Thursday, September 9, 2010

Swedish Visiting Cake














When I first saw this recipe, I was sure that I'm going to like this.  I was right!  If you like almonds, then you will like this cake! Just as the author describes it best "The cake is thin and light with a golden sugar crust and an interior that is soft, chewy, moist and reminiscent of cakes made with almond paste".  Ms. Dorie Greenspan got this recipe from her friend, Ingela Helgesson, and originally, this cake is baked in a cast-ironed skillet.  If you haven't got one, the alternative is to use a well-buttered cake or pie pan.  I baked mine in a pie pan with a removable bottom.







This cake is so easy to make, there is no creaming needed and no beating of eggs are necessary.  Can anything get any simpler than this?  The only thing is, this is a little bit sweet for me, even though I reduced the sugar to 140gm.  Other than this, it is really good.  My kids, however, don't seem to like this, because of the almond flavour.  I will have to omit the almond flavour and reduce a little bit more of the sugar the next time I bake this.  A slice of this, when eaten warm,  is really great with a cup of hot coffee.

I am linking this to Recipe Swap Thursday at Prairie Story.

Swedish Visiting Cake
(adapted from "Baking From My Home To Yours" by Dorie Greenspan)
Ingredient :
1 cup sugar, plus a little more for sprinkling
grated zest of 1 lemon
2 large eggs
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp pure vanilla extract (optional)
1/2 tsp pure almond extract (optional)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 stick (8 tbsp) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
about 1/4 cup sliced almonds (blanched or not)

Getting Ready : Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Butter a seasoned 9-inch cast-iron skillet or other heavy ovenproof skillet, a 9-inch round cake pan or pie pan.

Pour the sugar into a medium bowl.  Add the lemon zest and blend the zest into the sugar with your fingers until the sugar is moist and aromatic.  Whisk in the eggs one at a time until well blended.  Whisk in the salt and the extracts, if your're using them.  Switch to a rubber spatula and stir in the flour.  Finally, fold in the melted butter.

Scrape the batter into the skillet and smooth the top with the rubber spatula.  Scatter the sliced almonds over the top and sprinkle with a little sugar.  If your're using a cake or pie pan, place the pan on a baking sheet.

Bake the cake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until it is golden and a little crisp on the outside; the inside will remain moist, even, as Ingela says, "slightly damp".  Remove the skillet from the oven and let the cake cool for 5 minutes, then run a thin knife around the sides and bottom of the cake to loosen it.  You can serve the cake, warm or cooled, directly from the skillet or turned out onto a serving plate.

Serving : The cake is good eaten warm or at room temperature.  Either way, it is meant to be cut into small wedges and eaten sans forks - this is a finger cake.

Storing : The cake is an excellent keeper.  Well wrapped, it will keep for about 5 days at room temperature or for up to 2 months in the freezer.

I'm linking this to "Make It With ..... Mondays" over at Couscous & Consciousness

18 comments:

  1. I introduced my daughter to your blog. Big mistake!!! She's been harping to buy ingredients...

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  2. Droolworthy cake, looks fantabulous and yummy..

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  3. This cake is also already on my "To Bake List". It looks so delicious and easy to make.

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  4. Oh my gosh, you have no idea how HAPPY I am to see this recipe!! I had a recipe years ago for Swedish Visiting Cake (my great-grandmother was born in Sweden) but unfortunately I lost it and I haven't been able to find a duplicate recipe. This looks almost exactly like the cake I used to make. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!! :o)

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  5. Thank you so much for sharing. I'm booking marking this one... I can tell I'll love it as well.

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  6. I love the anything almond! This looks simple and yet very delicious.

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  7. Hi One,
    Your daughter might be a future famous chef one day! Who knows! When my daughter cooks a simple meal of scrambled eggs and sausages, she's on top of the world when we told her it is delicious! Go on, indulge her, buy the ingredients and join her as she tries out the recipes! She might just have the knack for it! He! He! Glad that some of my recipes have sparked the interest in her!

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  8. Hi Priya,
    Thanks!

    Hi My Kitchen in The Rockies,
    Yes, it is delicious eaten warm and absolutely easy to make! This is one off my very long list too!

    Hi Brenda,
    Thank you for stopping by! Well, you're very much welcome! The credit really goes to Dorie Greenspan! Glad that I posted this recipe though. I guess you'll be making this very soon and hope you enjoy it as much as your original recipe! Will be visiting you soon. Hope you'll drop by again. Have a lovely weekend!

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  9. Hi Prairie Story,
    Thanks for visiting! Have a lovely weekend!

    Hi Angie,
    I love almonds too!

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  10. Delicious cake with nice almond topping...Thanx for sharing

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  11. I love that cookbook of Dorie's! I haven't made this recipe from it yet but I certainly will now after seeing yours! It looks amazing.

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  12. I have Dorie's cookbook but I haven't made this cake. It really looks delicious with all of those almonds!

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  13. Hi Vrinda,
    Thanks for stopping by!

    Hi SavoringTime In the Kitchen,
    Hi scrambledhenfruit,
    This is definitely a cake for almond lovers!

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  14. What a lovely cake with such a welcoming name :)

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  15. Hi Magic of Spice,
    Thank you! Have a nice day!

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  16. This cake sounds wonderful. I have the book, but I've never made it. Thanks for your excellent blog post about it.

    :)
    ButterYum

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  17. Hi ButterYum,
    This is a lovely cake. Thanks for your kind comment!

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  18. Goodness, you're right, it doesn't seem that a cake could get any simpler than this to make - I love that there's no creaming and beating involved. My favourite flavours too - almond, vanilla and lemon - I'd like a piece right now.

    Thanks so much for sharing this at Make it with ... Mondays challenge almonds.

    Sue :-)

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