Blåbærkake is the Norwegian domestic bilberry cake: a soft, vanilla-scented sponge split and filled with bilberry compote and lightly whipped cream. It is the most elegant expression of the Norwegian relationship with blåbær (Vaccinium myrtillus), the wild bilberry that carpets the forest floor and upland meadows of Norway from Finnmark to Rogaland through July and August. Unlike the concentrated intensity of blåbærssoppa, blåbærkake is a celebration food: made for birthdays, confirmation parties, the end of the school year, and as the centrepiece of the Norwegian summer kitchen when the berry harvest is at its height. Norwegian sponge cake (sukkerbrød) is lighter and less buttery than Central European Genoise; the whipped cream filling is unadorned by sugar; and the bilberry compote is only very slightly sweetened to let the tartness of the fruit provide contrast against the cream. The deep violet of the bilberry filling against the white cream and the pale sponge is the defining visual of the Norwegian summer table.
Ingredients
Sponge
4 large eggs, at room temperature
150 g caster sugar
150 g plain flour, sifted
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
Filling
400 g wild bilberries or dark wild blueberries (fresh or frozen)
50 g icing sugar for the compote, plus extra to taste
400 ml whipping cream (35% fat), very cold
2 tbsp icing sugar, for the cream
Method
Preheat the oven to 175°C (fan 155°C). Grease and flour a 22 cm springform tin. Make the sponge: beat the eggs and caster sugar together with an electric mixer for 8 to 10 minutes until the mixture is pale, very thick, and falls in ribbons from the beater.
Add the vanilla, then fold in the sifted flour and baking powder in two additions using a large metal spoon or silicone spatula. Use the lightest possible motion: the goal is to retain the air in the eggs whilst incorporating the flour completely.
Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 25 to 30 minutes until the sponge is golden, springs back when lightly pressed, and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool completely.
Make the bilberry compote: cook the bilberries with the icing sugar and 2 tablespoons of water over medium heat for 10 minutes until softened and jammy. Taste and add more sugar if needed. Cool completely.
Whip the cream with the icing sugar to soft, billowing peaks. Do not over-whip to stiff peaks: the cream should hold its shape but remain light and lush.
Split the cooled sponge horizontally into two or three layers. Spread the bottom layer with half the bilberry compote and one-third of the cream. Place the next layer on top and repeat. Finish with the remaining cream and spoon the rest of the compote on top in a generous, dark, glossy pool.
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