Celebrating 4 Years…with a Smorgastarta!

Smorgastarta -- Swedish Sandwich Cake

Panini Happy – my blog all about sandwiches and other creative recipes for the panini press – is four years old this week! And since I always bake my kids a cake on their birthday I decided my blog ought to have one too. Of course, it’s a sandwich cake!

Smorgastarta -- Swedish Sandwich Cake

Introducing the smörgåstårta! If you haven’t seen one of these before, it’s a Swedish sandwich cake with layers of bread separating creamy fillings. I can’t remember where I first heard of them but I’ve been aching to make one for the longest time. If you run a Google image search you’ll be amazed at the wide range of incredibly creative smörgåstårtas out there. In the end, I decided to make the recipe from Saveur, which is filled with smoked salmon and smoked herring mousse. Read on to see what goes into making one of these party showstoppers!

Bread - the foundation of the smorgastarta
After browsing dozens of smörgåstårtas online, the Saveur recipe won me over with the bread. I really wanted to make a round cake, but in most cases that involves cobbling together multiple pieces of rectangular-shaped bread and trimming it all into a circle. Baking a cake-shaped loaf of bread sounded like a much better way to go. It’s a light whole wheat bread and comes out of the springform pan in the perfect shape and size for a smörgåstårta.

Assembling the smorgastarta
After I took a deep breath and tentatively divided the bread into three mostly-equal layers (phew!) it was time to bring on the fillings. The recipe called for the bottom layer to be a mousse made with smoked herring, but since I couldn’t find it at the store I went with smoked trout. A layer of sliced cucumber went on top of the mousse, then it was on to the next tier: smoked salmon, a sweet mustard sauce and shredded romaine lettuce. All the while, I’m hoping and praying that I’ll like how this all tastes together because these were definitely some out-of-the-ordinary flavor combinations for me!

Smorgastarta -- Swedish Sandwich Cake

The final step is to “frost” the cake with a mixture of cream cheese and sour cream and then decorate. I kept my adornments pretty close to those in the recipe – smoked salmon, shrimp, hard-boiled eggs, radishes and parsley.

I’m proud to say that this cake, which took me the better part of a day to complete, actually tastes great! You gotta like smoked fish, of course (and we do). When you eat the bread and filling layers all together it really is like eating a sandwich. It’s even better once the flavors have a chance to meld together, after a few hours in the refrigerator. I definitely see how this became popular in Sweden for parties.

Thank you guys so much for an amazing 4 years!

Get the smörgåstårta recipe at Saveur.

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KathyPanini Happy, online since 2008, is more than just a sandwich blog. Here, you'll find hundreds of my original panini recipes, my guide to choosing a panini press and a whole lot of other creative uses for the panini press.
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154 Comments

  1. Happy Anniversary! This “cake” is beautifully stunning. I can believe that it took you most of a day to make, but so worth it. Gorgeous!

    Posted 1.8.12 Reply
  2. Jeanette wrote:

    Wow, I have never seen a Smorgastarta – quite incredible! Happy 4th Anniversary!!

    Posted 1.9.12 Reply
  3. wow! Happy anniversary!

    Posted 1.9.12 Reply
  4. Amy wrote:

    Oh. My. God. Look at that thing…incredible.

    Posted 1.9.12 Reply
  5. What a fantastic and creative way to celebrate an exciting milestone! Congrats =).

    Posted 1.9.12 Reply
  6. This is the perfect way to celebrate such a wonderful milestone! You provide so much inspiration on your site, Kathy and this smorgastarta is another example.

    Posted 1.9.12 Reply
  7. Elizabeth wrote:

    This cake makes me incredibly giggly! Happy 4 years!

    Posted 1.9.12 Reply
    • Kathy wrote:

      I don’t think you can even say the word “smorgastarta” without smiling. 🙂 Thank you!

      Posted 1.9.12 Reply
  8. Rosa wrote:

    Wow, wonderful! That is something I have been dreaming of making lately…

    Happy 4th anniversary!

    Cheers,

    Rosa

    Posted 1.9.12 Reply
  9. Mary wrote:

    Happy blog anniversary! Or blog birthday! Whichever you prefer 🙂 That sandwich cake looks awesome – I love the sandwich decorations on top! Congrats on 4 years, Kathy!

    Posted 1.9.12 Reply
  10. Robin Sue wrote:

    Happy Birthday! We have the same blogiversary. My 4th year is at the end of this month. I would be glad to help you eat this cake, it looks beautiful as well as delicious! I have enjoyed following you all these years. Looking forward to many more!!
    Robin Sue

    Posted 1.9.12 Reply
  11. Angela wrote:

    4 years and still going strong!! Congratulations!! And the cake is amazing! How creative! Looks like a great idea for an afternoon tea or shower 🙂

    Posted 1.9.12 Reply
  12. what a great way to celebrate you blogaversary! LOVE you Smorgastarta 🙂 Happy 4 years to you!!!!

    Posted 1.9.12 Reply
  13. Kalyn wrote:

    Happy four years to you! And I wish I could have a slice of this.

    Posted 1.9.12 Reply
  14. viola ford wrote:

    Oh…My…Goodness.. This is one of the most beautiful sights I have seen in all my 78 years!! This is the first day that I have heard about this site also. How have I not met you before now and you’ve been
    here 4 years! Well, congratulations, Panini Lady. I will be visiting this
    site often now that I have found you!! Lucky me..no Blessed me, for
    finding you and may you continue to receive HIS favor. Right now I am so happy and giddy.

    much love,
    Viola Ford

    Posted 1.9.12 Reply
  15. Brilliant idea- love everything about it! Congrats on 4 years!

    Posted 1.9.12 Reply
  16. Kristen wrote:

    This is the most genius thing, ever! What a great idea for your blog birthday. Congrats!!! So glad to know you!

    Posted 1.9.12 Reply
  17. Julia wrote:

    I literally raised my hand and said, “no, stop it, you did not make a savory sandwich cake” when I saw the picture. This is the raddest ‘cake,’ EVER! Happy Blog birthday, you sure did a great job honoring your blog with this smörgåstårta.

    Posted 1.9.12 Reply
  18. Wenderly wrote:

    THAT is stunning! I’ve never seen anything like this! Just gorgeous! And Happy Blog Birthday to you!!!! What a festive way to celebrate!

    Posted 1.9.12 Reply
  19. Samantha wrote:

    Happy Anniversary – this “cake” is stunning!!!

    Posted 1.9.12 Reply
  20. Cindy B. wrote:

    Happy Anniversary! The “cake” looks delicious!

    Posted 1.9.12 Reply
  21. Lisa wrote:

    This is so brilliant, and it looks spectacular! I wish I had thought of it! Happy Blogiversary!! I’m going on 4 myself!

    Posted 1.9.12 Reply
  22. Happy, happy four years! I’ve finally bought a panini press, thanks to the wonderful recipes you feature on this blog, so I’m looking forward to more creations in year five. And your cake? Fantastic!

    Posted 1.9.12 Reply
  23. Mo wrote:

    What a gorgeous cake! Your blog is what finally convinced me to get a panini grill over a year ago. I’ve been happily reading it and making panini ever since. Thanks for all the inspiring recipes! Happy Anniversary!

    Posted 1.9.12 Reply
    • Kathy wrote:

      That’s so nice to hear, Mo – thanks so much!

      Posted 1.10.12 Reply
  24. I am LOVD wrote:

    Congrats on 4 years! Here’s to another 4 and counting!

    Posted 1.9.12 Reply
  25. Congrats on four years! What a fabulous way to celebrate!

    Posted 1.9.12 Reply
  26. what a gorgeous sandwich!!! and super, major happy blog anniversary! I’m on 4 years this month, too! Woo hoo! Big hugs.

    Posted 1.9.12 Reply
  27. WinterSundays wrote:

    Happy Anniversary! I came across this recipe on Pinterest. I will re-pin! Such a novel (to me!) and clever idea! I will definitely subscribe to your blog 🙂

    Posted 1.10.12 Reply
  28. Zee wrote:

    What a pretty sandwich and Im sure it does taste great.. Thanks for introducing this, ill try this over the weekend now 🙂

    Posted 1.10.12 Reply
  29. How cool to see someone else making one of these! I’ve been making sandwich cakes for years (my family is from Sweden), but never followed a recipe. Yours sounds delicious and you did a fantastic job decorating it!! : )

    evie

    Posted 1.10.12 Reply
    • Kathy wrote:

      Thanks so much, Evie. I’m glad to know it meets the approval of someone who knows these things well! 🙂

      Posted 1.10.12 Reply
  30. Selene wrote:

    Wow! That looks so pretty it’s almost a shame to eat it. But it looks too delicious not to eat either. The

    Posted 1.10.12 Reply
  31. This is the coolest thing I’ve ever seen! I am now going to devote my fantasies to developing a Gluten & Casein Free Version of this, first I have to develop a gluten free bread that isn’t terrible, but I’m still working on it… 🙂

    Posted 1.10.12 Reply
  32. Stephanie wrote:

    This looks like such an interesting cake. I just want to eat it.

    Posted 1.10.12 Reply
  33. Colleen wrote:

    That’s really an incredible piece of sandwich. Way to go Kathy!

    Posted 1.10.12 Reply
  34. That is awesome! Congrats Kathy!!

    Posted 1.10.12 Reply
  35. Kathleen wrote:

    THAT is so gorgeous. It’s truly a work of art! I bet is was super yummy too. Very impressive and thanks for posting.

    Posted 1.10.12 Reply
  36. It’s stunning! And it’s making me hungry . . .

    Posted 1.10.12 Reply
  37. This looks so pretty, I had to come over from Pinterest to check it out closer. I had to google the name because I have never heard of these, wow! How have I never heard of these, google is full of them too. =) Happy blogoversary!

    Posted 1.10.12 Reply
  38. Karen wrote:

    I’ve had the pleasure of being served smörgåstårta at relatives homes in Sweden. They are generally beautiful, but yours is a real work of art.

    Posted 1.10.12 Reply
  39. Cookie wrote:

    OMG I’ve never heard of such a cake but since I don’t have a sweet tooth, I guess this is the only kind of cake I’d actually enjoy! I LOVE Smoked Fish especially with cream cheese. YUM YUM! Congrats on 4 yummy years!

    Posted 1.11.12 Reply
  40. Sarah wrote:

    What a beautiful sandwich cake! More beautiful than any birthday cake, great idea!

    Posted 1.11.12 Reply
  41. Amanda wrote:

    This is beyond coolness!

    Posted 1.11.12 Reply
  42. Christina @ ovenadventures wrote:

    This looks incredible. I’ve never even thought about a sandwich cake. That’s like one of the coolest things ever!!!

    Posted 1.11.12 Reply
  43. This is one of the most jaw-droppingly wonderful cakes I’ve ever seen. Love the savory twist to it. And yes, too appropriate that it’s a sandwich cake to celebrate a sandwich blog anniversary. Congrats to you!

    Posted 1.11.12 Reply
  44. Julie M. wrote:

    4 years? Wow! Congrats! You are one awesome blogger. It has been a true pleasure getting to know you better and I look forward to seeing what you bring to the table in the upcoming year.

    Posted 1.13.12 Reply
  45. Your a goddess and such creativity. Happy 4th, glad I found you, you have helped me create killer paninis from my mobile kitchen.
    Roxy

    Posted 1.13.12 Reply
  46. This looks amazing! What a creative idea that would be so perfect for a party. Thanks for sharing and Happy Birthday!

    Posted 1.13.12 Reply
  47. Happy Blog birthday! Wow, this is amazing!

    Posted 1.13.12 Reply
  48. Eliper wrote:

    Being pregnant, I CRAVE but am not supposed to eat smoked or raw fishies and looking at this amazing sammy cake has me positively salivating! This is definitely making my post-pregnancy foods to indulge in top ten list. I am a true sandwich fanatic, so seeing such an innovative, creative and positively delicious twist on an already near perfect classic tickles me just right. Awesome post!

    Posted 1.14.12 Reply
  49. that looks amazing! I have never heard of such a cake but it looks like it would be great to entertain with!

    Posted 1.14.12 Reply
  50. maneki wrote:

    Happy blog birthday! Now this is the way to celebrate blog anniversaries! Why have I never done that? (FYI: I’m Swedish and I love, love, love smörgåstårta. And salmon. Just found this site via CraftGossip and had to check it out as it mentioned one of my favourite party dishes.)

    As a kid I always thoroughly enjoyed helping mom make smörgåstårtor the day before a party. Especially to be the one in charge of the garnishing. And then making (open face) sandwiches with the leftover fillings and bread slices. Yummy!

    My mom usually makes her smörgåstårta with three fillings: 1) tuna, hard boiled eggs, mayo, sour cream and whipped cream; 2) ham, tangerines in syrup (drained), mayo, sour cream, whipped cream; 3) mixed fruits in light syrup (drained), mayon, sour cream, whipped cream. And I must have corn and cucumber among the toppings/garnish. A perfect mix between savoury — the ham we use is quite salt — and sweet, between mild and more distinct flavours. Heavenly!

    Posted 1.14.12 Reply
    • Kathy wrote:

      That sounds fantastic! You’re so lucky to have grown up with these. Thanks so much for sharing your tradition. 🙂

      Posted 1.14.12 Reply
  51. Coffee And Cream wrote:

    Looks amazing – would love to give this a go in a less fishy combination!

    For perfect boiled eggs without the black ring, boil them for 10 minutes and then get them *immediately* into cold water – I tip my pan at an angle and keep them under a running cold tap for a good 30 seconds before sitting them in a bowl of cold water but plunging them into iced water would work too. x

    Posted 1.14.12 Reply
    • Tracy wrote:

      Would love to make this without the fish too, any suggestions for substitutes?

      Posted 1.19.12 Reply
      • Kathy wrote:

        If you run a google search for smorgastarta you’ll see an incredible variety of interpretations. The traditional Swedish versions will often involve fish but you can apply this approach to any ingredients you like. I saw some nice ones with Italian cured meats.

        Posted 1.19.12 Reply
  52. That is absolutely amazing, Kathy. Congrats on 4 years, and I look forward to more of your panini creations!

    Posted 1.17.12 Reply
  53. congratulations! Wow how beautiful. I just pinned it! I’ve never seen a non sweet cake! I love smoked salmon too.

    Posted 1.20.12 Reply
    • Nellie wrote:

      Everything looks delicious…I just pinned this too!

      Posted 1.21.12 Reply
  54. Amanda wrote:

    This look absolutely spectacular! Can’t wait to try makeing one of these on the weekend. Thanks for sharing.

    Posted 1.24.12 Reply
  55. Aggie wrote:

    Wow. Just wow. Not only does this look absolutely out of this world, but I’m all over what’s inside!!! What a great job you did putting it together! And happy birthday to your blog!!

    Posted 1.26.12 Reply
  56. Cara wrote:

    Amazing cake! Looks delicious and I LOVE smoked salmon. One question, did you use dark syrup in the cake as the recipes calls for? Do you have any suggestions for it? I don’t use it in my cooking and would rather not buy it if I don’t have to!

    Posted 1.27.12 Reply
    • Kathy wrote:

      I had to do a bit of googling to find out what to do about the dark syrup. I went with dark corn syrup, which I had on hand, and it worked out well. I also read that molasses was a good substitute.

      Posted 1.27.12 Reply
  57. What an inspiring photo! I am going to make this on Friday for some of my former Japanese cooking students. They will LOVE it as they have
    “sushi cakes.” And all this fine-tuned fussing is right up their alley.
    Actually I think we will make it together!
    Cheers,
    Debra

    Posted 1.29.12 Reply
    • Kathy wrote:

      Sushi cakes?? Oh wow! I need to look those up – they sound phenomenal (I love sushi)!

      Posted 1.29.12 Reply
  58. Eliana wrote:

    Happy Birthday to your blog! Looking forward to another year of your delicious posts like this creative cake. I wish I could cut myself a thick slice right now.

    Posted 1.30.12 Reply
  59. Natalie wrote:

    I love this idea in fact I would like to make it just the way you have but my family my not share my enthusiasm. I will make this with the Italian cured meats. Thanks so much

    Posted 2.2.12 Reply
  60. Emily wrote:

    What a great idea! Thanks for sharing and Happy Birthday!

    Posted 2.10.12 Reply
  61. Oh yum!! I had one at a friend’s b’day party in grade school and will always remember it. It was oblong shaped and I wondered why she had green peppers on top of her pink icing! The “icing” was cream cheese and the cake was egg salad, tuna salad and chicken salad. I loved it!
    Thanks for sharing!
    Barb

    Posted 2.13.12 Reply
  62. Kitty M wrote:

    Wow! This just looks amazing and I can’t believe it’s taken me FOUR years to find your blog! I have a lot of catching up to do.

    I just need an excuse now to plan a summer party … it’s the Queen’s Jubilee year in the UK this June and this would just be perfect.

    Thanks so much for sharing and I love your photography.

    I’ll look forward to visiting again…
    Best wishes Kitty 🙂

    Posted 2.29.12 Reply
  63. Denise wrote:

    does the bread get soggy?

    Posted 3.4.12 Reply
    • Kathy wrote:

      The bread is supposed to absorb the flavors of the fillings. Soggy in a good way.

      Posted 3.4.12 Reply
  64. Jeanne wrote:

    This brought back memories. My Mom, use to make this with a horizontal sliced loaf of bread from the bakery. She used like chicken or ham salad filling and frosted it with cream cheese tinted with a color. She usually made this when her church or extension group was meeting at our home and she always made it feel like an occasion. Thanks.

    Posted 3.4.12 Reply
  65. Asmita wrote:

    This is so creative. I am speechless. Looks gorgeous!!

    Posted 3.5.12 Reply
  66. ZC wrote:

    How big is this cake? Im just asking because the one on Saveur looks smaller…

    Posted 3.7.12 Reply
    • Kathy wrote:

      I baked the bread in a 9-inch springform pan.

      Posted 3.7.12 Reply
  67. Yvonne Stern wrote:

    I’m Swedish and grew up on these cakes. We usually serve them on special occasions as well.. I have never baked the bread for the cake as I’m afraid the bread would be too dense, how did your bread come out? In Sweden we can buy the special white bread that is used in the traditional sandwich cakes, so that makes it easy. There are soo many variations for this cake, my favorite is the Cake with the shrimp and lemon mayo. I have never used cream cheese and sour cream as the mix to put on the outside, but I’m sure that tasted real good with the smoked salmon..I was actually thinking of promoting this cake to some of my clients as I do catering sometimes. Glad you had fun and liked it.

    Posted 3.12.12 Reply
  68. Wow, this is wonderful, beautiful decorations, very springtime, I love, I’ll do the same thing but with my pancakes” millefeuilles” Sea (album facebook) Thanks for sharing, and congratulations….

    Posted 3.27.12 Reply
  69. The first time I had this – something like this – was at my cousin’s high school graduation in 1977. My aunt was always the “trendy” aunt even though they lived in what we still call Hooterville. This is so tasty! She didn’t use any fish, but just fabulous all the same! You did such a beautiful job! Congrats on 4 years!

    Posted 3.30.12 Reply
  70. Mrs Ergül wrote:

    It is a good thing we are a fan of smoked salmon. So making this for hubby’s birthday this year since he is really more of a savoury person.

    Posted 4.1.12 Reply
  71. Noeleen wrote:

    We use to make a version of this for bridal showers. But we had one layer of tuna fish, omelayer of ham salad and one of egg salad. It was really good. Also we would buy a unsliced loaf of white bread.

    Posted 4.3.12 Reply
  72. :D wrote:

    Do you think you can cheat with a round french bread and just removed the crust and sliced crosswise? Congrats on your 4th year!

    Posted 4.11.12 Reply
    • Kathy wrote:

      The challenge with using a French bread round is that you most likely won’t have layers that are the same diameter. If you don’t mind a dome-shaped cake, I’m sure it would work. The benefit that baking the bread in the springform pan gives is straight sides so that each bread layer will be the same size.

      Posted 4.11.12 Reply
  73. MOG wrote:

    I am going to try this but want to know if the bread ever gets soggy?

    Posted 4.20.12 Reply
    • MOG wrote:

      I noticed your reply about the soggy bread..thanks I am going to try this for my mother for mothers day brunch..

      Posted 4.20.12 Reply
  74. Cind wrote:

    Um, how do you eat this? It seems the bread is too dense to eat with just a fork like a sweet cake, do you use your hands? Or a knife and fork?

    Posted 5.14.12 Reply
    • Kathy wrote:

      Actually, the fillings soften the bread quite a bit. You just slice it and eat it with a fork like a cake!

      Posted 5.14.12 Reply
      • Emma B wrote:

        In Sweden we eat it with fork and knife 🙂

        Posted 10.21.12 Reply
  75. Mignonne wrote:

    My mother made a version of this for years when I was growing up. I was great summer time food when one didn’t want to serve hot food. She always made her own bread so she used that so it was always rectangular. Never knew it was Swedish in origin, but then I never saw mom using a recipe either. We were pretty much vegetarian so mom’s fillings for the layers were pimento cheese, egg salad, and a ham type salad using a vegetarian meat substitute called Nuteena to which black olives were added. I don’t recall her frosting the “cake” with creme cheese, but she must have at some point because I know it is supposed to be on there. Your version is so beautiful it makes me want to go out and get the ingredients to make one right now.

    Posted 5.26.12 Reply
  76. Belinda Rodgers wrote:

    I am so going to try this for Father’s Day ! Since we live in the south, I’m going to try crab salad and shrimp salad in layers! Can’t wait to try it!

    Posted 6.14.12 Reply
    • Kathy wrote:

      Sounds terrific – I hope you enjoy it!

      Posted 6.14.12 Reply
  77. RobotKittyChan wrote:

    WOW. This was a huge hit on Father’s day, thank you for the fantastic recipe and very helpful step-by-step! I’m pregnant so unfortunately had to substitute the smoked salmon. I used egg salad, which was very good, but will definitely try again with the smoked fish when I’m able. I found canned smoked herring for the mousse (evidently the canned fish doesn’t carry the same risk of listeria as the refrigerated stuff), it was, OK, but not as good as I had hoped. A couple of questions: (1) anyone know of any “safe” smoked fish, or if it can be cooked first? It would be fun to to try another kind. (2) how much of this could be made in advance? i’d love to bring one to an afternoon party next weekend, which doesn’t give much time to prepare that day. Do you think the bread could be made the night before? thanks again!

    Posted 6.17.12 Reply
  78. Leigh wrote:

    This cake looks so amazing! Just recently my Mom and I threw a luncheon for my bridesmaids and I was so insistent on playing with this cake idea! We ended up going with miniature versions and using chicken salad instead of fish. It was soooo good, so pretty and so unique! It was the perfect way to kick off our elegant tea- time-like luncheon! You were our inspiration 🙂 My recipe version is on my blog today and the luncheon was on last week! Thank you 🙂

    Posted 7.3.12 Reply
  79. Judy Pearson-Wright wrote:

    Took “the better part of a day” to put together??? Food sitting out most of a day is inviting food poisoning. What took so long so we can be prepared!!!

    Posted 7.7.12 Reply
  80. j wrote:

    yes but more importantly……………does the bread get soggy?

    Posted 7.17.12 Reply
    • Kathy wrote:

      Wet, yes, as there are wet fillings on the bread, but it doesn’t get especially soggy. This bread recipe soaks up moisture well without disintegrating. I don’t like soggy bread at all either.

      Posted 7.17.12 Reply
    • dew wrote:

      While visiting my grandmother in New England, a popular local sandwich shop asked me if I wanted my bread buttered for the sandwiches I ordered. Since I’d never heard of buttering the bread of sandwiches that also had mayo/mustard, and weren’t grilled, I asked why the butter. The sandwich maker explained the butter prevented the bread from becoming soggy from mustard or mayo.

      This was back in the old days when people still believed fats heavily contributed to heart disease, so I didn’t try it. Since learning that sugars, grains, starches are much worse that fats, I still haven’t tried buttering my sandwich bread, but plan to when I become decent at making low carb breads. And once that happens, I’ll definitely try making these cakewiches, using butter to prevent the bread from becoming soggy.

      Posted 1.16.13 Reply
  81. j wrote:

    when i was packing sack lunches(lol)…i used to use fr onion{ light layer} instead of mayo…and as long as i didnt get too warm it was not soggy…and mustard is similar depending on your fillings…i have already thought of a couple things to try ill let you know how it pans out

    Posted 7.18.12 Reply
  82. j wrote:

    sorry fr onion chip dip…sorry

    Posted 7.18.12 Reply
    • Kathy wrote:

      I like the sound of the French onion!

      Posted 7.18.12 Reply
  83. E. Hill wrote:

    I have made this as a rectangular shape with square bread with crusts cut off. Layered with chicken salad, ham salad and egg salad.It is the beast. We made one cake slice for a fav teacher for her lunch. It was a big hit.

    Posted 8.11.12 Reply
  84. Patty wrote:

    I have made something similar to this however like you say people have to like smoked fish and some do not. As a caterer I created layers with egg salad, ham salad and tuna salad and for those who don’t care for tuna salad I substituted chicken salad. A really good combination either way.

    Posted 8.16.12 Reply
  85. Terra wrote:

    What a fun idea, and for sure would be awesome for any party! I found your blog on Pinterest, and I just love it:-) The Smorgastarta is really beautiful, and packed full of gorgeous flavors:-) Take care, Terra

    Posted 8.16.12 Reply
  86. This is such a cool presentation! I found you via Pinterest and just shard on my Facebook page. I will definitely try making this for party it is sure to get noticed!

    Posted 8.30.12 Reply
  87. Hugo Vargas wrote:

    Se ve muy rico el pastel, felicitaciones tan solo un detalle porque no ponen en español también por favor si me ayudan gracias por su gentileza.
    Hugo

    Posted 9.12.12 Reply
  88. Helen Methley wrote:

    We love the cake and my husband I made it; he took great pleasure in putting it together. However, I would like the recipe for making the herring mousse and also the bread recipe as I would like to make it again for my birthday next month and we would like to get it JUST right!
    Thank you for a brilliant idea,
    Helen Methley

    Posted 9.24.12 Reply
    • Kathy wrote:

      I’m glad you enjoyed it, Helen! The link to the smörgåstårta recipe is in the middle of the post – I just went in and added a second link at the end so it’ll be easier to find. 🙂

      Posted 9.24.12 Reply
  89. Ana wrote:

    I’m hungry now 😀 .

    Posted 10.22.12 Reply
  90. Peter wrote:

    I just saw this for the first time and it’s still WOW WOW WOW!

    Posted 10.25.12 Reply
  91. Dora wrote:

    My mom made a loaf shaped one for my sisters bridal shower about 30 years ago. You are making me want to do it again!!!

    Posted 11.9.12 Reply
  92. This is something awesome, a sandwich salad cake, wow, yummy!

    Posted 11.23.12 Reply
  93. susan wrote:

    i love it!~ im ganna make one for christmas!! beautiful peice of food!

    Posted 12.11.12 Reply
  94. simmy wrote:

    this idea is wanderful

    Posted 1.3.13 Reply
  95. TARA wrote:

    This sounds really interesting, I’m always looking for something different. Please! we need printer friendly versions!!!

    Posted 1.9.13 Reply
  96. christine wrote:

    How amazing to see this on line. It is beautiful. I have been making a version of this for years for showers and small gatherings (though mine is rectangular) and it is always a hit. Next time I think I will add some decorations like you have- crispy veggies would be a nice contrast to the creamed fillings. Ironically I come from a Scandinavian background and never associated it with those countries.

    Posted 1.20.13 Reply
  97. Cynthia wrote:

    Nice looking, creative and yummy!

    Posted 4.5.13 Reply
    • Kathy Strahs wrote:

      Thank you, Cynthia!

      Posted 4.5.13 Reply
  98. vilma wrote:

    Very good “cake”, quite imaginative CONGRATULATIONS FOR YOUR HARD WORk, that it is seen in all the preparation !!!

    Posted 4.5.13 Reply
  99. I absolutely love this cake and I am definitely going to make it at some point! Thank you for the inspiration.x

    Posted 4.13.13 Reply
  100. Cari wrote:

    How long did you knead the bread dough? The recipe just says to knead, but 1 minute? 10?

    Posted 4.24.13 Reply
    • Kathy Strahs wrote:

      Hi Cari – It’s been a few years since I made this so I don’t recall exactly, but I think somewhere around 10 minutes is about right. Here’s a post from The Kitchn with some good guidelines for how to know when dough has been kneaded long enough: http://www.thekitchn.com/bread-baking-tip-how-to-tell-w-156772

      Posted 4.24.13 Reply
  101. Liz wrote:

    I bet this would be good a number of ways. A vegetarian version is what I am thinking for a baby shower.

    Posted 5.5.13 Reply
  102. Tina wrote:

    Hi I am Norwegian living in the US, I grew up near the Swedish border and Smørgåstårta was a regular at out house, so thanks for posting, now a question, if you live in the US where did you get that type of shrimp?

    Posted 5.5.13 Reply
    • Kathy Strahs wrote:

      Hi Tina – I can find the small shrimp in my local grocery store, here in CA!

      Posted 5.5.13 Reply
  103. Just came over here from the FB most popular posts thread and had to laugh.

    I’ve lived in Sweden (twice!) and people FLIP out over these things. I don’t like any of the ingredients other than bread so I was always like, “Oh… no, thank you. I *just* ate!”

    Any special occasion = smörgåstårta! And you did a beautiful job with yours. 🙂

    Posted 8.6.13 Reply
    • Kathy Strahs wrote:

      YES, my Swedish friends have told me these were a favorite in their houses. 🙂

      Posted 8.6.13 Reply
  104. Maggie wrote:

    Kathy, this may not have been your brain child, but THANK YOU for sharing it! This is brilliant! I love the idea that you can make one of these with your own favorite ingredients and be creative!! Again, Brilliant!

    Posted 9.15.13 Reply
    • Kathy Strahs wrote:

      Such a fabulous tradition, well worth sharing – thanks, Maggie!

      Posted 9.15.13 Reply
  105. Hummmmmmmm…… it’ beautiful!

    Thanks!

    Cris

    Posted 10.2.13 Reply
  106. That is the most beautiful sandwich I have ever seen.

    Posted 11.18.13 Reply
  107. kelly wrote:

    I hope you’re getting quite a bit of traffic from all the searching of sandwich cakes I’ve done the past couple of days. Yours is so pretty. I’ll have to show you my finished product. Hoping it turns out as lovely as yours.

    Posted 11.23.13 Reply
  108. Lora wrote:

    Hello there. Thank you for sharing. That is definitely something new and creative to me. I just have one quick question if you don’t mind? How do you or can you prevent the bread from getting soggy? I’m baffled by that lol. Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.

    Thank you!
    Lora

    Posted 1.10.14 Reply
    • Kathy Strahs wrote:

      Hi Lora — This is one time that you do actually want the bread to take on a little moisture. Not to the point of being soggy and saturated, but the fillings are intended to flavor the bread and be a little moist. ~ Kathy

      Posted 1.10.14 Reply
  109. Gaby wrote:

    We trying to make This beautyful cakesandwich!!’
    Thanks

    Posted 2.26.14 Reply
  110. Jenny wrote:

    Oh, my gosh, I have to try this!! So yummy and refreshing.

    Posted 3.12.14 Reply
  111. Elida Pinto de Massei wrote:

    Muy exquisito luce este sandwich para mi algo muy novedoso, saludable y práctico a mi familia le encantará, muchas gracias por compartir recetas de este estilo. ¡Bendiciones luminosas para tod@s!

    Posted 4.24.14 Reply