Swedish Sandwich Cake – Louisiana Style
Smörgåstårta is a savory Swedish “sandwich cake” and Lenten favorite made with layers of bread and savory fillings such as egg salad, shrimp dip or spread, and cucumber salad, covered with a savory cream cheese “frosting.” Serve it cold and thickly sliced, for Easter or a Southern tea party, brunch or lunch. The fillings in this recipe can easily be swapped for tuna salad, smoked salmon salad, pimento cheese spread or chicken salad.
Yield:
About 8 servings
Ingredients
Sandwich Cake
- 12 slices firm, square-shaped bread, crusts removed (day-old bread is fine)
- ¾ to 1 cup Lemony Dijon Egg Salad
- 1 medium cucumber, peeled and sliced into thin rounds, patted dry
- ¾ to 1 cup Cucumber Benedictine Salad
- ¾ to 1 cup Gulf Coast Shrimp Dip
- Garnish suggestions: sliced cucumbers, fresh herbs, radish slices, lemon slices, capers, green onions, carrot flowers, edible flowers, black pepper.
Savory "Frosting"
- 12 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- 1/4 cup Blue Plate Mayonnaise
- 4 tablespoons softened butter
Directions
- Line a 9x5-inch metal bread-baking pan with plastic wrap, leaving a 4-inch overhang on all sides.
- Assemble the "cake": Line the bottom of the pan with 3 slices of the bread. Add an even layer of egg salad. Top with another layer of 3 slices of bread and gently press down to adhere to the egg salad. Top with the cucumber salad followed by a thin layer of sliced cucumbers (reserve any remaining cucumber slices for garnish). Gently press down another 3 slices of bread on top of the cucumber layer. Add a thick and even layer of shrimp dip, followed by a final layer of bread slices. Gently press the top layer of bread to adhere to the shrimp dip. Gently press again to evenly compress all of the layers. Wrap the edges of the plastic wrap tightly over the top of the "cake" and refrigerate to allow the layers to set, 2 hours and up to overnight.
- Savory Frosting: In a large mixing bowl, beat the room temperature cream cheese until creamy. Add the mayonnaise and butter and beat until smooth and spreadable. If not using right away, cover and store in the fridge; bring it back to room temp before use.
- Carefully remove the wrapped "cake" from the pan; remove the plastic wrap and place on a serving platter. Using a sharp knife, trim the sides, if needed. Using an offset spatula, spread the cream cheese mixture all over, as if frosting a cake. Garnish the sides and top as desired and finish with a pinch or two of freshly ground black pepper.
