronte Aurell's cookbook
‘KARLEKSMUMS’ LOVE CAKE
This cake has many, many names across Scandinavia. I call it Love Cake (from the Swedish ‘kärlek’ meaning ‘love’ and ‘mums’ meaning ‘something delicious’). I changed the traditional chocolate sponge at the café to a darker chocolate cake as I feel it goes better with the mocha icing.
INGREDIENTS
FOR THE CAKE, SERVES 8–10:
3 ½ tablespoons cacao or cocoa powder
100 ml whole milk
175 g butter
225 g granulated sugar
2 eggs
225 g plain flour or cake flour
1 teaspoon vanilla sugar or extract
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
½ teaspoon salt
FOR THE TOPPING:
150 g icing sugar, sifted
50 g butter
1 generous tablespoon cacao or cocoa powder
½ teaspoon vanilla sugar
4 tablespoons strong filter coffee
50 g desiccated coconut, plus extra to decorate
coarse sea salt, to decorate a 20-cm deep round cake pan, greased and lined with baking parchment
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) Gas 4.
In a bowl, mix together the cacao or cocoa with 100 ml of boiling water to make a thick paste and leave to cool. Gradually pour in the milk and stir well until combined and smooth.
In a separate bowl, cream together the butter and caster sugar until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs one by one, mixing well between each addition and taking care that they are completely incorporated.
In a third bowl, sift together the flour, vanilla sugar or extract, bicarbonate of soda and salt.
Add the flour and the cacao or cocoa mixtures to the egg mixture, whisking continuously, taking care to ensure everything is well incorporated, but not over-beating or your cake will be heavy. Spoon the mixture into the prepared cake pan, spreading evenly. Bake in the middle of the preheated oven for 20–25 minutes, or until a skewer comes out just clean (take care not to over-bake).
Leave to cool slightly, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
To make the topping, put all the ingredients except the salt in a saucepan. Melt together gently, stirring until well combined. Cool, then spoon the topping onto the cooled cake and spread evenly. Decorate with the extra coconut and sea salt, then leave to set before serving.
Recipe extracted from The Scandikitchen (2015) by Bronte Aurell, available via Amazon for £11.55.
