Insanely fluffy rolled buns filled with a cinnamon almond filling, topped with custard and pearl sugar. This Butterkaka recipe is perfect for coffee and tea time, and is not very sweet.
Swedish Butterkaka, translated as Buttercake, are rolled cinnamon almond buns. They are filled with a paste of butter, ground almonds, cinnamon and a hint of cardamom. Before being baked together in a pan, they are topped with a little custard and pearl sugar. They are not overly sweet and the perfect pairing for coffee or tea.
What is Butterkaka?
The Swedish Butterkaka, also called Systerkaka (Sister Cake) is similar to Kanelbullar in that it is pretty much the same dough and has cinnamon and cardamom in the filling. However, it is rolled more like our American cinnamon rolls and baked together rather than individually (again, like our American cinnamon rolls).
Another difference, which you may have noticed with the sliced almonds, is that there’s almonds – specifically, an almond paste. (It can be made without also, using the same Kanelbullar filling.)
I found the addition of the almond paste a delight in texture and taste. It can be overpowered by the cinnamon, so I added a little almond extract to help them play together a little more.
Lastly, a small amount of custard is usually put on top before baking, along with the pearl sugar and egg/milk wash.
Butterkaka Ingredients
Butterkaka consists of simple ingredients, a lot of which are reminiscent of my Kanelbullar (Swedish Cinnamon Buns) recipe. Because they are simple, try to use good quality cinnamon, cardamom and almonds, if possible.
The Dough: Milk, butter, flour, yeast, sugar, salt and cardamom make up the simple dough.
The Filling: Ground almonds, a little sugar, butter, cinnamon and cardamom are mixed into a paste that is spread over the dough.
The Custard: Milk, vanilla, egg yolk and cornstarch create a lovely custard that is baked on top of the rolls.
Nervous about yeast? Don’t be! I created a couple articles about yeast to get you more comfortable. Start here.
Why are Cinnamon Almond Buns (Swedish Butterkaka) special?
I hadn’t heard about Butterkaka until recently, while doing research for my Kanelbullar (Cinnamon Bun) recipe. So, I baked Butterkaka and Kanelbullar back-to-back, and although there are similarities, each is uniquely special.
I actually couldn’t find a lot of information on this recipe in English, so I got a chance to read Swedish again for 20 years!
Because there is a custard addition, which can be omitted, this recipe does have an extra step. As the custard is baked on top of the buns, and is such a small amount, I almost couldn’t taste it – but, good thing there is leftover custard to have when you eat the rolls!
Cinnamon Almond Buns (Swedish Butterkaka)
Description
Butterkaka, literally Buttercake in Swedish, are rolled buns filled with a paste of butter, ground almonds and cinnamon. Before being baked together in a pan, they are topped with a little custard and pearl sugar. They are not overly sweet and the perfect pairing for coffee or tea.
Note: This makes six buns. Double the recipe if you want a larger batch, using two pans/tins.
Ingredients
Dough
Custard
Almond Paste
Toppings
Instructions
Dough
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Add all dough ingredients to a stand mixer bowl fitted with the dough hook and knead until smooth, about 5-7 minutes or so.
Make sure the liquids are just warm, not hot. 95-100 degrees F (35-38 C) is best. If kneading by hand, it may take 8-10 minutes.
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Shape dough into a ball, cover and rest for 1 to 1.5 hours. Make the custard.
Custard
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Combine milk and heavy cream (if using) in a saucepan on medium heat until hot (not boiling). Remove from heat.
Heat until it starts to steam and bubble at the edges. Do not boil.
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Whisk egg yolk with cornstarch, add sugar and whisk until combined. Slowly drizzle in hot milk in batches, whisking constantly.
Add just a couple of tablespoons of hot milk at a time at first and whisk well to avoid scrambling the eggs. After a few additions, you can add it all at once.
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Pour the combined mixture back into the pan. Turn on low and stir constantly until the mixture thickens. Add vanilla.
Do not boil. The final custard should be fairly thick, not runny or loose.
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Pour custard into container and cover surface with plastic wrap to avoid drying on the suface.
Cinnamon Almond Paste
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Mix all cinnamon almond paste ingredients together, except milk. It should be spreadable.
If the mixture is too stiff, add a teaspoon of milk at a time until you get a spreadable texture. This needs to be spread over the rolled out dough fairly easily.
Roll and Fill Dough
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Line and/or grease one 20-22cm (8-9in) round pan. Roll out dough to a roughly 24cmx25cm (9.5x10in) rectangle.
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Spread the cinnamon almond filling over the entire surface.
I like to leave a very small edge along the long side bare to help the dough seal. When rolling, I start from the other side, ending with the bare side. This is optional.
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Roll the dough from one long side (the length of the roll should be roughly 25cm or 10in.
I like to leave about 1cm / 1/4in bare (no filling) along one long end to help the dough seal. When rolling, I start from the other long side, ending with the bare side. This is optional.
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Cut into 6 even slices and place in your prepared pan with some room in between each.
I just used a sharp chef's knife to cut, but you can cut with a serrated knife or use floss. Place one roll in the center and five surrounding it in the pan.
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Cover loosely and allow to rise for about 45 minutes. Preheat oven to 400 F/200C 20 minutes out.
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Once buns have risen, put some custard on each bun and sprinkle with pearl sugar, if desired.
A. You can pipe a small amount along the spiral of the roll on each bun
B. You can create a small indentation with the back of a spoon in the center of each roll and place about a teaspoon of custard in each
You will have extra custard leftover. Serve with the buns if you like.
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Bake the buns in the oven for about 30 minutes until golden brown. Allow to cool a bit before eating and enjoy!
If you feel the tops are becoming too brown before 30 minutes, place a loose piece of foil on top.
Recipe Notes
Using Cardamom: You can omit the cardamom if you want or don't have it. It does add a unique, warm accent to the flavor.
Using Pearl Sugar: You can also use regular caster sugar instead of peal sugar. It won't have the same crunchy texture, and it may melt and/or caramelize, but this is a beautiful flavor in itself.
Freezing: Once cooled, you can freeze the buns. Defrost for about 8 hours (or overnight) and warm in a low oven for about 8-10 minutes.
