Princess cake
Princess cake or princess torte is a traditional Swedish layer cake or torte consisting of alternating layers of airy sponge cake, pastry cream, and a thick-domed layer of whipped cream. The cake is covered by a layer of rolled marzipan, giving it a smooth, rounded top. The marzipan overlay is usually green, sprinkled with powdered sugar, and often decorated with a pink marzipan rose. While the original recipe did not contain any fruit, modern versions usually include layers of jam or fresh fruit, usually raspberries.
Origin and name
The original recipe first appeared in the 1948 Prinsessornas kokbok cookbook, which was published by Jenny Åkerström, teacher of the three daughters of Prince [Carl, Duke of Västergötland].The cake was originally called grön tårta, but was given the name prinsesstårta or "princess cake" because the Swedish princesses were said to have been especially fond of the cake. The princesses were Princess Margaretha, Princess Märtha, and Princess Astrid.
Variants
Prinsesstårta has historically been called, or appeared in variants known as, green cake, regent cake, and opera cake. Variants with other colours of marzipan are occasionally called prinstårta and sometimes Carl Gustaf cake when covered with yellow marzipan. Operatårta is a variant with red or pink marzipan.A frog cake is a broadly similar Australian dessert that is a smaller kind of prinsesstårta, decorated to resemble a frog’s face, with a cut in the marzipan forms the mouth.
Variants with jam in the bottom layer are often called opera cake.
Theme week
Since 2004, there's been a "princess cake week" in Sweden held each September, with proceeds going to a royal charity.Since 2004, the organization Sveriges bagare & konditorer has promoted the last week of September as "Princess Cake Week".
The first Thursday in March has become a well-known concept, primarily in Småland, where princess cake is eaten on this day. This is because the first Thursday in March is Småland's unofficial national day, and to honor the Småland dialect, it is called "fössta tossdan i mass".