Toscakaka (Caramel Almond Cake)

Toscakaka

Sometimes you see a recipe on someone else’s blog or in a magazine and it jumps right to the top of the list. If you’re like me though things get in the way,  something else takes its place and somehow it just doesn’t make it to the oven. Not so with this recipe. The combination of lovely photos,  simple ingredients and  a glowing review by Emma over at Poires au Chocolat meant that Toscakaka stayed in my mind for a good week and a bit,  which was long enough for me to buy flaked almonds.  The cake is not dissimilar to a french madeleine in taste and texture – Emma explained to me on Twitter that this is because both are based on a genoise sponge (though they wouldn’t have baking powder or buttermilk). Two pieces of advice for making this cake: use a high sided cake tin and make extra topping (you’ll want to eat about half of it before it gets anywhere near the cake).

By the way,  I don’t wish to be too sycophantic, but  Pories au Chocolat was one of the first blogs I came across that made me keep clicking back to find out if there was anything new. If you’re not a reader I can highly recommend it as a lovely blend of honest autobiography, technical cooking knowledge and inspiring but unpretentious photography. Oh, and her next recipe was “Pancakes with Lemon & Thyme Sugar” which gives me a warm glow about my honey, lemon and thyme pancake stacks. Hurrah!

Toscakaka (Swedish Caramel Almond Cake)
(adapted from Signe Johansen’s Scandilicious Baking)

Feather-light buttery sponge topped with gooey crunchy almonds

For the cake:
70ml milk - I used 65ml greek yoghurt loosened with 10ml skimmed milk instead or the milk and lemon juice. You could also use ready made buttermilk
1 tsp lemon juice
75g unsalted butter
3 eggs
150g caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
150g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp fine sea salt

For the topping:
150g flaked almonds
125g butter
125g light brown sugar
50ml milk
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp espresso powder (optional, could replace with vanilla)

I’m not going to write the rest of it up, as it’s not my recipe – you should definitely and without delay go a get the full instructions from here

This is part of the  bookmarked recipe link up run byTinned Tomatoes . It will stay bookmarked too as I’ll definitely be making it again

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