Swedish Fika Calendar: The cake named after a king who died centuries ago

https://www.thelocal.se/20251106/swedish-fika-calendar-the-cake-named-after-a-king-who-died-centuries-ago/

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A Gustav Adolfsbakelse from Stockholm with a chocolate cake base and a white chocolate and orange mousse, topped with a portrait of the king himself. Photo: Pontus Lundahl/Scanpix/TT

November 6th is Gustav Adolfsdagen, also known in English as Gustavus Adolfus Day. Gustav Adolf, specifically King Gustav II Adolf, was killed at the Battle of Lützen in 1632 and is widely regarded as having laid down much of the apparatus of the modern Swedish state, including the postal service, universities and key transport links. He also has squares in many Swedish cities named after him. But what does a Swedish king who died almost 400 years ago have to do with cake?

Well, back in 1832, Sweden was gearing up to celebrate the 200 year anniversary of Gustav II Adolf’s death – especially the city of Gothenburg, which was founded by Gustav Adolf in 1621. Gustav Adolfsdagen used to be a much bigger deal, featuring torchlit processions and rousing patriotic speeches, and rumour has it that a bakery in Gothenburg came up with the bright idea of making the pastries to commemorate the occasion.

At some point between then and now the pomp of the occasion faded away, and now it’s barely noticeable in Swedish society – other than the Gustav Adolf cakes, of course. The exact makeup of the cakes varies depending on which city you’re in (and which bakery you visit), but they’re normally some sort of sponge cake filled with cream and decorated with a chocolate or marzipan portrait of the king. You're more likely to find them in traditional bakeries or konditorier, as most Swedes tend to forget the occasion altogether.

You can read more about King Gustav II Adolf in this article, his forgotten warship which was discovered in Stockholm in 2017 here, and about more of Sweden’s cake-related holidays here.

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