Iceland Christmas Cake

Years ago I taught the Relief Society Cultural Refinement lesson in the Nephi First Ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Each month, the lesson leader, would teach about a different country, their culture, arts, and food. I looked for a recipe from Iceland that would be easy to make, tasty and authentic. A friend of mine, Claudia Ostler, had a set of cookbooks filled with home recipes created by real women from actual countries. In one of those books, I found this recipe. It filled the bill nicely and also became something that I liked to make. In addition, the women loved it as did my family. They were my tasters before I made any food for the actual event. The cake part of the recipe is really more of a cookie.

Cake

1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla flavoring
4 cups sifted flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup milk

Cream butter until soft. Gradually add sugar. Continue mixing until very creamy. Stir in eggs and vanilla. Sift flour with baking powder and salt. Add alternately with milk to the butter mixture. The dough should be firm but not stiff. It can be chilled for easy handling. Divide dough into seven equal portions. Roll each portion out thinly (about 1/4-inch thick) on upside-down pan. Trim edges. Bake at 350-degrees for 20 minutes or until lightly brown at the edges but done in the middle. Remove from oven and slide cake off bottom of the pan. Cool on a wire rack. Repeat until all seven layers are baked. The layers can be baked on parchment or waxed paper with has been placed on a cookie sheet. Layers will be hard like a butter cookie. Spread a generous amount of filling between layers, stacking them as you do so. If desired, drizzle glaze on tip and let it run over the edges a bit. Yield: 14 servings.

For the filling, use apricot, raspberry or plum jam.

Or, make the following:

2 pounds dried prunes
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cardamom (optional)
1 teaspoon vanilla flavoring
1/4 teaspoon salt

Cover prunes with water. Cook until tender. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup liquid. Remove pits and put prune fruit through a grinder or cut into fine pieces. Add prune liquid, sugar and cardamom seed to prunes. Cook until filling is as thick as jam. Cool. Add vanilla and salt and mix in well.

Glaze

2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup butter
1 tablespoon milk
I teaspoon vanilla

Place powdered sugar in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Melt the butter and pour into sugar. Add other ingredients and mix until smooth. Drizzle over top of the layered cake.