Swedish Sticky Chocolate Cake (Kladdkaka)

Kladdkaka (aka Swedish Sticky Chocolate Cake) is one of Sweden’s most beloved (and easy) desserts and every chocolate lover’s dream come true!

Want to travel to a faraway land without ever leaving your armchair? Well okay, you might have to wander to the kitchen, but this Swedish Sticky Chocolate Cake is a fabulous way to enjoy an incredibly delicious aspect of another culture!

I had a high school German teacher who instilled in me a hopeless love for travel; a wanderlust that’s followed me all these years. When his students needed a break from the tedious task of learning a foreign language, he would show us travelogues.

You might be too young to remember travelogues from those days. They were the wonderful reel to reel films of exotic lands, where castles seemed to reign on every hillside and rivers ribboned through beautiful V-shaped valleys covered with verdant vineyards. I was mesmerized and began scheming up ways to, one day, visit these far away places.

Travel without ever leaving home

I got bitten by the travel bug at a young age and I’m thankful that Scott shares that same love. But it’s not always possible to hop on a plane or jump in the car and go. So I’ve found other ways to satisfy my curiosity of all things foreign, and it happens right in my own little Carolina kitchen. I love exploring the food customs and traditional recipes of far-flung countries.

Trying different international recipes is fun for me and when I come up with something extraordinarily delicious, I love sharing the recipe with you. This Swedish Chocolate Sticky Cake is a perfect example!

The real name for this Swedish Sticky Chocolate Cake is Kladdkaka. Kladdkaka is pronounced like this and is one of Sweden’s most popular cakes. I’ve gathered, from doing some research, that there are as many versions of Kladdkaka as there are blondes in this land of the midnight sun! Every Swedish café, small or large has its own version of Kladdkaka, which literally means “sticky cake”.

What is Kladdkaka?

Kladdkaka is similar to our beloved American brownies but different at the same time. It’s a dense, rich chocolate dessert with a crisp exterior and a soft and gooey interior. It’s a bit like an underbaked chocolate cake, reminding me of our “molten chocolate cakes” that were popular several years ago. Kladdkaka is often described with words like “sticky”,”gooey” and “fudgy”. I describe it as a “chocolate lover’s dream come”!

One-bowl, no-mixer

Not only is this Swedish Sticky Chocolate Cake super delicious, it’s also incredibly easy to make. If you have an 8-inch cake pan, a mixing bowl and a wooden spoon or whisk, that’s all the equipment you’ll need to put this cake together. And if you keep a stash of cocoa in the pantry, you probably have everything necessary to mix up one of these wonderful chocolate cakes.

I mentioned earlier that every café in Sweden has its own version of Swedish Chocolate Sticky Cake. It only seemed proper that this Café should too! I tried a few different recipes, then came up with my own. The cake is delicious right out of the oven, with just a simple dusting of powdered sugar or cocoa and a dollop of freshly whipped cream.

We loved the simplicity of serving it on its own, but I also wanted to share a simple and decadent way to dress up this cake with an easy (two ingredient) sea-salted truffle topping. Serve your Kladdkaka on a pool of Easy Raspberry Coulis for a fabulous flavor combination and a beautiful presentation.

Feeling some wanderlust? No need to make airline reservations, secure hotels or plan itineraries. Just whip up a Swedish Sticky Chocolate Cake, invite some friends and travel to the land of the midnight sun with a Kladdkaka party! Don’t forget to invite me!

Café Tips for making this Swedish Sticky Chocolate Cake

• Be careful to not overbake this cake. You want a somewhat molten, moist interior.
• Don’t be tempted to use a higher temperature. Some of the recipes I tried called for baking the Kladdkaka at 400˚F. The outer edges got overdone and the center ended up sinking. Not so pretty.

• Because you want the center of the cake to be “sticky” the traditional “toothpick test” won’t work.  Just go according to the time and you should be fine.
• When this cake comes out of the oven, let it cool for a few minutes in the pan. Then run a thin-bladed knife all the way around the edge, even if you plan on adding the truffle topping. This will make it much easier to remove later.
• You need an 8-inch round or square cake pan for this recipe. You could also use a 9-inch pan but the cake will be pretty flat and low.
• For easy removal of this cake and to ensure a pretty presentation, be sure to grease the pan well. You also want to line the bottom with a round of parchment paper. You can easily cut your own, but I love these pre-cut parchment paper circles. They make it a breeze when you get ready to make a cake.
• If you’re cutting your own parchment paper rounds, quadruple the layers of parchment paper and cut 4 at one time. Store the extras in your cake pan. Next time you make a Swedish Sticky Chocolate Cake, you’ll be all set to go!
• This is a one-bowl cake. I use the microwave to melt the butter and mix up the cake in the same bowl. If you don’t have a microwave, melt the butter on the stovetop in a medium-size pot and mix up the rest of the cake right in the pot.
• This cake freezes beautifully. I like to cut the cooled cake into small wedges, then freeze them for one hour, uncovered. Once the wedges are frozen, you can place them in a storage container or zippered bag. It will be easy to pull out just the amount of servings you need. Allow the cake to thaw completely before serving.
• I use a sprinkle of flaky sea salt as a garnish and delicious gourmet touch. My favorite flaky sea salt is Maldon. It’s a little pricey for salt, but a box will go a long way. Don’t use it as an every day salt, but rather as a “finishing” salt for both sweet and savory dishes. To use it, take a pinch between your thumb and forefinger and rub them together to slightly break up the large flakes. It’s wonderful! And if you need a little gift for a foodie buddy, a box of Maldon will seal your friendship forever!

• This cake is very rich. Even though it’s made in an 8-inch pan, you can easily get 12-14 servings from 1 cake. For a super elegant dessert, serve small wedges of this Swedish Sticky Chocolate Cake on a pool of Easy Raspberry Coulis. Add a dollop of whipped cream and a sprig of mint. Expect lots of oohs and aahs!

5 from 7 votes

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Swedish Sticky Chocolate Cake (Kladdkaffa)

Kladdkaka (aka Swedish Sticky Chocolate Cake) is one of Sweden's most beloved (and easy!) desserts; and every chocolate lover's dream come true!

Author: Chris Scheuer

Course: Dessert, Sweet Treats/Dessert

Cuisine: Swedish

Prep Time: 15 mins

Cook Time: 22 mins

Total Time: 37 mins

Servings: 12

Calories: 356 kcal

Ingredients

For the cake batter:

• 10 tablespoons butter
• 1 ⅓ cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 5 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• ¾ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt

For the truffle topping:

• ½ cup heavy cream
• 8 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• flaky sea salt I love Maldon

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325˚F. Spray an 8-inch round or square cake pan with baking spray or grease the pan with butter and then dust with flour. Line the bottom of the pan with a round (or square) of parchment paper. Don't omit this or the cake will be difficult to remove from the pan.

2. Place butter in a medium-size microwave-safe bowl and cover bowl with a plate or paper towel. Cook in microwave on high power for 1 1/2 minutes, or until butter is melted.
3. Add sugar to the bowl with melted butter and whisk to combine. Add eggs, one at a time and stir well after each addition. Add the cocoa, flour, vanilla and salt. Stir just until all dry ingredients are incorporated.
4. Transfer batter to prepared pan and spread out to an even layer. Bake for 20-22 minutes. Don’t over bake. The cake should be slightly firm on the outside but moist and sticky inside.
5. Cool completely OR let the cake cool for 10 minutes before adding truffle topping.
6. For truffle topping, heat heavy cream in a microwave-safe bowl or cup for 1 minute on high power. Add chocolate chips and vanilla. Stir and allow to sit for 1 minute. Then stir until all chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth.
7. Pour truffle mixture over the semi-cooled cake and spread to an even layer.
8. Allow truffle topping to cool for 10 minutes (otherwise salt will “melt” into the topping”, then sprinkle with about 1/4 teaspoon flaky sea salt.

9. 10. Cool for several hours, then refrigerate for 30 minutes before removing from the pan. 

10. To remove, run a thin-bladed knife around the outer edges of the cake. Invert pan onto a dinner plate and, holding the plate and pan together, give it a good shake downwards. If the cake doesn’t release, go around the edges again with a knife then repeat with inverting cake. Once the cake is released, invert again so that truffle layer is on the top.

11. Serve with Easy Raspberry Coulis and a dollop of whipped cream, if desired. 

Recipe Notes

See Café Tips above for more detailed instructions.

Recipe adapted from Carrots and Spice.

Calories 356kcal

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