Runeberg Tortes (Runebergin tortut) are lush little cakes that celebrate Finland’s national poet Johan Ludvig Runeberg’s (1804-1877) birthday on 5th February. The story has it that Runeberg’s wife Fredrika invented the recipe using the ingredients she had left in the pantry to satisfy her husband’s sweet cravings. Also according to the legend, Runeberg loved eating them for breakfast… I don’t know about the breakfast part, but they are damn delicious and instead of eating them only around his birthday, they should be baked all year round!
Runeberg Tortes
🍴 Makes: 12
🕒 Hands-on: ~ 25 minutes
🎛 Cooking time: 15 – 18 minutes
🔷 + Cooling the cakes 30 – 45 minutes
INGREDIENTS
- 200g butter, slightly softened
- 170g (2dl) caster sugar
- 2 eggs
- 50g (1dl) chopped hazelnuts
- 50g (1dl) ground almonds
- 100g (2dl) fine breadcrumbs
- 130g (2dl) flour
- 1.5 tsp baking powder
- 50ml apple juice
- 50ml white rum
- 150g raspberry jam
For the syrup
- 4 tbsp hot water
- 2 tbsp white rum
- 2 tbsp caster sugar
For the icing
- 50g (1dl) icing sugar
- 2 tsp lemon juice or water
STEPS
1 Mix all dry ingredients (chopped hazelnuts, ground almonds, breadcrumbs, flour and baking powder) together in a small mixing bowl. Set aside.
2 Next, place the slightly softened butter and sugar into a separate mixing bowl. Cream together using a hand mixer until pale and fluffy, for about 2 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time.
3 Add the dry ingredients into the butter-sugar mixture, mixing until just combined. Then stir in the apple juice and rum.
Turn the oven on now, preheat it to 180℃!
4 Divide the batter evenly between the muffin cases, filling each almost to the top.
5 Press 2cm deep hole in the middle of each cake and fill it up with the raspberry jam (you will need 100g at this point, about 1 teaspoon each). Cook in 180℃ (fan) for 18-20 minutes.
6 While the tortes are in the oven, make the syrup. For this, simply mix the rum and sugar with the hot water in a small bowl/ramekin.
7 Brush the cooked, hot tortes with the syrup to moisten. Then, place a small blob of jam on top (about 50g, half a teaspoon each) and set aside to cool completely. You can leave them in the tin or place on a cooling rack.
8 For the icing, put the icing sugar into a small bowl/ramekin and add enough lemon juice or water to make a thick icing. Then, drizzle the icing around the jam using a teaspoon. Voilà!
Notes:
- Storing — Store the finished Runeberg tortes in an airtight container at room temperature. It’s one of those desserts that’s even better the next day as the flavours develop
- Filling up — Do not fill the muffin cases right to the top as the batter can overflow in the oven (happened to me once, definitely learnt my lesson…). If you are using a standard 12-cup muffin tin you should be fine though 🙂
- Extra moisture — For extra moist tortes, prick a few holes on top using a toothpick before adding the syrup. This step is not essential, but it adds that extra oomph
- Piping bag — For neater or more “professional” finish, use a piping bag for the icing
- Recipe variations — Runeberg tortes have loads of recipe variations and those that are sold in Finland do not normally contain hazelnuts. I love the flavour and crunch hazelnuts add but you can always replace them with chopped almonds or even double the amount of ground almonds. Also, the ones you find in shops are traditionally taller as they are baked in cylindrical tins, but muffin tin is a good alternative for home baking
Main equipment:
Mixing bowl (2L)
Small mixing bowl
Electric hand mixer
Kitchen scales/measuring cup
Measuring spoons
12-cup muffin tray
Paper muffin cases
Pastry brush (optional)
Two small bowls/ramekins
Other desserts you might like…! ⤵︎
