Bey To Bay: Toscakaka Cake

It took me awhile to write this post. I don’t even know how to start describing my obsession with this incredibly delicious Swedish cake. It’s the type of cake that you want to bake over and over again, show off at gatherings, and eat at least two slices with a cup of coffee. It’s simply a wonderful recipe that you want to keep all to yourself and not share with anyone else.

But it would be selfish of me to find a cake recipe that brings so much joy and not share it on the blog (I didn’t develop the recipe after all!). I came across this Toscakaka cake several years ago here and I’ve been making it ever since. The contrast of the crunchy caramel almond layer with the thick buttery soft cake layer that instantly melts in your mouth is completely addictive. It’s a really big hit among my friends and family – so when my talented and coffee-obsessed best friend Jeremy came up with the idea to try a coffee and cake pairing post, this seemed like the perfect opportunity to combine our creativity.

For the pairing, we wanted something light but lively to complement the buttery depth of the toscakaka. Jeremy’s work frequently takes him to the Hudson Valley, so he picked up a bag of Honduras Pacavita Reserve at The Pantry in Cold Spring, a small-batch shop that only recently started roasting but releases some of the best coffees around. Central American varietals are known for their balanced flavor profiles, and a light to medium roast unlocks all sorts of wild flavors that are also smooth and not overwhelming—just what we wanted.

Pourover is Jeremy’s method of choice for delicate coffees like this. His standard setup is a classic Chemex with a Stagg kettle by Fellow Products, brewing at 200 degrees. The paper filter smoothes out the edge and grittiness, bringing out all those subtle complexities of the coffee. The profile of the Pacavita couldn’t have blended more beautifully with the toscakaka. The herbal-lemon note sponged right into the cake’s moist body, layering on an entirely new effect, while the mild cocoa note married the crunchy almond topping seamlessly.

Note: This is our first collaboration in our “Bey to Bay” series. More on that in our second post! Stay tuned 🙂

Recipe from Poires au Chocolat, paired with Organic Reserva Pacavita coffee from The Pantry

Cake:
70ml milk
1 tsp lemon juice

75g unsalted butter
3 large eggs, room temperature
150g caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
150g all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp fine sea salt

Almond Topping:
150g flaked almonds
125g unsalted butter
125g packed light brown sugar
50ml whole milk
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp espresso powder (optional, could replace with vanilla extract)*

1. Preheat oven to 320°F (160°C). Grease a deep 9″ round cake tin with a removable bottom with melted butter and line the bottom with parchment paper.
2. Toast the almond flakes on a baking sheet for 5-7 minutes until they’re a light golden brown, then set aside.
3. Melt the butter for the cake in a medium saucepan then pour into a bowl and leave to cool (keep the pan to use later). Stir the lemon juice into the milk and leave to sit (or use 75ml buttermilk).
4. Whip the eggs, sugar and vanilla together in a stand mixer on high for 4 minutes (be careful not over-whip) until the mixture is light in color and thick (when you remove the whisk, the trail should stay visible for at least 5 seconds).
5. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together in a bowl. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture to the egg bowl then gently fold in with a big metal spoon or large spatula. Drizzle half of the milk over the top and fold in. Repeat with the next 1/3 of flour, the rest of the milk, then the rest of the flour. Finally drizzle half of the melted butter over the top, fold in, then repeat with the remaining butter. Be very gentle but thorough, scraping the bottom – it’s easy to get little pockets of flour but you need to conserve as much volume as you can. Carefully transfer to the tin by scraping it gently out from as little height as possible.
6. Bake for 25-30 minutes until set and golden. A toothpick should be able to be removed cleanly.
7. While it bakes, make the almond topping: Place the butter, sugar, milk, salt and espresso powder into the saucepan and stir as the butter melts. Keep heating for a few minutes – it should bubble and thicken slightly. Stir in the almonds and set aside. When the cake is ready, turn the oven up to 390°F (200°C), remove the cake to a rack and spoon the glaze over the top. Spread the almonds out into an even layer. Place back into the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes until the glaze is darkened and bubbling. Cool for a five minutes then slide a knife around the edge of the tin to loosen the sides and remove the cake to a rack.

It keeps well in an airtight container for two to three days.