Smörgåstårta: Scandinavian sandwich cake and filling ideas

Swedish St. John’s Day is unimaginable without this cake! Not only Swedes, but also Estonians, Finns, Norwegians, all Scandinavians have their own versions… I’m talking about Smörgåstårta – sandwich cake! 🥪🎂🇸🇪
By the way, although the Swedish name sounds the loudest, the neighbors call it their own way, but they love it no less! It is known as Voileipäkakku in Finland, Võileivatort in Estonia, and Smørbrødkake in Norway and Denmark. 

The most important secrets of Smörgåstårta

In order for the cake to be perfect and not just a soggy bread, it is worth knowing a few culinary secrets:

• Bread: It uses light or light rye bread, which was perfect for me Toast whole grain. The most important thing is to cut the crusts!
• The trick to avoid getting soaked: To prevent the bread from sticking, I spread soft butter on both sides. To make it easier to spread, you can just beat the butter beforehand – super tip!
• Variety of fillings: You can totally experiment here! The classic is the basis of mayonnaise or spreadable cheese, and everything from fish to meat or vegetables fits inside.
• Cooking time: This cake can be made in advance – after a few hours or overnight in the refrigerator, it will set and just taste better.
• Decoration: And it is better to decorate before serving so that it does not dry out. Usually, the top gives away what is hidden inside: if it’s ham roses, it’s a cake with meatballs, if it’s salmon, it’s with fish.

Top 3 filling options (choose your favorite!)

The following mixture is usually used for the cream (to cover the outside of the cake and as a base for the fillings): 400 g cream cheese, 200 g good mayonnaise and 100 g fat sour cream or crème fraîche.

Once this base is ready, divide it up and mix it with the toppings of your choice.

1. Classic Swedish version (with salmon and shrimp)

This is the most popular, most luxurious version of the seaside. Two different fillings are made for this cake, which are layered alternately.

• Filling I: 150 g chopped boiled shrimps, 3 hard-boiled and scrambled eggs, a handful of chopped dill and a few spoons of cream base.
• Filling II: 100 g of finely chopped salted salmon, half of a finely chopped fresh cucumber (without seeds to avoid water), a squeeze of lemon juice and a few spoons of cream base.
• For decoration: Salmon slices (rolled into rosés), large shrimp, cucumber and lemon slices, lots of dill.

2. Estonian version (with ham and meatballs)

Estonians are very fond of a heartier, “earthier” version, where quality ham and savory toppings reign supreme.

• Filling I: 150 g of finely chopped smoked ham, 50 g of chopped pickles, 1 tbsp. sh. mild mustard and a few spoons of cream base.
• Filling II: 100 g of finely grated fermented cheese mixed with crushed garlic (1-2 cloves) and a few spoons of cream base.
• For decoration: Ham slices (rolled into tubes or roses), pickled cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, parsley.

3. Vegetarian option (with cheese and vegetables)

A light, refreshing and very spring-like option, in which the depth of taste is created by the combination of different cheeses.

• Filling I: 150 g of crumbled feta cheese, mixed with chopped sun-dried tomatoes (about 5-6 pcs), a handful of fresh basil and a dollop of cream base.
• Filling II: Richly grated fresh cucumber (must squeeze the juice well!), mixed with chopped radish, green onion leaves and cream base.
• For decoration: Thin strips of cucumber (formed with a razor), radish slices, cherry tomatoes and pea sprouts.

How did I cook this time?

I chose my own improvisation this time! I spread soft butter on both sides of the bread to prevent it from getting soggy. Then I spread one layer of hard-boiled and grated eggs with mayonnaise mixture (I also covered the top of the entire cake with this layer). The next spread I made was almost a crab stick mix, just without the rice, I mixed in finely chopped crab sticks, diced fresh cucumber and mayo.

And I decorated the top with fresh cucumber, pea sprouts, fresh radishes and beautiful smoked salmon roses.

The taste is unreal! The inside stayed moist without falling apart (the butter trick worked 100%!) and the vegetables gave that perfect summer freshness.