Culture, Vinarterta, People Folk
More Than a Cake: The Living Tradition of Vínarterta
Nov
More Than a Cake: The Living Tradition of Vínarterta
Thanks and congratulations to Katrín Níelsdóttir the new Editor of Lögberg Heimskringla on the publication of her first issue!
She has kindly told the story of our fun conversation about the evolution of my Vínarterta business in this article published November 1, 2026.
Read a PDF version of the article ‘More than a Cake: The Living Tradition of Vinarterta at this link: LH_MorethanaCake_01_11_26
Let me know your thoughts!
Sending lots of love,
Subscribe to LH, celebrating 140 years of publishing and preserving Icelandic historic and contemporary culture.
From LH – Following the Vínarterta
How Arden Jackson turned a beloved Icelandic tradition into a business.
Author: Katrín Níelsdóttir
For generations of Western Icelanders, vínarterta has been far more than a cake. Its delicate layers, spiced prune filling, and unmistakable flavour evoke memories of Christmas gatherings, family kitchens, and the grandmothers and mothers who prepared it for special occasions.
For Arden Jackson, an Ontario-based entrepreneur with deep roots in Manitoba’s Icelandic community, vínarterta has become both a passion and an unexpected career.
“I don’t think I have a bakery,” she says. “It’s an accidental business. Connecting with Icelandic culture.” Instead, she describes her work as an ongoing adventure. “I follow the cake. The cake takes me on adventures and always has.”
