Fyrstekake
The "prince's cake" — a short pastry shell filled with almond frangipane under a lattice top.
Cultural Context & History
Rich with almonds and latticed on top, fyrstekake is the elegant end to a coastal coffee table. Dense yet delicate, it keeps for days and only improves with them.
Ingredients
- 150 g butter, softened
- 120 g caster sugar
- 1 egg
- 250 g plain flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- For the filling: 200 g ground almonds, 200 g icing sugar, 3 egg whites, 2 tbsp water
- 1 egg, beaten, to glaze
Recommended Tools
- Pie dish, 24 cmGives the shallow, even shell the almond filling and lattice sit in.
- Bench scraperLifts and lays the soft lattice strips without tearing.
- Pastry brushLays the egg glaze evenly for a glossy lattice.
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Step-by-Step Instructions
- 1
Cream the butter and sugar until pale, then work in the egg, followed by the flour and baking powder. Bring together into a smooth dough, wrap, and chill for 30 minutes.
- 2
Roll out two-thirds of the dough and press it into a 24 cm pie dish, lining the base and sides evenly.
- 3
Mix the ground almonds, icing sugar, egg whites and water into a thick paste and spread it level over the pastry.
- 4
Roll the remaining dough, cut it into strips, and lay them over the filling in a lattice. Brush with the beaten egg.
- 5
Bake at 180°C for 35–40 minutes, until the lattice is deep golden and the filling is set.
Chef's Tip
Bake a day ahead if you can — fyrstekake keeps for a week in a tin and the almond filling turns denser and more fragrant overnight.
Chef's Tip
If the dough softens as you work, chill the cut strips for a few minutes; cold pastry lays into a neat lattice far more easily.
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