Kladdkaka

Swedish kladdkaka is a low cake enjoyed for the rich flavor of the batter itself. Beneath a thin, dry surface, it keeps a moist, slightly sticky center. Versions made with cacao are the best known, but this soft center carries over even when the flavor changes to white chocolate, lemon or spices. Its way of creating richness differs from that of cakes layered with cream.

Mixing Without Adding Foam

Kladd is a word that suggests a sticky, wet-looking state, and kaka means cake. Moisture that would look like underbaking in a light sponge is the goal in this cake. That does not mean, however, leaving raw liquid behind. The surface and edges are baked firm, while the center is left dense and soft, yet firm enough to slice once cooled.

The ingredients include melted butter, eggs, sugar, flour and cacao. The eggs and sugar are not beaten to incorporate much air; they are mixed only until the ingredients come together. This also differs from creaming, in which softened butter is beaten until fluffy. One Arla recipe (ingredient proportions and method) uses 150 grams of butter, 3 eggs, 3 deciliters of sugar, 2 deciliters of wheat flour and 1 deciliter of cacao; without any leavening agent, it binds a generous amount of butter and sugar with small amounts of flour, egg and cacao. Cacao contributes bitterness and aroma in addition to color.

Baking to Set the Edges While Keeping the Center Soft

When the batter is poured into a pan and baked, the edges set first, and the center still wobbles slightly even once the surface has dried. The cake is not baked until it is dry throughout, so a contrast in texture remains between the edges and the center. A shorter baking time gives a moist, wobbly center, while a slightly longer one brings it closer to a dense, springy chew; which is preferred varies from household to household.

Besides baking time, the size of the pan also affects doneness. Even with the same recipe, a wide pan makes the batter thinner so it cooks through faster, while a narrow pan leaves a thick center. Letting the cake cool and settle in the pan makes it easier to serve in slices while keeping the interior soft. Some versions replace part of the sugar with syrup to add a caramel-like aroma and chewiness, and others use melted chocolate instead of cacao; differences in the ratio of fat, sugar and flour produce different moist textures.

Variations With Cinnamon Bun Flavor or Lemon

ICA’s kanelbullekladdkaka borrows the arrangement of flavors from a cinnamon bun. Eggs with cardamom, melted butter and flour are mixed without whipping and poured into the pan without proofing. Butter, sugar and cinnamon are piped on top in a swirl, and coarse sugar is sprinkled over before baking, so the spiral of the rolled bun becomes a pattern drawn on top.

Among versions made with white chocolate and lemon, some use lemon zest and lemon balm, replace the wheat flour with almond flour and chill the cake thoroughly. This approach does not simply leave out the cacao; it also changes the proportions of flour and fat. Other touches include adding cinnamon or vanilla, topping the cake with fruit or sweets, and baking a large cake in a sheet pan and cutting it into squares.

The Theory of an Arrival From Paris and the Theory Linking It to Brownies

The origin that ICA’s historical article considers most likely is the story of food journalist Margareta Wickman. She is said to have taken a liking to a moist chocolate cake at a shop next to a flea market in Paris, received the recipe and brought it home to Sweden. She reportedly introduced it in the magazine “Vecko-Journalen” in the late 1970s, where it drew a large response.

In the story SVT presented in 2015, the recipe was brought back from Paris in 1968. However, the woman’s surname is given as Wickbom, a spelling different from the Wickman cited by ICA.

Another theory holds that during wartime in the 1940s, when baking powder could not be obtained, the cake was made by leaving it out of the American brownie. SVT also presents this as a possibility, but brownies themselves have methods that originally used no leavening agent. It seems difficult to trace the cake’s beginnings from this theory alone. Accounts of the origins of this soft-centered cake include the theory that it was modeled on a foreign cake, the theory that it arose from households changing ingredients, and stories of its spread through a magazine.

Serving the Cooled Cake With Cream or Ice Cream

On Kladdkaka Day, November 7, home cooking media share recipes and tips. Day to day, the cake is eaten at coffee time or as a small sweet after a meal, with whipped cream or ice cream on the side. Because the dense cake is paired with whipped cream or ice cream, each bite can be enjoyed with as much as one likes.

An example of kladdkaka served with coffee and cream. Photo: ulfveronica0 (Veronika Olsson), date taken unknown (date listed at source: 2014-01-14), location unknown. Original image / CC0. Original image, no additional processing.

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