1 C Butter
1½ C Fine Fruit Sugar (Baker’s Sugar)
2 Eggs
1 T Almond Extract
3 T Cream
4 C Flour
2 tsp Cardamom
¼ tsp Salt
1 tsp Baking Powder
Cream butter. Add sugar, beating well, until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, mixing until fluffy. Add almond extract and cream, beating well. Mix together the dry ingredients. Gradually add to the butter mixture, mixing well. Form dough into an even mass on waxed paper; divide into 5 equal parts.
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Cut 5 pieces of waxed paper to fit a 9-inch cake pan. Spray the bottom of pan(s) with Baker’s Pam (the type that includes flour). Place a piece of waxed paper into pan(s), and spray again. Pat one part of dough evenly into each pan. Bake at 300 degrees F until cooked through but not brown, approx. 15 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes. Remove from pan. Repeat until all dough is baked.
Assemble cake by layering with lingonberry preserves between each layer, ¾ C to 1 C preserves per layer. Do not put preserves on top. Allow the cake to sit, covered, for a week or more before serving.
Variations and Notes: To make a 9×13 Vinarterta, double the recipe. Mix it in 2 batches (most mixers cannot accommodate a double recipe all at once). Each layer will use about 1 pound of dough. Bake approx. 18 minutes.
Canadian-style Vinarterta calls for prune filling and icing. Prune filling is made with 24 oz. of pitted prunes, 1½ C sugar, 1 C prune juice (may use ¼ C brandy for ¼ C of the juice), and 2 T cinnamon. Cover the prunes with water. Cook, boiling, until tender. Drain while reserving the water (which is now prune juice). Process or mash prunes. Add remaining ingredients and cook until thick like pudding, approx. 45 minutes. Icing is made by beating together 5 T butter, 3 C powdered sugar, 4+ T cream, and ½ tsp almond extract.
