Monday, May 27, 2013

Daring Bakers' Challenge: Swedish Princesstårta



Korean of Korena in the Kitchen was our May Daring Bakers' host and she delighted us with this beautiful Swedish Princesstårta!

This amazing layered masterpiece was created in the 1930's by a Swedish home economics teacher named Jenny 
Åkerström, who taught the three Swedish princesses of the time.  She published a series of four cookbooks called "The Princess Cookbooks" and in one of the editions, there was a recipe for "Grön Tårta" (green cake).  One story is that this later became known as "princess cake" (princesstårta) because the three princesses are said to have loved it so much.  Another story is that Ms. Åkerström actually created three very elaborate "princess cake" recipes - a different one for each princess - and that the current version is a simplified combination of all three.  That explains the princess connection, but not the reason that the cake is green.  That seems to be a mystery.  It's so popular today, that the third week in September is officially Princesstårta Week.