Unlike its name, a princess cake is not the dessert traditionally eaten by princesses. Rather, it is a Swedish delicacy formed of layers of cake and cream and covered in a smooth frosting made of marzipan. It is a cake, that like its namesake, looks very elegant, and taste of it can be quite surprising. It is very sweet and a very tasty end to a meal.
The cake is made of four key ingredients and in a few simple steps. To make a princess cake, a baker will start with a base cake upon which he or she spreads a thin layer of jam. Then, he or she adds pastry cream and a second layer of cake and continues with this process until the cake has reached the desired height. The baker then covers the entire cake in pastry cream to keep it together and then rolls a layer of marzipan icing over the entire creation. This makes the cake look simple but elegant and the baker can then decorate it as needed.
Generally, the type of cake used is a simple white or vanilla cake, though many bakers have seen the benefit of substituting sponge cake for the white cake. This makes the cake thicker and more filling. Some bakers have even gone as far as to use spiced cake in their recipes, or to soak the entire cake in syrup to add substance and flavour to it.
Generally, any type of jam can be used, but to keep the flavours simple, you should stick to simple jam. If you use white cake, you can experiment with all types of jam to give the cake a surprising flavour. Using different types of jam in the different layers is also acceptable and creates a burst of taste. The most important thing to note is that no matter what type of jam you use, be sure to spread it very thinly on the layers of cake.
The cake’s frosting, made of marzipan, is usually dyed a light shade of green, but you can make it just about any colour you like. Similar to plastic icing, marzipan needs to be rolled out to ensure it is smooth. Once you have a smooth layer, you can drape it onto the cake. Whether you choose to make a huge cake, or tiny princess cupcakes, try this variation on the traditional birthday cake for a treat that is both sweet and unique.