It’s a feast for the eyes and the taste buds: the spettkaka cake is Skåne’s internationally best-known culinary symbol. Tall and magnificent with itselegant pastel-coloured icing, this cake is taking pride of place on increasing numbers of festive tables in Skåne and other parts of Sweden. Skåne’s many spettkaka bakeries are busier than ever before. More and more people are buying this hand-made cake made of sweet, crispy meringue to serve at celebrations, to enjoy its taste, or simply because it is so beautiful. There arecountless good reasons for buying a spettkaka!  This tower-like speciality is sometimes also called spettekaka, and in the local dialect is known as spiddekaga. The cake originated in Germany way back in the 16th century. The spettkaka was already popular in Swedish court circles in the 17th century, and by the early 19th century the cake had become firmly established as a celebration and wedding cake in rural Sweden. Now the cake enjoys a nearly unique status in Sweden, because the EU has classed it as a regional speciality. This European distinction means that you can only bake genuine spettkaka in Skåne. Just like you’re only allowed to make champagne in Champagne!

The spettkaka remains a genuine work of art from Skåne; it is often made bywomen in local premises. Admittedly, the cake is nowadays rarely bakedover an open fire, but it is still a time-consuming process requiring agreat deal of skill. A fluffy mixture is made out of eggs, potato flour and sugar (the quantities are usually a family secret!). The mixture is piped onto rotating cone-shaped metal skewers that are heated.  Then, the mixture is left to dry, rather than being baked, before the next layer is added. Up to nine or ten layers are applied and dried – a process that takes several hours. When the cake is totally dry, it is carefully removed from the skewer and is decorated, usually with pink and white icing. In the Österlen region people prefer pink and green, but naturally there are many other personal favourite ways of icing the cake. If the cake is made for a special celebration, a “collar” can be ordered to adorn the top, displaying the name of the newly weds or birthday child. As a finishing touch, you can decorate the top of the cake with fresh flowers to suit the occasion. Product development hasn’t stood still even though the cake is made using traditional methods. Several bakeries now only use organic ingredients in their cake mixtures, for example. Some spettkaka bakeries experimentwith different shapes and colours. They make spettkaka as wreaths and petit fours to meet the demands of restaurateurs throughout Sweden who are keen to find delicacies that are both new and steeped in tradition to offer their dinner guests.

Despitethe fact that a lot of time and loving care are lavished on baking a spettkaka, it is a relatively inexpensive celebration cake. A cake weighing about 1 kg will be enough for 50 people, and prices for a cake of this size start at a couple of hundred Swedish kronor. You can order cakes weighing up to 3 kg if you are entertaining a larger number of people. Naturally, miniature versions of this delicacy are also available, just right for one to two people. Traditionally, you ordered your spettkaka by the number of tjög of eggs – not by the number of portions. A tjög means 20, but this way of ordering a spettkaka is increasingly unusual seeing as eggs come in various sizes. It’s a good idea to order your cake a couple of weeks in advance – especially for Christmas and the New Year and for public holidays that are popular for weddings or confirmations. Many bakeries send spettkaka cakes by courier or post throughout Sweden. Why not combine your purchase with a visit to a real spettkaka bakery to see how the genuine article is made? Ring first and make an appointment.

The cake keeps for two to three months and should be stored at room temperature, out of direct sunlight. Keep the spettkaka wrapped in the cellophane until it’s time to eat it, otherwise there is a risk that the cake will collapse after a few hours due to air humidity. If there are leftovers (which is unlikely), you can store them in cellophane or an air-tight container. Forget cake slices and kitchen knives; to cut the cake you need a knife with a serrated blade and the help of someone who knows how to cut a spettkaka! It’s a good idea to buy a special knife from the spettkaka bakery when you buy your cake. It’s cheap yet invaluable to help you cut the cake the right way ....At weddings, the spettkaka isn’t just the finale of the wedding reception. According to tradition, if you cut the cake properly, the pieces are supposed to predict the future of the bridal couple. For example, the number of pieces might represent the number of children and/or windows of the house that the couple will have. Even if the cake isn’t served at a wedding, the idea is to get as many “hollows” out of the spettkaka as possible. Then the crown of the cake is cut out, i.e. the sugary decoration on top. Finally the tiara is cut out, which makes up one side of the cake. This piece was traditionally placed on the head of the bride or another girl at the party.

The sugary-sweet and crispy spettkaka is at its best when served with few tasty accompaniments. Some people think the cake is best served withrich vanilla ice-cream and fresh berries or fruit. Whipped cream is naturally a good complement. Instead of berries or fruit you can opt for a delicious sauce made with honey, caramel or chocolate, perhaps with a few almonds or walnuts to provide a contrasting crunch. The possibilities are endless. A glass of madeira or sweet port is perfect to drink with your spettkaka. Enjoy!

Annelie Mannertorn