Gräddtårta med kiwi
Today, I am taking you to Scandinavia for the Swedish version of the strawberry shortcake: jordgubbstårta or gräddtårta med jordgubbar , in Swedish. It is a light and fruity dessert that is perfect for the summer! Jordgubbstårta is also called gräddtårtan cream cake in some parts of Sweden. Other cakes, like the famous princess cake prinsesstårta are also served for Midsommar.
Lyxig gräddtårta
Midsommar is a pre-Christian pagan festival celebrated every year during the summer solstice on a date that can vary between June 19th and 26th. Midsommar celebrates nature and fertility. The festivities are usually held outside cities, in the countryside. A tree of joy majstång or midsommarstång in Swedish is erected as a symbol of fertility. Dancing and singing around this tree of joy is the main attraction of the festivities.
Gräddtårta
It is a good omen to decorate farms and houses with plants and greens. According to a Swedish superstition, this would bring luck! This tradition of decorating houses with plants at this time of the year, continues until today, even though people are now taking the superstition of yesteryear lightly. Decorating with plants is called att maja in Swedish and refers to the month of May.
Also, some researchers say that German merchants were building this tree of joy in June because it was difficult to find enough plants and flowers in Sweden in May for this purpose. In addition to the traditional banquet set up for this purpose, barbecues and outdoor games are organized during Midsommar. Midsommar is the most celebrated national holiday in Sweden , even more than Christmas.
Hälsofördelar med kiwi
Can you believe it? In ancient pagan rites, bonfires were lit to protect families from evil spirits who were considered free to wander when the sun was heading south. Before the May tree tradition, in the Middle Ages, little arrows surrounded by plants were used. The mast, the arrows or the May tree refer to a phallic symbol commonly used in pagan rites to symbolize the fertility and durability of harvest in the Viking era.
In Sweden , St. John falls on a Saturday between June 20 and June 26, but the holiday is celebrated on Friday between June 19 and June In short, Midsommar is the perfect opportunity to spend a good time with family or friends. It is a light cake with cream and strawberry which consists of a 2 or 3-layer airy Genoise cake sponge cake brushed with sugar syrup, with layers of pastry cream flavored with vanilla sometimes replaced by fruit or jam as well as fresh strawberries.
The icing on the cake, so to speak? Jordgubbstårta can take a rustic look or a more sophisticated look with its whipped cream decor! You are free to express your creativity and pastry expertise with the pastry bag! You can also cover the cake with whipped cream using a spatula for a rustic look. This cake is ideal at the end of a light meal in a country setting!
Some food bloggers have tried the naked cake version of this cake. For my part, I stuck to the traditional and elegant version of this famous classic Swedish dessert. For the moms in a hurry who need to optimize their time, you can of course prepare the cream and the base of this cake the day before. The sponge cake freezes very well provided you cover it well with plastic wrap.
And if you still have a lot of strawberries and pastry cream, why not make a trifle? This recipe is validated by our expert in Swedish cuisine, Chef Stefano Catenacci. As the founder of pastry food blog Les Trois Madeleines, Sarah-Eden reinvents glamorous desserts with original pastries. She enjoys discovering new blogs, interacting with food bloggers, and of course, she loves madeleines!