Why is it called a Swedish Visiting Cake?
Because it is exactly that. A cake that’s served to visitors in Sweden. When I found this recipe in Dorie Greenspan’s book, I thought it was a name she came up with on her own. But a little googling told me that in Sweden, this rustic vanilla and almond cake is served to visitors, especially those that might drop in unannounced. I’m not sure of the origin but it does make sense. This cake is so easy to make that you can start putting it together when you see visitors walking in, and it’ll be ready by the time they’re settled in.
Swedish Baking
If you’ve followed me on Instagram for a bit, you will know of my obesseion with Scandinavian baking. I don’t quite recall how it began but a trip to Sweden a couple of years ago, definitely added fuel to the fire. I had the joy of visiting Sweden, Gothenburg specifically, in 2023. If you asked me what I loved the msot about this trip, the only correct answer would be, every second of it.
One of the things I like to do while I visit a new place is to hop into a book store and find a book on its local cuisine and baking if possible. For someone like me who loves collecting cookbooks, it makes a perfect souvenir and treasured memory of my time in that place. Once I come home, it’s always exciting to sift through pages and recreate a favourite food I ate on the trip or something that captures the esence of the trip.
At Salluhallen, the bustling food market at Gothenburg
While I wandered through the streets of Gothenburg, strolling past HAGA, Salluhallen and other charming neighbourhoods, I did stumble upon a quaint bookstore. I asked what book they’d recommend to anyone who wanted to learn Swedish baking. The young girl at the store immediately looked at her colleague and said ” that one, which all mums have a copy of” and it turned out to be the book “Fika, the Swedish Way.” (Fika, the cherished coffee break ritual in Swedish culture, deserves a whole different article.)
The charming HAGA area, in Gothenburg
3 years and some more unhinged obessesion later, I now have a handful of Scandinavian cookboooks and even just glancing through the pages takes me back to the streets of Goteborg.
An interesting thing I noticed in Swedish baking is the use of spices so familiar to Indian cooking; cardamon and saffron more specifically. Cardamom buns are native to Sweden and so are Saffron buns. On HAGA street, there’s a lovely bakery that sells cardamom buns bigger than your face. I thought it was only right that I eat two of them.
Ingredients you will need for the Swedish Visiting Cake
Coming back to the cake, because God knows I can go on about that holiday, completely lost in that bliss. This cake can be relied upon at the last minute beacuse it requires regular pantry ingredients that you’ll find lying around. Flour, sugar, eggs, lemon and a bit of butter. Throw in some sliced almonds and almond extract, and you’re good to go.
What makes this Swedish Visiting Cake different?
For starters, you could bake it in an iron skillet; it is that fuss-free. I was tempted to go with a skillet, then decided to use a baking tin at the last minute, which means both options work just fine. The cake has a crusty outside and is soft and a bit spongy inside, which gives it a unique texture. Prepare yourself to hit notes of lemon while you take a bite. And be left with after notes of almond and vanilla, which alternate on their own whim.
The sliced almonds on the top do add a crunch, along with the crusty top of the cake. Rest assured, this cake will be polished off before you have time to store leftovers. Although the cake is not very sweet, when I make this cake again, I will reduce the sugar by 1/4th of cup. I’m confident it will taste and feel just as good.
An easy and quick vanilla almond cake that comes together very quickly
Ingredients
1 cup sugar
Grated zest of 1 lemon
2 eggs
a pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla essence
1/2 tsp almond extract
1 cup flour
1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled
a handful of sliced almonds
Directions
- Grease and line an 8-inch baking tin, set aside. Preheat the oven to 180 C
- In a large bowl, mix the sugar and the lemon zest. Whisk in the eggs one by one
- Add the salt, vanilla essence and almond extract
- Next, add the flour and mix until just incorporated
- Scrape the batter into the prepared tin, sprinkle the sliced almonds on the top, and bake for 25-30 minutes in the preheated oven
- Serve the cake warm
