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. I’m not sure of the origin, but it does make sense that 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.
Ingredients you will need
There’s a reason this cake can be relied upon at the last minute: 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 would reduce the sugar by 1/4th of cup, and I’m confident it would 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
- 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
