Norwegian Baking through the Seasons: 90 Sweet and Savory Recipes from North Wild Kitchen, written by Nevada Berg, features a beautiful collection of seasonal baked treats alongside gorgeous photography. A few highlights include Grovbrød (Hearty Whole Grain Bread), Kvæfjordkake (World’s Best Cake), Honningkjeks (Dandelion Petal Honey Shortbreads), Ovnspannekake med Sopp (Wild Mushroom Pancake Bake), and Brune Pinner (Brown Syrup Cookies). I will also be sharing her recipe for Gammeldags Tekake (Old Fashioned Tea Cake) following the review.
Disclosure: I received this book from Prestel in exchange for my honest review. All comments and opinions are my own. This post contains Amazon affiliate links. If you purchase something through the link, I may receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.
Nevada Berg
Nevada Berg was raised in Utah and now lives in the Numedal Valley in Eastern Norway with her husband and son. She created North Wild Kitchen in 2016 as a way to combine her love for writing, photography, history, and storytelling.
Her work has been featured in various national and international print and online media. She also works with Nordic companies to promote food culture, features travel food experiences in Norway, offers cooking classes on her farm, and was the TV program leader for the Scandinavian Food Channel’s “Cheese Journey” series.
Nevada is also the author of North Wild Kitchen: Home Cooking from the Heart of Norway.
Norwegian Baking through the Seasons
Nevada begins Norwegian Baking through the Seasons with a short introduction and how she developed a love for Norwegian baked goods. Before getting to the recipes, she also discusses helpful equipment and ingredients with descriptions and uses.
Chapters are divided based on time of year: Winter Light (Vinterlys), New Light (Nytt Lys), Midnight Sun (Midnattssol) Fire & Ice (Ild og Is), and Dark Time (Mørketid).
Every recipe is paired with a full page, beautifully styled photo of the finished treat. There are also a few stunning shots of the scenery and landscape surrounding Nevada’s home.
Measurements are listed in US Customary and Metric. Titles are written in English and Norwegian. Each recipe has a headnote with background information, yield, serving ideas, and helpful notes.
Gammeldags Tekake (Old Fashioned Tea Cake)
The Gammeldags Tekake (Old Fashioned Tea Cake) in the Fire & Ice (Ild og Is) chapter was a particular favorite for my husband and daughter.
A cross between fluffy bread and cake, this light treat is covered with a sweetened butter and cinnamon topping and baked until golden. It is especially delicious warm from the oven alongside coffee, tea, or cold milk.
After allowing the formed dough to rise until doubled in size, press into a large rectangle and cover evenly all the way to the edges with the softened butter mixture. Sprinkle the ground cinnamon over the top in a crisscross pattern.
Rise again, this time uncovered, for about 30 minutes until puffed, then bake in the preheated oven until golden brown.
Sprinkle with a little more sugar before cutting into diamond-shaped slices.
A Few Tips
If the dough is too crumbly, add a little more milk. Add a little more flour if too sticky to handle, but be careful not to add too much or it can cause the Tekake to become tough.
In a warm kitchen, the first rise should take about one hour to double in size. During the winter or in cooler kitchens, it may take closer to 2 hours.
I used a 13 x 11 inch (33 x 28 centimeter) parchment-lined baking sheet and pressed the dough all the way to the edges.
The Gammeldags Tekake (Old Fashioned Tea Cake) is best the day it is baked, especially warm from the oven. Leftovers can be kept at room temperature in an airtight bag for up to 1-2 days.
Other Treats
I also made Rundstykker (Crusty Rolls), Bollebrød med Honningsmør (Pull-Apart Bun Bread with Whipped Honey Butter, Pannekaker med Jordbær og Brunostkaramell (Thin Pancakes with Strawberries and Brown Cheese Caramel), and Settekake (Yeast Bread).
The Rundstykker (Crusty Rolls) come from the Winter Light (Vinterlys) chapter. These delicious rolls are baked until golden with a sprinkling of poppy seeds. Nevada recommends cutting them in half horizontally and serving with favorite toppings.
The Bollebrød med Honningsmør (Pull-Apart Bun Bread with Whipped Honey Butter) was such a fun one to assemble! Squares of honey butter-covered dough are arranged in a loaf pan, baked until golden, then brushed with even more honey butter.
I absolutely loved the combination of flavors in the Pannekaker med Jordbær og Brunostkaramell (Thin Pancakes with Strawberries and Brown Cheese Caramel from the Midnight Sun (Midnattssol) chapter. This was my first time using Brunost in a caramel sauce and definitely won’t be the last.
I made the Settekake (Yeast Bread) to use up the rest of the Brunost. A simple yeast-based dough is rolled into circles, then cooked on each side in a takke (Norwegian griddle) or frying pan until golden. It is delicious warm with melted butter and slices of the brown cheese.
Norwegian Baking through the Seasons is a fantastic pick for those interest in both sweet and savory Norwegian treats. I especially love the focus on the seasons and how the surrounding traditions have influenced the style of baking. You will find everything from basic round bread and loaves to more intricate designs, shapes, and rolls.
Most of the ingredients are readily available in larger American grocery stores. Some items that may require further searching include emmer flour, einkorn flour, Norwegian light syrup, juniper berries, spelt flour, meadowsweet blossoms, and Norwegian brown cheese.
Gammeldags Tekake (Old Fashioned Tea Cake) Recipe
Excerpt from Norwegian Baking through the Seasons
Gammeldags Tekake (Old Fashioned Tea Cake)
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 6 cups (720 grams) all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated sugar
- 4 teaspoons (1/2 ounce, 14 grams) instant yeast
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups (360 milliliters) lukewarm milk
- 2/3 cup (150 grams) lightly salted butter melted
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
For the Topping:
- 7 tablespoons (100 grams) lightly salted butter at room temperature
- 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar plus more for finishing
- 1 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
Instructions
For the Cake:
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, yeast, and salt.
- Make a well in the center, add the lukewarm milk, melted butter, and eggs, and mix until well blended and the dough is somewhat wet.
- Cover with a damp tea towel and let rise in a warm spot for about 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
For the Topping:
- In a medium bowl, blend together the butter and sugar.
To assemble:
- Once the dough has doubled in size, preheat the oven to 400˚F (200˚C). Line an at least 13 x 11 inch (33 x 28 centimeter) baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place the dough on the prepared baking sheet.
- With slightly wet hands, spread the dough out to form a rectangle that measures roughly 13 x 11 inches (33 x 28 centimeters).
- Poke deep holes throughout the dough with your fingers.
- Using a spatula, spread the topping over the dough, going all the way to the edges. Sprinkle the cinnamon on top, making a crisscross pattern if desired, and let rise, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
- Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until the cake is golden brown.
- Sprinkle 1 to 2 tablespoons of sugar on top, cut into diamond shapes, and serve warm.
- Keep leftovers at room temperature in an airtight bag for 1 to 2 days.
Vanessa
Yum! I love simple European cakes like this. Definitely perfect with a cup of tea!
Anjali
This looks like such a simple and easy cake to make! I will serve it alongside some tea when I have friends over.
Neha Khanuja
Oh these look so delish! Will be perfect alongside tea/coffee. I love that these use yeast as a leavener.
Lanie
Wow! This looks like a beautiful cook book with some amazing recipes from that region. Thank you for sharing this with us.