A dome-shaped cake layered with sponge, pastry cream, and whipped cream, entirely covered in a smooth sheet of green marzipan and topped with a pink marzipan rose.
Nutrition & Info
Allergen Warnings
Equipment Needed
Presentation Guide
Vessel: cake stand with domed green marzipan
Garnishes: powdered sugar rose, dusting of powdered sugar
Accompaniments: coffee or tea
Instructions
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1
Preheat the oven to one hundred and seventy-five degrees Celsius. Beat the eggs and sugar with an electric mixer on high speed for eight to ten minutes until extremely pale, thick, and tripled in volume. Gently fold in the sifted flour and baking powder.
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2
Pour the batter into a greased and lined twenty-three-centimetre round cake tin. Bake for twenty to twenty-five minutes until golden and a skewer comes out clean. Cool completely, then use a serrated knife to slice horizontally into three even layers.
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3
Make the pastry cream by whisking the egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch together until pale. Heat the milk until steaming, then pour it slowly into the egg mixture while whisking constantly. Return to the pan and cook over low heat, stirring, until very thick.
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4
Remove the pastry cream from heat, stir in the vanilla and butter, then press cling film directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate for at least one hour until completely chilled and firm.
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5
Place the first sponge layer on a serving plate. Spread a thin border of pastry cream around the edge, then fill the centre with raspberry jam. Add the second sponge layer and spread all the chilled pastry cream evenly across it.
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6
Place the third sponge layer on top, then pile the sweetened whipped cream over the entire cake, using a spatula to shape it into a tall, smooth dome that extends beyond the edges of the cake layers for the classic rounded silhouette.
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7
Knead the green gel colouring into the marzipan until the colour is uniform. Roll it out on a surface dusted with powdered sugar into a circle about forty centimetres in diameter, large enough to drape completely over the domed cake.
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8
Carefully lift the marzipan circle over the cake and smooth it gently over the dome and down the sides, trimming the excess at the base. Shape a small pink marzipan rose and place it on top, then dust lightly with powdered sugar.
Did You Know?
Prinsesstårta was named after the Swedish princesses who loved it in their 1930s cooking classes. The green marzipan dome is instantly recognizable in every Swedish bakery.
Chef's Notes
Equipment Tips
- cake pans
- piping bag
- rolling pin
- stand mixer
Garnishing
powdered sugar rose, dusting of powdered sugar
Accompaniments
coffee or tea
The Story Behind Prinsesstårta
The Story: Prinsesstarta is an elegant dome-shaped cake of alternating layers of sponge cake, pastry cream, and whipped cream, covered in a thin shell of green marzipan and crowned with a pink marzipan rose. The cake was created by Jenny Akerstrom, a cooking teacher to the daughters of Prince Carl of Sweden, and published in her 1929 cookbook Prinsessornas Kokbok (The Princesses' Cookbook). The green marzipan dome and pink rose became iconic, and the cake was adopted as Sweden's most beloved celebration cake.
On the Calendar: Prinsesstarta is the default birthday and celebration cake in Sweden, ordered from bakeries for birthdays, name days, graduations, and special occasions. The third week of September is designated Prinsesstartans Vecka (Princess Cake Week) by Swedish bakers.
Then and Now: The cake has remained faithful to Akerstrom's original design, though seasonal variations with different colored marzipan appear: yellow for Easter, orange for autumn, and white or red for Christmas. Every Swedish bakery (konditori) produces its own version, and the quality of a bakery is often judged by its prinsesstarta.
Legacy: Prinsesstarta is the crown jewel of Swedish patisserie, a cake that has marked nearly a century of Swedish celebrations with its elegant dome of marzipan, cream, and quiet royal dignity.
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