Swedish sticky chocolate cake (Kladdkaka) [EN]

This cake is possibly one of the most famous Fika cakes in all of Sweden. Every café has a version of Kladdkaka (which literally means ‘Sticky Cake’). Yes, it is a bit like an underbaked chocolate cake (and that's exactly what makes it so very good). It’s also an easy cake to make, but watch the baking: too little and it’ll be a runny mess, too much and it’ll be a stodgy dry cake. 

Watch it closely during the last few minutes of baking time!

Ingredients

100 g	(7 tbsp)	unsalted butter
125 g	(1 cup)	plain (all-purpose) flour
25 g	(4 tbsp)	good quality unsweetened cocoa powder
pinch		salt
3		eggs
225 g	(1 cup)	caster (superfine) sugar
1 tbsp		vanilla sugar*

*Or use 1 teaspoon of vanilla essence.

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F, gas 4, fan 160°C).

2. Melt the butter and leave to cool slightly

3. Whisk the egg and sugar together until the mixture is light, fluffy and pale.

4. Fold in the melted butter until you are left with a smooth chocolate mixture

5. Pour into a lined cake tin. This recipe fits a normal 20x30cm tin. The cake will not rise, but it will puff up slightly during baking

6. Bake on the lower rack of the over for about 18-22 minutes until the centre is lightly set.

7. If you press down gently on the cake whilst its baking, the crust should need a bit of pressure to crack. When this happens, the cake is done. Leave to cool in the tin for at least an hour. Once cooled, it can be stored in an airtight container for up to 4 days.