Swedish smörgåstårta with shrimp and salmon
Swedish layered sandwich cake with shrimp, hot-smoked salmon, cream cheese and cucumber; served cold.
30 min preparation + 1 hr chilling · Total: 1 hr 30 min · 4 servings
Ingredients
- 400 g soft sliced sandwich bread — about eight slices; check for wheat/gluten
- 250 g cooked peeled shrimp — drained and chilled; crustacean allergen
- 200 g fully cooked hot-smoked salmon — chilled, within use-by date; fish allergen
- 300 g plain cream cheese — pasteurized dairy; milk allergen
- 1 pc cucumber — washed and dried
Instructions
Measure and keep ingredients cold
Measure 400 g soft sliced sandwich bread, 250 g cooked peeled shrimp, 200 g fully cooked hot-smoked salmon, 300 g plain cream cheese and 1 cucumber. Keep the seafood and cheese refrigerated until assembly; no stove or oven is used.
Prepare seafood and cucumber
Wash and dry the cucumber. Drain and pat the shrimp dry; reserve half (125 g) for the topping and chop the other half for the filling. Flake the salmon and check for bones. Keep the prepared seafood cold.
Build the bread base
Arrange half the bread (about four slices) edge to edge in a compact rectangle on a serving plate. Trim only if needed to make an even base.
Fill, coat and chill
Mix 150 g cream cheese with the 125 g chopped shrimp. Spread over the bread base; cover with the remaining bread. Spread the remaining 150 g cream cheese over the top and sides. Cover and refrigerate for at least 60 minutes to set.
Chill the assembled cake: 3600 seconds
Add the topping
Just before serving, decorate the chilled cake with the 200 g flaked salmon, the reserved 125 g shrimp and thin cucumber slices.
Check texture and temperature
Check that the layers hold together when sliced, the bread is moist but not soggy, and the seafood is still cold. There is no cooking or baked-doneness test.
Layers hold together; bread is moist, not soggy; seafood remains cold.
Serve and store safely
Cut into four portions and serve cold. Return leftovers to a refrigerator at 4°C or colder promptly; do not leave the cake at room temperature for more than 2 hours in total. Eat within 24 hours and before any ingredient use-by date. Do not reheat.
Tips
- Dry the shrimp well so the bread stays tender rather than soggy; keep all ready-to-eat seafood chilled.
Common mistakes
- Do not bake the cake or use raw shrimp; it is assembled cold from already cooked seafood.
Substitutions
- For a fish-free version, replace the salmon with an equal weight of extra cooked shrimp; crustacean and dairy allergens remain.
Storage
Keep covered at 4°C or colder; eat within 24 hours of assembly and before any ingredient use-by date. Discard if left at room temperature over 2 hours total.
Reheating
Serve cold; do not reheat a cake topped with shrimp, salmon and cucumber.
About this recipe
Smörgåstårta is a Swedish savory sandwich cake served cold at celebrations. This small layered version uses shrimp and hot-smoked salmon with a cream-cheese coating.
Editorial approval does not establish independent kitchen testing. Check allergens and follow safe food handling.