Scandinavian Recipe #7: Icelandic Vinarterta (Striped Lady Cake)

     When I started looking for Scandinavian desserts I knew I wanted to try this one. It looks fancy and the recipe is fairly straightforward. I didn't realize it had such an unusual legacy.

First attempt at the Vinarterta.

     The Vinarterta has an unusual history. The recipe is from around 1860 and was similar to the English fruit cake while highlighting the then rare . . prune. Apparently, if you were to go to Iceland right now you would be hard pressed to find a native that has made it, or even knows what it is. The tradition of the Vinaterta has migrated very successfully to North America and mainly in Canada. I didn't realize this has become more of an Icelandic/Canadian dish then an actual Icelandic dessert. It is too late now, and it does originate in the appropriate area.

    The recipe I found increases the number of layers from its usual/traditional four or five layers into a giant 8 layer petit four-like tower. The recipe has ingredients listed for a frosting, but I am still unsure of whether you should frost it or not. With 7 sweet layers of filling, it's could be too rich for some people. If you choose to frost, it would be best to do it lightly.
Prep Time: 1 hour

Cook Time: 10 minutes per sheet pan

Total Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes

Ingredients:

The Ingredients.

For the Cake:
1 cup European-style butter (Plugra) (I found this at Wegmans and Acme)
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla or cardamom extract
6 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. freshly ground cardamom
1 tsp. salt
1/4 cup milk
.
For the Filling:
3 cups prune filling (or substitute rhubarb jam) (I used Raspberry Preserves)
.
For the Frosting (optional):
2 cups powdered sugar
1 Tbsp. European-style butter (Plugra), melted
1 Tbsp. milk
1 tsp. vanilla or cardamom extract
1/2 tsp. lemon zest

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350. Cream the butter and sugar together in a heavy mixer. Add the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla or cardamom extract.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, cardamom, and salt.

Add the dry ingredients and the milk to the cake batter, stirring until it's all combined into a very stiff, almost bread-like dough.

Divide dough evenly into 4 portions. Line a 10" x 15" jelly roll pan with a silicone baking mat or buttered parchment paper. Press the first portion of dough evenly across the pan (as you would pizza dough). Try to fill as much of the pan as possible and keep the 4 portions to roughly the same overall size. Then place the layers into the oven, and bake just until golden, about 10 minutes. Cool on a cake rack; repeat for the remaining 3 layers. (You are building it on the sheet because you will not be able to transport the dough when you have flattened it.)

The dough divided.

Once the layers have cooled, slice each in half lengthwise so that you have a total of 8 even layers.

To assemble, place the least attractive layer of cake on a plate and spread with a thin layer of filling Repeat the layers, ending with the prettiest of your layers. Place in an air-tight container and allow to sit for 24 hours (the prune filling will soak into and soften the cake layers).

To serve, either dust the top of the cake with powdered sugar or frost the top and sides lightly with the frosting Cut into very thin slices.

Close up of the preserves and cake layers.

     In general this was a fairly easy recipe to follow. The only issue I encountered was something I noticed in almost every version I have seen. It does not say how thick to make each layer. You will notice in my pictures that each of the cake layers is rather thick. I feel that when I make this again I will be rolling the layers out on the silicone mat. The "hand pressing" gave me similar thicknesses, but a rolling pin would have made this easier. The thinner slices would have created a more uniform flavor and texture also. Overall, I will be adding this to the Thanksgiving 2.7 menu. It was enjoyed by enough people that I gave it the approval. It is different enough and simple enough that after a couple more test bakes I may add it to my regular baking recipe list.

Stay with us because next time you will see: Roast Pork w Cracklings.