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    Home » Recipes » Cakes

    Tosca Cake (Toscakaka or Swedish Caramel Almond Cake)

    Published: Apr 14, 2023 · Modified: May 13, 2023 by Neriz · This post contains some affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe

    A soft cake topped with crunchy, caramelized almonds, Tosca Cake (Toscakaka) is excellent with coffee or tea.  Enjoy a slice (or more) of this authentic Swedish treat for your next snack or dessert!  Absolutely delicious!

    An overhead shot of a cooled toscakaka, with two slices ready for serving.

    Yes, tosca cake is not as famous as kanelbullar (Swedish Cinnamon Rolls) outside Sweden, but just as well-loved by the locals.

    Swedish caramel almond cake is one of the top favorites for fika, and a list of classic Swedish desserts is incomplete without it.

    So, what exactly is Tosca cake?

    It’s a sponge cake topped with caramelized almond flakes.

    To break it down, ‘tosca’ in Swedish means caramelized nuts — of which almonds are the most common.

    And yep, you guessed it, ‘kaka’ means cake; hence it’s known locally as ‘toscakaka.’

    Tosca glaze is not just for Swedish cakes, though; check out how it’s used in this authentic Swedish almond tart.

    If you’re wary that it’s a sugar overload, don’t be. 

    I promise that for this tosca cake recipe, you will taste the caramelized almonds, not the melted sugar. 🙂

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

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    • A slice of Swedish cardamom cake, highlighting the soft texture of the cake.
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    Ingredients

    All the ingredients you need to make tosca cake, including the caramelized almonds for topping.
    • Flour – you only need all-purpose flour for toscakaka.
    • Sugar – granulated white sugar (with small granules) is excellent for this Swedish cake.
    • Eggs – medium-sized eggs (63 to 73 grams per piece) at room temperature.
    • Butter – I use unsalted butter to make the tosca cake glaze and batter.
    • Milk – whole cream milk, if possible.
    • Almonds – blanched and chopped into flakes for the tosca topping.
    • Breadcrumbs – for dusting the pan for your toscakaka right after greasing it with butter.
    • Baking powder – just use your favorite brand.
    An overhead shot of a slice of Swedish caramel almond cake, served with coffee.

    Preparation

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

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

    Prepare the toscakaka batter first by combining milk with butter in a small saucepan.

    Melting the butter with milk, to start the making of toscakaka batter.

    Place over low heat until the butter melts (no need to boil) — set aside to cool.

    Strain and combine flour and baking powder in a medium bowl.

    Straining the flour and baking powder as part of the steps for making Swedish caramel almond cake.

    Using a larger bowl, combine and mix eggs and sugar.

    Combining eggs with sugar to make the Swedish caramel almond cake batter.

    Add the cooled milk and melted butter and continue mixing.

    Add the strained flour and baking powder.

    Combining the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients for making toscakaka.

    Mix the batter gently — just enough to combine everything.

    Pour your toscakaka batter into the greased cake pan.

    Tosca cake batter in an 8-inch cake pan, ready for baking.

    Place the pan in the middle of the oven for about twenty minutes.

    While waiting, prepare the tosca glaze by combining all the ingredients in a saucepan:  almonds, butter, sugar, milk, and flour.

    Combining all the ingredients for tosca glaze in a saucepan for melting and thickening.

    Place over low heat until the butter completely melts.

    Simmer for about three more minutes until its texture thickens a bit.

    The tosca glaze now ready for topping the Swedish caramel almond cake.

    Remove your tosca cake from the oven and pour the glaze on top.

    Pouring the melted butter and almonds on top of the cake, to make Swedish caramel almond cake.

    Use a spatula to spread it out a bit — does not need to be perfect or even since it will automatically spread while cooking.

    The glaze now on top of the toscakaka, ready for baking and caramelization.

    Place the pan back in the oven for fifteen to twenty minutes or until the top turns deep golden in color.

    Take your toscakaka out of the oven and set it aside to cool.

    Remove from the cake pan and slice — serve and enjoy! 

    A closer shot of the topping of toscakaka, highlighting its deep, golden color.

    Helpful tips

    • If you want a thicker cake, use a 7-inch cake pan, but a 9-inch pan is too big for this tosca cake recipe.
    • You can also dust your cake pan with flour, but the breadcrumbs will give you that crunchy-looking side that complements the golden tosca glaze.
    • I have seen granulated white sugar in some countries with big granules.  If yours is one of these, I suggest using caster sugar instead — or use a food processor to pulse your sugar for a few seconds.

    The granulated sugar in Stockholm is almost as small in granules as caster sugar — so it’s what I generally use for baking.

    A slice of toscakaka, highlighting the inside of the cake and served with coffee.

    What to serve with tosca cake?

    Coffee or tea — no need to complicate it. 🙂

    Seriously though, that is why it’s perfect for fika or dessert.  You don’t need elaborate drinks or sauce to enjoy it.

    So how about it?  Try this delicious tosca cake recipe tonight — you will thank me for it! 🙂

    OR YOU CAN GET MORE IDEAS FROM THIS LIST OF INTERNATIONAL CAKES!

    IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR MORE NORDIC RECIPES, YOU WILL LIKE THESE RECIPES BY COUNTRY!

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    Feature image for tosca cake, showing two slices ready for serving.

    Tosca Cake Recipe (Toscakaka)

    A soft cake topped with crunchy, caramelized almonds, Tosca Cake (Toscakaka) is excellent with coffee or tea.  Enjoy a slice (or more) of this authentic Swedish treat for your next snack or dessert!  Absolutely delicious!
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    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: Swedish
    Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 45 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes
    Servings: 10
    Calories: 361kcal
    Author: Neriz

    Equipment

    • Digital weighing scale
    • Pyrex Measuring Cups
    • Measuring Spoons
    • Mixing Bowls
    • Rubber Spatula
    • Hand Mixer
    • Strainer for Sifting
    • Medium-Sized Saucepan
    • 8-inch Cake Pan

    Ingredients

    For tosca cake:

    • 100 grams butter (about 7 tablespoons), plus extra for greasing
    • 1/3 cup milk
    • 125 grams flour (about 3/4 cup)
    • 1 teaspoon baking powder
    • 2 medium eggs
    • 1/2 cup sugar
    • 2 to 3 tablespoons breadcrumbs, for preparing pan

    For tosca glaze:

    • 100 grams butter (about 7 tablespoons)
    • 70 grams sugar (about 1/3 cup)
    • 2 tablespoons flour
    • 2 tablespoons milk
    • 1 cup almonds, flaked, heaping

    Instructions

    Make toscakaka batter:

    • Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F).
    • Grease an 8-inch cake pan with butter and dust it with breadcrumbs; then set it aside.
    • Combine milk with butter in a small saucepan.
    • Place over low heat until the butter melts, then set aside to cool.  
      (NOTE:  No need to boil the milk and melted butter).
    • Strain and combine flour and baking powder in a medium bowl.
    • Using a separate and larger bowl, mix eggs and sugar.
    • Add the cooled milk and melted butter and continue mixing.
    • Add the strained flour and baking powder.
    • Mix the toscakaka batter gently — just enough to combine everything.
    • Pour the batter into the greased cake pan.
    • Place the pan in the middle of the oven for about 20 minutes.

    Make toscakaka topping:

    • While waiting, prepare the glaze by combining all the remaining ingredients in a saucepan:  almond flakes, butter, sugar, milk, and flour.
    • Place over low heat until the butter completely melts.
    • Simmer for about 3 minutes until it slightly thickens.
    • Remove your tosca cake from the oven and pour the glaze on top.
    • Use a spatula to spread it out a bit — does not need to be perfect or even since it will automatically spread while cooking.
    • Place the pan back in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until the glaze turns deep golden in color.
    • Take your pan out of the oven and set it aside to cool.
    • Remove your tosca cake from the pan and slice — serve and enjoy! 

    Notes

    • Cook’s Tip:  If you want a thicker tosca cake, use a 7-inch cake pan — but a 9-inch pan is too big for this recipe, and you will end up with a toscakaka that’s too thin.
    • See the helpful tips section in the post for more.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 361kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 77mg | Sodium: 205mg | Potassium: 135mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 566IU | Calcium: 82mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @foodandjourneys or tag #foodandjourneys!

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