Swedish Almond Cake

I adapted this delicious cake recipe from one I found in Rachel Allen's cookbook simply called "Cake." The cover claims that this cookbook contains every cake recipe you will ever need. We shall see! This is the first recipe which I have cooked from the book. It's pretty good!

I used my loose bottomed fluted cake tin to bake it in. In retrospect I should have used a spring form pan as there was a tiny bit of leakage, not a lot . . . but it did make it difficult for me to remove the bottom as there was cake baked on top of the bottom and a little bit baked on the bottom of the bottom which I had to slice though to loosen it. Live and learn! I make these mistakes so that you don't have to!

All in all it's a very good basic cake, with a moist cake base with a delicate crumb . . . and a toasted almond topping. I found it to be very similar to my Aunt Freda's Lazy Daisy Cake, except that she uses coconut in her topping and pops it under the broiler to caramelize it.

Rachel doesn't dust hers with icing sugar, but I thought it made a nice touch. This would be a great cake for a coffee morning. I think it would also be fabulous served with some crushed berries. I will add a touch of almond flavouring to the base cake next time I make it for even more almond goodness. (And I will make it again!)

*Swedish Amond Cake*

Makes one 9 inch cake

A light sponge topped with a toasted fudgy nut mixture. Yummy.

For the cake:

• 3 large free range eggs
• 150g of plain flour (1 cup plus 2 TBS)
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 TBS milk
• 75g of butter, melted (1/3 cup)
• For the topping:
• 50g of butter (1/4 cup)
• 100g flaked almonds (about 1 cup)
• 50g of caster sugar (1/4 cup_
• 2 tsp plain flour
• 3 TBS cream
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Icing sugar to dust (optional)

Preheat the oven to 180*C.350*F gas mark 4. Butter and flour the base and sides of a 9 inch cake tin with a removable bottom.

Using

an electric mixer beat the eggs and sugar together for 5 to 7 minutes

until it the mixture forms thick ribbons. Sift the flour and baking

powder together. Add to the beaten egg mixture along with the milk,

vanilla and melted butter. Fold everything together to combine. Pour

into the prepared tin. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. You want the cake

still to be a bit moist. A skewer inserted into the centre should come

out moist but not totally clean. During the last five minutes of the

cake baking place the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Once it

has melted add the remaining topping ingredients and bring to the

boil. Allow to bubble for one minutes. Spoon this mixture evenly over

the top of the almost baked cake. Increase the oven temperature to

200*C/400*F. gas mark 6. Return the cake to the oven and bake for a

further 10 to 15 minutes or until the topping is golden. Remove from

the oven.

Allow the cake to cool in the tin for about 10

minutes. Loosen the edges with a sharp knife and carefully remove the

sides of the tin. Place on a wire rack to cool completely. Transfer

to a plate and dust the top with some icing sugar, if desired, to serve.

I've had this book for over two years now. I can't believe that I have only just now decided to bake something from it. I have all of Rachel's books. I like the way she cooks and I love her telly shows.