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Spettekaka
Spettekaka: tall, lacy Skåne spit cake of egg, sugar and potato flour
Spettekaka is the showpiece cake of Skåne, piped in lacy layers onto a cone-shaped spit turning slowly in front of the heat until it builds up into a tall, crisp, meringue-like tower. Bakeries around Ystad and Sjöbo still make them by hand for weddings and Christmas, and slices are broken off with a knife. This home method uses a foil-covered cone of card on a rotisserie or a wooden rolling pin turned under a low grill, piping layer by layer. A common mistake is piping too thick, which leaves the inside sticky and the layers sagging. Chef's tip: dry each layer until it is set and pale gold before piping the next; patience is what gives the airy lace.
- Total time
- 300 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 16
Ingredients
For the batter
- 12 egg yolks
- 2 eggs
- 12 ½ oz icing sugar
- 4 oz potato starchsifted; sold as potato flour in Sweden
For the frame
- 1 tsp sunflower oilfor the paper
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What you'll need
Spices & pantry
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Wrap a long wooden rolling pin, or a cardboard cone fitted on a rotisserie spit, in foil, then baking paper, and brush the paper with 1 tsp sunflower oil.
Step 2: Whisk 12 egg yolks, 2 eggs and 12 ½ oz icing sugar for 15 minutes in a stand mixer, until very thick, pale and ribbony.
15 minStep 3: Fold in 4 oz potato starch gently and spoon into a piping bag with a 3 mm plain nozzle.
Step 4: Heat the grill to medium-low, or the oven to 275°F with the rotisserie. Set the spit about 15 cm from the heat.
Step 5: Pipe thin zigzag lines around the turning spit, then turn it slowly in front of the heat until the batter sets and turns pale gold, about 5–8 minutes. Common mistake: thick lines; they sag and stay sticky.
8 minStep 6: Keep adding thin layers, drying each one, until all the batter is used and the cake is lacy and about 6–8 cm thick. This takes 2–3 hours.
180 minStep 7: Dry the cake in a 200°F oven, still on its frame, for 30 minutes. Cool completely, then slide off the frame. Store in a dry tin for up to 2 weeks.
30 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 160 kcal
- Protein
- 4 g
- Carbs
- 32 g
- Fat
- 2 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does spettekaka take?
- About 300 minutes in total: 60 minutes to prepare and 240 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 16 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of eggs?
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water per egg, left for 5 minutes (baking only; vegan).
- What can I use instead of icing sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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