The Princess and the Princess Cake

Most recent photographs of H.R.H. Princess Estelle and the recent discussion about the content of a true Princess cake.  

  • New photos of H.R.H. Princess Estelle – next week she’ll be christened.

  • The Royal Swedish Court has published new photos of Princess Estelle as a sneak peek ahead of her christening, which will take place on May 22. As most of you know now the baby’s full name will be Estelle Silvia Ewa Mary. If you’re in Sweden, you can start celebrating Estelle’s christening with special versions of the popular Swedish 'Prinsesstårta' (Princess cake). Magnus Johannson’s bakery in Hammarby Sjöstad, for instance, has its own take on it, and it’s known as “Prinsesstårta 2.0” conisting of White chocolate/vanilla Bavarian cream with strawberry and champagne curd on a crisp almond foundation.

  • Here with her parents, H.R.H. Crown Princess Victoria and H.R.H. Prince Daniel.

  • But what constitutes a “real” Princess Cake? According to some, the real deal has to have four main ingredients: A pound cake foundation, vanilla cream, whipped cream, and marzipan. Others claim it’s all in the color of the marzipan cover. If the cover is the classical light green, then it’s a “prinsesstårta’, if it’s of another color it’s a “prinstårta” (Prince Cake) and if it has red berry jam, well then it’s an “operatårta” (Opera Cake).

  • The traditional, beloved Swedish “prinsesstårta” with the green marzipan cover.

  • Whatever you want to call it the “prinsesstårta” most of us buy might actually be an “operatårta” because of the berry jam) it is a very popular and traditional Swedish cake. The original recipe first appeared in the 1930’s "Prinsessornas Kokbok" cookbook, which was published by Jenny Åkerström, a teacher of the daughters of Prince Carl, Duke of Västergötland. The cake was originally called "Grön tårta" (green cake), but was given the name "prinsesstårta" or "princess cake" because the princesses were said to have been especially fond of it, as are most Swedes even today. Nordstjernan invites you to try your hand at making one yourself as a way to celebrate your Swedish heritage or Princess Estelle’s christening.

  • The traditional, beloved Swedish "prinsesstårta" with the green marzipan top.

  • Recipe and instruction at http://www.nordstjernan.com/news/food/1650/

  • Best ever! Princesstårta a la Morgan Larsson photographed at the Russian Tearoom, NYC, by N. Alsterdal.

  • (Recipe courtesy of pastry chef Morgan Larsson, Essex House, NYC)

  • “Prinsessornas kokbok” (it’s translated into English under the title “The Princesses Cook Book”) is the classic cookbook authored by Jenny Åkerström-Söderström, who held cooking classes for young girls in Stockholm in the early half of the 20th century - among her students were princesses Märtha, Margaretha and Astrid (daughters of Prince Carl and Princess Ingeborg). The book is dedicated to the young princesses. Among the recipes in it is the one for “Grön tårta” (Green Cake) – nowadays called “Princess Cake”. ASIN: B00085YL2K