Verdens Beste Kake

Verdens beste kake, or “world’s best cake,” is a Norwegian sponge cake with layers of meringue, almonds, and vanilla pudding, pastry cream, or custard.

Verdens Beste Kake

This blog has a long history of sharing international recipes in addition to Southern specialties.  In that spirit, I’d like to share this lovely cake recipe from Norway today.

It comes from a new cookbook called The Unofficial Disney Parks EPCOT Cookbook.  This cookbook contains a multitude of recipes inspired by the cuisine of the Disney theme park, from its international pavilions to its immensely popular seasonal festivals. 

This recipe uses vanilla pudding as the filling, but you can also substitute vanilla custard or pastry cream if you prefer.

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The fun thing about this cake is that it resists all efforts to be fussy.  When you pile meringue on top of cake on top of pudding on top of cake , you get a heap of beautiful, approachable, whimsical deliciousness.  That’s the charm of verdens beste kake!

If you like recipes from Norway, be sure to try these Norwegian Almond Cookies, too!

5 from 4 votes

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Verdens Beste Kake

Verdens beste kake, or "world's best cake," is a Norwegian sponge cake with layers of meringue, almonds, and vanilla pudding, pastry cream, or custard.

Course Dessert

Cuisine European, Norwegian

Keyword almond, cake

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Cooling Time 30 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Servings 4

Calories 1279 kcal

Author Katie Moseman

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup salted butter softened
• 2 cups granulated sugar divided
• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 5 large eggs separated
• 1/3 cup whole milk
• 1 3/4 cups whole milk
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds
• 1 box instant vanilla pudding (3.4 ounce)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a half baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter and 1 cup sugar. Add flour and baking powder. Mix to combine. Add egg yolks and 1/3 cup milk. Beat until well combined and smooth.

3. Spread batter in a 1/2 inch-thick layer on prepared baking sheet in the shape of a rectangle. Do not go all the way to the sheet edges.

4. In clean bowl of stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, whish egg whites and remaining 1 cup sugar until stiff peaks form, about 5 minutes. Spread on top of cake batter and smooth with knife or offset spatula. Sprinkle almonds over one half (horizontal) of batter.

5. Bake 35-45 minutes until a knife inserted in center comes out clean. Allow to cool, about 30 minutes.

6. In a medium bowl, mix together instant vanilla pudding and remaining 1 3/4 cups milk. Refrigerate 5 minutes to set.

7. Cut cake in half along almond divide. Spread vanilla pudding over meringue half without almonds. Carefully lift other half of cake onto pudding, keeping meringue and almonds on top. Slice into 4 large pieces and serve.

Nutrition Facts

Verdens Beste Kake

Amount Per Serving

Calories 1279 Calories from Fat 531

% Daily Value*

Fat 59g91%

Saturated Fat 27g169%

Trans Fat 1g

Polyunsaturated Fat 6g

Monounsaturated Fat 21g

Cholesterol 311mg104%

Sodium 556mg24%

Potassium 651mg19%

Carbohydrates 171g57%

Fiber 5g21%

Sugar 127g141%

Protein 23g46%

Vitamin A 1567IU31%

Calcium 329mg33%

Iron 4mg22%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Excerpted from The Unofficial Disney Parks EPCOT Cookbook by Ashley Craft. Copyright © 2022 by Ashley Craft. Photos by Harper Point Photography. Used by permission of the publisher. All rights reserved.