Tamal Ray’s recipe for toscakaka, or Swedish almond cake

One taste of these crusty-topped, chewy Swedish almond cakes will make them favourites in your repertoire

Tamal Ray

 @DrRayBakes

Sat 29 Feb 2020 11.30 GMT

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 Tamal Ray’s marzipan toscakaka. Photograph: Yuki Sugiura/The Guardian. Food styling: Aya Nishimura

I’m often asked what my favourite cake is. Interminably indecisive as I am, I can never think of an answer (see also ‘what’s your favourite book, film or episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer?’), but toscakaka would definitely be in the running.

If you’ve never tried this Swedish classic, think of a rich, buttery cake with a topping of toasted almonds and caramel. It’s a bit like baking a giant florentine on to a cake, which is every bit as delicious as it sounds. This version also includes a little grated marzipan to the caramel for extra almondy chewiness.

Prep 15 min
Cook 1 hr
Serves 10

40g unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus extra for greasing
100g caster sugar
2 large eggs
90g Greek yoghurt
50g plain flour
100g ground almonds

For the topping
50g unsalted butter
25g caster sugar
100g marzipan, grated
25g double cream
10g plain flour
60g slivered almonds
Icing sugar, to dust

Line the base of a 20cm round cake tin with greaseproof paper and grease the base and sides with a little butter. Heat the oven to 170C (160C fan)/gas 4.

To make the cake, cream the butter and sugar, then stir in the remaining ingredients. Pour into the tin and bake for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the topping. Melt together the butter, sugar and marzipan in a saucepan over a low heat. Take the pan off the heat, add the cream, flour and almonds, and mix. Once the cake is ready, remove from the oven and turn the heat up to 190C (180C fan)/gas 6.

Pour the topping over the cake, ensuring it covers the surface, then return to the oven for six to eight minutes, until golden. Set aside to cool, then remove from the tin. Dust with icing sugar just before serving.