Preheat the oven to 350° F and place a rack in the middle. Line a 9- by 13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, allowing some to drape over the sides of the pan. (Consider using 2 pans instead of slicing the whole sheet later)

For the cake: In a large bowl using a handheld electric mixer, or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and 2/3 cup of the sugar until light and creamy, about 3 minutes.

Working on low speed, add the flour, baking powder, spices, and salt and mix well.

Mix in the egg yolks and the milk until combined, then scrape the batter into the prepared pan.

For the frosting: Clean and thoroughly dry the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Pour in the egg whites, making sure there are no specks of yolk, and add the remaining 1 cup of sugar. Beat to soft peaks-be patient, it will happen. If the egg whites arent reaching soft peaks, wait until the mixture ribbons back onto itself. Spread this carefully on top of the cake layer.

Bake for 25 minutes, or until the meringue is golden brown and puffed. About 15 minutes through baking, cover the meringue with coconut flakes (this way, the coconut can adhere to the still-damp meringue but it will not burn in the oven.) Critics suggested 15 to 20 minutes longer baking time needed

Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack. Meanwhile, make the whipped cream: Pour the cream into a medium bowl and scrape in the vanilla seeds, discarding the pod. Beat to soft peaks with an electric mixer, about 3 minutes.

Carefully transfer the cool cake to a cutting board. Cut the cake in half crosswise with a serrated knife. Place one half of the cake on your serving tray of choice and cover with the cream and banana slices. Place the other half, meringue side up, on top.

Place the cake in the refrigerator to chill and soften for 1 hour before serving.

This is a Norwegian cake from my cookbook, Sweet Paul: Eat Make! This cake was awarded the title of Norway's National Cake a few years back. It's called verdens beste in Norwegian, and I agree that it just might be the world's best. You may be skeptical of its superiority, since it isn't iced as are many American cakes. When we photographed it, I left it at the studio apartment of Alexandra Grablewski, this book's photographer, and the next day she confessed to having eaten two huge servings. "I guess the Norwegians are right," she said