On my way to Stockholm in 2014, I bit into the • most delicious slice of cake at an airport. I marveled at the soft pastel green marzipan that covered the entire dome-shaped cake. In the centre was a delightful rose. Inside, sandwiched between layers of sponge cake, were fresh cream, jam and custard.

An amateur then, I thought that princesstarta (princess cake) making was best left to highly skilled chefs.

Fast forward to 2020. One summer evening, I had friends coming over for dinner. I already had a Belgian stoemp, which is a mix of vegetables, gravy and sausage thrown over mashed potatoes, on the menu. I searched the internet for a dessert, and soon, despite a voice in my head cautioning against it, I chose to make prinsesstarta. I convinced myself I could do it. And so the hunt for a doable recipe and the history of this unique dessert began.

In the early 20th century, the brother of Gustav V of Sweden employed Jenny Akerstrom, a Swede, to teach his daughters, the princesses Margaretha, Märtha and Astrid, cooking and other domestic chores. Among other dishes, Akerstrom made prinsesstarta for them. Later, she also authored a series of cookbooks named Princessornas Kokbok (Princess Cookbook), where researchers found reference to a `green cake.` Later, as a marketing strategy, this green cake became prinsesstarta. The renaming must`ve been helped by the fact that the princesses loved it.

Sweden, a country located in northern Europe, is known for its sweet tooth. According to one average, Swedes cat more than 15 kilogrammes of sweets per person per year. Candy eating is usually limited to Saturdays, but other sweets may be eaten daily. Fika, a tradition which allows colleagues, family or friends to congregate, is a coffee break with something sweet to eat. Usually, the sweets consist of cinnamon buns, apple cakes, marzipan cloaked pastries and saffron cookies, among other things.

The prinsesstarta fits right into the Swedes craving for sweets. Annually, at least 500,000 princess cakes are sold.

The third week in September is National Princess Cake Week. A portion of the proceeds from the sales benefits chronically ill, disabled children and adolescents.

The marzipan which covers the dome shaped cake is one of my favourite sweets. This delicious confectionary is made from almonds and sugar ground together, with rosewater and almond extract. When I was growing up in Karachi, our Easter eggs were made of marzipan. Wrapped in silver paper, when cracked, all sorts of little candies and toys came tumbling out. I haven`t had a marzipan Easter egg since I left Pakistan in 1992 and I miss them badly! I`m sure now you can`t wait for the recipe! Please bear in mind that mine is a somewhat simpler version than the traditional Swedish one, but equally enjoyable! PRINSESSTARTA FOR THE CAKE INGREDIENTS 4eggs5 ounces of sugar 2.5 ounces of all-purpose flour 2.5 ounces of cornflour/cornstarch 1teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon vanilla extract 2 ounces unsalted butter, melted ahead METHOD Beat the eggs, extract and sugar with an electric beater for five minutes or until the mixture has a pale colour. Sift flour, cornflour and baking powder into the egg mixture. Add the melted butter. Stir with a large spoon until all the batter is mixed. To prevent gluten from forming, do not stir for too long. Line a seven-inch round baking pan with parchment paper, pour cake mixture in and bake at 325° Fahrenheit (165° Celsius) for 25 minutes. When the cake cools, remove from the pan and discard the liner.

FOR THE CUSTARD INGREDIENTS 2.5 tablespoons custard powder ½ litre milk 4 tablespoons sugar METHOD Combine custard powder and 8.5 tablespoons of the milk to make a paste. Boil the remaining milk with the sugar and then turn off the stove. Add the custard paste and cook again for two to three minutes. Stir frequently to avoid burning. When it cools, refrigerate.

FOR THE JAM INGREDIENTS ½ pound of any fresh, red berry Juice from ½ a lemon or lime Half cup sugar METHOD Wash berries and put them in a pot. Add lemon/ lime juice and sugar, and turn the stove on to medium-low. Stir every few minutes. When the mixture turns thick, stir all the while until it leaves the sides of the pot and starts to glisten. Turn the stove off and let it cool.

FOR THE CREAM INGREDIENTS 1 cup of confectioners`sugar 1 pint heavy cream METHOD Put all the contents into a large bowl and beat with an electric beater until stiff peaks are formed FOR THE MARZIPAN INGREDIENTS 1.5 cup blanched almonds 1 cup confectioners` sugar 1teaspoon rosewater 1teaspoon almond extract The white of one egg 12 drops each of green and yellow food colouring to achieve a pastel green colour The tiniest drop of red food colouring METHOD Pulse almonds and sugar in a food processor.

Add rosewater, almond extract and egg white and pulse until mixed thoroughly. Remove a walnutsized amount of marzipan, add red colour to it (and more sugar if sticky) and mix with your hand. After that, wrap in plastic and later Google a technique to make a rose. Add green and yellow colours to the remaining marzipan and pulse. Marzipan must be dough-like. so add more sugar to reach that goal. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate.

ASSEMBLING THE PRINSESSTARTA Cut the cake horizontally into three slices of equal thickness. Place six to eight tablespoons of custard in a piping bag and pipe the edges of the bottom slice in a circle. Apply jam on top of the slice starting from the centre until you reach the custard. Now, top it with the middle slice. Apply 10 tablespoons of custard on to the middle slice and spread evenly. Mix the remaining custard with a quarter of the cream (beat with an electric beater if not stiff enough) and apply it over the custard.

Place the third slice on top of it. Take the remaining cream and apply it over the third slice, forming a dome at the top and covering the sides of the cake as well. Refrigerate for two to three hours. Using confectioners` sugar to deter it from sticking to the board, roll out the green marzipan to the size of the entire cake from top to bottom. Remove the cake from the fridge and cover entirely with marzipan.

Trim off excess marzipan. Dust with confectioners sugar and place the rose on top, in the centre of the cake. Serve and enjoy!