[Swedish saffron blondies]
Snipp, snapp, snut – så var julen slut. Christmas has come and gone, and I never got around to sharing this recipe.
We always celebrate the coming Advent early – often already in November. We call it novent. Candles in the windows, the first cups of glögg, something saffron-scented in the oven.
Usually, it’s Birgitta’s saffranskaka – the one with plump raisins just so, and grated marzipan folded into the batter. But this year, we tried something new.
A golden, delicate saffranskladdkaka, its edges just set while the centre stays soft. A new tradition for the years to come, perhaps?
Swedish saffron blondies
A new saffron cake might just claim a spot among our Advent traditions. Made in one pot, it goes from cupboard to oven in just ten minutes.Saffranskladdkaka [literally, saffron sticky cake, a kind of saffron blondies]. Spectacular in thin wedges, served with a generous spoonful of vanilla custard and slices of clementine.
Makes 16 thin slices
Ingredients
- 225 g salted butter
- 1 g ground saffron threads
- 300 g good quality white chocolate I like Callebaut or Valrhona
- 270 g caster sugar
- 3 tsp vanilla sugar
- a pinch of salt
- 4 eggs
- 180 g plain flour
Some favourite toppings
- vanilla custard
- clémentine slices
- loosely whipped cream
- fresh raspberries
- icing sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 175°C/fan 160°C. Butter a 22cm tin and line its bottom with baking paper.
- Melt the butter in a pan set over medium heat, and add the saffron, stirring well.
- Off the heat, mix in the white chocolate, and stir using a silicon spatula until fully melted.
- Now whisk in the sugars, salt, and the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
- Add the flour, and mix until just combined.
- Pour the batter in the prepared tin, and bake for 30 minutes - the edges should be set, while the middle remains wobbly.
- Let the cake cool completely in the fridge for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight, before serving.
- Serve the cake in thin wedges, with a generous spoonful of custard and sliced clémentines, or perhaps with loosely-whipped cream and fresh raspberries. Even sometimes, only a light dusting of icing sugar is enough.
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