Fyrstekake Norwegian Royalty Cake Food

YARNALL FAMILY'S FYRSTEKAKE (NORWEGIAN CARDAMOM-ALMOND TART)

Steps:

• For crust:
• Whisk flour, baking powder, cardamom, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside. Using an electric mixer, beat 1/2 cup butter and sugar in a medium bowl until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in egg yolk and milk. With mixer running on low speed, gradually add dry ingredients and beat just until thoroughly combined.
• Pat dough into a ball; break off one-quarter of dough. Form each piece into a ball. Flatten balls into disks. Cover separately and chill dough disks for at least 2 hours or overnight.
• For filling and assembly:
• Butter tart pan. Break larger dough disk into small pieces and scatter over bottom of tart pan. Using your fingertips, press dough onto bottom and up sides of pan. Use the flat bottom of a measuring cup to smooth the surface and trim the edges. Roll out smaller dough disk to about 1/8" thick. Using decorative cookie cutters, cut out shapes and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Cover and chill crust and cutouts for 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Pulse almonds, powdered sugar, cardamom, and nutmeg in a food processor until nuts are finely ground. Transfer dry ingredients to a large bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat egg whites and vanilla in a medium bowl until medium peaks form. Gently fold egg whites into dry ingredients.
• Whisk egg yolk and 2 teaspoons water in a small bowl to blend. Fill chilled crust with almond mixture; smooth top. Arrange cutouts on top and brush cutouts with egg wash.
• Bake tart until crust and cutouts are golden brown and filling is set, 30-35 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool. DO AHEAD: Tart can be made 2 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.

FYRSTEKAKE (PRINCE CAKE)

Steps:

• Using a very fine blade of food chopped, grind almonds 3 times. Blend with powdered sugar, unbeaten egg whites, 1 egg, 1/4 cup butter and almond extract. Refrigerate this mixture.
• In small bowl, with electric mixer on medium, mix 1/2 cup butter with granulated sugar and 1 egg. Fold in flour, refrigerate this dough 15 minutes.
• On lightly floured wax paper, roll 2/3 of dough into 11 inch circle, 1/8 inch thick. Place dough side in 9 inch layer cake pan. Carefully pull off paper. Fit in pan; patch if needed to make the top even.
• Spread jam, then almond paste over dough on pan bottom. Roll reserved third of dough into rectangle 1/8 inch thick.
• With pastry wheel, cut 6- 8x3/4 inch strips. Lay 3 strips, 1 1/4 inch apart, over almond paste; lay rest at right angles.
• Re-roll pastry trimmings; cut 5- 5x3/4 inch strips. Place, end to end, against inside edge of pan; with pastry wheel, trim even with top of cake.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, cool in pan.
• With spatula, carefully lift out cake. Cut into wedges and serve.

NORWEGIAN PRINCE'S CAKE FYRSTEKAKE

Steps:

• In a mixing bowl, or in the food processor with the steel blade in place, combine the flour, baking powder, and sugar. Slice the butter and add to the flour mixture. Cut in using a pastry blender or on/off bursts of the food processor until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Beat in the egg and mix until a dough forms. Gather dough into a ball and chill.
• To prepare the filling, pulverize the almonds in the food processor with the steel blade in place, or put through a food chopper with a fine blade. Blend in the powdered sugar and egg whites until mixture makes a firm dough. Wrap and chill.
• Press 2/3 of the chilled dough into a 9-inch ungreased cake pan, covering bottom and building up the sides of the pan to about 1 inch. Spread almond mixture over the dough.
• On a floured board, roll the remaining dough out to 1/8 inch thickness and cut into 1/2 inch strips. Crisscross the strips over the filling, fastening them to the edges of the cake. The strips may break but, never mind, they will bake together and look fine. If you have dough scraps, roll into a thin strip and fasten around the top edge of the cake. Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely and cut into thin wedges to serve.
• The Great Scandinavian Baking Book.