Princess Cake (Prinsesstårta)

There’s just something about a princess cake we’ve always loved. The soft chiffon, layers of custard, whipped cream, jam, and marzipan make it feel like the ultimate special-occasion cake. But let’s be honest, store-bought versions rarely deliver. They’re usually a little artificial, skimpy on custard, and the marzipan dries out before you’ve even sliced it.

So we set out to make our own. Ours is everything we crave in a princess cake: tender chiffon layers, thick vanilla bean custard (yes, thicker than tradition, we can’t help ourselves), the pillowy-est mascarpone whipped cream, a bright layer of homemade raspberry jam, and that signature green marzipan dome—made with California almonds.

It’s not entirely traditional, but it is the best princess cake we’ve ever had. We’ve adapted this from Hannah Zinskin’s incredible recipe.

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Princess Cake

This recipe is a challenging one! It's a labor of love—it has several components and requires a bit of technique. But if you’re up for the challenge, the payoff is worth it.

Prep Time 2 hours hours

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Cooling 12 hours hours

Total Time 15 hours hours

Servings 12

Ingredients

Marzipan

• 8 oz green marzipan

Vanilla Bean Pastry Cream

• 1 packet powdered gelatin 7 g
• 2 ½ tbsp water 40 g
• 2 cups whole milk 500 g
• 1 tbsp vanilla bean paste
• ½ tsp salt 3 g
• 2 ½ tbsp cornstarch 20 g
• ⅔ cup granulated sugar 130 g
• 5 egg yolks 75 g
• 4 tbsp salted butter room temp (60 g)
• 1 cup heavy cream 250 g, folded in after cooling

Raspberry Jam

• 12 oz raspberries fresh or frozen
• ¾ cup granulated sugar 150 g
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• Zest of 1 lemon
• Pinch of salt
• 1 tbsp vanilla bean paste

Chiffon Cake

• 3 egg yolks 55 g
• ¼ cup light brown sugar packed (55 g)
• 3 ½ tbsp olive oil 50 g
• ¼ cup water 50 g
• ¾ cup + 1 tbsp all-purpose flour 110 g
• ¾ tsp baking powder 3 g
• ½ tsp kosher salt 3 g
• 4 large egg whites 120 g
• ¼ tsp cream of tartar
• ¼ cup + 1 tbsp granulated sugar 55 g

Mascarpone Cream

• ½ cup mascarpone 130 g
• 1 ⅔ cups heavy cream 400 g
• ½ cup powdered sugar 60 g
• ⅛ tsp salt 1 g

Sweet Milk Soak

• 125 g milk
• 25 g sugar
• ⅛ tsp salt 1 g
• ¼ tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

Vanilla Bean Pastry Cream

• Sprinkle gelatin over water in a small bowl. Let bloom 5 minutes.
• Heat milk, vanilla paste, and salt in a saucepan just to a boil.
• Whisk cornstarch, sugar, and egg yolks in a bowl. Slowly temper in the hot milk, whisking constantly. Return everything to the pan.
• Cook over medium heat, whisking until thick, smooth, and glossy.
• Off heat, whisk in gelatin and butter. Transfer to a bowl, press plastic wrap on top, and chill until set (overnight if possible).
  

Chiffon Cake

• Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together.
• In another bowl, whisk yolks, brown sugar, oil, and water.
• Sift in dry ingredients; whisk until smooth.
• In a mixer, whip egg whites + cream of tartar to soft peaks. Gradually stream in sugar; whip to stiff, glossy peaks.
  
• Whisk ⅓ of meringue into yolk mixture to lighten, then fold in the rest gently.
  
• Pour into an ungreased 16×10” sheet pan. Bake at 325°F ~15 min, until golden and springy.
  
• Drop pan from 6 inches (helps prevent sinking). Cool completely before releasing.
  

Raspberry Jam

• Combine raspberries, sugar, lemon juice + zest, salt, and vanilla paste in a pot. Toss to coat; macerate 30 minutes.
• Cook over medium-high heat until jam reaches 220–225°F, stirring often to prevent burning.
• Transfer to a container, cool, and refrigerate until set.

Sweet Milk Soak

• Whisk milk, sugar, salt, and vanilla until dissolved.

Mascarpone Cream

• Whip mascarpone, heavy cream, powdered sugar, and salt together until stiff peaks form.
  

Assembly

• Whip the reserved 1 cup cream and fold into chilled pastry cream.
• Cut chiffon into three 5.33"x10” rectangles. We then like to make an acetate cake collar that we shape to the size of our layers to help keep it all intact.
• Place first layer on serving dish. Brush with milk soak, spread ⅓ jam, then half the pastry cream. Repeat with second layer.
  
• Finish with the last cake layer + remaining jam. Chill overnight.
  
• Pile mascarpone cream into a dome on top.
  
• Roll marzipan on a powdered-sugar-dusted counter into a thin sheet. Drape over the cake, smoothing gently, and trim excess.
• Chill until ready to serve. Slice and enjoy!

Notes

⭐ Adapted from Hannah Ziskin’s version.