Swiss Cakes

Nov 11

Nov 11 Swiss Cakes

Andie Pilot

Swiss Cakes and Tortes

Swiss Cakes

(for birthdays and beyond)

If you go to a bar in Canada on your birthday, everyone will be lining up to buy you a drink.

In Switzerland, on your birthday, it’s expected that you buy the drinks for everyone else.

My Swiss mathematician husband explained it to me this way:

“In Canada you get a night of free drinks but pay all year, but in Switzerland you get a year of free drinks, but pay one night.”

It’s the same principle for cake.

So, as I was planning which cake to make and bring for my birthday fest this year, I decided to create a compendium of all the gorgeous Swiss cakes in the running.

For Hazelnut Lovers

This beauty from the canton of Solothurn, has two meringue layers sandwiching a soft sponge and plenty of buttercream, topped off with a round of crunchy hazelnut.

Boozy Bakes

Switzerland’s most famous, fancy pink cake is definitely a showstopper, as is my variation that uses limoncello instead of kirsch.

Chocolate Dreams

Gotthelf’s intensely chocolate, almost fudgy cake seems to get ever better over time, while the children’s classic Kalter Hund is a no-bake favourite of kid’s birthday parties.

Sneaking in some veg

My grandmother’s version of Switzerland’s nutty carrot cake had the distinct honour of being my daughter’s first birthday cake, and it remains a perpetual favourite at our house and in the country at large. Otherwise you can just make a Härdöpfutuurte that uses leftover potatoes.

Family Favourites

If Sam had his way, I’d be making this Lebkuchen, a classic in his home canton or this cheesecake featuring his favourite cookie from childhood.

More Boozy Bakes

And just in cake things weren’t boozy enough, here are two more of my booziest bakes—a super moist chocolate cake using your spirit of choice or one that mixes the booze with coffee.