A small cylindrical almond-and-rum cake topped with a ring of raspberry jam and white icing. Eaten in the weeks around 5 February, the birthday of poet J.L. Runeberg.
The Runeberg torte is tied to Johan Ludvig Runeberg, Finland's national poet, who lived in Porvoo; his wife Fredrika is credited with the recipe. Flavoured with almond, gingerbread crumbs and a dose of rum or arrack, the cake appears in Helsinki bakeries from January until Runeberg Day on 5 February. Porvoo, an easy day trip, is its spiritual home.
3 editor picks for Runebergintorttu (Runeberg torte) in Helsinki, ranked by editorial score. All Helsinki signature dishes · Runebergintorttu (Runeberg torte) across every city.
Karl Fazer Café ★ 4.4
kluuvi · Kluuvikatu 3, 00100 Helsinki
Karl Fazer opened this French-Russian cafe and cake shop on Kluuvikatu in 1891, still the city's grand chocolate-and-cake room under a glass dome.
Café Ekberg ★ 4.3
kamppi · Bulevardi 9, 00120 Helsinki
Ekberg has run on Bulevardi since 1852, the oldest cafe and bakery in Helsinki, where the patisserie counter keeps an old-world ritual alive.
Konditoria Hopia ★ 4.3
toolo · Pohjoinen Hesperiankatu 9, 00260 Helsinki
Konditoria Hopia in Töölö is an old-time patisserie baking Karelian pies and cinnamon buns to a recipe brought from Sortavala nearly 70 years ago.