Kladdkaka (Swedish chocolate cake)
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat the oven to 175 °C (350 °F, conventional). Butter a 22 to 24 cm round tin and dust it with cocoa, or line it with baking paper.
- Melt the butter over a low heat, then let it cool slightly.
- In a bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar by hand just to combine them, without trying to make them fluffy.
- Add the flour, cocoa, vanilla, salt and the spice of your choice, then the melted butter. Fold with a spatula until you get a thick, smooth, glossy batter.
- Pour the batter into the tin and smooth the top.
- Bake for 15 to 18 minutes: the top should be dry and slightly cracked, but the centre still wobbly. A knife inserted in the centre should come out sticky.
- Leave to cool completely in the tin, then chill for at least 1 hour. Unmould, dust with icing sugar and serve with whipped cream and raspberries.
Notes
A thin crust that cracks under your spoon, then a dense, gooey and deliciously sticky centre: kladdkaka is Sweden’s favourite dessert. This Swedish chocolate cake takes 10 minutes to make, in one bowl, with no mixer and no baking powder. In this kladdkaka recipe, we explain step by step how to get its unique texture, the right baking time, the spices that lift it and how to serve it the Stockholm way.
Kladdkaka, the Swedish chocolate fudge cake
In Swedish, kladdig means “sticky” or “gooey”, and kaka means “cake”. So kladdkaka literally means “sticky cake”. This Swedish chocolate fudge cake appeared in the country’s cookbooks in the 1960s and 1970s and quickly became a family classic. Today it is one of the most baked cakes in Sweden: every family has its own version, more or less gooey. On 7 November, Sweden even celebrates kladdkakans dag, kladdkaka day.
The recipe uses just a few store-cupboard ingredients: butter, sugar, eggs, flour and cocoa. No chocolate to melt, no egg whites to whisk, no baking powder. That simplicity is exactly what makes it so popular.
A chocolate cake without baking powder: the secret of the texture
Kladdkaka is a chocolate cake without baking powder, and that is its whole secret. With no raising agent, the batter barely rises in the oven: it stays dense and tight. The eggs are not whisked until fluffy, just mixed with the sugar, so you avoid adding air. The result is a flat cake, about 2 to 3 cm high, with a centre close to chocolate fudge.
The large amount of sugar also plays a key role. As it bakes, it forms the thin crackly crust on top, while in the centre it keeps the batter moist and sticky. That is why you should not cut the sugar too much: the cake would lose its texture.
A melted butter and cocoa chocolate cake
Kladdkaka is a melted butter and cocoa chocolate cake. The melted butter coats the flour and limits gluten development, giving a tender, non-rubbery cake. Unsweetened cocoa powder brings an intense chocolate taste and a lovely dark colour. Choose a good-quality pure cocoa with no added sugar: it provides all the flavour. Some recipes also add 50 g of melted dark chocolate for an even richer result.
How to make kladdkaka
Here is how to make kladdkaka in a few simple steps. First melt the butter and let it cool slightly. In a bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar by hand, without overdoing it. Then add the flour, cocoa, vanilla and salt, followed by the melted butter. Fold with a spatula until you have a thick, glossy batter. Pour into a buttered, cocoa-dusted tin and bake. That’s it!
An easy and quick kladdkaka recipe
This is the ultimate easy and quick kladdkaka recipe: 10 minutes of preparation, one bowl, one saucepan and a spatula. No food processor or electric mixer needed; in fact, beating the batter would add too much air. Children can make it almost on their own. It is the perfect cake when guests turn up unexpectedly, as you almost always have the ingredients in the cupboard.
Kladdkaka baking time
The kladdkaka baking time is the most important step. In a 22 to 24 cm tin, allow 15 to 18 minutes at 175 °C. The top should be dry and slightly cracked, but the centre should still wobble a little when you move the tin. Insert a knife in the centre: it should come out sticky, with batter on it. If it comes out clean, the cake is overbaked and becomes an ordinary chocolate cake.
Every oven is different, so check at 15 minutes the first time. In a smaller 20 cm tin, the cake is thicker and needs 20 to 22 minutes. Cooling is part of the baking: as it cools, then in the fridge, the centre firms up and becomes dense and fudgy.
Kladdkaka with a molten centre or a sticky one?
Many people look for a kladdkaka with a molten centre, but be careful: real kladdkaka is not a lava cake that runs. Its centre is sticky, thick and fudgy, a bit like ganache. If you prefer a runnier centre, serve it warm and take it out of the oven 2 minutes earlier. For a properly sticky Swedish centre, let it cool completely, then chill for at least 1 hour. It is even better the next day.
Spices for Swedish chocolate cake
Classic kladdkaka uses just vanilla and a pinch of salt. But spices for Swedish chocolate cake can give it an original touch. Flaky salt enhances the chocolate and balances the sugar. A pinch of cinnamon, much loved in Sweden, adds a warm, sweet note. For the more adventurous, a tiny pinch of Espelette pepper wakes up the cocoa with a fruity warmth, without real heat. You can also try cardamom or a little instant coffee. To discover more pairings, see our spice guide.
The fika coffee break and its chocolate cake
In Sweden, fika is a real ritual: a fika coffee break with chocolate cake or a bun, several times a day, at work and at home. This moment of sharing is almost sacred, and kladdkaka is one of its stars, alongside kanelbullar, the cinnamon buns. It is served in thin slices with strong filter coffee. A kladdkaka baked in the morning will delight the whole afternoon fika.
Kladdkaka vs brownie
What is the difference in the kladdkaka vs brownie match? Both cakes are dense and fudgy, but they are not the same. The American brownie is often made with melted chocolate, sometimes baking powder, and is baked in a tray then cut into squares. It often contains nuts. Swedish kladdkaka is baked in a round tin, made mainly with cocoa, with no baking powder, and cut into wedges like a tart. Its centre is stickier and its crust thinner and crackier.
A Scandinavian chocolate cake recipe
Kladdkaka is the best-known Scandinavian chocolate cake recipe, but it has cousins in neighbouring countries. In Norway and Denmark, similar chocolate cakes are made, often baked in a tray and iced. Sweden also has its own kladdkaka variations: with white chocolate, liquorice, raspberries or caramel. Nordic baking loves simple cakes, made with everyday ingredients and shared over coffee.
What to serve with kladdkaka
The most traditional side for kladdkaka is lightly sweetened whipped cream, which softens the richness of the chocolate. In Sweden it is also served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Fresh raspberries, strawberries or blueberries add a perfect tangy touch. In winter, try a red berry coulis or lingonberry compote. A spoonful of crème fraîche also works very well.
Frequently asked questions about kladdkaka
Can kladdkaka be made ahead?
Yes, and it is even recommended. It keeps for 3 days in the fridge, well wrapped. It becomes denser and fudgier. Take it out 20 minutes before serving.
Can you make gluten-free kladdkaka?
Yes. Replace the flour with the same amount of ground almonds or rice flour. The texture stays fudgy, with a light almond taste.
Why isn’t my kladdkaka sticky?
It was probably overbaked, or the batter was beaten too much. Reduce the baking time by 2 to 3 minutes and fold the batter with a spatula instead of whisking.
