How to make Swedish Love Treat cakes
The Local Sweden - [email protected]
Published: 25 Sep, 2015 CET.
Updated: Fri 25 Sep 2015 08:39 CET
Kärleksmums (known in English as 'love treats' or 'love yums') are among Sweden's most popular cakes. They resemble brownies but are light and fluffy. Food writer John Duxbury shares his recipe with The Local.
Ingredients
For the cake
220g (2 sticks) butter
150ml (2/3 cup) water
3 large eggs
150g (2/3 cup) caster sugar
175g (1 1/3 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour
2 tsp baking powder
A pinch of salt
3 1/2 tbsp good quality unsweetened cocoa powder
150g (5 1/4 oz) dark chocolate (70 percent cocoa solids), coarsely chopped
For the glaze
150ml (2/4 cup) whipping cream (heavy whipping cream)
2 tbsp strong black coffee, cold
150g (5 1/4 oz) dark chocolate (70 percent cocoa solids)
50g (2/3 cup) desiccated coconut (unsweetened shredded coconut)
Kärleksmums with a coconut glaze. Photo: John Duxbury/Swedish Food
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 200C (400F, gas mark 6, fan 180C). Grease two 20cm x 20cm (8 inches x 8 inches) baking tins and sprinkle with breadcrumbs or line with baking parchment. (Swedes often use breadcrumbs to help prevent cakes sticking to the tin.)
2. Melt the butter and then mix in the water and leave to cool.
3. Whisk the eggs and sugar together until light and airy. This should take two or three minutes on maximum speed in an electric mixer.
4. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, salt and cocoa powder until thoroughly mixed and then fold into the egg mixture.
5. Fold in the butter mixture.
The mixture should be smooth once mixed. Photo: John Duxbury/Swedish Food
6. Pour the mixture into the two greased tins.
7. Sprinkle the chopped chocolate over.
8. Bake in the centre of the oven for about 15 minutes - a skewer should come out slightly sticky. Leave to cool in the tin for five minutes. (The top should look very chocolaty and a bit gooey - as shown.)
9. Meanwhile, boil the cream, then pour in the coffee and leave to cool slightly.
10. Break the chocolate for the glaze into rough pieces and add to the hot cream mixture. Stir until thoroughly mixed.
11. Spread over the cake and then sprinkle with the coconut.
12. Allow to cool a bit and then cut each tray into nine or 16 squares with a knife or use a heart-shaped cutter as shown. (Kärleksmums are particularly nice when the chocolate is not quite set!)
Tips
• Make some chocolate truffles with the leftovers
• Cut large squares and top each square with half a strawberry
• Bake extra for a rainy day - you can freeze these cakes
This recipe was orginally published on food writer John Duxbury's website Swedish Food.
Comments
See Also
Ingredients
For the cake
220g (2 sticks) butter
150ml (2/3 cup) water
3 large eggs
150g (2/3 cup) caster sugar
175g (1 1/3 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour
2 tsp baking powder
A pinch of salt
3 1/2 tbsp good quality unsweetened cocoa powder
150g (5 1/4 oz) dark chocolate (70 percent cocoa solids), coarsely chopped
For the glaze
150ml (2/4 cup) whipping cream (heavy whipping cream)
2 tbsp strong black coffee, cold
150g (5 1/4 oz) dark chocolate (70 percent cocoa solids)
50g (2/3 cup) desiccated coconut (unsweetened shredded coconut)
Kärleksmums with a coconut glaze. Photo: John Duxbury/Swedish Food
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 200C (400F, gas mark 6, fan 180C). Grease two 20cm x 20cm (8 inches x 8 inches) baking tins and sprinkle with breadcrumbs or line with baking parchment. (Swedes often use breadcrumbs to help prevent cakes sticking to the tin.)
2. Melt the butter and then mix in the water and leave to cool.
3. Whisk the eggs and sugar together until light and airy. This should take two or three minutes on maximum speed in an electric mixer.
4. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, salt and cocoa powder until thoroughly mixed and then fold into the egg mixture.
5. Fold in the butter mixture.
The mixture should be smooth once mixed. Photo: John Duxbury/Swedish Food
6. Pour the mixture into the two greased tins.
7. Sprinkle the chopped chocolate over.
8. Bake in the centre of the oven for about 15 minutes - a skewer should come out slightly sticky. Leave to cool in the tin for five minutes. (The top should look very chocolaty and a bit gooey - as shown.)
9. Meanwhile, boil the cream, then pour in the coffee and leave to cool slightly.
10. Break the chocolate for the glaze into rough pieces and add to the hot cream mixture. Stir until thoroughly mixed.
11. Spread over the cake and then sprinkle with the coconut.
12. Allow to cool a bit and then cut each tray into nine or 16 squares with a knife or use a heart-shaped cutter as shown. (Kärleksmums are particularly nice when the chocolate is not quite set!)
Tips
• Make some chocolate truffles with the leftovers
• Cut large squares and top each square with half a strawberry
• Bake extra for a rainy day - you can freeze these cakes
This recipe was orginally published on food writer John Duxbury's website Swedish Food.
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