Lingonberries are part of the heather family of plants and grow in America, Europe and Asia, but only up north in the Arctic cold, where no other berry thrives. Lingonberries have grown in the wild in northern Europe but most famously in the lands of Scandinavia. They look very similar to huckleberries or cranberries, and you might have heard people call lingonberries foxberries, bearberries or mountain cranberries, but they’re all the same brightly colored fruit.

What does a lingonberry taste like?

When you think about the taste of lingonberries, think of tart cherries and cranberries. Lingonberries have a sour acidic taste, but they’re slightly sweet as well. You’ll find them fresh in late summer and fall — the longer the berries hang, the sweeter and less bitter.

Is Lingonberry Jam the way to go?

Since finding fresh lingonberries is not particularly easy, the best way to treat yourself to the Nordic fruit is in Lingonberry jam. After lingonberries are picked, they are cooked like cranberries and sweetened to reduce the tart flavor. The fruit is mashed with sugar to preserve their nutrients. Although we don’t sell lingonberry jam here at Spoonabilities, we do have a few resources below to help you find some, and our favorite is Lingonberry Fruit Spread from Scandinavian Delights.

Hazelnut Lingonberry Cake

Name: Lingonberry Cake with hazelnut lingonberry filling
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Cuisine: Scandinavian
Ingredients: 2+3/4 cups flour; 1 cup buttermilk; 1 cup sugar; 1 teaspoon vanilla; 1 teaspoon baking soda; 1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts or almonds; 1/2 teaspoon baking powder; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1 Tablespoon sugar; 1 cup room temperature butter; 1+1/2 teaspoons cinnamon; 2 beaten eggs; 1/4 cup Lingonberry Fruit Spread

Description

Hazelnut Lingonberry Cake brings out the best lingonberry taste from the crunchiness of the hazelnut crumb mix and lingonberry jam center, to the different layers of flavor in the cake.

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Ingredients

Units Scale

2+3/4 cups flour
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts or almonds
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 cup room temperature butter
1+1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 beaten eggs
1/4 cup Lingonberry Fruit Spread

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Instructions

Heat oven to 350 F.
Sift together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt into large bowl.
Cut butter into small pieces. Then using two knifes, cut the butter in the flour mixture until it is coarse crumbs. Split the crumb mixture in half.
To one half of the mixture, add beaten eggs, buttermilk and vanilla and beat with electric mixer until well blended.
To the other half of the mixture, stir in chopped nuts, 1 Tablespoon sugar, and cinnamon.
Spoon 1/3 of the batter into greased 9 or 10-inch tube pan.
Spoon 1/2 of the jam over center of batter and sprinkle with 1/3 of the crumb/nut mixture.
Repeat layers.
Top with remaining batter and sprinkle with remaining crumb/nut mixture.
Bake 45 to 50 minutes until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Cool 10 minutes; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.

Prep Time: 15
Cook Time: 50
Category: dessert
Method: baking
Cuisine: Scandinavian