Swedish Caramelized Almond Cake (Tosca Cake)
This is my version of Tosca Cake, on the beloved cake stand given to me by my sister Ann.
I’ve known about Tosca Cake for years, thanks to the cookbook Scandinavian Feasts, by Beatrice Ojakangas. I made it many years ago and enjoyed it, but for some reason have not made it since. It’s always stayed in my mind though, and I finally decided to put it on the menu. And oh my, this cake does NOT disappoint!
The tricky part about Tosca is the caramelized almond topping. It is a mixture of sugar, sliced almonds, butter and a little flour and milk, cooked on the stovetop and then spread onto the just-baked cake. Then you stick the whole thing back into the oven under the broiler. You watch the topping bubble and foam, and pray that it doesn’t burn because then you have to start all over from the beginning. DON’T step away from the oven, because the moment you do, smoke starts to billow out the oven and boom the topping is burnt.
If all goes well, you breathe a sigh of relief and take the cake out of the oven a lovely golden brown on the top and sides. As it cools, the topping becomes crispy, crunchy and chewy all at the same time, while the cake part is moist, slightly dense, and tender, with an addictive vanilla and almond flavor. Here is what it looks like as you’re eating it:
Sorry, I couldn’t resist adding this photo.
This cake is available to order, but get it now while you can because it will probably go away when the spring seasonal menu comes on line in or around March. I also have adapted the Tosca to cupcake form and sell it at my popups. It’s even better as a cupcake, if you can believe that!
If you’re wondering why it’s called a Tosca cake, the answer is the origin of the cake is not completely known. The online sources I’ve looked at seem to agree that it first started appearing in Swedish cookbooks around the 1930s, when Puccini’s opera, Tosca, became popular in Sweden, and that’s how it got its name. However it came to be called the Tosca cake, it’s delicious and you should definitely try it!
See you soon with a freshly-baked Tosca cake!
💗
— Susan
