Swedish Love Cake (Kärleksmums)
Swedish Love Cake is a soft, spongy chocolate cake topped with a rich mocha glaze and shredded coconut. Perfect for Fika time!
Chocolate & coffee is the ultimate romance of flavors when it comes to desserts in my opinion. There is something so wonderful and satisfying about the earthy richness and depth of flavor that this combo evokes. There is good reason for Swedish Love Cake having such a following for this reason, and the added crunch of coconut gives such a complex depth to this simple, homey cake.
Ingredients and Equipment for the Swedish Love Cake:
This is a really easy cake to make, either with a stand or hand-held mixer, or by hand. The dry ingredients include all-purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking power, sea salt, and granulated sugar. Use large fresh eggs and unsalted sweet cream butter. High-quality vanilla extract enhances the cocoa flavor. I like oat milk in this recipe, but regular dairy milk, nut or coconut milks will also work.
A 9 x 9-inch square baking pan is just right for the size of the Swedish Love Cake. Oil the pan and then line with parchment paper. Rather than cutting a piece just to fit the bottom of the pan, allow two sides to overlap. These will act as “handles” to lift out the cake after baking. The cake is rather delicate, so lifting out prevents cracking from turning out of the pan.
Mixing and Baking the Cake:
Use a stand mixer, hand-held mixer, or just your hands to whisk together the eggs, sugar, and vanilla extract until pale yellow and frothy. Combine the remaining dry ingredients and sift over the egg mixture. This will remove any lumps in the cocoa powder or flour.
After whisking in the dry ingredients, gradually add the milk followed by the melted and cooled butter. The batter will be slightly thick but have a lightness to it.
Spread the batter in the prepared pan, smoothing out the top. Place in a 350 degree Fahrenheit oven and bake for 25-30 minutes until springy and a tester inserted comes out clean.
While the cake is baking, make the mocha glaze. Melt the butter in a medium sauce pan. Add the remaining ingredients and whisk until smooth.
Remove the Swedish Love Cake from the oven and allow to cool for 30 minutes on a rack in the pan.
Gently lift out the cake and then prick it all over with a small fork or the tip of a sharp knife. This allows the glaze to seep into the cake.
Pour the warm glaze over the top of the cake.
Smooth the glaze to the edges.
The crowning glory of the Kärleksmums is the fine, desiccated coconut on top. This is not the sweet, moist, thickly shredded type, but rather a very fine, unsweetened, and dry textured variety.
The coconut will settle into the wonderful mocha glaze.
Once the Swedish Love Cake has completely cooled and set, cut it into 16 squares. This is a nice size for fika time.
The interior of the cake should be slightly spongy and moist with a wonderful light chocolate flavor.
Little pillows of chocolate, mocha, coconut joy!
Enjoy the Swedish Love Cake anytime you need a comforting chocolate cake fix. It is easy to whip up for a Fika and also makes a lovely Valentine’s Day dessert or gift for someone you love. Enjoy!
Swedish Love Cake
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 4 ounces unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- ½ cup oat or dairy milk
For the Mocha Glaze:
- 2 ounces unsalted butter
- 1 ½ cups confectioner's sugar
- 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¼ cup espresso or strong coffee
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- Pinch sea salt
To Finish the Cake:
- Unsweetened, finely shredded desiccated coconut
Instructions
For the Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Prepare a 9 x 9-inch square baking pan by spraying with oil and lining with parchment paper. Allow the parchment to hang over 2 of the sides to act as "handles" for lifting out the cake later.
- In a stand mixer bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, and vanilla extract until pale yellow and fluffy.
- In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and sea salt. Sift these dry ingredients over the egg mixture.
- Whisk together all of the ingredients on low speed until combined. Gradually mix in the milk, followed by the melted and cooled butter.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the cake springs back when touched and a tester comes out clean. Do not overbake.
- Let the cake cool for 30 minutes in the pan on a cooling rack. Gently lift the cake out of the pan using the parchment as handles.
- Prick the cake all over with a fork or tip of a knife.
- Pour the glaze over the top of the cake, allowing it to soak into the holes.
- Sprinkle the top of the cake with coconut and cool completely.
- Cut the cake into 16 squares with a serrated knife. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container.
For the Glaze:
- Melt the butter in a medium saucepan.
- Add the remaining ingredients and whisk until smooth.
- Keep warm until ready to pour over the cake.
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