Click here to jump to our recipe for Icelandic Berry Skyr Cake. But if you’re interested, keep scrolling to learn about Icelandic Cuisine, a History of Skyr itself, and some tips when making this recipe.
Icelandic Cuisine
Where is Iceland
Iceland is an island nation situated in the Arctic and Atlantic oceans. The capital of Iceland is Reykjavík. It has a population of around 3-400,000 people. A few fun facts about Iceland to start off this post:
- Its energy comes from almost entirely renewable sources.
- It is the least populated European country per land mass.
- More than 10% of Iceland’s land consists of glaciers (and lots of volcanoes too!)
Iceland is definitely on our bucket list to visit in the future. When you’re flying from the United States to Europe or vice versa, there are options to stay for a few day layover in Iceland along the way.
What types of food is eaten in Iceland
Iceland has some of the most interesting and unique food in the world. With pungent odors and unique tastes, Iceland has many dishes that are not for the faint of heart. If you’re interested, check out this guide to Iceland food and culture here. Here are a few notable distinctly Icelandic dishes:
- Hangikjöt: Smoked Lamb which is a traditional Icelandic Christmas dish
- Arctic char: this is a relative of salmon and lake trout and takes like a combination of both of them. Check out our recipe for Pan-Seared Soy Sesame Arctic Char.
- Lundi: puffin meat which can be either smoked or boiled in meat.
- Svid: you slice a sheep’s head in half, remove the brain, and boil it. Icelanders really don’t waste any part of the meat (they also eat the eyes and tongue)
History of Skyr
Where and when did Skyr originate?
Skyr was thought to predate Viking settlers in Iceland. It is believed to have originated in Norway around the turn of the 9th century. Shortly after, the Vikings introduced Skyr to Iceland and since then, it has been a staple in traditional Icelandic cuisine. The name “skyr” is tied to the word “shear” because in the process of making it, you split the thick and thin liquids by shearing them apart.
What makes Icelandic Skyr different from yogurt?
Skyr is technically a cheese, not a yogurt. This is because rennet (a set of enzymes) is added during the Skyr-making process. There are many health benefits of Skyr: The traditional preparation of Skyr does not use any artificial flavors or colors. A cup of Skyr has tons of protein (up to 17g). Finally, Skyr tends to have less sugar and less fat than most yogurts.
What does Skyr taste like?
It probably is most similar in taste to Greek yogurt but has its own unique characteristics. It is much thicker than most yogurts. Skyr has a bold creamy flavor which is slightly sour and tangy but also has a subtle sweetness.
Where to buy Skyr in the United States
Skyr has been becoming very popular in the United States lately. This is great news because of how delicious it is! At first, you could only find skyr in specialty stores like Whole Foods. But lately, you can find it in the yogurt section of most standard grocery stores like Safeway.
The main brands that sell Skyr are Siggi’s, Icelandic Provisions, and Sky.is.
Icelandic Berry Skyr Cake
How is this Icelandic Berry Skyr Cake different from cheesecake?
This Icelandic Berry Skyr Cake takes really similar to berry cheesecake but has a fun unique twist by using Skyr. It is creamy (even though it doesn’t use heavy cream), subtly sweet, and has extra flavor from berries which are both incorporated into the batter and garnished whole on top.
However, if you were looking for similar recipes to this, definitely check out GradFood’s recipes for Double Dark Chocolate Pumpkin Cheesecake and Lemon Greek Yogurt Cheesecake with Berries. Although we don’t have other Skyr recipes at the moment, you can also check out this page for more recipes using Skyr.
It’s also easy-to-make (you can prepare everything in no time) since it’s a no-bake recipe! So no need to worry about it splitting like with traditional cheesecake filling 🙂
What types of fruit to use with Icelandic Skyr Cake
I’ve seen Skyr Cake recipes call for all different types of berries. In our recipe, we used blackberries and blueberries. Using a reduction of blackberries and blueberries in the batter gave a really interesting pink/purple hue to this Icelandic Cake.
But feel free to experiment with different kinds. You can use strawberries, plums, apricots, and more! Just make sure to let us know in the comments what you tried!
How to store this Berry Skyr Cake
You will need to cool your Skyr cheesecake, in part to solidify it into its final consistency but also to store it. In our case, we ended up storing it in the freezer since it took us a couple of weeks to finish it. However, especially if you’re serving it to a large group, feel free to skip the freezer and just use the fridge.
Just keep in mind that when stored in the freezer, you’ll need to thaw it before serving. We would just throw a piece in the microwave for about 10 seconds to bring back its creamy consistency.
What is a springform pan and how to get one
You’ll definitely want to add a springform pan to your kitchen gear if you’re getting into baking. They’re perfect for cheesecakes, pies, regular cakes, and more! This is the one we got (which has worked out great so far!).
How to make berries look frosted
I always wondered how berries look so perfect and frosted in food blog photos. At first, I thought people dusted them with powdered sugar. But we tried that and it didn’t work.
Then we found out that the trick is to freeze them beforehand. Then when you top a dish with them, the condensation on the surface gives a frosted appearance. Try it out yourself to elevate your food photography!
Ok at long last, here is our delicious Icelandic Skyr Cake recipe:
Icelandic Berry Skyr Cake
Ingredients
Crust
- ⅕ cup crushed cinnamon graham crackers
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 7 tbsp melted butter
Filling
- 1 ⅓ cup heavy cream
- 1 ⅓ cup skyr
- ⅔ cup powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup blueberries plus extra for garnish
- ½ cup blackberries plus extra for garnish
- 1 tsp granulated sugar
Instructions
- To make the crust, break up the graham crackers in a food processor into a coarse crumble. Mix it together with the brown sugar and melted butter in a bowl until combined.
- Add the filling into the bottom of a 9 inch (or 7 inch if you prefer a taller cake) springform pan. Spread it to cover the bottom of the pan and slightly up the sides.
- Now place this crust in the freezer to set while you make the filling.
- For the filling, start by placing blueberries and blackberries in a small pan or pot on medium heat with 1 tsp granulated sugar and 1 tbsp water. Reduce for 3-5 minutes, occasionally lightly smashing the berries with a spatula. Set aside and let cool.
- Pour the heavy cream into a bowl and use an electric mixer until stiff peaks. In a separate bowl, combine the reduced berries, skyr yogurt, powdered sugar, and vanilla yogurt. Slowly/carefully incorporate this mixture into the whipped heavy cream until combined.
- Pour the filling into the crust in the springform pan, cover with plastic wrap, and place in the fridge for at least 6 hours or overnight (or alternatively in the freezer for 3 hours).
- Once ready to serve, use a knife or spatula to separate the filling/crust from the pan and carefully open the springform.
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