Two+ Scandinavian Bakeries: Byen Bakeri and Midsommar…

… and Delightful Neighborhood Market, too.

Norway’s Constitution Day, 17th of May, has come and gone. It was a day we celebrated with baked goods from Byen Bakeri, a Scandinavian pâtisserie¹ located in Queen Anne.

Now, many bakeries claim they provide proper Scandinavian goods, but most don’t. Not really. They might serve über-flavored approximations, but rarely do they meet the more delicate Scandinavian sensibilities. One could apply many litmus tests to determine if a bakery is the real deal, and to me, that baseline comes from the Princess Cake.

A quick intermission: There is a Norwegian Princess Cake and there is a Swedish Princess Cake, the latter of which most (Norwegians included) consider to be the genuine article. I’m sure there’s a lot to get into about that, but the Swedish variety is prevalent enough to be the Princess Cake, even on Norway’s Constitution Day. (I consider this to be a highly generous opinion on my part.) Now back to your regularly scheduled post.

On paper, the Princess Cake is relatively simple in flavors: A layered sponge cake with pastry cream and whipped cream, covered in smooth, green marzipan. Byen also adds raspberry jam, which, while not traditional, has become fairly du jour.

So, yes, it is simple on paper, but in practice, there is a complex balance. The large amounts of cream can make the palate overly sweet when it should be richer. In other words, restrained use of sugar in the whipped cream is a necessity – leave the sweetness to the pastry cream. The marzipan should reign, with the creams coming in as a close second. It’s a balancing act for sure, one that Byen masters. Getting that dome shape right is tricky, too.

You could argue that Norwegian Bløtkake is a more appropriate pick for Constitution Day, and while that probably is true, I still prefer Princess Cake. It’s time to forgive and forget, and what better way to do so than with tasty Scandinavian baked goods?

Find Byen Bakeri in Queen Anne, 15 Nickerson St, Seattle, and on the web.

---

Continuing down the Swedish path, you’ll find Midsommar Bakery, which offers, and I quote, “authentic Swedish baking from the heart of Tacoma, WA.” They don’t have a storefront, but you can find their goods at Proctor Farmers’ Market and at select coffee shops – Delightful Market in North Tacoma being one of them. More about them in a second.

Just like Norwegian and Swedish Princess Cakes are two different things, so are the countries’ cinnamon bun equivalents, kanelboller. In this case, the Norwegian variety is better, but all respect to the Swedes: they deserve an honorable second place.

In all honesty, the difference between the buns is negligible. The Swedish variety is a bit drier, with less of a cinnamon bite. And much as I prefer a Norwegian bun, Midsommar’s kanelbolle is one hundred percent what you should expect from the authentic Swedish variety. If you’re in the mood for a slightly sweet and just a tad spicy pastry, it will likely hit the spot as part of a fika.

Finally, Delightful Market. This is a good spot to pick up Midsommar’s products. The half-market/half-coffee-shop has a decent-sized case filled with baked goods from both Midsommar and other bakeries – a place to sample a variety of local vendors. Their espresso drinks are excellent, and they even sell Naomi Joe beans, so all respect to that.

Both Midsommar and Delightful are recommended – check them out if you head to Tacoma.

Find Delightful at 4818 N 45TH St, and on the web. The best way to keep up with Midsommar is (alas) on Instagram. Props to them for having a rocking logo.

---

PS!

OK, I guess I didn’t show what a Norwegian Princess Cake looks like, so, courtesy of Tine, here you go.

I’ve never tried one, but it looks vaguely like a mix between kanelboller and skolebrød.

1. “Byen Bakeri” translates to “The City Bakery.”