Prinsesstårta: Swedish Princess Cake

Ingredients

Pastry Cream

1. Half cup white sugar
2. Three tablespoons cornstarch
3. Two cups whole milk
4. Four large egg yolks
5. Four tablespoons cold salted butter, cubed
6. One teaspoon vanilla extract
7. Baking spray

Cake

1. Four large eggs
2. Four large egg yolks
3. One and one fourth cups white sugar
4. Two and one fourth cups bleached cake flour, sifted
5. Six tablespoons salted butter, melted
6. Two teaspoons vanilla extract
7. One cup raspberry jam, warmed
8. Two cups heavy cream
9. One fourth cup powdered sugar
10. Fourteen ounces marzipan
11. Two to three drops green gel food dye
12. Two tablespoon sifted powdered sugar
13. Two cup fresh raspberries

Instructions

Prepare Pastry Cream

1. Whisk sugar and cornstarch together in a medium saucepan. Gradually whisk in milk and egg yolks until combined. Turn to medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens, 5 to 7 minutes.
2. Remove from heat and whisk in cold butter and vanilla until smooth. Strain through a fine mesh sieve into a large bowl. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on top of custard and refrigerate until cold, about 3 hours or up to 24 hours.
3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Coat two 8-inch round cake pans with baking spray and line the bottom of each pan with parchment paper.
4. Bring a medium saucepan filled with 1 inch of water to a simmer over medium heat.
5. Combine eggs, egg yolks, and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Set the mixing bowl over the pot of simmering water. Cook, whisking constantly, until a thermometer reaches 110 degrees F (43 degrees C), 5 to 6 minutes.
6. Return bowl to the stand mixer. Beat with a whisk attachment on high speed until mixture is pale yellow and has tripled in volume, about 3 minutes. Fold in flour until just combined. Fold in melted butter and vanilla until combined. Divide batter evenly between the prepared pans.
7. Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown and a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 20 to 22 minutes. Let cool in pan 10 minutes. Invert onto a wire rack and let cool completely, about 1 hour. Use a long, serrated knife to split each cake layer in half horizontally. Set cake aside until pastry cream is ready to use.

Assemble Cake

1. Spread the cut side of each cake layer with warm raspberry jam. Place one cake layer, jam-side up, on a cake plate. Spread 1/2 cup pastry cream over cake. Repeat process with two more cake layers, ending with remaining cake layer on top, jam-side down. Place a 4-inch wooden skewer through the middle of the cake to hold layers in place. Reserve remaining remaining pastry cream for another use.
2. Beat heavy cream and 1/4 cup powdered sugar at medium-high speed with an electric mixer in a large bowl until stiff peaks form. Spread a thin layer of whipped cream around side of cake. Mound remaining whipped cream on top of cake, spreading to create a smooth dome.
3. Knead together marzipan and gel food dye until color is evenly distributed. Roll out marzipan in between 2 sheets of parchment paper, to a 15-inch circle; gently remove top piece of parchment paper. Invert marzipan and drape over cake; gently remove remaining parchment paper. Gently press marzipan down over cake, starting at the top of cake and working your way down to create a smooth dome. Cut away any excess and tuck ends of marzipan under cake.
4. Dust top of cake with sifted powdered sugar. Garnish with fresh raspberries.

Sample Imagery

Recipe Website Reviews

Food Network

The column on the right provides links to recipes and shopping, which aligns too closely with the recipe column and its typographic hierarchy. It feels rather distracting. I also do not like how each step in the instructions is comprised of a paragraph of smaller steps. It means that relocating one's place in the instructions while cooking would be a constant challenge.

Delish

Delish shows the recipes not too far down the page, which allows for quick navigation. The introduction to the recipes are concise and a “Jump to Recipe” button is present at the top of each recipe page. Ingredients and direction columns are side-by-side so users do not have to scroll between the two while cooking.

Sally's Baking Addiction

I appreciate this website's playful color scheme. The "About the Author" section at the top of the page feels unnecessary for users simply looking to use the recipe. The interactive checkmark boxes next to each ingredient adds a helpful touch for users.

Design Website Reviews

SSENSE

I like that this website has a list of important links extending down the page for easy access. I also think the banner at the top that stays present while scrolling could be a helpful element to incorporate on my webpage. Perhaps a persisting banner or button could navigate viewers to the top of the page easily.

Puebco

The way that this website uses image banners to alternate between varying products feels well-done. It effectively provides variation throughout the page to maintain user interest, and makes me consider using image banners in my own website. I also find the hover animations over links to be engaging.

Amtrak

This website design feels overwhelming. As a user I am unsure where to navigate first. The tight composition of images and low-contrast hierarchy of color certainly contribute to this, and I will be sure to steer clear of these techniques in my own work.