Over the weekend I went on a ski weekend in Myrkdalen with some friends and we were staying at a cosy little cabin, so of course I wanted to bake something delicious for us. And what’s cosier than kanelbullar, or Swedish cinnamon buns? Kanelbullar are made with a sweet cardamom dough filled with cinnamon sugar and butter and twisted into large knots. I’ve tried a lot of kanelbullar recipes over the years, and I really do think this one is the best. It’s extra buttery, with just the right amount of cinnamon and sugar. Kanelbullar are very similar to their Norwegian sisters, kanelsnurrer. The ma ..read more

Last night I went to dinner at my friend Ida’s house, and I wanted to bring a dessert that looks pretty but that we could all eat with our hands without any big fuss. So I decided to make Danish flødeboller! Flødeboller are Danish marshmallow puffs made with baked marzipan cookies topped with whipped vanilla egg whites and dipped in chocolate. You can also decorate them with coconut flakes, freeze dried berries, or whatever else you like. Flødeboller, also called Danish dream puffs, are one of those desserts that look a lot more impressive than they really are. They’re actually quite easy to m ..read more

Denmark has so many wonderful sweet buns and pastries (hello, Danishes), and one reliable Danish classic is kanelsnegle. Kanelsnegle, or “cinnamon snails,” are Danish cinnamon rolls made with a buttery cardamom dough and filled with cinnamon, sugar, and butter. Kanelsnegle set themselves apart from other cinnamon rolls with the great amount of butter in the dough and their hint of freshly ground cardamom. Traditionally they are bare or drizzled with powdered sugar icing. However last time I was in Copenhagen I had the most delicious kanelsnegle with cream cheese glaze at Andersen & Maillar ..read more

Rain is pouring down in Bergen today (I know, I’m shocked as well) and it was cold enough to fire up my wood oven. The good news is that Alfie had really needed a bath after we went on a muddy hike this weekend, and now it looks like the rain has done the job for us. And the other good news is that I decided today would be a good day for a cosy and super easy dessert: Swedish cheesecake! Scandinavia shares a lot of similar desserts, but one cake that is very different in Norway and Sweden is cheesecake. While Norwegian cheesecake is the crushed cookie crust and cream cheese version Americans a ..read more

I’ve always loved visiting Denmark, and now that I live in Bergen I often have layovers in Copenhagen when flying abroad, and whenever I can I try to extend them so I can spend a few days in the city. Copenhagen is so beautiful, I love wandering the streets, and Copenhagen has way better shopping than Bergen. But the highlight for me is always Copenhagen’s bakeries. And I don’t think I’m alone in saying that. Ask anyone about their trip to Denmark and I guarantee they’ll mention a pastry or cake – or many pastries and cakes. And oh were they delicious. Here are my top choices for the best Dani ..read more

You’ve probably tasted Sarah Bernhardt cookies, which are widely beloved across Scandinavia and abroad. And Johannes Steen, the same pastry chef in Copenhagen who created the Sarah Bernhardt cookie, also developed a wonderful cake: fragilité cake. Fragilité cake has layers of hazelnut meringue filled with a thick coffee cream. The meringue top is slightly crispy with a chewy bottom, and the coffee cream complements the hazelnuts perfectly. And because fragilité cake is intentionally imperfect, it’s quite easy to make. I think of fragilité cake as a more adult (because of its coffee flavor) and ..read more

Norway famously has the longest Easter public holiday in the world, which is kind of funny considering most of the country is pretty secular. No, Norwegians aren’t using their time off to go to church. They’re heading to their mountain cabins! Easter is a huge ski holiday in Norway and Sweden. I used to work in a supermarket in a ski resort town in Telemark, and Easter was one of our biggest weeks of the year. And while working in the supermarket I also saw that Easter is a huge food holiday in Scandinavia as well, especially when it comes to desserts and sweets. If you also plan on baking a l ..read more

We’re starting to see the first hints of spring here in Bergen, so this week I wanted to make something a bit colorful. Hindbærsnitter are Danish raspberry squares that are equally pretty and delicious. Hindbærsnitter are made with two sheets of vanilla shortcrust pastry filled with a thick layer of raspberry jam, topped with icing and cut into squares. I like to decorate my hindbærsnitter with crumbled freeze dried raspberries, but I’ve also seen them topped with sprinkles. For extra flavor, you can add a bit of lemon juice or almond or vanilla extract to the icing. Hindbærsnitter are a Danis ..read more

I guess it’s no surprise that the home of fika makes incredible cakes. Fika is the Swedish coffee + cake break that plays such a key role in Swedish culture. Fika isn’t just about the coffee and cake – it’s about taking the time out of a busy day to enjoy a pause by yourself, or with friends or family. But it’s also about the cake! And oh boy are the cakes good. I’ve shared recipes for the six best Swedish cakes, in my opinion: Silviakaka (Silvia Cake) I swear I’m not listing Silvia cake first because my name is Silvia. It really is my favorite Swedish cake! The base is so light and fluffy wi ..read more

I’ve already shared several of my favorite Swedish cakes for fika (the Swedish coffee + cake break), like Silvia cake, kärleksmums, cardamom cake, and tosca cake. But another classic is tiger cake! Tiger cake is a fluffy sponge cake made from vanilla and chocolate batter marbled together, or layered in “tiger stripes.” It’s an easy cake to make, but the tiger pattern and combination of flavors makes it quite special as well. Tips To get a smooth and fluffy batter, run the dry ingredients through a sifter or strainer when adding them to the wet ingredients. I know this is a step that we so ofte ..read more