A Cake Named for a Man, Baked by His More Interesting Wife
History by Stacy Brooks
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As it happens, in addition to Stockholm, I am going to Leiden, in The Netherlands. Any restaurant recommendations? -Katherine
Please enjoy the article below by Stacy Brooks.
A Cake Named for a Man, Baked by His More Interesting Wife
By Stacy Brooks
Runebergintorttu is an iconic Finnish dessert: the miniature cake is made with ground almonds and cookie crumbs or breadcrumbs, often flavored with punsch or rum, always topped with a circle of raspberry jam ringed with icing. The cake is named for the nineteenth century Finnish poet Johan Ludvig Runeberg, who allegedly ate one every morning for breakfast. Today runebergintorttu (translated as Runeberg cake or Runeberg torte) is enjoyed in the days leading up to February 5, the poet’s birthday, although it is available year round in Porvoo, the town where he spent most of his adult life.
Johan Ludvig Runeberg is an important figure who helped create Finland’s national identity at a pivotal moment, when it gained semi-autonomy as a Russian duchy after several centuries of Swedish rule. One of his poems even became the country’s national anthem when Finland gained its independence in 1917. But there’s another Runeberg who should be remembered when you bite into a Runeberg cake: novelist and journalist Fredrika Runeberg.
Frederika was the one who created Runeberg cake for her husband (possibly based on a similar recipe by a local baker); a version appears in her handwritten recipe book from the 1850s. She also pioneered the genre of Finnish historical fiction, worked as Finland's first female editor, and was among the country’s first female journalists.
Frederika was born into a socially and religiously prominent family in 1807 and was well-educated, especially in languages and literature. She married Johan in 1831, and together the couple edited Helsingfors Morgonblad, a semi-weekly newspaper that covered current events. In addition to editing, she wrote and translated articles —under pseudonyms, since as a woman it would not have been appropriate for her to write under her own byline. Her career was paused by family obligations (she gave birth to eight children, six of whom survived to adulthood) but she published her first historical novel, “Fru Catharina Boije och Hennes döttrar,” in 1858, and a second, “Sigrid Liljeholm,” in 1862. (Her novels were also published under a pseudonym.) Frederika’s books are significant not only because she was one of Finland’s first novelists, but because she emphasized the perspective of her female protagonists. That was a reflection of her values: she was a lifelong advocate for women’s rights, and she founded and led a local organization that promoted girls’ education.
Today, runebergintorttu is the most famous (and tastiest) aspect of Frederika Runeberg’s legacy. But we also remember her as a journalist and novelist who carved out a successful writing career, even though she couldn’t do so under her own name.
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