Norwegian National Cake - A modern recipe not known by our ancestors - Kvæfjordkake - Verdens Beste

Kvæfjordkake
This recipe has been around in Norway since 1930s, so was not familiar to our immigrant ancesors but thank you to my cousin Florence for sharing!!
In September 2002, Kvæfjordkake was named Norway’s national cake.
A sponge cake bottom, with meringue, almonds and vanilla cream sounds pretty good so will share it here as I await other relatives to send recipes.
Thanks Florence via Linda L.  -  We will try out this cake!!  Just to mention I do not know where the original version was posted and it uses ounces which is not our habit, so really I would just make a sponge cake base, spread on  the meringe and almonds, bake, cool, and cut in half, spread whip cream between the layers, put in fridge until dessert and voila - happy birthday or whatever  and I betcha it would be fine.



Ingredients
Meringue
3 egg whites
4.6 oz sugar
Cake
2.6 oz butter
2.6 oz sugar
3 egg yolks
2.6 oz all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon vanilla powder
3 tablespoons milk
Topping
1.9 oz almonds, roughly chopped
Filling
0.4 cups vanilla cream, instant vanilla pudding mix
0.8 cups heavy whipping cream
(Variation: Whip cream add a bit of sugar and vanilla extract.  Omit the vanilla pudding.)


Prepare a baking tin about 30 x 20 cm with parchment paper and preheat oven at 350 ºF.



Method
Meringue
1. Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form
2. Add sugar, little by little until the mixture is firm
Cake
1. Beat butter and sugar until creamy and fluffy (5 minutes)
2. Add one egg yolk at the time and mix well
3. Combine flour, baking powder and vanilla powder in a bowl
4. Add the flour mix and milk alternately starting and ending with the flour. Do NOT over-mix, just until the flour is combined.
5. Spread the batter evenly in the baking pan
6. Spread the meringue evenly over the cake batter
7. Sprinkle chopped almonds on top
Bake in an oven at 350 ºF for about 20 minutes, or until the meringue is slightly golden and  toothpick comes out dry when poked through.
Cool on wire rack and make filling.  Do not leave on warm stove!!
Filling
1. Make the vanilla pudding according to instructions
2. Whip the cream until it forms medium peaks and gently fold in the vanilla cream
Assembling
1. Divide the cake into two parts, lengthwise or width-wise
2. Put one layer on a serving tray and ice with whipped cream.
 4. Cover with the second part
5. Serve chilled
OK - I would leave out the pudding and make up the whip cream, put some strawberries or  raspberries in between the layers and I bet it would be good.  Add some cream of tartar to the whip cream so it holds its shape and serve within 24 hours, the sooner the better!!
This is sort of like a pavlova, cake, whip cream mixture.
Worse luck my youngest son can't tolerate dairy, although he got plenty of it as a kid.  My life revolves around dairy.  Mostly cream, butter and cheese.  So he only learned about his intolerance as an adult and  stopped slobbering all the time!!  Part of this is a joke.  Anyway he can't have this cake so it is not on the table for family birthdays. 



Another version
World's Best Cake
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Line a 12 by 8 inch cake pan with parchment paper or grease.
Cake part
1 and 1/3 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
2/3 cups sugar
1/2 cup plus 2 and a half Tablespoons butter
1/3 cup milk. 
5 egg yolks (whites will be used in meringue)
Beat sugar and butter until light and creamy
Mix the baking powder and salt into the flour
Mix the egg yolks with the milk
Add flour and milk mixture alternately beginning and ending with the flour.  Mix just until flour is combined.
Spread cake batter into prepared pan.
Meringue
5 egg whites
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup sliced almonds.
Beat the egg whites slowly adding in the sugar until peaks form.  Should stand up and kind of droop slightly at the tip.  "Ice" the cake batter with the meringue, sprinkle the almonds over it and place pan on middle rack of the oven.  Bake 30 minutes and , cool on wire rack. 
When cake is cool cut in half, place one half on a cake plate (meringue side up) and ice with whip cream and then top with the other half (meringue side up).  Ice the sides with leftover whipped cream if enough to do so.
Whip Cream Layer
1 1/2 cups whipping cream
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 Tablespoons of sugar
make sure the beaters, bowl and cream are cold.
Beat until peaks form adding the sugar and vanilla as the cream starts to become thicker.  Add some cream of tartar to help whipped cream maintain its bulk for a period of time.
Refrigerate until serving.
When you cut the cake use a serrated knife.  There will be nice layers.  Cake, meringue, whipped cream, cake, meringe.  Garnish with a few slices of strawberries or whold strawberries if desired.