Swedish Spicy Sponge Cake (Svensk mjuk pepparkaka)

"Mostly made in an ringform like Gugelhupf (Austria's Royal Cake) and a must for our traditional Christmas Coffee Table. Well, fine at Easter, too! Freezes well! If there is a piece left!" Margareta Dahlin

• 1/2 cup/125 grams Butter - Please note BUTTER!
• 2/3 cup/150 ml plain yogurt (3%), neutral, NOT sugared
• 3 large eggs
• 1 1/4 cups/300 ml white sugar (or Demerara sugar or combination of both)
• 1 pinch /1 ml salt
• 1 1/4 cups/ 300 ml all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons/ 10 ml baking powder
• 2 teaspoons/ 10 ml ground Cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons/10 ml ground Cardamom
• 1/2 teaspoon/ 7,5 ml Vanilla sugar (my addition!)
• 1 cup chopped almonds or walnuts (optional

METHOD

Preheat oven to 325 F/175 C.

Melt butter. Let cool and mix with yogurt. Stir to mix and keep cool in refrigerator.

Whip together eggs, sugar and salt until creamy and white.

In separate bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, cardamom vanilla and optional walnuts.

Mix together all ingredients (with a light hand!) and put batter in a buttered and flour dusted pan (capacity 4 cups).

Bake in preheated 325 F/ 175 C oven until done, about 25 to 30 minutes. A toothpick should not be sticky when testing.

Turn cake upside down on a grid. Remove pan, then cover cake with a tea towel for 35 - 40 minutes.

Put cake on a plate and cover it with the washed and dried pan again to rest and cool totally - preferably over night. It will be spongy and juicy at the same time. A trick my mother taught me for this kind of cake.

Dust cake lightly with confectioner's sugar before serving!

Yield: Cake with 16-20 pieces

Recipe from www.inmamaskitchen.com

Contributor: Margareta Dahlin

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Please visit Margareta's web site: www.pomdah.se

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