What’s more Swedish is a princess cake? It feels safe to assume that the princess cake is one of Sweden’s most loved pastries. It is a classic that adorns everything from birthday tables to weddings, and its recipe is almost sacred to many Swedes.
But when this iconic cake reached California and underwent an unexpected transformation at a restaurant in Los Angeles, the reactions were not long in coming.
It all started when acclaimed pizzeria Quarter Sheets in LA, known for its creative and innovative desserts, launched its own version of the princess cake. Behind the cake is the pastry chef Hannah Ziskinwho describes the pastry as “one of the most exciting desserts in Los Angeles” in a post on Bon Appétit magazine’s Instagram account.
Her interpretation of the princess cake has quickly become one of the most popular desserts at the restaurant. But it is a detail in the recipe that made Swedes go crazy. Ziskin has chosen to replace the traditional whipped cream with mascarpone, an Italian cream cheese commonly used in dishes such as tiramisu.
Although she considered making more changes, such as swapping out the raspberry jam for peaches, she ultimately decided to stick with raspberries – but the cream ended up failing. This has caused strong reactions among Swedes who see the cake as a symbol of their food culture.
READ MORE: TV4’s new program arouses strong reactions: “Enough…”
“Redo, do right!”
It is clear that the Swedish pastry stirs emotions when changes are made to its traditional recipe. For many Swedes, the princess cake is more than just a dessert – it is a symbol of Swedish culture and tradition. Changes, such as replacing whipped cream with mascarpone, are seen by some as a direct violation of Swedish cuisine’s heritage.
On Instagram, the comments flow, and many Swedes are anything but satisfied with the mascarpone element.
“A princess cake doesn’t have any damn mascarpone, are you crazy? It should be whipped cream! Remodel, do right – as we say in Sweden,” writes an angry follower on Instagram in a comment that has received over two thousand likes.
Another user expresses his frustration by linking the cake to other food traditions that Americans are often criticized for changing.
“Crap over the mascarpone and then you pour cream in the carbonara, put pineapple on the pizza and roasted onions on the sushi,” writes the person, clearly annoyed by cultural food changes.
Another Swedish follower, who seems to have had enough of the experiments, goes a step further:
“Take your bloody mascarpone and sit on it. It should be cream!”
DON’T MISS: The viewers rage over the incident in GVFÖ: “Incredibly stupid”
Not everyone agrees
Despite the massive criticism from many Swedes, there are also those who praise the American interpretation of the princess cake. Several positive comments from people who tasted the cake show that the new version was well received in Los Angeles.
“Literally my favorite cake in the whole world, I eat it every chance I get a cake,” writes one follower, suggesting that maybe the mascarpone wasn’t so bad after all.
Another follows up with praise:
“Truly, the best cake I have ever eaten in my entire life.”
Others who have yet to taste the cake express that the clip made them feel a craving for the pastry that they had never felt before:
“I have never needed anything so much in my entire life.”
READ MORE:
Customers rage at Ica: “Seriously bad style”
Customers rave about Ikea’s meatballs: “Had to go hungry”