Runeberg Torte
An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 35 minutes
Makes 8-10 tortes
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200g/7ozs butter, softened
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240g/8.5ozs caster sugar
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3 eggs, room temperature
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150ml/5ozs cream (I used buttermilk)
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A few drops amaretto or almond flavouring
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2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
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200g/7ozs all-purpose flour
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150g/5ozs ground almonds
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2 teaspoon ground cardamom
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2 teaspoons baking powder
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1 teaspoon ground ginger
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1/2 tsp salt
Rum Syrup
- 1/2 cup/110g/3.9zs caster or white sugar
- 1/2 cup/125ml/4flozs water
- 2-4 tablespoons rum (depending on how strong in rum you want the flavour)
For icing
- 40g/1.4ozs icing or powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon milk or water
- 50g/1.7ozs raspberry jam
Step 1 - Preheat oven to 160C/320F and line a muffin or cupcake tray with liners. In the bowl of a mixer fitted with a beater attachment beat and butter and sugar until white (around 3-5 minutes). Add in eggs one at a time and beat until incorporated. Mix the cream or buttermilk with the amaretto/almond flavouring and vanilla bean paste and stir this into the mixture.
Step 2 - In a jug or bowl whisk the flour, ground almonds, cardamom, baking powder, ginger and salt together until well combined. Add this into the wet mixture in two lots stirring until just combined (do not overmix). Using an ice cream scoop, place batter into the muffin cups - this batter makes between 8-10 depending on how high you want them (I made 8 cakes). Bake for 25 minutes until the centre of the cakes spring back when touched.
Step 3 - While they are baking you can make the syrup. Place the sugar and water together in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat slightly and let simmer for 3-4 minutes until it thickens slightly. Add in the rum and whisk. Cool and then brush over the cooled cakes on all sides.
Step 4 - For the icing, mix the powdered sugar and milk or water together until you get an icing consistency that you can pipe. Place into a small piping bag or a ziplock bag and snip a little hole for piping. Gently remove the papers from the cakes and place upside down so that the wider side is on the bottom. Pipe the icing around the edge of the top and leave to set for 10 minutes or so. Then once the icing it set, spoon raspberry jam in the centre.