Strawberry cake and the taste of Swedish summer
If you want to know what Swedish summer tastes like, look no further than Swedish strawberry cake. For many Swedes, this cake is essential to midsummer and birthday celebrations. Every year, in the days leading up to midsummer, the cost of strawberries tends to skyrocket in Sweden. This is because Swedes have to eat strawberries and, more specifically, strawberry cake on midsummer’s eve – no matter what the cost. An authentic Swedish strawberry cake is as simple as it is spectacular. It is essentially a regular sponge cake filled with vanilla cream on the first layer, strawberry jam on the second and then smothered in whipped cream and strawberries. Once finished, the strawberry cake is a sight to behold in all its red and white glory – colorful, decadent, and absolutely mouth-wateringly delicious. Midsummers is one of Sweden’s most beloved holidays and ever since pagan times Swedes have celebrated the longest day of the year, around the time of the summer sol...