Mini Swedish princess cakes
Swedish princess cake is one of the most popular desserts served in Sweden - an improbable dome of cream sits atop layers of cake, jam and custard and is covered with coloured marzipan. If you’re celebrating the Eurovision Song Contest held in Sweden this year, these mini cheat's versions are the perfect treat to make!
Ingredients
- 750ml/1â…“ pint double cream
- 150g/5½oz ready-made custard
- 125g/4½oz fresh raspberries
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
- 1 tbsp icing sugar, plus extra for dusting
- 6 cupcakes (homemade or shop-bought)
- 650g/1lb 7oz dark pink marzipan (see recipe tips)
- 100g/3½oz light pink marzipan (see recipe tips)
- silver and/or gold food glitter, to decorate
Method
Beat the cream until stiff peaks form – you want the cream quite stiff, but be careful not to over whip (or it will become grainy). Transfer 4 tablespoons of the whipped cream to a separate bowl and mix with the custard.
In another bowl, mash the raspberries with the icing sugar and vanilla bean paste and set aside
Remove the paper liners from the cupcakes and cut in half horizonally so you have two layers. Place the widest layer on a square of baking paper (you can use a small dollop of cream to hold it in place).
Spread over a little of the custard-cream mixture, then spoon a layer of mashed raspberries on top. Place the second layer of cake on top to make a lid. Repeat until all the cakes are layered.
Spread a layer of the plain whipped cream all over the cake structures, making sure to form a little dome on the top and to generously cover the sides. Repeat until all the cakes are covered then put them in the fridge to firm up for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours.
Dust a work surface with icing sugar and roll out the darker pink marzipan to about 5mm/¼in thick and cut out rounds large enough to completely cover each cake (if in doubt make the circles a bit bigger than what they need to be).
Place the marzipan over the cakes and smooth out any wrinkles with your hands, cupping around the cakes to keep their dome shape.
Carefully cut away any excess marzipan from around the edges. Tidy up the edges by tucking any remaining excess marzipan underneath the cakes to seal the cream in.
To make decorative roses, roll the lighter pink marzipan out very thinly and using the large end of a piping nozzle or a bottle cap, cut out 5 circles. Lay the circles together in a line slightly overlapped, and press gently with your fingers to join them together.
Using a knife, cut the circles in half so you are left with 2 lines of half moon shapes. Roll each line up tightly to form a rose bud.
Decorate the marzipan covered cakes with the roses, spray the cakes with edible glitter and serve immediately or store in the fridge until ready to eat.
Recipe Tips
Pink marzipan is available online or from specialist cake suppliers. If you prefer to make your own, you can add good-quality gel or paste food colouring to light marzipan. Knead a small amount of the colour into the marzipan until evenly tinted, taking it slow and adding a little at a time to ensure the cakes are the shade you want.