lox smörgåstårta
This smoked salmon sandwich cake is basically a charcuterie board disguised as a layered masterpiece. It’s built with alternating rye and white bread, filled with lemony salmon mixture made creamy with chive-and-onion cream cheese and mascarpone, then pressed overnight so everything melds into one sliceable, savory “cake”. The mascarpone cream cheese frosting keeps it looking elegant, and the topping crown of cucumbers, micro greens, radishes, golden berries, and salmon makes it feel like something you’d see at a Nordic brunch table.
What is the history of sandwich cake?
Sandwich cake (smörgåstårta in Sweden and voileipäkakku in Finland) is one of those foods that looks like a joke until you realize it’s basically party hosting logic in edible form. The idea shows up in Sweden in the early 1900s with one of the earliest printed mentions around 1934, and even earlier ads using the word “sandwich cake” appearing in 1929. By the 1940s versions of it were circulating more clearly in print and cookbooks, and it spread as a festive make-ahead centerpiece for gatherings (birthdays, graduations, weddings, and holidays) because it feeds a crowd and slices clean like dessert. Finland adopted its own version soon after with recipes appearing in the mid-century (one Finnish womens magazine published an early recipe in 1956). What made it stick is the whole concept: layers of bread and creamy fillings chilled so everything melds together then decorated like a cake. It’s cold, structured, and designed to be prepared ahead - which is exactly why it became a Nordic party classic.
What are Golden Berries?
Golden berries (also called cape gooseberries and Inca berries) are small, bright orange fruits wrapped in a papery husk. They taste sweet-tart; somewhere between citrus and tomato, which is why they are so good in savory dishes as a pop of acidity. They’re native to the Andes and have been grown in places like Peru and Colombia for centuries, and today you’ll see them used in salads, desserts, and garnishes because they look dramatic and cut through rich flavors. Nutritionally they’re known for being a good source of vitamin C, fiber, and antioxidants, which makes them one of those ‘pretty and actually useful’ ingredients.
How to make a sandwich cake?
Back to what you came here for - the recipe! To start cut 450g of cold smoked salmon into small pieces and transfer to a large bowl. Mix in 1/4 cup lemon juice, dill, chive and onion cream cheese and 1/3 cup mascarpone. Using a vegetable peeler slice the cucumber 6-8 times length wise and set those pieces aside. Cut rest of the cucumber into bite size pieces and add to the large bowl. Then finely chop 1/4 of the red onion. Mix everything together and season with salt and pepper. Organize the cucumber slices on a paper towel and salt them. Refrigerate until ready to decorate. Assemble 6 white bread pieces on a serving dish. Then brush some of the lemon juice on them and spread an even layer of the filling. Assemble a layer of rye bread pieces on top and repeat with rest of the layers alternating the white and rye bread layers. Wrap the cake with cling wrap and set a heavy plate on top as a weight. Refrigerate for 4-12 hours. When ready to decorate whisk mascarpone, plain cream cheese, and milk together. Frost the cake. Wipe the cucumber slices and get the micro greens, golden berries, red onion, radishes and rest of the salmon ready. Finely slice the red onion and radishes. Make a crown with the micro greens and decorate the bed with the prepared vegetables and salmon. Enjoy!