Verdens Beste - The World's Best Cake

Verdens Beste is the best cake in the world! I didn't say it, the Norwegians did. They are the ones who called it their national cake. The recipe is from 1930 and belongs to the confectioner who prepared desserts for the King 🤴. The ingredients are very easy to find. You might even have them all in your pantry. I don't know if it's the best cake in the world, but it is certainly the best one I have ever baked. The original recipe doesn't have strawberries, but I think they go perfectly and give it that welcome tanginess for a dessert. The difficulty level is low, believe it or not. I took a lot of photos to be as explicit as possible. Let's get to work!! For the sponge we need: 4 egg yolks, 100g flour, 100g sugar, 100g butter at room temperature, 2 tablespoons sunflower oil, 75ml cold milk, 1 pinch baking powder, 1 pinch salt. For the meringue: 4 egg whites, 200g powdered sugar, a pinch of salt, 1 tablespoon starch, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, almond flakes. For the cream: 4 egg yolks, 100g sugar, 500ml milk, 50g cornstarch, vanilla, a pinch of salt, 200g whipping cream (min 30% fat). For baking, we need a tray of approximately 30/40 cm. We start by preparing the vanilla cream because it cools down harder and we need it to be completely cold. We put all the milk to heat (it doesn't need to boil, just get hot). Separately, mix the egg yolks, sugar, starch, salt, and vanilla well. When the milk is hot, pour it slowly over the egg composition while stirring constantly. After pouring all the milk, transfer the cream back from the bowl to the pot and let it cook over low heat for about 1-2 minutes. During this time, stir with a whisk. We don't want lumps! As it cooks, stir more vigorously. We must obtain a smooth, thick cream. Pour the whole composition back into the bowl, place plastic wrap on it, and let it cool. Now we move on to the base. It's fun and easy! You will see :) For the sponge, mix all the ingredients with a mixer until homogenized and we get a batter like for a cake. Spread it evenly in the tray, which we have lined with baking paper. An even layer everywhere. Meanwhile, turn on the oven and let it heat up to 170 degrees. We will make the meringue like this: beat the egg whites with salt for 3 minutes, then slowly incorporate all the sugar. After 2-3 minutes, add the lemon juice or vinegar. Mix for another 2 minutes, and at the end add the starch and mix until everything is homogenized. The result must be a thick and firm foam! Gently distribute the meringue over the sponge layer and sprinkle the almond flakes. * The first time I used toasted flakes, but I recommend you use the raw ones because they will bake anyway along with the cake base and meringue. Into the oven for 30 minutes at 170 degrees, without a fan. After our base has baked, we must remove it from the tray and let it cool to room temperature. It will be very easy because we pull it out by the baking sheet. Beat the whipping cream together with 2-3 tablespoons of sugar, then incorporate the cooled vanilla cream. Cut the base in half and fill it as in the picture below. Put all the cream in. It is quite firm, it won't run. Leave in the fridge for at least 2 hours. It is DE-LI-CIOUS! If you don't have strawberries, you can put pineapple, kiwi... or grapes on top.