Baking Swedish Almond Cake

Almond is a much-heralded flavor of scrumptious Scandinavian goodies. You’ll often find almond playing a starring role in cookies, pastries (semla!) or frostings. It’s also commonly and subtly tucked away in glögg, a Scandinavian mulled wine.

Traditional Swedish almond cake pan.

One of our favorite ways to use almond in baking, though, is in Swedish almond cake. Most often made in a special narrow and shallow pan, Swedish almond cake is a lovely addition to fika when paired with boldly brewed coffee or served as a dessert following a hearty holiday meal. It’s simple to make and always a crowd-pleaser, even if you’re expecting company on short notice.

We recommend serving it alongside a dollop of lingonberry sauce and maybe even topped with a spot of whipped cream. When all that’s left is the crumbs, you can also make good use of those by sprinkling them atop a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

As the holidays approach, here's our favorite Swedish almond cake recipe for you to bake at home and dazzle your guests with a classic Swedish palate. Enjoy!

---

Recipe: Swedish Almond Cake

Time: 40-60 minutes

Ingredients:

• ½ cup margarine (or butter), melted

• 1 ¼ cup white sugar

• 1 egg

• 1 ½ tsp. pure almond extract

• 2/3 cup milk

• 1 ¼ cup flour

• ½ tsp. baking powder

• Sliced almonds

• Powdered sugar

Directions:

Grease and flour your Swedish almond cake pan, and then sprinkle sliced almonds along the bottom. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

Melt the margarine and set aside to cool slightly.

Combine sugar, egg, almond extract and milk. Then, mix in flour and baking powder. Add melted margarine and mix until well-combined, being careful not to over-mix.

Carefully pour the batter over the almonds in the pan and bake for 30-40 minutes until the edges turn golden brown.

Let the cake cool completely before removing from pan and placing on an almond cake serving tray.

Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving.