Scandinavian Almond Cake

There are many things that bring me happiness but there are several things that I love.  My family, friendships, cooking and baking, gardening, and, my hairdresser.

Where would be be without the fountain of all knowledge and wisdom, our hairdresser?  Not only does mine enjoying cooking, she is also training to be a Yoga instructor which is no easy feat. One day, while she was cutting my hair, she brought up this cake that one of her clients had brought for her and how delicious it was. She bought the special pan that's used to bake it so she could make it herself.  I was hooked by her description and had to buy the inexpensive Rehrucken Loaf Cake Pan and try it myself.

Toasted almonds are first scattered on the bottom of the pan and the batter spooned on top and then baked. This is my kind of cake! I could have eaten the whole thing plain, but we were having some dinner guests so I decided to slice and fill it with whipped cream. The raspberries were wonderful with it, but it would also make a wonderful base for a strawberry 'shortcake' style dessert too.  The end pieces are particular crunchy and delightful and I've read that, traditionally they are saved for the baker, so I ate them myself :)

Don't lose hope if you don't have a cake pan like this, or time to buy and have one sent to you, you could use a regular full-size loaf pan.  It won't be quite as pretty but it will still taste delicious.  You may need to add a few extra minutes of baking time since the filling will be deeper in a loaf pan.  

Shop for my Scandinavian Loaf Pan HERE!  (Affiliate Link)

Scandinavian Almond Cake

This recipe was shared by my hairdresser but you can Google Scandinavian Almond Cake for similar recipes. 

Printable Recipe

1 ¼ cup granulated sugar
1 egg
3/4 teaspoon vanilla

3/4 teaspoon almond extract

2/3 cup heavy cream (regular milk works well too!)
1-1/4 cup cake flour (I used all-purpose flour)
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
4 ounces (1 stick) melted butter or margarine

1/4 cup toasted sliced almonds (optional)

Garnish with sliced almonds, powdered sugar, fresh berries or puree, or whipped cream. You may also slice the cake horizontally through the center and fill the cake with any of these garnishes. 

Toast almonds on a small baking sheet in a 350F oven for approximately 5-7 minutes, watching carefully so they don't burn.

Beat together sugar, egg, extract and heavy cream. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt and add to mixture. Fold in melted butter and blend until smooth.

Prepare the pan by spraying with non-stick baking spray such as Bakers Joy.

Place toasted sliced almonds in bottom of prepared pan and pour in batter.

Bake at 350F for about 40 minutes. A toothpick inserted in the middle should come out clean and the cake should be brown around the edges.

Cool cake in pan for 30 minutes and then place a serving plate on top of the cake pan and invert to release the cake.