Prinsesstårta - The recipe

A Swedish classic ;)

Prinsesstårta
(Schwedentorte DE, Princess cake EN)

12-14 pieces

Ingredients:

Bottom:

4 eggs

2 cup white sugar

1 cup flour

1 cup potato flour (Kartoffelstärke DE)

2 teaspoons baking powder

Filling:

5 gelatine leaves (not a must, but then the filling won't be as solid)

2 cup thick vanilla custard (Marsankräm SE)

2 teaspoons vanilla powder

5 dl whipped cream

1-2 dl raspberry jam

Decoration:

A marzipan lid (or 300 g marzipan mixed with green or red household paint)

Marzipan roses or your own choice of decoration

1 tsp powdered sugar

Marzipan roses:

20-40 g green marzipan

20-40 g pink/red marzipan

Follow these steps:

Please use an electric mixer to make the batter for the bottom.

Grease and sprinkle a round shaped bakingmold (24 cm in diameter) with bread-crumbs (you can also use oatmeal or grated coconut if you're out of breadcrumbs).

Beat eggs and sugar until white and fluffy.

Add the baking powder, flour bottom and potato flour and stir into a smooth batter.

Pour the batter into the pan and bake in the bottom of the oven at 175°C for around 40 minutes.

Let the cake stand in the mold for a few minutes then remove from mold and let it cool down.

Once cooled down, slice it into 2 or 3 layers. This is best done with a long bread knife.

Filling:

Put the gelatine leaves in cold water and then add to the custard when ready and if needed. If you use the Swedish Marsankräm, then no gelatine should be needed.

Whip the cream until it's really thick. It has to be almost rigid.

Put the Raspberry jam on the first layer, custard on the second and the cream on the third - but save a little bit of cream.

Spread the rest of the cream on top and a bit around the edges so the marzipan lid sticks better.

Decoration:

Place the marzipan lid on the cake (directly on the cream).

Sift powdered sugar over.

Marzipan roses:

Form small leaves of the pink/red marzipan and with the leaves you build up a rose by layering. Shape the leaves of green marzipan.

Use the knife on the leaves to draw patterns. Decorate the cake with roses and leaves (I always poke a hole in the marzizan lid to make the roses stick ;))

Ready to serve!

The cake will taste better if you allow it to be refrigerated between 4 and 12 hours before serving.

Enjoy!!!

xox

Linda - Lost in Switzerland

Photoblog: Swedish National Day

Yesterday, June 6th, was the Swedish national day!

We celebrated by having a picnic in sunny Schaffhausen with some other Swedes living here, eating Swedish pastries, drinking Swedish coffee (Gevalia mellanrost) and playing kubb!

I also made a "Princesstårta" or "Princess cake" or as the Swiss call it, "Schwedentorte" ;))

It was an amazing afternoon!!
xox

Linda - A Swede Lost in Switzerland

Oh my?! It's JUNE already!

JUNE as in S U M M E R !!!

I can't believe how rapidly time flies by when you're not really paying attention! I guess I must have been pre-occupied.... OK, so here's a little update:

I'm........

Happy about: The official arrival of summer!

Disappointed about: How some people just never seem to grow up and even worse, how you think you know someone and then realize you were wrong =(

Thinking about: Food! Dinner!! It'll be Swedish waffles!! If you haven't figured it out yet............. I ♥ FOOD!!

Annoyed with: My new EMU USB Tracker and Sonar Cakewalk - Audio dropouts!! Anyone any ideas??

Listening to: Just the sound of me typing on my keyboard.

Imagining: That Sweden would have actually qualified into the FIFA world cup 2010 so I could have followed it with true PASSION! Aaaawwwww......why why why??

Worrying about: Not finding the perfect little house in the Stockholm archipelago this August.... It has to have a Sauna, a wooden pier (as walking slowly into the water is NOT an option!), be relatively accessible from the mainland (I'm talking about mobile phone reception ;)), available between August 6-15th and not be ridiculously expensive. Not that easy, I can assure you ;)

Feeling: Hopeful, in love and at peace.

Hoping: That the nice weather comes this weekend like the weather forecast is currently promising! I want picnics and some freckles!

Looking forward to: Eating Indian food tomorrow night!!! It's been awhile! ....again food! Mmmmmm.....

Relieved by: Recieving my speeding ticket just to realise it was not at all as bad as I feared....and just to be clear - YES I learned my lesson!

Wondering: When I will be able to find good flight tickets to go home to Sweden for a weekend. I still haven't met my little niece =(

Thankful for: Chris, my friends and my family!

Wanting: Someone, ANYONE to help me figure out why Cakewalk is failing me (or why I am failing Cakewalk will probably be the likely scenario ;))

Wishing: ....you all a wooooonderful week!!

Take care.......and SMILE ♥

xox

Linda - Lost in Switzerland

Chocolate cupcakes - My own recipe

The other day, I experimented my way to baking some really lovely chocolate cupcakes.
Here is the result and the recipe

(Megan - as promised ;))

Chocolate Cupcakes (around 16)

3 eggs

2.5 dl white sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

50 g unsalted butter

1 dl yoghurt (natural or vanilla)

3.5 dl white flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

4 tablespoons Cocoa powder (I used Caotina Noir)

A pinch of salt

100 g dark chocolate

Directions

Start by preheating the oven to 175 degrees.

Beat the eggs, sugar and vanilla extract until it's white and quite fluffy.

Melt the butter, add the yoghurt and mix it with the egg mixture.

Now mix flour, baking powder, cocoa and salt and fold gently into the batter.

Chop the dark chocolate roughly and melt it in a bowl over boiling water or alternatively in the microwave.

Place the paperliners in an owen-pan and fill them with 2 / 3 of batter.

Bake in center of oven for about 15 minutes.

Allow to cool down properly before adding the frosting ;)

Chocolate frosting

60 g unsalted butter, softened

5 dl powder sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

0.5 teaspoon vanilla powder

0.5 dl Cocoa powder (I used Caotina Noir)

100 g Philadelphia cheese

100 g Dark chocolate of good quality

Mix everything together in a bowl with an electric mixer but the melted chocolate.

Add the melted chocolate last.

Now just spread the frosting on the cupcakes and add some sprinkles, flowers or berries and TA-DAAAA!!!

If you do decide to try, please let me know what you thought?

Enjoy (I did......too many actually ;))!!

xox

Linda

"Borta bra men hemma bäst"

It's now been nearly two years since I moved away from Sweden, and all though it's normally quite easy for me to adapt, to stay positive and think ahead, some days this is really, really truly difficult.

If someone would ask me if I ever regret moving - there is no way I'd ever say yes!!

What is there to regret? I love living abroad!!

I love this feeling of complete independence!!

It toughens you up and makes you a stronger person. It gives you the feeling that you are in complete control of your own destiny and that YOU, and no one else, is at the steering-wheel

- windows down, full speed on open roads, stereo-blasting with your favourite music, wind in your hair!! A daily dosage of light adrenaline hitting you in a slow, steady stream.

....but then, there are times, not often, but like right this minutes, when this indepencece can also switch over to complete and utter loneliness (borderline style) and when it does - a wave of sadness so intense and so powerful washes over you and in that moment it is as if you realise exactly how small you are in this world. You don't stand a chance.....

All you can do is just close your eyes and let it pass by....because just like fear of the dark or the anticipation just before getting a shot at the doctors-office, you know that eventually, probably almost instantly or at LEAST shortly it will all pass by and you will again be back in that drivers-seat! Smiling...looking into that rear-view mirror thankful for all the things you've seen, feeling happy for and somewhat proud of yourself for daring to jump!

To all my wonderful friends and family back home: I miss you ❤ Always.....

xox
Linda - Lost in Switzerland, feeling a liiiiittle bit home-sick...after all, I'm only human ;))

In the mood for baking cupcakes?

Ever dreamed of baking cupcakes as scrumptious as the ones from the Magnolia bakery?

Well guess what? Here is the recipe and some incredibly cute baking-accessories ;)

Magnolia Bakery Cupcakes Recipe (2 dozen cupcakes)

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups of self-rising flour

• 1 1/4 cups of all-purpose flour

• 1 cup of unsalted butter, softened

• 2 cups of sugar

• 4 large eggs (room temperature)

• 1 cup of milk

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (pre-heat the oven properly to ensure the right temperature).

Line two 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake papers.

Combine the flours in a small bowl. Set aside.

In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth.

Add the sugar gradually and beat until fluffy (about 3 minutes).

Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the dry ingredients in three parts, alternating with the milk and vanilla. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated but do not overbeat. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl to make sure the ingredients are well blended. Carefully spoon the batter into the cupcake liners, filling them about three-quarters full. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean.

Cool the cupcakes in the tins for 15 minutes.
Remove from the tins and cool completely on a wire rack before icing.

Vanilla Buttercream Icing (also from Magnolia)

Ingredients

• 1 cup of unsalted butter, softened

• 6-8 cups of confectioners’ sugar

• 1/2 cup of milk

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions

Place the butter in a large mixing bowl. Add 4 cups of the sugar and then the milk and vanilla.

On the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat until smooth and creamy, about 3-5 minutes.

Gradually add the remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition (about 2 minutes), until the icing is thick enough to be of a good spreading consistency. You may not need to add all of the sugar.

If desired, add a few drops of food coloring and mix thoroughly. (Use and store the icing at room temperature because icing will set if chilled.) Icing can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Enjoy!!!!

Links to the baking accessories:

Mini cupcake liners

Pink spatula

Purple bowls

xox

Linda - Lost in Switzerland, dreaming about cupcakes ♥ .......mmmm.....

Taking a closer look at love......

...or subject should more accurately be "How to keep believing in love".

For my frequent readers, you'll know I had a give-away a few weeks back where one of the tasks to win was to suggest upcoming blog-topics.

Just to be clear.... I'm no expert!! Simply a blogger with a task....or a mission if you will.......

EMMA E - this one is for you ;))

How to keep believing in love

Well......honestly, when you are happily in love, this is the easiest thing in the world and just the opposite when you are not.

So, how can you keep believing in love when all you do is get hurt, get turned down, feel alone, get flirted with by people you couldn't even consider having a 2 minute conversation with or worse (?) not flirted with at all??

Gosh..... If I had the answer to this, I'd be rich in selling books and probably even have my own TV-show by now!! No one can really answer this question as it would depend on everyone being shaped in the same mold....which is far from our reality!

BUT, I do have some thoughts on things to keep in mind while trying to believe in love ;)

♥ There is absolutely NO reason for you to settle for something less than awesome!! If you are afraid of being alone, ask yourself why and work on that first..... I mean, if you don't like your own company, why do you expect someone else to? A mindset like that wears off on people...

♥ Remember that YOU are certainly unique and awesome!

♥ Everyone has flaws. No one is perfect!! That's as true for you as for everyone else.........

♥ Trust your intuition.

♥ Compromising is sometimes necessary, but beware of compromising too much on things that really matter to you!! After all, you want someone who loves you, no?

♥ All good relationships require hard work...... Flawless is for things - NOT for people.

♥ Believing that you alone can make someone else happy or believing that someone else alone can make you happy is neither realistic nor fare (I'm trying to learn this one myself ;)) ...finding someone who loves to see you happy is probably more the key here than finding someone who can make you happy.

♥ Stop obsessing about it!! People can sense these things more than you can imagine....whether THEY know it or not. ......so stop obsessing, but don't stop trying. I realise being alone and being low is not easy....but do you honestly think being happy all the time is?? Hard work pays off in the end.....

♥ Tell yourself that when it comes to love, being naive is way better than being cynical!!

Imagine meeting someone for a date and all you hear is "I don't believe in that shit...." or "Everyone knows love is for fools....." or "Of course there is no such thing as love at first sight!!".

Not fun to hear.....not fun to believe.....simply not fun.

♥ Meeting someone while your out dancing/partying is tricky....but I do have a small theory!!

I call it "The smiling theory" (yes, it has been slightly tested, but it should be mentioned, there was alcohol involved.....both for the testers and the preacher of this theory ;)).

Best shown in pictures:

POSERS (I'm talking Zoolander, Blue steel ;)) will be sure or at least have huge potential to find someone willing to take them home for the night.

SMILERS are much more likely to find someone who falls in love with their smile and will want to make sure that smile stays on.

KEEP SMILING!!!! If not successful, at least you'll train your facial muscles ;)) (Happiness is the best facelift!).

♥ Shouldn't the question rather be "Why would you NOT believe in love??" After all......Everybody wants to love and be loved in some way.

♥ ......and those who say they don't, believe they have a good reason for it. My opinion is that they are most likely wrong - but you or I can't change their minds. They have to want to change and some people are unfortunately comfortable being miserable..... Sad but nevertheless true. Love is scary!!!! Especially the thought of unreturned love.

♥ Mindset is key! Keep believing. You have to!! “A man is but the product of his thoughts what he thinks, he becomes” Mahatma Gandhi

♥ ....last but not least!! Miracles happen over and over, the sun rises every morning, people have invented AMAZING things, roughly 359 000 children are born every day. Why would you not be able to believe in such a natural part of life as LOVE?

♥ I think this Deepak Chopra quote is veeeeeery good too: "The known is the prison of past conditioning. We must step into the unknown to be free"

...isn't it also so that many times, we are still dwelling on things that happened in the past which disables us from moving on?? Are you attracted to the impossible because you don't want to be vulnerable in the possible?? Maybe you don't want to let someone in because you're scared of being hurt? Be bold!! Take risks! Dive into the cold water!! After all, if you never try, you'll never know........ Try and fail - but don't fail to try!!

What doesn't kill you DOES make you who you are and you are stronger because of it. Regretting things you never did is much worse because you didn't even get the experience out of those, just the headache ;))

♥ Be yourself in your quest for love!!! Everyone else is already taken!

Conclusion....

There is no such thing as a special universal recipe for love or for how to make someone love you OR to fall in love with someone for that matter.... What you can do is simply relax and go with the flow!! BUT, make sure you are fit for purpose. What I mean is make sure you are happy with who you are and if you're not - find out why and deal with it.

Enjoy your own company....same principle, if you don't, ask yourself why. I for sure believe that change is possible if you WANT to change.

I think this is the 3rd or 4th time I write this - but I will write it over and over again:

THE WORLD IS YOUR OYSTER!!! You can do whatever you want to do (within legal limits ;))) and be whatever you want to be!!! Believe this and good things will come your way........eventually.......

xox

Linda - Believer in and lover of LOVE ♥♥♥ .....lost in Switzerland...

A long weekend, a wedding and high hopes for better weather...

Toooodleeedoooo!

Weekend, a long one, just around the corner (well, actually for me it already begun this morning)!

The plans: Relaxation, picnics, a wedding, shopping and hopefully a few good movies...

The weather: Still really bad here, but I'm feeling hopeful! The weather forecast says 21 degrees and sunny tomorrow with 90% certainty ;)

The mood: Quite awesome actually!

I decided to take the day off today....... Why? Just because!! Sometimes I have the feeling that there is never ever enough time to do what I really want to do, which is simply relax. So today, I slept in until almost 10, had a late and long breakfast while watching Greys Anatomy and just plan to spend the rest of the day taking care of myself. Blogging, shopping, some kind of massage or facial-treatment, gym and/or a long walk is on my to-do list today, but nothing is forced....no musts!

The weather has been ridiculously bad here in Switzerland lately but I have high hopes for the weekend!! Seriously! I have been freezing like a shaved polar-bear!! BUT now I'm hearing 24 degrees towards Sunday/Monday and all I can say is WELCOME MARVELLOUS RAYS OF SUNSHINE!!!

For the Swedes reading this, I know you are better off!! Yes, I have been reading your blogs, Tweets and Facebook updates with words like "incredible heat", "sunshine", "tanning", "BBQ" and even "sweat" (yes!) etc etc and have felt such an envious kind of joy.....if you know what I mean ;) Well.....good things come to those who wait with patience I hear and I am very well trained in being patient........and I do agree to 99% with John Ruskin:

“Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, snow is exhilarating; there is really no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather.”

So on to the wedding..... Yes, my boyfriends friends (gotta love these way of describing relations....is there really no easier way than "my friends dads friends cousin" etc? I'm asking for help here ;)) wedding party is tomorrow! Shirts have to be ironed, dresses need to be matched with shoes, bags and ties, inventory levels of rightly-coloured-make-up needs checking, nails need to be groomed and painted, hair-styling thoughts need to take form and and and etc etc etc..........if you are a girl, you are very likely to know EXACTLY what I'm talking about. If you are a guy, you are more likely to shake your head and think things like "Oh for F's sake!" or "I'm so happy I'm a man" or maybe even "Eeek!" and all I can say is "I hear ya!".

...but what can I say?? I'm actually comfortable in the girlie-girl-stereo-type.....not because I have to, but because I want to.......... Don't knock it till you try it!

Anyway, that's round-about what's happening over here at the moment!!

Hope you have amazing plans for the weekend or if you don't, that you make the most of that potential opportunity for resting and regain some energy.

xox

Linda - Lost in a pile of thoughts related to shoes, bags and dresses and getting VERY close to the final choice ;)

Ps. I'm also starting to plan some posts as suggested by you in the latest give-away competition, so keep checking....

Over the top award

I have been the lucky receiver of the "Over the top award"!

This "Over the top blog award" has some rules :

1. Use only 1 word answers.

2. Pass along to 6 of your favourite bloggers.

3. Tell them you've given them the award.

4. Tell the person who awarded you when you have posted your answers!

1. Where is your cell phone? Table

2. Your hair? Straight

3. Your mother? Anne

4. Your father? Tom

5. Your favorite food? Seafood

6. Your dream last night? Swimming

7. Your favorite drink? Champagne

8. Your dream/goal? Happiness

9. What room are you in? Livingroom

10. Your hobby? Singing

11. Your fear? Regret

12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Parent

13. Where were you last night? Chris

14. Something that you aren’t? Disciplined

15. Muffins? Cupcakes!!!!!

16. Wish list item? Watch

17. Where did you grow up? Munktorp

18. Last thing you did? Balance-board

19. What are you wearing? Cosy-clothes

20. Your TV? 42-inch

21. Your pets? None

22. Friends? AWESOME!!

23. Your life? Busy

24. Your mood? Fabulous

25. Missing someone? Always

26. Vehicle? Yep

27. Something you’re not wearing? Fur

28. Your favorite store? Shopbop.com

29. Your favorite color? Rainbow

30. When was the last time you laughed? Earlier

31. Last time you cried? Saturday

32. Your best friend? AMAZING!

33. One place that I go to over and over? Dominican Republic

34. One person who emails me regularly? Boss

35. Favorite place to eat? Picnic

I will pass this award on to:

Katja

Sprinkle Diary

Fraidi

Om en tjej

Robin och Magnus

+ the next blogger who comments on my post ;))

xox

Linda - not so good at one-word-answers, lost in Switzerland

Things to remember.....

I wish you all a wonderful week!!

xox

Linda - Lost in Switzerland