Kärleksmums – Swedish Chocolate Cake with Mocha Glaze and Coconut
Kärleksmums, is a Swedish chocolate cake with mocha glaze and coconut. It’s perfect for Valentine’s Day or anytime you want to up the love.
This brownie-like cake is a classic in Sweden, where it is known as “Kärleksmums.” Kärleksmums literally translates to “Love’s yum.” I would say this is a suitable name since chances are it will add both love and yum to your day!
No Need to “Healthify”
When I mentioned to my kids that I was going to make Kärleksmums into a blog recipe one of them asked if I was going to make it healthier. The answer, “no.”
It’s true, I used to “healthify” almost every baking recipe. However, after years of learning more about intuitive eating, I now know that this is not needed. Recipes are meant to be enjoyed and savored in any form that you find delicious and satisfying. There is no need to always bake with whole grains or reduce sugar.
As my middle school English teacher said, words like “always” and “never” are strong words that should be used sparingly. I think this is especially important to remember when it comes to food and nutrition. It can be easy to say “you should never eat ___” or label foods into categories of “good” or “bad” to help guide what we eat.
This is not intuitive eating. It’s listening to an outside guide, not your own inner wisdom.
Sure, it’s ok to change a recipe to make it more nutrient-dense or lower in sugar. But it’s not something you always, or even ever, have to do. There are times when you may want a “healthified” version of the original. For example, I generally prefer a fiber-filled, nutrient-dense breakfast muffin over a cake-like breakfast muffin. However, when it comes to enjoying cake like this Kärleksmums, I usually prefer the white flour, sugar-filled original. Yum!
There is something to be said for enjoying a recipe in its original or best-tasting form. And an important part of enjoying food means doing so without a side of guilt or diet thoughts.
Dessert Please
Ok, so back to this Kärleksmums. If you are looking to mix up your dessert rotation, I recommend adding this cake. My whole family absolutely loves it. You can easily leave out the coffee in the glaze, but if you like coffee, try it! My kids love it, though I often use decaf Nespresso so that we won’t be up all night.
Topping the cake with a “glaze” instead of a “frosting” is the traditional way to make it. However, if you prefer a more whipped, frosting-like consistency, use an electric whisk to make it fluffier. (My older son and I actually prefer it that way.)
In addition to dessert, this cake is also perfect for fika. Fika is the Swedish tradition of taking a break to enjoy a cup of coffee or tea and a little something to eat. It’s usually done with friends or family, but a mindful fika break by yourself is also totally cool.
Recipe Credit
This Kärleksmums recipe is adapted from a Swedish one by Fredrik Nylén. I follow Fredrik’s amazing baking on his Insta account @fredriksfika. His cheery personality and mouth-watering baked goods are hard to resist.
Kärleksmums – Swedish Chocolate Cake with Mocha Glaze
Equipment
- 1 8×8 or 9×9 cake pan
Ingredients
Cake
- 3 large eggs
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 pinch salt
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- ⅓ cup + 1 tablespoon milk or unsweetened non-dairy milk (I use oat milk)
Mocha Glaze
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1½ – 3 tablespoons strong coffee (regular or decaf)
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened, shredded coconut
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8×8 or 9×9 cake pan with parchment paper.
- Add the eggs, sugar, and vanilla extract to a large bowl. Use an electric whisk to whip until fluffy.
- In another, smaller bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt. (If cocoa is clumpy, run the whole mixture through a sieve or sifter.)
- Stir in the dry mixture, butter, and milk into the whipped egg-sugar mixture. Use the electic whisk on its lowest setting or a spatula to combine until blended.
- Pour the batter into the cake pan. Use a spatula to get everything out and to smooth the top. Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. (It will be closer to 20 minutes for a 9×9 pan and closer to 25 minutes for an 8×8 pan).
- While the cake is cooling, make the glaze. First, melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Next, stir in the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, coffee, and vanilla extract. Mix until smooth, adding more coffee as needed to get the right consistency. (Note: if you want a more fluffy, frosting-like mixture, use an electric whisk to combine everything).
- Carefully transfer the cake to a cutting board or large plate. Use a toothpick to stick some holes into it. (This is not a must, but allows the glaze to seep into the cake.)
- Spread the glaze over the cake using a spatula. Sprinkle with the coconut. Slice into as many pieces as you want and enjoy!
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