Recipes to Celebrate Swedish Misdommar (Midsummer)

Summer in Sweden is a wonderfully magic time, and is celebrated in all its glory by Midsommar celebrations across the country. In the height of summer, the sun only sets for an hour or so in the south of Sweden and, in the north, it doesn’t set at all. So as you can imagine, days full of sunlight, compared to the darkness of winter, call for a celebration and that’s exactly what Midsommar (Midsummer) is – a much-loved Swedish tradition that falls on the Friday between 19-25 June.

Midsommar is traditionally celebrated with loved ones, enjoying a Swedish smörgåsbord, of which pickled herring, boiled potatoes, meat and other delicious extras, including strawberries and cream play a special role (yum!). Which is why we thought it only fitting to share a few recipes below for you so you can create your own Midsommar celebration!

As we’re sure you’re aware, our Founder, Kristina Karlsson is a native Swede, who loves Midsommar, so we asked her to share how her and her family will be celebrating this year, in Australia.

“I love to celebrate our Swedish traditions and today I will be celebrating Midsummer. As I will not be in Sweden for it, I will celebrate it on the other side of the world, here in Australia, but the location doesn’t really matter, its all about the food and flowers!

This year we will celebrate with a very small gathering (as we get used to the new normal) with Swedish friends and we will have the classic Swedish Midsummer food which is super simple: pickled herring, chat potatoes, crème fraiche and lots of dill and chives. For dessert we will have a yummy strawberry sponge cake. Be sure to follow me @kristinakikkik on Instagram and my stories to join in my celebrations today. Happy Midsommar everyone!” – Kristina Karlsson

What’s a celebration without delicious food and drinks to accompany it? No matter where you are in the world, create your own Midsommar smörgåsbord with these delicious recipes we’ve created below for you. Enjoy!

 

Traditional Swedish Strawberry Cake (Jordgubbstårta)

A party without cake is just a meeting, so be sure to make your own with this simple recipe.

INGREDIENTS

• 6 free-range eggs
• 340g/12oz caster sugar
• 340g/12oz plain flour
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 340g/8oz softened butter
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence
• 2 punnet strawberries
• 600ml whipping cream
• Strawberry jam

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4 and grease and line 3 x 20cm/8in sandwich tins. Cream together the eggs, butter, sugar, flour, vanilla essence and baking powder until well combined. Add a pinch of salt to balance the flavours.

Divide mixture into the 3 tins and bake for 25 minutes, checking after 20 minutes. The cakes should be golden brown and cooked through. Allow to cool completely before assembling.

To complete the cake, spread jam and whipped cream between the layers. You may want to insert cake dowels into the tiers to hold everything together. Decorate with the strawberries and sprigs of baby’s breath.

For a modern take on the traditional Jordgubbstårta (Strawberry Cake) why not give these Strawberry Cupcakes a try?

STRAWBERRY CUPCAKES

Makes approximately 15 cupcakes.

INGREDIENTS

• 150g plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 230g caster sugar
• 1 egg
• 80g butter, softened
• 85ml milk
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 1 teaspoon lemon rind
• Pinch salt
• 250g fresh strawberries

METHOD

Preheat oven to 180°C. Line your cupcake tin with cupcakeliners.

Sift together flour, baking powder and mix in salt in a medium bowl.

In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until creamy and pale. Add the egg, mixing until combined.

Add your vanilla essence and lemon rind to the bowl and combine. Next, add your flour and milk slowly, stirring in between, until you have a smooth batter.

Take half of your strawberries, rinse and chop into quarters or smaller if they’re large strawberries. Add these to your mixture, folding through gently.

Transfer your cupcake batter to your cupcake liners and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until cupcakes are golden and a cake tester comes out clean.

Let your cupcakes cool, then ice with your delicious Lemon Cream Cheese Icing (recipe below)!

Take the other half of your strawberries, rinse and slice into halves or quarters, again depending on how big your strawberries are. Add one to the top of each of your cupcakes and finish with any other decorations you’d like. Enjoy!

LEMON ICING

• 1 Tbsp butter
• 100g cream cheese
• 3 Tbsp icing sugar
• Juice and grated rind of 1 lemon (just enough to make the icing spreadable)

METHOD

Mix cream cheese and butter until creamy.

Add the rest of the ingredients and beat until smooth. Add just enough lemon juice to create a spreadable icing.

Spread over cupcakes and add your strawberries and other decorations.

We hope you have a wonderful Midsommar, and don’t forget to share your celebrations with us using #kikkiKLove