Jam Tarts (Scandinavian Jam Cakes) with video!

Wow! These raspberry jam tarts (a.k.a. jam cakes) are amazing! And there's a NUTELLA version too! They turned out to be one of the best cookie cups I ever made! Crumbly and sweet, it's like a filled shortbread baked in muffin tins. Perfect to add to your holiday baking they are a total crowd-pleaser. 

Originally posted in June 2018, this post was updated to serve you better with better images and a video tutorial. The recipe remains the same!

I know they are called cakes, but that's the Scandinavian name in all the books I have. I say cookies (or jam tarts) because it really is a cookie dough (insert a 'what can I do' emoji here) pressed onto muffin cups to form little tarts.

So yes, the name has multiple options. Choose your own adventure.

So delicious, they are like the best vanilla sugar cookie filled with raspberry jam. You should try them immediately; not trying to be bossy here, but you really should. Really! They race head-to-head with my favorite non-traditional shortbread ever, the Hungarian Shortbread. And that is saying a lot.

Why this recipe works

• Easy to make: the dough is very simple as long as you have room t° butter. I make it with a spatula or wooden spoon, so you get the idea.
• Filling: they can be filled with almost any type of jam, paste, spread you like. There is a Nutella version further down. Just saying.
• Make-ahead: as with most cookie doughs, it can be made ahead and kept in the refrigerator for a few days or frozen for a month.
• No refrigeration: the dough needs no refrigeration. You pat it in the muffin cups directly. Fill it and into the oven it goes!

Ingredients

• Butter: unsalted and the best brand you can buy will give you the best results. 
• Cornstarch: it's an essential ingredient to achieve that smooth and crumbly texture. 
• Jam: I love a good raspberry jam, but others work too like apricot or plum. Or Nutella, of course!
• Flavorings: I like lemon zest and vanilla, but sometimes use orange zest for a mellower cookie. 
• Almonds: they cover the jam so that it doesn't dry out too much during baking, and also add a wonderful crunch, that's why sliced are the first option. But chopped nuts can work if that's all you have. 

Simple steps 

To make it easier, I put together a video tutorial to show how easy it is to make these jam tarts!

1

Do you see how amazing these jam tarts are??

2

Soft butter and lemon zest; add sifted powdered sugar and integrate with spatula

3

Add flour and continue to mix

4

Last but not least, add the sifted cornstarch

5

Integrate well by ‘scraping’ with a spatula. The dough is soft but not sticky

6

Regular muffin tins; scoop portions and flatten with your fingers

7

Fill with raspberry jam

8

Top with sliced almonds and bake as directed

9

Carefully remove from pan; they are crumbly so be gentle

10

Or fill them with Nutella!

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Fillings & toppings

Filling ideas:

Since they are Scandinavian, using raspberry jam (a premium one or homemade) is a no-brainer.

But, for the sake of research, we made a batch with Nutella. Ufff, they are fabulous! I tried them once with dulce de leche and they are amazing too.

I recommend jams that have an acid undertone like raspberries (image below, left), blackberries, apricots, sour cherries, plum. Besides that, use any spread you love. I think cookie butter would be a wonderful holiday filling.

Topping ideas:

Sliced almonds (image below, right) are the default topping, as they add a great touch and provide a crunch when you bite unlike any other.

I once added chopped hazelnuts to the Nutella cakes and it works really well.

They make me think of adjectives like dainty, pretty, sophisticated, and all those pink words I love when it comes to cookies, filled or otherwise.

Scandinavian baking is not something I know much about.

But I started buying a few books, all really good ones because I love their use of spices like cardamom and cinnamon, their yeasted sweet breads (remember the most wonderful Finnish pulla ever?) and all those stories about the meaning of fika and hygge. I'm totally crushing on this type of baking guys!

But, crushes aside, this recipe is amazing. And the fillings versatile as I mentioned before.

A look at the Nutella version (image below) of these mini cakes, which we are calling Nutella cookie cups, and you get the idea of just how many versions you can make with one dough.

Top tips 

• Dough: it comes together easily if you have the butter at room temperature. It doesn't include an egg. If for any reason the mixture is too crumbly, add a teaspoon of water to bind it together. I made it a few times and never needed it, but just in case.
• Make-ahead: make the dough ahead and have it ready in the fridge. If you freeze it remember to defrost it in the refrigerator rather than at room t°. You can also freeze the dough in the pan, already patted.
• Flavorings: the lemon zest and vanilla are perfect, but you might want to change the flavor of the dough depending on the filling. Maybe orange zest and blackberry jam? Or some ground cardamom?
• Almonds: In my opinion, there is nothing like sliced almonds for that thin crunch that is hard to achieve with any other nut or if they are chopped. So, I highly suggest them.
• Keeping: they keep very well at room t° for a day. You can freeze them already baked, well wrapped. Defrost at room t° uncovered and warm for a few minutes in a medium oven.
• Muffin pans: you can bake them directly in regular unbuttered muffin pans (jam version), use paper liners or use the ridged version (image below) which is what I used for the Nutella version.

You can leave them unadorned too, I guess. The layer of jam will solidify, and though they won't be like the pictures here, they will probably be great too, like a wonderful raspberry jam thumbprint cookie.

• Vanilla paste: I'm very partial to vanilla paste, which I think flavors better than regular liquid vanilla. And it has those little specks from the vanilla beans that I just love!

Either way, you need to make them! Any way you fill them, they will end up sweet, crunchy but soft and prove to be a crowd-pleaser. Take my word.

Other recipes you might like:

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Scandinavian Jam Tarts

★★★★★ 4.8 from 12 reviews

• Author: Paula Montenegro
• Prep Time: 25 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 45 minutes
• Yield: 20 cakes 1x
• Category: Cookies
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: Scandinavian

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Description

Crumbly and sweet, these raspberry Jam Cakes turned out to be one of the best cookies I ever made! It is like a filled shortbread baked in muffin tins. I tried them with berry jam and Nutella, because, you know, we all love it.

Watch video in this post for step-by-step instructions!

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 cup + 2 tablespoons (250g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ cup (75g) powdered sugar
• 1 ½ cups (200g) all purpose or cake flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup to ¾ cup cornstarch (60g to 80g) - Note: I use the whole amount, but a few readers commented that the dough is too crumbly for them. So start with the ½ cup and see if the dough comes together without being too soft and sticky. 
• ½ cup (more or less) raspberry jam or Nutella
• ½ cup (or so) sliced almonds

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF / 180ºC.
2. Have ready paper muffin cups (many readers have a hard time taking these jam tarts out of the muffin pans, so use paper cups for easier handling). Or butter/spray the muffin pans. I have used both with good results.
3. In a large bowl mix soft butter, zest and vanilla.
4. Add sifted powdered sugar and mix well.
5. Add sifted flour, baking powder and salt in 2 parts and mix well. Use a spatula or wooden spoon so you don't overwork the dough.
6. Add sifted cornstarch and mix well until you have a soft dough (see comment above).
7. It is soft and not sticky. You can watch video in post for details on how the dough should be. 
8. Make walnut-sized balls or use a measuring spoon to fill muffin cups, and pat onto the paper cups going halfway up sides.
9. Carefully, with a spoon, fill each cup with raspberry jam or Nutella.
10. Top with some sliced almonds and bake for 15-20 minutes until slightly golden and dry.
11. Let cool completely on a wire rack and serve with a bit of powdered sugar sifted on top.

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Notes

• Dough: it comes together easily if you have the butter at room temperature. It doesn't include an egg. If for any reason the mixture is too crumbly, add a teaspoon of water to bind it together. I made it a few times and never needed it, but just in case.
• Make-ahead: make the dough ahead and have it ready in the fridge. If you freeze it remember to defrost it in the refrigerator rather than at room temperature. You can also freeze the dough in the pan, already patted.
• Flavorings: the lemon zest and vanilla are perfect, but you might want to change the flavor of the dough depending on the filling. Maybe orange zest and blackberry jam? Or some ground cardamom?
• Almonds: In my opinion, there is nothing like sliced almonds for that thin crunch that is hard to achieve with any other nut or if they are chopped. So, I highly suggest them.
• Keeping: they keep very well at room temperature for a day. You can freeze them already baked, well wrapped. Defrost at room temperature uncovered and warm for a few minutes in a medium oven.
• Muffin pans: you can bake them directly in regular muffin pans (jam version), use paper liners or use the ridged version (image below) which is what I used for the Nutella version.

Keywords: jam cakes, nutella cakes, scandinavian cakes

Adapted from ScandiKitchen

Paula Montenegro

I'm Paula, a baker for more than 30 years and your designated recipe finder, sharing the best ones on this blog, with simple ingredients + easy-to-follow instructions.