When I was in Chicago a couple of months ago, I was able to visit the Swedish Bakery in Andersonville. Since almond is my favorite flavor in the world, Swedish baked goods are right up my alley. I tried a selection of petits fours with marzipan and also some small toska tarts, all of which were delicious. After I came home I was still craving almond sweets, and I decided to try Rachel Allen's recipe for Toscatårta.
The base cake recipe is quite simple. You whisk together eggs and sugar until very thick; fold in sifted flour and baking powder (I also added salt); pour in vanilla, milk, and melted butter; and fold until everything is combined. You pour the batter into a loose-bottomed pan and bake. While the cake is in the oven, you make an almond topping by combining melted butter, sliced almonds, sugar, flour, cream, and vanilla on the stove, and bringing them to a boil.
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You're supposed to take the cake out of the oven when it's only partially cooked (after 30-35 minutes), and if you insert a skewer, it's supposed to come out moist. I checked the cake at 30 minutes, and I was worried because the top was very dark and a toothpick came out totally clean and dry. In any case, I went ahead and poured the almond mixture on top, turned the oven up 50 degrees, and put the cake back in the oven for another 10 minutes.
I was quite worried that the cake was going to be overcooked, since it looked like it was already completely done before I added the almond topping. It was a bit on the dry side, and I'm sure it would have been better if I had taken it out of the oven earlier -- but at least it wasn't burned. I thought the finished cake was quite pretty, and it received rave reviews.
I thought the cake was okay, but I didn't love it. I know it might seem strange, but even with the almond topping, the cake was not almond-y enough for me. The ratio of cake to almond topping is quite high, and I really wanted more almond flavor overall and wished the recipe had included a bit of almond extract in the cake itself or in the topping. It didn't fulfill my craving for Swedish Bakery sweets, but since my tasters loved it, I'll call it a success.
Recipe: "Toscatårta or Swedish Almond Cake" from Cake by Rachel Allen, recipe available here.
Previous Post: "Swedish Baking, Continued: Mazarintarta," August 24, 2011.
The base cake recipe is quite simple. You whisk together eggs and sugar until very thick; fold in sifted flour and baking powder (I also added salt); pour in vanilla, milk, and melted butter; and fold until everything is combined. You pour the batter into a loose-bottomed pan and bake. While the cake is in the oven, you make an almond topping by combining melted butter, sliced almonds, sugar, flour, cream, and vanilla on the stove, and bringing them to a boil.
.JPG)
I was quite worried that the cake was going to be overcooked, since it looked like it was already completely done before I added the almond topping. It was a bit on the dry side, and I'm sure it would have been better if I had taken it out of the oven earlier -- but at least it wasn't burned. I thought the finished cake was quite pretty, and it received rave reviews.
I thought the cake was okay, but I didn't love it. I know it might seem strange, but even with the almond topping, the cake was not almond-y enough for me. The ratio of cake to almond topping is quite high, and I really wanted more almond flavor overall and wished the recipe had included a bit of almond extract in the cake itself or in the topping. It didn't fulfill my craving for Swedish Bakery sweets, but since my tasters loved it, I'll call it a success.
Recipe: "Toscatårta or Swedish Almond Cake" from Cake by Rachel Allen, recipe available here.
Previous Post: "Swedish Baking, Continued: Mazarintarta," August 24, 2011.
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