Smörgåstårta is a Scandinavian mega sandwich “cake”; layered with slices of crustless white bread separated by various filling, then decorated with a savoury creamy cheese “icing” and finally garnished with vegetables and other decorative ingredients. It is surprisingly straightforward to make and can be a great (if unusual) addition to a buffet table. It is best made the day before and decorated before serving.

Line a rectangular, deep dish with clingfilm (so you can easily wrap up it up later). Now take slices of white bread (you will need between 1-2 loaves of bread, depending on the size of your dish), crusts removed, and butter generously (you may need up to a half pack of butter altogether!). Fit a first layer of bread slices along the bottom, butter side up.

First place a layer of smoked salmon slices to cover completely (around 200g smoked salmon), adding a squeeze of lemon overtop.

Second, add another layer of buttered bread, and a thin layer of dijon mustard or horesradish cream, then layer on some smoked ham or salami slices.

Third, add another layer of bread on top (unbuttered this time), then a thin layer of mayonnaise, followed by some thinly sliced hard-boiled eggs (around 4 eggs) and some salt and pepper.

At this point you may be ready to quit with the three layers, but a fourth can be nice. I like something like a smoked fish pate, or some crab or prawns mixed with mayonnaise and a little lemon juice will do.

Wrap up the cake nice and snugly and leave in the fridge overnight. Now the fun begins. Unwrap the cake and place on a serving dish. Cover the the entire cake in icing (made by mixing together a couple tubs of cream cheese which has been loosened with some creme fraiche or sour cream and a little lemon juice till it is just easy enough to spread). I decorated the cake with sliced radishes and some piped smoked fish pate (from a tube), and walnut crumbs to cover the sides. But there are plenty of other ideas: some lettuce leaves, some prawns, chopped olives, chopped parsley on the sides.