Fyrstekake, or Norwegian almond tart, is a traditional and much-loved Scandinavian bake, also known as Prince’s Cake. What makes it so regal? Above all, the rich almond filling. If you’re a marzipan lover, this is definitely the cake for you! The pastry is delicate, light and crisp thanks to the addition of double cream and baking powder, and there’s no need to pre-bake the base. The wonderful aroma of cardamom truly makes this tart special. If you’re not keen on cardamom, you can substitute it with cinnamon and a little grated lemon zest. It’s the perfect cake for chilly autumn evenings.
Ingredients for the pastry:
- 250 g plain flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 110 g butter, cold and diced
- 1 egg yolk, from a large egg
- 75 ml double cream
- 90 g icing sugar
- a pinch of salt
Sift the flour and baking powder together. Add the butter and rub it in quickly until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the egg yolk, cream, sugar and salt, then quickly knead into a dough (you can also use a food processor).
Divide the dough into two portions: ¾ and ¼. Shape each into a ball, flatten slightly, wrap in cling film and chill for 1 hour in the fridge or 15 minutes in the freezer.
Ingredients for the almond and cardamom filling:
- 2 egg whites, from large eggs
- 50 g butter, melted
- 200 g icing sugar
- 200 g ground almonds
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- a pinch of salt
Whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form. In a separate bowl, mix together the remaining ingredients. Fold in the whipped egg whites gently and set aside.
Additionally:
- 1 egg yolk, beaten, for glazing
- icing sugar, for dusting
Prepare a 23 cm tart tin by greasing it with butter and dusting it lightly with flour.
Remove the chilled dough from the fridge. Roll out both pieces to a thickness of about 3 mm. Using a rolling pin to help, transfer the larger piece to the tart tin and line the base and sides, pressing the pastry gently into the tin. Spread the almond filling evenly over the pastry. Cut the smaller piece of rolled pastry into 2 cm strips and arrange them over the tart in a lattice pattern. Brush the pastry lattice with the beaten egg yolk.
Bake the Fyrstekake at 160°C for about 50–60 minutes, or until the tart is golden brown. Remove from the oven and leave to cool completely. Dust with icing sugar before serving.
Enjoy!
Recipe source: Scandilicious Baking by Signe Johansen.
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