This cake is a Swedish classic that goes by the name of snoddas (I have no idea what that’s supposed to mean) or - more commonly - kärleksmums. In Swedish, “kärlek” means love (the noun) and “mums” means yummy, or simply yum! When I’ve made this for friends in the States, I’ve simply called it love yum so feel free to use that if you want.

This is quicker to make than you’d think and only needs to be in the oven for 15 minutes. Makes one pan (12”x18”) to cut into as many squares as you deem appropriate. Set the temperature to 200 °C (400 °F) and dive right in. If you’re not using a convection oven, you may need to go higher.

Batter

• 5 eggs
• 4 dl (1 3/4 cups) of sugar
• 5 dl (2 1/4 cups) of white flour
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 5 Tbsp cocoa powder
• 300 g (10 oz) of butter
• 1 dl (3/8 cup) water
• 200 g (7 oz) of milk chocolate

Topping

• 2 dl (3/4 cups) of heavy cream
• 200 g (7 oz) of high quality dark (70%) chocolate
• 2 Tbsp of espresso or other dark coffee
• 2 dl (3/4 cups) of coconut flakes to sprinkle on top

Directions

1. Mix the eggs and the sugar and beat until white and fluffy
2. Mix the flour with the baking and cocoa powder on the side and fold it into the egg mixture.
3. Melt the butter and mix it with the water. Add this to the batter
4. Line the inside of the pan with non-stick paper and pour the batter into the pan.
5. Chop the milk chocolate coarsely and spread over the batter while popping the whole thing into the oven.
6. Bake for fifteen minutes. Meanwhile…
7. Make the coffee (honestly, I just use instant coffee mixed with hot water) while bringing the whipped cream to a simmer.
8. Add the coffee and the finely chopped dark chocolate.
9. Stir and let cool for a bit
10. Take the cake out when it’s done and let it cool for a while before covering it with frosting.
11. Sprinkle with coconut and you’re done!

This is a more adult cake than a kid might typically like, mainly due to the coffee flavor and the rich dark chocolate. Great for when you’re having people over for coffee though!

Source: This recipe was translated and adapted from a recipe by Swedish chef Leila Lindholm (see the original in Swedish here), but many takes on this classic exist.

This recipe is perfect for superhot summer days and that’s why I decided to post it. It’s very simple, but the combination of salty, tart and refreshing makes it nice for the kind of weather we’re having in Sweden right now. Enjoy!

• 1 bag of arugula (rocket) salad, around 70 g (3 oz)
• 1/2 of a Galia melon
• 2 lime fruits
• 1 Tbsp of olive oil
• 1/2 tsp of salt
• ground black pepper, to taste

1. Rinse the arugula and chop it (course is fine, don’t overdo it).
2. Cut the melon into pieces roughly the size of sugarcubes and put it in a bowl with the arugula.
3. In a separate bowl, squeeze the lime and add the olive oil. Add the salt and pepper and whisk the ingredients together.
4. Pour the dressing over the melon and arugula and refrigerate until chilled. Alternatively, use a refrigerated melon.
5. Serve as is or with something salty such as prosciutto.

Serves 2 as a starter or 4 as a side salad