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Vinarterta – A Vintage Recipe

By Denise Pare-Watson

Vínarterta:  what is it?  It is a very flavourful, seven-layered Icelandic cake – a vintage recipe from the 1800s. The cake consists of thin layers cookie-like dough, rolled out, docked and baked just until it starts to take on a bit of colour on the edges. The traditional filling is made from prunes.  For many folks, using dried prunes is a surprising filling, but you have to trust me – this stuff is good!  The prunes are infused with what is known as the warming spices cardamom, cinnamon and cloves. These spices elevate the taste of the filling to something that you just know will be wonderful.  The colour of the pureed prune is such a rich hue of black-brown that it makes a spectacular show in between the layers of the Vinarterta cake.

Vinarterta cut into dainty pieces | urbnspice.com

Many other fillings can be used, including seasonal apricot filling and raspberry filling. My daughter and I were discussing making a version with all three fillings in one cake.  I think that this could be my next cake challenge.  I would be tempted to make the layers even thinner so that I could experiment with the different coloured fillings.

Vinarterta with Apricot Filling | urbnspice.com

Vinarterta with Apricot Filling

In culinary training, we were introduced to many cultural desserts in Baking and Pastry Arts, and this cake was one of the classic cakes we discussed during our lessons. It is delicious! I had forgotten all about this cake until my neighbour mentioned to me that she had in her possession her grandma’s vintage recipe for Vínarterta and that she had always wanted to try making it.

Vinarterta Cake Slab | urbnspice.com

We spent a lovely morning making the cake together using the vintage recipe. As far as she knew, her grandmother’s recipe had sadly not been made by anyone in the family since her passing in 1978. She told me that her grandmother’s parents came to Canada in the 1800s and her grandmother was born in Canada. I am sure that there are great stories about baking this Icelandic recipe and many more dishes in their kitchen – I would have loved to be a part of that.  I felt that making this cake using her recipe was a great way of honouring her grandmother.  And besides, I love baking using vintage recipes.

Vínarterta – A Vintage Recipe

Here is the recipe for Vinarterta – A Vintage Recipe, just as she gave it to me:

Vinarterta (my grandma’s recipe)

 

¾ cup butter

1 cup sugar

¼ tsp. salt

3 eggs

2 tbsp. cream

1 tsp. cardamom

1 tsp. almond extract

3-4 cups flour (at least)

3 tsp. baking powder

 

Filling

1 ½ pounds prunes (cook until stones fall out)

1 cup brown sugar

1 tsp. cardamom

1 tsp. cinnamon

½ tsp. cloves 

Mix dough and use enough flour to roll out easily, it’s impossible to handle the dough too much.  Divide dough to make about 7 large cookies, use a plate or pot lid for a cookie cutter.  Bake 1 or 2 at a time on a cookie sheet for about 10 mins at 350F, till a light golden. When cool put together with prune mixture, use lots.  Let sit for a few days to settle before icing if desired with an almond flavoured icing. It freezes well.

_________________________________

I made the recipe prior to our baking lesson, just to familiarize myself with the recipe, and to make it using a gluten-free flour blend to determine how it would work. It is a lovely recipe. The concept behind this recipe is to make seven layers of cake (the cake is actually more like a cookie layer than a cake layer). The layers are filled with fruit filling (traditionally prune filling), wrapped and left to cure for a few days in a cool dark cupboard for the layers to soften and the flavours to assimilate before refrigerating or freezing. For this cake, I filled it with Apricot Filling and I show you how to do it here.  

Vinarterta with Apricot Filling | urbnspice.com

VÍNARTERTA – A Vintage Recipe

CHEF TALK:  I find that vintage recipes handed down through generations are often very vague in their preparation methods, and I think that probably leads to some hesitation for the generations that follow on how to go about making it.  When I was in culinary school, I was trained by my chef instructors to read through every recipe for balance before you start. This is very good advice. Most recipes follow a formula. Using my background in recipe writing, I listed the ingredients in the order in which they are typically used.

I have included a recipe for a simple buttercream type icing to ice the top layer of the cake. I prefer it with the icing layer but you can leave it plain, as well.

Vinarterta - dainty pieces ready for nibbling | urbnspice.com

INGREDIENTS:

For the Cake:

  • 3/4 cup butter, softened to room temperature
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 2 Tablespoon cream (half and half or heavy cream)
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cardamom
  • 3 teaspoon baking powder
  • 3 – 4 cups all-purpose flour (or substitute gluten-free flour blend – I used Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 baking flour)

For the Filling:

  • 1 ½ pounds prunes
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 tsp. cardamom
  • 1 tsp. cinnamon
  • ½ tsp. cloves

For the Buttercream Icing:

  • 1/2 cup butter, softened (or dairy-free alternative)
  • 3 cups of icing sugar, sifted  (also known as powdered sugar)
  • 1 – 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
  • 1 – 3 tablespoons milk (or dairy-free alternative)

METHOD:

For the Cake:

  1. Preheat the oven to 375oF (350oF if using convection setting).
  2. Using a mixer with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy.
  3. Add the eggs, one at a time, (scrape the sides of the mixer), blending well before adding the next egg.
  4. Add the cream and the almond flavouring.
  5. Combine the salt, cardamom, baking powder and 3 cups of the flour together.  Add to the butter mixture and blend well.
  6. Turn the dough out on a lightly floured board and knead in the last cup of flour.  Divide the dough into seven equal pieces.  (I use a scale for accuracy).
  7. On a lightly floured surface, roll out one piece of the dough at a time.  Use an 8″ round or square cake pan as a cutter. CHEF TIP: I find it easier to roll the dough out right onto a sheet of parchment paper, using the pan to cut around the dough, remove the excess dough, then lift the sheet of parchment paper with the trimmed dough on the baking sheet. You can fit two cookie disks on each baking sheet.
  8. With a fork, dock (pierce) the cake disks over the entire surface.  Repeat this process for all seven pieces of cake dough.
  9. Bake for 7 – 10 minutes or until the cookie disk starts to turn a light golden brown colour.  Let them cool.

For the Prune Filling:

  1. In a heavy saucepan, combine the prunes (without pits), brown sugar, cinnamon, cardamom and cloves.
  2. Bring the mixture to a boil (don’t walk away at this point).   Immediately, turn the mixture down to a simmer and simmer until softened (about 15 minutes).
  3. Puree the mixture with an immersion blender or place in a food processor and puree until the mixture is very smooth.  The mixture will be very thick.
  4. Add the vanilla extract.
  5. Keep the mixture warm until you are ready to fill the cake layers.

For the Cake Assembly:

  1. Place the first cake disk on a cake board or turntable.
  2. Spread some of the prune filling on the cake disk, covering the top thoroughly. CHEF TIP:  I find it easier to determine the amount of filling needed for each layer by measuring (or my preferred method is weighing the filling amount on a scale) and dividing by six, using that amount of filling per layer. The more even the layers, the better it will look once cut. This cake is all about the lovely thin layers of cake and filling – it is visually very beautiful.
  3. Repeat the layers until all seven layers of cake and filling are used.
  4. Wrap the completed cake in double layers of plastic wrap and store in a pantry at room temperature for two days.  This allows the cake to soften and the flavours to assimilate.
  5. After two days, either ice the top of the cake with buttercream and serve (small slices), or wrap without icing in plastic wrap and then foil. Freeze the cake.

For the Buttercream:

  1. Using a medium bowl, use a mixer on low speed, combine the butter and icing sugar. (Alternatively, use a spoon to mix the butter and icing sugar together)
  2. Add the vanilla bean paste and 1 tablespoon of the milk.
  3. Beat in just enough remaining milk to make the icing smooth. It will gradually become spreadable. If it is too thick to spread easily, add a drop or two of milk. If the icing is too thin, just add more sifted icing sugar until you get the consistency you want. Ideally, it should be quite thick.
  4. Spread about one half of an inch thick layer of the buttercream icing on the top layer of the Vínarterta.
  5. Chill in order to firm up the icing before cutting.
  6. Once the buttercream is firm, use a knife (warmed with hot tap water and dried) to cut cleanly into small portions. Typically the pieces of Vínarterta are quite dainty – 1 1/2 inch by 1/2 inch pieces  Since the cake is quite tall with seven layers, this is a nice sized portion.

Vinarterta - dainty pieces ready for nibbling | urbnspice.com

STORAGE:  Store the cake wrapped at room temperature, if it is not iced.  If the cake is iced, store it in the refrigerator for up to three days, covered in an airtight container.  Bring the cake to room temperature before serving.  FREEZING:  The cake freezes well. Wrap it very well and store for up to three months. If you are going to store the cake in the freezer, ice the cake after you thaw it.

Other UrbnSpice Posts you might enjoy: 

Read about Making Apricot Filling

Cherry Rhubarb Compote can also be used as a filling

LEARNING TIPS:  

Please CLICK the link above to access my UrbnSpice LEARNING TIPS, which are listed alphabetically on the Learning Tips blog post under the following subheadings:

  • Creaming
  • Oven Temperature Accuracy
  • Vanilla Extract

Bonus Learning Tip:  Cutting the Cake

__________

”This is my advice to people:

Learn how to cook,

try new recipes,

learn from your mistakes,

be fearless,

and above all have fun”

-Julia Child

Happy Baking!

Denise Pare-Watson - The Urb'n'Spice Chef | urbnspice.com

Denise

The UrbnSpice Chef

Urb’n’Spice Books:

Chocolate Desserts Made Easy and Delicious – The Cookbook Series from Pastry Chef Denise Paré-Watson of Urb’n’Spice

Urb'n'Spice Chocolate Cookbook Series | urbnspice.com

Urb’n’Spice’s Chocolate Cookbook Series 

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Filed Under: Cakes, Gluten Free Recipes, Holiday Baking, Vintage Recipes Tagged With: Baking, Desserts, Gluten Free Recipes, Icelandic Recipes, Sweets, Tips and Techniques, Vintage Recipes

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Comments

  1. Susan Diaz says

    at

    Looks great!! Love vintage recipes. Especially making sense of them in today’s context where some of the steps could be updated. I’d love to try this one soon!

    • Denise Pare-Watson says

      at

      Thank you, Susan. I adore working with really old cookbooks, vintage recipes and making sense of them. Come back when you make the recipe – I always love hearing from fellow bakers. Thanks for visiting.

  2. Terri@FoodMeanderings says

    at

    I LOVE vinarterta!Grew up on the stuff. I did a guest blog post on it this summer for a friend’s travel blog after visiting the Gimli Icelandic Festival. Funny, but it’s much easier to find in Manitoba than it is in Iceland!
    It’s quite ‘the project’ to make – good for you for trying it. You did a wonderful job!

    • Denise Pare-Watson says

      at

      Gosh! I agree – it was quite the project to make but fun to do with my neighbour who really wanted to try her grandma’s recipe from the 1800s. I am happy to hear that you are familiar with this cake – it is delicious, isn’t it? Thanks for your kind words.

  3. Nicoletta @sugarlovespices says

    at

    That is a gorgeous cake and one I had never heard of before! It looks so beautiful with the contrast from the prune filling (and I love prunes!) Would love to try making it, thanks for all the chef tips!

    • Denise Pare-Watson says

      at

      Thanks so much, Nicoletta for your comments. It is a very interesting and delicious cake to make. It does somewhat remind me of Italian desserts in the way that it is not too sweet. I hope you get a chance to try this recipe.

  4. Mel says

    at

    A question. I’m in the middle of making this marvelous-sounding cake, & there’s no mention of whether or not there is water in the prune mixture (that I can find anyway, maybe I missed it?) and I can’t imagine cooking the prunes without some liquid? How much? To cover…? Or?

    Would so appreciate a timely reply. If I don’t hear it, I’ll just take a guess…

    • Denise Pare-Watson says

      at

      Hello, Mel. Thank you for your comments. The brown sugar acts as a liquid in the prune mixture. Keep it at low heat and it makes a nice filling. If you want to add a little water or orange juice to get it started, it will all work out in the end. The paste is quite thick. Good luck with your Vinarterta. It is a wonderful cake that keeps quite well. Let me know how it turns out. Cheers and happy holidays.

      • Lorraine says

        at

        Would you update the recipe with this? “Bring to a boil” implies higher heat. I’m currently trying to rescue my mixture.

        • Denise Pare-Watson says

          at

          Thank you for your comment, Lorraine. Bringing the mixture to a boil is just a quick way of giving the prune filling mixture a head start to simmer. Since this happens very quickly, attentiveness is required. I appreciate your comment and hope you enjoyed making the Vinarterta.

  5. Rebecca Ackroyd says

    at

    My husband is 1/4 Icelandic, so we had an Icelandic heritage night with our kids this past weekend. My daughters and I made your recipe. Our whole family loved it- thank you so much for sharing the recipe!

    • Denise Pare-Watson says

      at

      Thank you so much for taking the time to send me your lovely comments, Rebecca! I love hearing about this kind of baking with family and friends making memories together. It warms my heart. I am so happy to hear that you enjoyed the recipe. It was given to me by a friend who needed my help with a treasured family recipe handed down through generations but was so briefly written that she needed my help trying to figure out the method. I am so glad that I did! Thank you so much for stopping by my little blog at Urb’n’Spice. Happy Holidays!

  6. Allyson says

    at

    This recipe sounds interesting. However, I thought the icing had marzipan in it. Do you know if it is made that way too? Do you have an icing recipe that has marzipan in it?

    • Denise Pare-Watson says

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      Answered by email

  7. Heather says

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    Thank you for making a gluten free version! I didn’t have the chance to learn how to make this from my Amma before she past away so had no idea how it feels/works with wheat based flour to figure out the best way to make it gluten free. Thank you also for mention a few other filling options. I personally do not like the date filling. Any advice for making the filling using strawberries instead? My husband prefers that filling but the local baker who makes it that way won’t share their tips and has stopped making gluten free cakes due to cross-contamination. And I don’t have a clue where to even start trying to figure that out.

    • Denise Pare-Watson says

      at

      Hello, Heather:
      Thank you for your comments. Have you ever tried roasting strawberries? They turn out thick enough for a filling that would be wonderful as a filling for the vinertarta. This is what I do: Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper large enough for an overhang so that the juices of the strawberries stay on the parchment and don’t leak underneath the paper. Place a single layer of strawberries – sliced or in quarters, on the parchment. Use several pans if you want lots of filling. Add a handful or two of brown sugar depending on the sweetness of the strawberries and a few knobs of butter on top of the strawberries. Mix to coat the strawberries. (They can be fresh or frozen strawberries). Roast the strawberries in a 375 oven until the juices from the strawberries evaporate and become darker red and thick and syrup-like. If you want, you can crush or purée the roasted strawberries and add vanilla extract to taste. This roasted strawberry filling is delicious on ice cream too – another gluten free dessert! Let me know how you do with this. I think you are going to love it!

  8. Charlene Einarson says

    at

    Denise, thank-you for publishing this recipe. My grandmother was born in Iceland and would bake Vinarterta for all the grandchildren. My mother would make this traditional dessert for us and I would assist in the prune spreading. I am going to try and make a gluten free version of Vinarterta over the holidays. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

    • Denise Pare-Watson says

      at

      Hello, Charlene! Thank you for your comments regarding Vinarterta. I have found that this vintage recipe certainly brings back many memories to those who have had the privilege to taste it in their childhood. I am looking forward to hearing how it was received by your family. You are creating memories yourself for your family. Happy New Year!

  9. John Koenig says

    at

    Looks great. Can’t wait to make it. Did I miss something, or is there a step to divide the dough into 7 equal pieces before rolling?

    • Denise Pare-Watson says

      at

      I am so sorry, John. Yes, indeed, in step # 6, divide the dough into seven equal pieces. I use a scale for accuracy, dividing the total amount of dough by 7 and proceeding with the next step. Thank you for the heads up. Enjoy the process of making Vinarterta. It is worth the effort 🙂 Happy New Year!

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Welcome to Urbnspice - A Taste of Heart and Home. Inspiration in my kitchen is often a trip to the market or an experimental coincidence! Come and join me on this culinary journey where I share my passion for the creative, technical and teaching components of the profession and unravel culinary quandaries for you with fun and easy to follow user-friendly recipes, tips & techniques.
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