Last Updated on April 7, 2021 by Chef Mireille
This easy Cream Cake recipe is used to celebrate many of our national holidays like Memorial Day or July 4th.
However, so many countries of the world have the flag colors of red, white and blue and that’s why there are versions of thie easy Cream Cake in many European countries, as well as the United States.
I went a little Scandinavian in this version with the use of ground cardamom – one of my all time favorite spices.
Do you love cardamom as much as I do?
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Delicious layers of cake, custard, fresh berries and covered with light and airy whipped cream make this a delicious summer cake.
Ok so if you didn’t already know I am a HUGE fan of the TV show Vikings so since the show is on hiatus right now, I’m instead getting my Viking fix by whipping up some traditional Scandinavian food!
This is a very traditional Norwegian cake that usually makes an appearance at any special occasion in Norway, but especially on May 17, the national day of Norway. This cake is especially made on that day as the red, white and blue colors represent the colors of the Norwegian flag, where it is known as Blotkake.
Since the same flags are on the color of our flag, this cake can just as easily be made to celebrate the US Independence Day, so when July 4th rolls around this year, let’s celebrate it….Norwegian style!
In fact, there is a version of this Cream Cake here in the United States also. It is believed to have originated in Texas, so I’m not sure how it got the name Italian Cream Cake. However, it is pretty much the same cake.
Whether you call this simple Cream Cake Italian Cream Cake or Blotkake like the Norwegians call it, it is just as delicious.
There are many variations and you can customize the cake as you like. With or without custard – it’s up to you. Use any varieties of berries you like, but if it’s being served on National Day you must have both red and blue colored berries – the same as for any of our American holiday cakes like Memorial Day Cakes, Independence Day or Veterans Day.
Cream Cake Variations
I made a few changes to this traditional cake to up the flavor a bit, however you can keep it traditional if you prefer. To keep it traditional, use jam instead of the mascerated berries and omit the cardamom. Cardamom is the most common spice used in Scandinavian sweets and it is one of my favorite spices, which is why I added it here.
I also used white wheat flour instead of all purpose flour.
However, before we get to today’s recipe, let’s take a look at some of my other Norwegian recipes…
Norwegian Recipes
How to Make Cream Cake
- Make the Cake
- Then we make the custard
- Now we assemble the cake with layers of cake, custard, fresh berries and whipped cream.
The frosting is not meant to be smooth. This is a great cake that is often brought as a summer picnic cake here in the United States.
This cake is light and creamy and perfect to celebrate Independence Day in the USA with the same red, white and blue colors as the Norwegian flag!
Serve it with extra custard on the side to make it even more luscious and memorable!
Norwegian Cream Cake – Norwegian National Cake – Blotkake
Ingredients
Mascerated Berries Ingredients
- Ingredients:
- 1 ½ cups blueberries
- ½ cup sliced strawberries
- ¼ cup sugar
Cake Ingredients
- 5 eggs
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1 ¼ cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- Custard Ingredients
- 2 egg yolks
- ¼ cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 cups milk + 4 tablespoons
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Whipped Cream Ingredients
- 3 cups heavy cream
- 2 ½ tablespoons powdered sugar
Instructions
- To mascerate the berries, combine berries and sugar in a bowl. Leave for at least 1 hour, until berries soften.
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray a 9” cake pan with non stick spray.
- To make the cake, beat eggs in an electric mixer until well combined.
- Add sugar and beat on high speed for 10 minutes, until batter is a pale yellow and has increased 2-3 times in volume.
- In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder and cardamom.
- Add flour mixture to mixer and beat for 2 minutes on high speed.
- Transfer to prepared pan and bake for 35 minutes, until tester comes out clean.
- To make the custard, heat the 2 cups milk but do not boil.
- In a bowl, beat egg yolks and sugar until light and creamy. Add cornstarch and whisk until thoroughly combined.
- Slowly add heated milk while beating continuously to slowly temper the eggs. (if you add the hot milk to the eggs all at one time, you will get scrambled eggs)
- Add vanilla and return to the stove.
- Simmer for about 10 minutes while stirring constantly, until custard is thickened. Chill.
- To make whipped cream, beat cream and sugar with an electric mixer until whipped cream consistency.
- To assemble cake, split cake in half horizontally. Pierce both halves of the cake with a toothpick. Pour 2 tablespoons of the remaining milk over each half of the cake. (the cake is quite dry so you need to feed the cake with the milk to soften the texture)
- On the bottom base, add a thick layer of custard, then a layer of the mascerated berries of jam (if using) and then some of the whipped cream. Add the top layer of the cake on top and cover the entire cake with the remaining whipped cram.
- To make a feathered rustic decoration, use a silicone pastry brush to create the effect.
- Decorate with fresh berries.
- To serve, serve with the extra custard!
Nutrition
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Good one, Mir. I have read about this cake when I was reading up on Scandinavian recipes but stayed away from the cake as I felt it was time consuming. My kids were so mad that they missed out on a cake 🙂
it was a bit of work, but worth the effort!
omg cream cake looks addictive 🙂 and well you have garnished it.. Nice pick from the Scandinavian recipes Mir.. Always love reading the history behind the recipes in all your posts 🙂
thanks – yes I find the history just as interesting as the recipes
Wonderful pick for the theme, I did lot of research on the theme and ended up with simple dishes..heheheh..this is surely worth the efforts I feel..very nicely done!
yes though a lot of work totally worth the effort
The fruits and the cream is making me drool..I love whipped cream cakes and this is now on my to do list. Bookmarking it.
yes its a light and fruity cake – perfect for the summer
Cake, cream and fruits can never go wrong. The cake has turned out so soft and love the texture. With all those fruits on top, it looks so colourful…
thanks – the cake itself is quite dry but by feeding it with the milk and then with the cream and berries, it’s a perfect balance. I think with a super rich cake it would have been too much over the top
This cake really look tempting. soft fluffy and super moist from the pic.
yes the milk feeding does make the cake soft
Wish i live near to you, this Norwegian cream cake is highly tempting Mir, i want a huge slice rite now. Am drooling rite now here.Such a super moist cake.
wish you did too. I was giving away part of this cake to so many friends so I wasn’t eating the whole thing – it was so tempting hard to resist – I needed to get it out of the house 🙂
Omg I am literally drooling over this cake. It looks so tempting and wish I could get a slice from the screen.
thanks you – it was really delicious with all that cream and berries
Quite an elaborate cake. But, I guess all the effort is worth it when you such gorgeous results.
thanks yes – it was a lot of work but totally worth it
Good one… No pain no gain… Even though its time consuming, I can see the rich and moist cake that is so inviting. Great idea to bake for Jul 4th as well. 🙂
yep many countries have same flag colors so is great that recipes can cross countries
Looks pretty Mir!!! the fruits on top make it such a gorgeos cake!!!
yes – definitely an attractive cake to celebrate any special occasion
That cake looks amazing Mir — love how colorful all the berries are. Cake also looks so soft and fluffy.
thanks – yes it is a cake that is as beautiful as it is delicious
With all those fruits and whipped cream, I am sure the cake tasted great.
it was and so light and creamy
Cake looks amazing Mir. Good one
Thank you – yes its delicious. You should make it this year for July 4th 🙂
Loved reading about the cultural references and history of the cake. The cake, needless to say, looks fabulous!
thanks – yep history is my other passion – glad you enjoyed the background info!
This cake is really perfect!! It was so delicious! Thank you so much for the recipe!
So glad you enjoyed it.
Cake and fresh berries are always a winner. Perfect for bbq parties. Easy to make and delicious to eat.
Yes this cream cake is a great dessert for the summer bbq season
Such wonderful flavors in this cake! And so easy!
Beautiful cake. Thank you for sharing this recipe. I will save it for the upcoming birthday celebration. My guests will love this cake.
Yes – who can resist an amazing cake with cream, berries and custard. Definitely luxurious enough for a birthday celebration.
Beautiful cake. The custard is divine