Swedish Sticky Chocolate Cake (Kladdkaka)

Name: Swedish Sticky Chocolate Cake (Kladdkaka)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 27 min
Cuisine: Sweden
Ingredients: 1/2 cup (115 g) unsalted butter, plus a little extra for the pan; 1 1/4 cups (250 g) granulated sugar; 2 large eggs; 1/2 cup (60 g) all-purpose flour; 1/3 cup (30 g) unsweetened cocoa powder; 1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract; 1/4 teaspoon (1.5 g) fine salt; 1 tablespoon (8 g) powdered sugar, for dusting

Kladdkaka Say it: KLAD-kah-kah

By the Passport Plate editors. Published November 4, 2026.

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Kladdkaka — literally "sticky cake" — is Sweden's everyday chocolate cake: a single dense, fudgy layer with a thin crackly top and a soft, almost molten center. It is a fixture of the Swedish coffee break, fika, and one of the first cakes most Swedish bakers learn to make. There is no frosting, no beating of butter and sugar, and barely ten minutes in the oven. The result is closer to a brownie than a sponge, rich with cocoa and best eaten slightly warm.

Swedish Sticky Chocolate Cake (Kladdkaka)

Kladdkaka

Pronounced KLAD-kah-kah

Serves: 8
Prep: 15 min
Cook: 12 min
Total: 27 min
Level: Easy

Vegetarian

Also nut-free.

Allergens: contains gluten, milk, egg. Check labels on packaged ingredients.

Ingredients

8 servings

Cake

1/2 cup (115 g)115 g (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, plus a little extra for the pan
1 1/4 cups (250 g)250 g (1 1/4 cups) granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup (60 g)60 g (1/2 cup) all-purpose flour
1/3 cup (30 g)30 g (1/3 cup) unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon (5 ml)5 ml (1 teaspoon) vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon (1.5 g)1.5 g (1/4 teaspoon) fine salt

To finish

1 tablespoon (8 g)8 g (1 tablespoon) powdered sugar, for dusting

Method

Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Butter a 9-inch (23 cm) springform pan, line the base with a circle of parchment paper, and butter the paper too.
Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat until just liquid, then pull it off the heat and let it cool for 2 minutes so it will not scramble the eggs.
Stir the sugar, vanilla and salt into the warm butter until the mixture looks glossy and grainy, then whisk in the eggs one at a time until smooth and slightly thickened.
Sift the flour and cocoa powder together over the bowl and fold gently with a spatula just until no dry streaks remain — stop as soon as it is smooth, since overmixing makes the cake bready.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it level; it will be thick and glossy.
Bake for 10–13 minutes, until the edges are set, slightly puffed and just pulling away from the pan, while the center still looks shiny and wobbles faintly when you nudge the pan.
Set the pan on a rack and let the cake cool completely, at least 1 hour — it firms up considerably as it cools and that is what gives the fudgy middle.
Run a thin knife around the edge, release the springform ring, dust the top with powdered sugar and slice into wedges with a warm knife.

Regional variants

Many Swedish bakers swap the melted butter for browned butter for a nuttier depth, or stir a handful of chopped dark chocolate or toasted hazelnuts into the batter. A pinch of flaky sea salt on top before baking is a popular modern touch.

Cook's notes

Pull the cake out while the center still looks underbaked — residual heat finishes it, and an extra 2 minutes turns it into a dry chocolate sponge.
Chill the cooled cake for an hour before slicing for the cleanest, fudgiest wedges.
Use a good unsweetened cocoa; Dutch-process gives a darker, milder cake, natural cocoa a sharper, more intense one.

Serve with

Whipped cream, vanilla ice cream or fresh raspberries, with strong coffee.

Make ahead and storage

Keeps 3 days covered at room temperature or 1 week refrigerated; warm slices for 15 seconds in the microwave to bring back the gooey center.

Swedish Sticky Chocolate Cake (Kladdkaka)