Verdens Beste or Kvæfjordkake | Norwegian World’s Best Cake
Norway's national cake, Verdens Beste, also known as Kvæfjordkake, was dubbed Norway's national cake in 2002. This is two layers of sponge cake baked with an almond-sprinkled meringue on top and sandwiched together with a pastry cream filling.
Ingredients
Method
Making the Pastry Cream
- Because the pastry cream needs to be fully chilled to assemble the cake, you'll want to start with this first. Add the egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch to a medium-sized saucepan. Whisk that all together until smooth, and then whisk in the milk. Bring the mixture to the stove and turn the heat on low.
- Cut your gelatin leaves into small pieces with scissors and add the pieces into the warm mixture. Turn the heat to medium and continually whisk until the gelatin is fully dissolved. Once it has dissolved, continue to whisk and cook the mixture until it forms a pudding-like consistency. You know it is done when you dip a spoon into the mixture and it leaves a trail when you draw your finger on the back of the spoon.
- Remove the pastry cream from the heat and whisk in the vanilla extract. Pass the cream through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl to sift out any curdled egg pieces that may have formed during cooking.
- Place plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pastry cream, so that it doesn't form a skin while cooling. Put the pastry cream in the refrigerator for 3-4 hours, or until fully chilled through and solid.
Making the Cake
- While the pastry cream is nearing the end of its cooling time, you can start on the cake batter. In a large bowl, beat together the butter, sugar, and vanilla, until it is creamy. Then beat in the egg yolks one at a time, incorporating well after each addition. Briefly beat in the milk after the eggs.
- Whisk together the flour and the baking powder and very briefly beat that into the batter.
- Place parchment paper across a baking sheet and spread the cake batter thinly with an offset spatula into a large rectangle, leaving about a 1 inch (2.5 cm) border along the perimeter of the parchment paper. Briefly set this aside to make the meringue.
Making the Meringue
- Beat the egg whites in a medium-sized bowl until they are foamy, and then begin adding in the superfine sugar in a little at a time. Beat until you reach stiffy, glossy peaks and the sugar is fully dissolved. To test if the sugar is dissolved, dip your forefinger and thumb into the meringue. Rub your fingers together. If you cannot feel any grains of sugar, then the sugar is fully dissolved.
- Spoon the meringue onto the cake batter and spread it out. Spread it out in a rustic fashion, giving it some waves and peaks with your spoon. Leave a 1 inch (2.5 cm) cake batter border around the meringue because it will spread in the oven. Sprinkle the sliced almonds over the meringue.
Baking the Cake
- Bake the cake in a 325℉ / 165℃ pre-heated oven for 30 minutes, or until the meringue is lightly golden on top.
- When finished baking, remove the cake from the oven and place it on a rack to fully cool before assembling the cake.
Assembling the Cake
- In a medium-sized bowl, beat the heavy whipping cream until you reach stiff peaks. Remove your chilled pastry cream from the refrigerator and, using the same beater whisks, break and lighten up the solidified pastry cream. Fold the whipped cream into the pastry cream until fully incorporated.
- Remove the parchment paper from the bottom of your cooled cake. Using a knife, cut the cake in half vertically. Place one half, meringue-side-down, onto your serving platter. Evenly spoon the pastry cream across the sponge cake. Sandwich the other half on top, meringue-side-up. You can serve this cake immediately, but it is often best the next day after being refrigerated. This allows the pastry cream to soften the sponge cake a bit. Slice into squares to serve!
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