Swedish Almond Cake (Mandelkaka)

Savor the undeniable almond flavor in every bite! This Swedish Almond Cake (Mandelkaka) is a delicious treat for dessert or an afternoon snack — and so easy to prepare!

Almonds are staples when it comes to Swedish baking.

Case in point, any list of authentic Swedish cakes will include more than one variation of almond cake — but we rarely need clarification because we call them differently in Swedish. 🙂

• Toscakaka – also known as ‘tosca cake’ or Swedish caramel almond cake.

Yep, the almond flakes on top are mixed with butter and sugar, heated until everything melts and thickens, then added to the cake as a glaze.

Plus, tosca cake uses all-purpose flour — so the almonds are just on top.

• Mumma – these are mini-cakes made from almond paste.

You don’t use all-purpose flour for these treats at all.

The best part?  These almond paste cakes are rolled into ground cardamom — yum.

•    Mandelkaka – ‘mandel’ means almond in Swedish, and ‘kaka’ means cake, so the literal translation is Swedish almond cake.

This quickest variation of Swedish almond cake with almond flour is what you have in this post.

If you think it’s the least flavorsome, you are absolutely mistaken.

You’ll get almonds in every bite — the nuttiness and the crunch, with just the perfect amount of sweetness.

You just have to try all of them to find your fika cake favorite. 🙂

IF YOU WANT MORE TRADITIONAL SWEDISH RECIPES, YOU WILL LIKE THESE POSTS!

Ingredients

• Almond flour – you need almond flour to make this mandelkaka recipe.

• Sugar – regular granulated white sugar is excellent for making this almond cake.

• Eggs – medium-sized (63 to 73 grams per piece) and at room temperature.

• Butter – at room temperature.

• Almonds – blanched almond flakes for topping your mandelkaka.

• Salt – just use your favorite brand.

Preparation

Start by preheating your oven to 180°C (350°F).

Grease an 8-inch cake pan with butter, lightly dust it with breadcrumbs, and then set it aside.

Combine butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl.

Mix until it becomes creamy.

Add the eggs one at a time — continuing to mix in between each addition.

Add the almond flour and salt.

Mix to combine everything thoroughly.

Transfer your Swedish almond cake batter to the greased pan.

Use an angled spatula to smoothen the top.

Sprinkle the almond slices evenly.

Place in the oven for thirty-five to forty minutes or until it’s golden on top, and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted.

Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.

Transfer your mandelkaka to a serving plate and enjoy!

Helpful tips

• You can also use all-purpose flour to dust your cake pan — but if you have some old bread, you can easily make homemade breadcrumbs.

• The cake batter is not runny, so using a metal whisk instead of an electronic hand mixer might be challenging.

• If your granulated sugar still has big granules, use caster sugar instead — or do a couple of pulses in a food processor before combining with butter. 

Recipe variation

• No almond toppings.  I’ve seen some without the almond flakes — instead dusting their Swedish cake with powdered sugar for serving.

• Almond extract.  I think it’s not necessary, but feel free to add some almond extract to the batter if you prefer.

Looks so tempting, right?  Give in then and try this Swedish almond cake recipe one of these days — you will not regret it!

OR GET MORE IDEAS FROM THIS LIST OF CAKES FROM AROUND THE WORLD!

IF YOU WANT MORE NORDIC DISHES, YOU WILL LIKE THESE RECIPES BY COUNTRY!

📖 Recipe