Runeberg cakes are dense, super moist, bursting with great flavours of cardamom, almonds, ginger and zest. Almond meal and biscuit crumbs lend a great texture. Laced with rum syrup and jam topping with icing ring makes it to die for dessert. They are named after the Finnish national poet, Johan Ludvig Runeberg, who apparently was especially fond of these cakes.

Traditionally the cakes are baked in special Runeberg’s cake tins but you can use a muffin silicone form or dessert rings. The cakes should be really moist despite the amount of different crumbly ingredients. This is why they are moisturized with a water/sugar/rum mixture, and if you’re not eating the cakes on the day of the making, you should give them a small bath before serving.

If you don’t like the flavour of rum, you can as well leave it out and replace it with lemon or orange juice.

Ingredients;

  • 50 g almonds
  • 45 g Finn Crisps
  • 45 g breadcrumbs
  • 90 g plain white flour
  • 100 g butter (room temperature)
  • 90 g sugar
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp ground cardamom
  • 1 egg
  • 100 ml of heavy cream
  • 2 drops bitter almond aroma
  • 100 ml of water
  • 25 g brown cane sugar
  • 1 tbsp rum
  • Raspberry jam
  • powder sugar and water

Instructions;

  1. Crush the almonds into a rough crumble with a food processor.
  2. Do the same with the Thin Crisps, but process them into a fine flour. Set them aside for later use.
  3. Whip the butter and sugar into a foam and add the egg while whisking.
  4. Mix the dry ingredients together and add them to the batter. Pour in the cream, add two drops of bitter almond and whisk just until everything is evenly incorporated.
  5. Pour the batter into a muffin pan or your desired tins. Bake at 200°C for 20-25 minutes.
  6. While the cakes are in the oven, make the rum/water/sugar mixture. Heat up the water in a pan, dissolve the sugar in it and add the rum.
  7. When you take the cakes out of the oven, pour some of the water mixtures on them immediately and let them cool down in the pan.
  8. You can smooth out the tops with your fingers to give them a flattering look.
  9. To make the sugar ring take a few spoons of powder sugar and add just enough water to make a paste.
  10. Pour into a piping bag and decorate each cake with a sugar ring. Add a spoonful of raspberry jam in the middle.