History
The semla descends from the medieval Lutheran Lent fast: the bun was the only sweet allowed on Fettisdagen (Shrove Tuesday) before the fast began. King Adolf Fredrik of Sweden died in 1771 from eating 14 semlor at his post-fast feast, the country's most-cited royal indigestion case. Vete-Katten (1928) and Tössebageriet (1920) bake the canonical Stockholm versions; pre-orders for Fettisdagen run two weeks ahead.
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Common allergens: Gluten, Dairy, Egg, Nuts
Make it at home
Ingredients
- 500g strong white bread flour
- 75g caster sugar
- 10g salt
- 7g instant yeast
- 1 tablespoon ground cardamom
- 75g butter, soft
- 1 large egg
- 250ml whole milk, warm
- 1 beaten egg for glazing
- For the almond filling: 200g blanched almonds
- 100g icing sugar
- 100ml whole milk
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- For the cream: 500ml double cream, 1 tablespoon icing sugar
- Icing sugar to dust
Method
- Mix flour, sugar, salt, yeast and cardamom in a large bowl. Rub in the butter. Beat the egg and milk together; pour into the dry mix.
- Knead 10 minutes by hand, 6 minutes in a mixer with the dough hook, until smooth and elastic. Cover and prove 1 hour until doubled.
- Knock back. Divide into 10 equal pieces, roll into balls. Place on a lined baking tray, cover, prove 45 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 220°C. Brush the buns with beaten egg. Bake 12-14 minutes until deep gold. Cool fully on a rack.
- For the filling, grind the almonds with the icing sugar to a fine paste, then loosen with the milk and almond extract.
- Cut a triangular lid off the top of each bun. Scoop out a hollow in the bun. Mix the scooped crumb with the almond paste. Spoon back into the hollow.
- Whip the cream with icing sugar to soft peaks. Pipe a generous swirl onto the almond filling. Replace the lid at an angle. Dust with icing sugar.
Tip from the editors. The cardamom must be freshly ground from green pods; pre-ground loses the perfume in days.
Where to eat semla (lent cream bun)
Semla (Lent cream bun) in Stockholm
Vete-Katten ★ 4.8
Vete-Katten on Kungsgatan in Stockholm's Norrmalm has baked the classic Swedish konditori canon since 1928; the semla in Lent and princess cake year-round.
Worth the queueSemla cream bun (February-April)
TipSemla counter from Fettisdagen (Shrove Tuesday) through April. Order ahead online for the saffron-pearl-sugar version.
Tössebageriet ★ 4.6
Tössebageriet on Karlavägen in Stockholm's Östermalm has been a working bakery since 1920; the Tössetårta layered cake and the saffron semla in February.
Worth the queueTössetårta layered cream cake
TipPre-order semla in February via the website; over-the-counter sells out by 11:00 in peak weeks.
Lillebrors Bageri ★ 4.7
Lillebrors Bageri on Rörstrandsgatan in Stockholm's Vasastan bakes the Vasastan cardamom bun the city's food press argues about; the brown-butter cardamom.
Worth the queueBrown-butter cardamom bun
TipClosed Monday. Open Tuesday to Friday 08:00 to 19:00 and weekends 08:00 to 17:00.
Fabrique Stenugnsbageri ★ 4.5
Fabrique on Odengatan in Stockholm's Vasastan is a branch of the stone-oven bakery chain that now has bakeries in Stockholm, London and New York.
Worth the queueCardamom bun (kardemummabulle)
TipOpen weekdays 07:30 to 18:30 and weekends 08:00 to 17:00. The chain has about 20 bakeries across Stockholm, so check the street before you go.
More cities are in research. Want semla (lent cream bun) covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.