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Authentic Semla Recipe Sweden, Europe
JUMP TO RECIPEWe strongly advise you to read the cooking tips before jumping to the recipe though
Introduction & history
Mainly associated with Fat Tuesday, since in the past, it was the only day of the year when one could eat it, semla is the traditional Swedish dessert that has become so beloved, nowadays it's eaten from Christmastime all the way through Lent. The main components are a cardamom-spiced wheat bun, an almond filling, whipped cream, and powdered sugar. The dough for the buns is a yeasted, butter-rich dough that is shaped into buns, which can be glazed with an egg wash before baking, but that is not a must. The top of the bun is cut off, the crumbs are scooped out the bottom part of the bun, and the hollowed-out insides are filled with an almond filling. Swirls of whipped cream are piped on top and then covered with the cut-off bun top, which acts as a lid. Before serving, the dessert is dusted with powdered sugar. Still, serving semla in a bowl of warm milk is the traditional way of serving this dessert, in which case it's called hetvägg. Also, apart from Sweden, different ... Read more
Cooking tips
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shaping the dough
Once the dough is divided into smaller portions, it needs to be shaped into smooth balls. To shape into a ball, first, press on a piece of dough with the palm of your hand. Then, roll in circles to get a smooth dough. Finally, cup the dough with your hand, but do not press on it, and move it in circles until you get a perfectly round shape. -
almond filling
The almond filling can be made in one of two ways. One way is to make a paste from ground almonds, powdered sugar, and a bit of milk, or water to which roughly chopped almonds are added. The almonds should be toasted before grinding or chopping them for a more intense flavor. The other, and the quicker way, is to use mandelmassa, which is similar to the almond paste. It just needs to be grated and ... Read more -
mandelmassa
Mandelmassa, or almond paste, is Sweden's answer to marzipan, although it has a higher percentage of almonds, about 50%. Mandelmassa is made by mixing 200g/7 oz of blanched almonds, 200g/7 oz of confectioners' sugar, and one egg white. The almonds should be finely ground then mixed with the remaining ingredients. However, if you're not in the mood for making homemade mandelmassa, you can use marzipan ... Read more -
whipped cream
Since whipped cream is not stable for long, it should be piped not long before serving. Also, although you can use plain whipped cream, it might be a good idea to flavor it with vanilla or to add powdered sugar. -
baking time
The baking time depends on the size of the buns. The bigger ones need to bake at a slightly lower temperature and for longer, while smaller buns should be baked at a higher temperature and for a shorter period of time. This means about 225°C/430°F and 8-10 minutes of baking time for bigger buns, and 250°C/480°F and 5-7 minutes of baking time for smaller buns. -
the hetvägg version
To make the hetvägg version, just place the semla bun into a bowl or a deep dish, pour over with hot (not boiling) milk or pour the milk around the base of the semla. Finally, dust with cinnamon and serve. -
how to eat a semla
Take the lid off, then scoop the whipped cream, and slowly eat the remainder of the semla like a sandwich. If you bite into the whole semla bun as is, you run the risk of ending up with the filling all over your face. -
serving
If you will not be serving semla buns right away, do not dust them with powdered sugar, but refrigerate them until it’s serving time. When it’s time to serve them, only then dust with powdered sugar. Also, keep in mind that semla buns are best eaten the day they are filled, preferably within a few hours. -
leftovers
If you have any unfilled semla buns, you can keep them in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freeze them for later use.
Recipe variations
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Semla with Creamy Almond Filling
Ready in 5h 25minThis recipe is adapted from Sweden.se, the official source of facts about Sweden. The peculiarity of this recipe is the use of crumbs from the buns to make the filling — they are mixed with marzipan and milk to make a creamy filling which is then piped into the hollowed-out, cardamom-flavored buns.
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Semla with Crunchy Almond Filling
Ready in 6h 35minThis recipe is adapted from VisitSweden.com, Sweden's official website for tourism and travel information. It gives instructions on how to make cardamom-flavored semla buns that have a crunchy almond filling and are finished off with whipped cream and powdered sugar.
-
Semmelkladdkaka - Swedish Semla Gooey Cake
Ready in 2h 30minA hybrid of semla and kladdkaka, two beloved Swedish desserts, semmelkladdkaka delivers the best of both worlds in one dessert. The cake is made with eggs, sugar, butter, almonds, and very little flour, and flavored with cardamom, the spice traditionally used for making semla. Once baked, it is topped with whipped cream and almond slivers. Thanks to the small amount of flour, the center of the cake is gooey, as is the case with kladdkaka.
Semla with Creamy Almond Filling
PREP 1h 20min
COOK 25min
cooling 2h
RESTING 1h 40min
READY IN 5h 25min
This recipe is adapted from Sweden.se, the official source of facts about Sweden. The peculiarity of this recipe is the use of crumbs from the buns to make the filling — they are mixed with marzipan and milk to make a creamy filling which is then piped into the hollowed-out, cardamom-flavored buns.
Ingredients
BUNS
100g (3.5 oz) butter
300 ml (1 1/2 cup) milk, 3%
50g (2.5 oz) fresh yeast
1 tsp crushed cardamom or the grated peel of 1 orange
½ tsp salt
85g (5 tbsp) sugar
500–550g (1.1 - 1.2 lbs) plain flour
1 beaten egg for brushing
FILLING
200g (7 oz) marzipan
bun center crumbs
100 ml (1/3 cup + 4 tsp) milk
300 ml (1 1/4 cup) whipping cream
DECORATION
powdered sugar, for dusting
Preparation
Step 1/14
Melt butter in a small saucepan. Then, add the milk and heat it until it reaches 37°C/98°F.
Step 2/14
Crumble the yeast into a large bowl, then add cardamom or orange peel. Next, pour the butter and milk. Stir until the yeast has completely melted.
Step 3/14
Finally, stir in the salt and most of the flour (save some for dusting the working surface). Knead for 15 minutes in a food processor or a stand mixer or for 20 minutes by hand.
Step 4/14
Cover the dough with a cloth and leave it to rise for 40 minutes or until doubled in size.
Step 5/14
Transfer the dough onto a floured working surface, then divide it into 15 or 25 pieces, depending on how big you’d like your semla buns.
Step 6/14
Cup each piece of dough with your hand, but do not press on it, and move the hand in circles until you get a perfectly round shape.
Step 7/14
Then, transfer the buns onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper, making sure there is a lot of space in between each — you will probably need two baking trays to fit everything.
Step 8/14
Cover the trays with a cloth and leave the dough to rise for an hour. Then, once the hour has passed, brush the buns with the beaten egg.
Step 9/14
Preheat the oven to 225°C/430°F if you made larger buns or to 250°C/480°F if you made smaller buns. Place the tray on the bottom rack of the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes if baking larger buns or for 5-7 minutes if baking smaller buns. When done, place on wire racks and let cool completely.
Step 10/14
Cut off the tops on each bun. Next, fork out the insides of each bun (about two teaspoons), then place them inside a bowl and break them apart into crumbs.
Step 11/14
Roughly grate the marzipan into the bowl with crumbs, then pour in the milk. Mix with a fork to make a creamy mixture. Place the mixture inside a piping bag. Pipe the mixture into the hollowed-out buns.
Step 12/14
Whisk the whipping cream until soft peaks. Pipe it or spoon it on top of each semla.
Step 13/14
Place the bun top on each semla. Then, sprinkle every semla with powdered sugar.
Step 14/14
Serve with coffee.
Other Variations
-
Semla with Crunchy Almond Filling
Ready in 6h 35minThis recipe is adapted from VisitSweden.com, Sweden's official website for tourism and travel information. It gives instructions on how to make cardamom-flavored semla buns that have a crunchy almond filling and are finished off with whipped cream and powdered sugar.
-
Semmelkladdkaka - Swedish Semla Gooey Cake
Ready in 2h 30minA hybrid of semla and kladdkaka, two beloved Swedish desserts, semmelkladdkaka delivers the best of both worlds in one dessert. The cake is made with eggs, sugar, butter, almonds, and very little flour, and flavored with cardamom, the spice traditionally used for making semla. Once baked, it is topped with whipped cream and almond slivers. Thanks to the small amount of flour, the center of the cake is gooey, as is the case with kladdkaka.
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