Happy Marriage Cake, officially called Hjónabandssæla, is a traditional Icelandic cake. It’s unclear where the name comes from, but in my opinion, this cake has all the elements of a happy marriage – sweetness, coziness and a bit of spice. Happy Marriage Cake is made with a homemade rhubarb jam and a tasty, crumbly oatmeal top. Hugo made this cake for me for my birthday last year and it is absolutely divine.
What is a Happy Marriage Cake?
A light and delicious Icelandic cake made with rhubarb and crumbly oatmeal.
Happy Marriage Cake Ingredients
- Fresh rhubarb
- Dark sugar
- Maple syrup
- Powdered vanilla
- Sugar
- Dark sugar
- Oats
- Flour
- Cardamom
- Ginger powder
- Baking soda
- Egg
- Butter
- Icing sugar
How to make a Happy Marriage Cake, Step by Step
Prepare the rhubarb jam
- Step 1 – Heat the rhubarb with dark sugar and maple syrup on medium heat for 10 minutes.
- Step 2 – Add the vanilla and continue to cook for 10 minutes. Leave to cool then put in the fridge.
Make the cake
- Step 1 – Mix the sugar, dark sugar, oats, flour, cardamom, ginger and baking soda in the bowl of your stand alone mixer and mix with the paddle attachment on low speed.
- Step 2 – Add the egg and continue to mix.
- Step 3 – Add the butter and mix until combined. Don’t over mix.
- Step 4 – Put in a plastic wrap in refrigerate for 2 hours.
- Step 5 – Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C)
- Step 6 – Cut a third of the dough and put aside.
- Step 7 – Roll the 2/3 of the dough 1/3 inch thin and put the dough in a 8 inches pastry ring. Add the rhubarb jam.
- Step 8 – Add the rest of the dough over the jam by making some small pieces.
- Step 9 – Bake for 25 minutes. Leave to cool.
- Step 10 – Sprinkle with icing sugar.
Make this Hjónabandssæla your own!
Add your own twist to the recipe…
- The traditional recipe calls for rhubarb but you could absolutely use another fruit if you prefer, such as apple, blueberry, raspberry or a mixture of fruits.
For more Icelandic culinary inspiration, make sure you check out these 7 dishes you have to eat in Iceland (via Vogue).
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Happy Marriage Cake (Hjónabandssæla)
This heavenly combination of rhubarb jam and oats in this simple Icelandic cake is pure Heaven!
If you love this recipe, please give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Pin for later!
Happy Marriage Cake (Hjónabandssæla)
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: For 4 people 1x
Description
Traditional Icelandic Happy Marriage Cake made with rhubarb and oats. So tasty!
Ingredients
For the rhubarb jam
- 1 lbs of rhubarb (peeled and diced)
- 1/4 cup of dark sugar
- 2 tbsp of maple syrup
- 1/4 tsp of vanilla powder
For the cake
- 1/4 cup of sugar
- 2 tbsp of dark sugar
- 3/4 cup of oats
- 1 cup of flour
- 1/2 tsp of cardamom
- 1 tsp of ginger powder
- 1/2 tsp of baking soda
- 1 egg (beaten)
- 1 stick of butter (softened and diced)
- 1 tsp of icing sugar
Instructions
Prepare the rhubarb jam
- Step 1 – Heat the rhubarb with dark sugar and maple syrup on medium heat for 10 minutes.
- Step 2 – Add the vanilla and continue to cook for 10 minutes. Leave to cool then put in the fridge.
Make the cake
- Mix the sugar, dark sugar, oats, flour, cardamom, ginger and baking soda in the bowl of your stand mixer and mix with the paddle attachment on low speed.
- Add the egg and continue to mix.
- Add the butter and mix until combined. Don’t over mix!
- Put in a plastic wrap in refrigerate for 2 hours.
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C)
- Cut a third of the dough and put aside.
- Roll the 2/3 of the dough 1/3 inch thin and put the dough in a 8 inches pastry ring. Add the rhubarb jam.
- Add the rest of the dough over the jam by making some small pieces.
- Bake for 25 minutes. Leave to cool.
- Sprinkle with icing sugar.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Cuisine: Icelandic
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