Kladdkaka (Swedish Sticky Chocolate Cake)

A chocolate cake that’s out of the oven in twenty minutes? Yep, that’s Swedish Sticky Chocolate Cake for you! Locally known as ‘Kladdkaka,’ try it for dessert and find out why it’s such a classic Swedish treat!

It might not be as ubiquitous as kanelbullar (Swedish cinnamon buns), but kladdkaka is one of Sweden’s traditional cakes.

It’s excellent for dessert or fika — perfect with coffee, tea, or wine.

So, what is kladdkaka?

It’s a delicious Swedish chocolate cake with a ‘sticky‘ or ‘gooey‘ center.

How do you accomplish that? It’s simple — you cook it in less time. 🙂

Aside from the stickiness, the locals love kladdkaka because of how easy it is to make.  

You don’t need to melt any chocolate at all; you just need to have good cocoa powder for baking.

You don’t believe me? Well, judge for yourself! 🙂

IF YOU WANT MORE CLASSIC SWEDISH DESSERT RECIPES, CHECK OUT THESE POSTS!

Ingredients

• Flour – you only need all-purpose flour for making Swedish sticky chocolate cake.

• Butter – unsalted, melted, and cooled.

• Sugar – fine (caster) sugar is excellent for making kladdkaka.

• Eggs – medium-sized eggs (63 to 73 grams per piece) at room temperature.

• Cocoa powder – this traditional kladdkaka recipe only uses cocoa powder, but make sure you get a good one for baking.

• Vanilla sugar and salt – just use your favorite brand.

Preparation

Start making kladdkaka by heating oven to 180°C (350°F).

Prepare an 8-inch cake pan by greasing it with butter and dusting it with some breadcrumbs.

Melt butter in a small saucepan.

Set aside to cool.

Use a strainer to sift the flour into a medium-sized bowl.

Using a larger bowl, combine eggs and sugar.

Mix to get a pale-colored mixture, then add the cocoa powder and vanilla sugar.

Pour the cooled and melted butter.

Mix to combine evenly.

Add the sifted flour from earlier.

Use a spatula to fold the dry ingredients with the rest of the kladdkaka batter.

Pour the Swedish sticky chocolate cake batter into the prepared pan.

Use an angled spatula to even the top.

Place your kladdkaka pan in the lower part of the oven for twelve to fifteen minutes.

Remove from the oven and let cool for about ten minutes.

Your kladdkaka is now ready for serving!

Helpful tips

• If you want a slightly thicker kladdkaka, use a 7-inch pan instead — and adjust the cooking time accordingly.

• Everyone’s oven is different, so I strongly suggest inserting a toothpick in the center of your kladdkaka when you hit twelve minutes. You can then decide how ‘gooey‘ you want it to be.

• Since the center of the cake is still wet, be careful when transferring the entire kladdkaka into a plate.

What is an overbaked kladdkaka?

It’s what you get when the middle of kladdkaka is fully cooked — meaning it has solidified because you kept it in the oven for a bit too long.

That’s why it’s wiser to do the toothpick test, especially if you’re using a new oven.

For my oven, twelve minutes is a bit too wet for my taste, while eighteen minutes is a tad overbaked — fifteen minutes is just perfect.

How to serve kladdkaka?

• Dust your kladdkaka with powdered sugar, and serve some fresh berries with it.

• A dollop of whipped cream on top, and you can also add some berries, especially a ‘tangy’ one like raspberries.

• A scoop of vanilla ice cream, especially in the summer — absolute yum. 🙂

Easy peasy, right? So give this kladdkaka recipe a try one of these nights!  

OR GET SOME IDEAS FROM THIS LIST OF CAKES FROM AROUND THE WORLD!

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📖 Recipe