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Finnish Sandwich Cake (Voileipäkakku)

Carol Scheck's avatarCarol Scheck
Less a cake and more an enormous sandwich, this Sandwich Cake is perfect to feed a crowd, and can be made exactly to your tastes. Choose your fillings and garnishes accordingly!
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Course Appetizer, Finnish Food
Cuisine Finland
Calories 300 kcal

Ingredients
  

For the "frosting" (creamy savory spread)

  • 1 1/2 cups cream cheese 12 oz, at room temperature
  • 1 cup sour cream or full fat plain Greek yogurt
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • pinch kosher salt
  • 1.5 Tbsp mustard use your favorite!

For the "cake": (fillings below are suggestions- choose 1-3)

  • 2 medium loaves good quality sandwich bread of your choice or one very large loaf. You will want at least 16-20 bread slices.
  • egg salad for cold salads, start with 1 cup per layer and adjust to your desired thickness.
  • ham salad
  • chicken salad
  • tuna salad
  • sliced turkey or ham for deli/sliced meats, start with 1/4 lb per layer.
  • liver pate
  • smoked salmon

For garnish (suggestions):

  • Lemon slices
  • Fresh dill or other fresh herbs
  • Cucumbers
  • Radishes
  • Cherry tomatoes
  • Capers
  • salmon roses or cucumber roses for the very artistic!

Instructions
 

  • Add your cream cheese, sour cream, mayo, salt and mustard to a large bowl. Use a handheld mixer to beat until thoroughly mixed. Set aside (or place in the fridge, covered, if not using immediately). 
  • Trim the crusts off of your loaf of bread- this helps with even edges and even bread layers.
  •  For your first layer, place four slices of bread on your plate, two by two, so that they form a rectangle. (You can arrange these differently if you are trying to achieve a different shape with your cake).
  •  Spread a very thin layer of your cream cheese mixture "frosting" over the layer of bread. Alternatively, you can spread a thin layer of butter on the layers, and only frost the outside of the cake, if you prefer.
  • Carefully layer your first filling over the bread, being careful to avoid moving the bread slices. Even out the filling with an offset spatula if needed.
  •  Cover your filling with another layer of trimmed bread slices and repeat with the next filling.
  • Repeat once again with another layer of bread and a third filling. 
  • You can continue for as many layers as you see fit, especially if you are using very thin slices of bread- Note that you may need to double the "frosting" recipe if you are making a very large cake. When you have placed your top layer of bread slices on your cake, use the rest of the "frosting" to cover the entire cake.I tend to prefer a thin layer of the spread, so the bread will probably show through in a couple spots- that's okay, that's what your garnishes are for. 
  • Slice your garnish vegetables to your desired sizes and shapes, and place them on the top and sides of the sandwich cake in a way that appeals to you! 

Notes

- I highly recommend throwing a layer of cucumbers or pickles in one of your sandwich layers for a little crunch.
- For a vegetarian version, try using egg salad, cheddar cheese, and olive tapenade in your layers! 
-If you really want this cake to be round, use a round cake tin as a guide to trim your bread slices to the correct size and shape, then arrange them on a cake plate. 
-white bread, rye bread, or whole wheat bread are all good options for your bread layers.
-a note on the nutrition information: this obviously completely varies by your fillings. the calculations above assumed whole wheat bread, the spread as written, and fillings of ham, egg salad and smoked salmon. 
-for a lighter spread opt for greek yogurt instead of sour cream and lighter mayo. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1cupCalories: 300kcalCarbohydrates: 18gProtein: 11gFat: 20gSaturated Fat: 8gFiber: 2gSugar: 3g
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!