Kladdkaka: the amazing recipe for a decadent Swedish sticky chocolate cake

With its rich chocolate flavor, crispy, chewy top, and sticky, gooey inside, it's no wonder that kladdkaka is one of Sweden's most popular desserts. This delicious Swedish sticky chocolate cake has it all. It's like a chocolate souffle, brownie, and cake, all rolled into one delicious dessert!

Kladdkaka is a one-bowl dessert that's super easy to make. It's perfect for any occasion – birthdays, anniversaries, holiday festivities, or any time you're hosting a large group and need a delicious, beautiful dessert to serve your guests.

What is Kladdkaka?

Kladdkaka (pronounced “klad-kaa-kuh”) is a mouthwatering, ultra-rich, decadent Swedish chocolate cake. Its name comes from the Swedish words kladdig which means “sticky”, and kaka which translates to “cake”.

It's one of Sweden's most popular desserts and is believed to have originated around the time of World War II when it was trickier to get baking powder, a common cake ingredient.

Kladdkaka Ingredients

You don't need any special ingredients here – you don't even need baking soda or baking powder!

All you need to make this delicious gooey Swedish chocolate cake is high-quality cocoa powder, sugar, butter, flour, and eggs.

Vanilla extract adds an extra layer of flavor.

If you like, you can also garnish your kladdkaka with powdered sugar.

How to Make Kladdkaka

Making kladdkaka at home couldn't be any easier. First, generously grease your cake pan with butter. Make sure to grease the sides of the pan as well. Line the pan with parchment paper and dust it with a light sprinkle of cocoa powder. Grab a bowl and combine the flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Stir the flour mixture into the melted butter until half combined, then whisk in the eggs and vanilla extract.

Pour the batter into the cake pan. Bake your cake for about 25 minutes at 350°F, or until the top is set, but the inside is still gooey. Take your cake out of the oven and set it on a rack to cool completely. Once cooled, run a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the cake, then gently flip it onto a serving plate. Dust it with some powdered sugar, then slice it and serve it with ice cream and fresh berries. Delicious!

How to Serve Kladdkaka

Garnish your kladdkaka with a generous dusting of powdered sugar and serve it with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream, some homemade whipped cream, and some fresh berries.

Tips for making Swedish Sticky Chocolate Cake

Use room-temperature ingredients to make your kladdkaka.

Make sure to use high-quality cocoa powder to make your Swedish sticky chocolate cake – it'll make all the difference!

For a richer vanilla flavor, use vanilla bean or vanilla bean paste.

Be gentle when inverting the cake. Because the center is soft, it won't hold up as well. Work quickly and with a light hand, and your cake will flip out onto the serving platter with ease.

If you prefer a firmer cake, place your kladdkaka in the fridge for an hour or so. For a gooier cake, serve the slices warm.

You can make kladdkaka a few days ahead of time and keep it in the fridge or bake it, freeze it, then thaw and microwave it when you'd like to serve the cake.

How to Store Kladdkaka

Keep your Swedish sticky chocolate cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. You can also slice the cake and wrap and freeze the individual slices for up to 2 months.

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350°F.

Grease the cake pan with butter. Line with parchment paper. Dust lightly with cocoa powder, and set aside.

Whisk flour, cocoa powder, and salt to combine.

Fold the flour mixture into the melted butter until half combined. Mix in eggs and vanilla extract. Pour the batter into the cake pan.

Bake for about 25 minutes, or until the top is set, but the inside is still gooey.

Place the cake pan on a rack to cool completely. Loosen the cake by running a knife around the edge, then flip onto a serving platter.

Notes

Use an 8-inch round cake pan to make your chocolate cake.