Sandwich Cake (Smorgastarta): a recipe to make the swedish cake

If you always had more of a savory tooth than a sweet one, then you will love this cake! Now you can have cake for lunch…a sandwich cake that is! It’s basically a savory cake, or rather, a giant version of a traditional sandwich. Instead of cake, you have layers of rye bread, and instead of a sweet icing filling, you have a creamy savory spread. In fact, these days, you even get vegan fillings!

This Sandwich Cake has a Swedish origin, and is known by various names: Smorgastrata in Sweden, Voileivatort in Estonia, Voileipakakku in Finland, and Brauoterta in Iceland. The sandwich cake is always served cold, and is cut andserved as you would a cake.

How many kinds of this sandwich cake are there?

The fillings vary, depending on taste, but most of them include eggs and mayonnaise. Some other additions include liver pate, olive tapenade, cooked shrimp, chopped ham, caviar, tomato, cucumber, cheese, and of course, smoked salmon. It can be made in different shapes. Some prefer to make it in a round cake tin, but the square and rectangle shapes are still the most popular. The sandwich cake can be beautifully decorated, so get creative. Use salmon roses to create height on the cake, or even a vibrant pea spread layer for a pop of green in between the layers.

How to make the sandwich cake

Add the rice and water to a small pan and boil until cooked and all the water is absorbed. Leave to cool.

Place lettuce leaves all over a large serving platter.

Place a square tin mold over the lettuce leaves.

Add the cooled rice and press evenly into the mold.

Add a half of the cream cheese, and smooth with a rubber spatula.

Slice the crusts of the toasted bread.

Add four slices of bread to the cream cheese layer.

Add the pieces of salmon, and spread evenly over the bread.

Halve the avocado, remove the pit, and slice thinly.

Place the avocado slices in an even layer on top of the salmon.

Finish of by spreading the remaining cream cheese evenly.

Remove the mold and garnish with cherry tomatoes and slices of fresh fish.

Enjoy!

Instructions

Add the rice and water to a small pan and boil until cooked and all the water is absorbed. Leave to cool.

Place lettuce leaves all over a large serving platter.

Place a square tin mold over the lettuce leaves.

Add the cooled rice and press evenly into the mold.

Add a half of the cream cheese, and smooth with a rubber spatula.

Slice the crusts of the toasted bread.

Add four slices of bread to the cream cheese layer.

Add the pieces of salmon, and spread evenly over the bread.

Halve the avocado, remove the pit, and slice thinly.

Place the avocado slices in an even layer on top of the salmon.

Finish of by spreading the remaining cream cheese evenly.

Remove the mold and garnish with cherry tomatoes and slices of fresh fish.

Notes

This sandwich cake is best consumed on the day you make it. It’s not suitable for freezing.

Get creative with toppings. You can also use:

• radishes, sliced thinly
• carrots, sliced and rolled
• chopped chives
• pea shoots
• sprouts

Make your sandwich cake more colorful by incorporating beets or peas into the cream cheese mixture. Simply blend the cooked veggies with cream cheese in a food processor to create a smooth, colorful spread.

Because the sandwich cake is quite rich, you want to stick to a lighter bread (rye is the best option).

You can make the sandwich cake up to 24 hours in advance. Store the cake in the refrigerator and decorate just before serving.