Tosca Cake – Nordic Almond Praline Cake.

I keep come across some great cakes and desserts as I search various websites.  One such is this Tosca Cake.  It is very popular in the Nordic countries such as Sweden and Finland.  In two layers, or totally difference textures and flavours it appeals greatly to me.  I have never seen or tasted Tosca Cake, but I love a basic cake, in my case flavoured with some vanilla, and I love almonds.  So to have a cake which is topped with a crunchy almond praline seemed perfect to try.

My recipe is quite simple, and I derived it, after looking at several different versions, from a Spanish website, recetasdemama, but I made a few small changes to suit my needs.

The cake turned out very well, nice and moist and then the lovely almond praline on the top gives a completely different taste and texture.  I can quite understand why it is so popular in those Nordic countries.  I enjoyed mine very much indeed.

It is also very simple to make.

Ingredients:
for the sponge:

• 150g(1 cup + 2 tbsp) plain flour
• 150g(1 cup + 2 tbsp) icing sugar
• 3 medium eggs(large in USA)
• 75g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 10g(2 1/2 tsp) baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 70ml(1/4 cup_2 tsp) milk
• 1 tsp white vinegar(or lemon)
• seeds from 1 vanilla pod(optional)

for the topping:

• 150g(5 1/2 oz) flaked almonds(or whole almonds roughly chopped)
• 125g(2/3 cup) soft light brown sugar
• 100g(7 tbsp) unsalted butter
• 50ml(3 tbsp+1 tsp) milk.

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 190C/170C Fan/365F.
2. Grease a 9inch/23cm springform pan and line the bottom with baking parchment.
3. Place the vinegar into the 70ml milk and stir to mix.
4. Add in the seeds from the vanilla pod(if using).
5. In a large bowl place the eggs and icing sugar, then whisk together until pale and frothy and thickened somewhat(I used a hand mixer and it took 5 minutes).
6. Mix the flour, baking powder and salt together to combine.
7. Gently fold 1/3 of the flour into the egg mixture, then fold in 1/2 the milk mixture.
8. Fold in another 1/3 of the flour and then the remaining milk mixture.
9. Fold in the remaining flour until all is combined.
10. Add half the butter and fold that in.
11. Add the remaining butter and fold that in too.
12. Pour the batter into the prepared cake tin.
13. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes.
14. After 20 minutes have elapsed place the butter and brown sugar into a saucepan and start to melt.
15. After 30 seconds add the milk and mix in.
16. Stir the mixture until all the ingredients have dissolved and the liquid starts to boil.
17. Add the shaved almonds and stir in,
18. Continue to stir, letting the mixture simmer until the 30 minutes for the cake to bake have elapsed.
19. Removed the cake from the oven and pour over the almond praline mixture.
20. Spread all over the cake, evenly.
21. Return the cake to the oven and reduce the heat to 170C/150C Fan/325F and bake for 25 minutes.
22. Remove from the oven and place the cake, still in the tin, on a wire rack to cool for at least ten minutes.
23. Then run a thin knife, or spatula around the outer edge of the cake to ensure it is released from the sides of the tin.
24. Allow to cool completely then remove the springform cake ring, carefully in case the cake sticks still.
25. Remove the base and parchment paper and place the cake onto a plate for serving.