Äidin Juhannuskakku (Mum’s Midsummer Cake)
Happy Midsummer! No, you’re not about to get swept into a pagan cult, Midsummer’s an important celebration in the Nordic area and I’m here to bring it to the UK. Finns can drink so if you’re up for getting merry, throwing on a flower crown and lighting some fires to ward off spirits, you’re about to have a good time. What was that about cults..?
As a child, I’d spend every summer in Finland swimming in lakes, picking berries and going to summer camp. It’s beautiful and in my biased opinion the best kept secret of the Nordic states so go and visit and see for yourself.
A huge part of any celebration is the food and Juhannus (Midsummer) is no different. Grilling makkara (sausages) on the barbecue is a must but if you’re a balcony-free Londoner like me, there are other options.
I’m about to share the recipe for my mum’s strawberry cake. Totally unchanged, totally traditional with love baked in so don’t go playing with the recipe now. It’s the polar opposite of the frosting-laden cakes of Instagram and personally I’m here for it. Whip up one of these for a Midsummer picnic and I guarantee it’ll be a hit. Now if you’ll excuse me I’m off to dance naked by a lake. Byeeee.
Ingredients:
3 eggs
Equal amount of plain flour (measured in a glass)
Equal amount of sugar (measured in a glass)
1 tsp baking power
300ml Double cream
4 tbsp Icing sugar
1 lemon - zest and juice
1 punnet of strawberries
Method:
Preheat the oven to 180. Line two loose bottomed cake tins with baking paper or grease them with butter and sprinkle flour over to prevent the cake from sticking.
Crack three eggs into a glass. Mark a line on the glass with a Sharpie to show the level that the eggs get to. Tip them into a mixing bowl then add the zest of one lemon. Measure your sugar in the glass up to the line you made. Add the sugar to the eggs and whisk until they turn pale yellow.
Measure the flour in the glass up to the same line. Carefully spoon the flour into the egg mixture spoonful by spoonful so you don’t knock the air out of the mix. Continue to slowly fold the mix until the flour is completely combined.
Pour the mix into your cake tins, place on the middle shelf and bake for 20 minutes. Once they’re cooked remove from the oven and run a knife around the edge of the tin. Remove the outer edge of the tin and leave the cakes to cool on the base.
Slide the strawberries length ways and set aside. Whip the cream, with the icing sugar and vanilla until firm. When the cake is cool, squeeze the lemon over both cakes then spread the cream onto one layer and top with strawberries. Add the second layer and repeat. Voila! Hyvää juhannusta!