Swedish Tosca Cake (Toscakaka)
Toscakaka, or Tosca cake, is a Swedish almond caramel cake. It’s a super simple, buttery cake, topped with a caramel almond topping. It’s a moist and sturdy sponge, perfect to serve with a cup of coffee.
Why you’ll love this cake
- Easy to make by hand: The batter can be easily mixed by hand, no electric mixer required.
- Caramel almond topping: This Swedish classic has a signature caramelized topping made of toasted almonds and caramel. It adds this amazing, chewy, crispy and buttery finish.
- Perfect for coffee break: Toscakaka is the perfect accompaniment to a hot cup of coffee. It’s a denser cake so pairs well with a hot drink. It embodies the essence of Swedish “fika” which is a beloved coffee break that’s as much about socializing as it is about having a treat.
Ingredients
Here’s what you need for this classic toscakaka. You can find the amounts written in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Unsalted butter: Melted. Butter provides a rich base for the cake. You can use salted butter too, and lessen the added salt in the recipe.
- Eggs: Large eggs add structure and richness to the batter.
- Sugar: Sweetens the cake and contributes to the tender crumb.
- Vanilla extract: Adds a classic flavor. Make sure to use real vanilla extract
- All-purpose flour or cake flour: The base of the cake
- Salt: Flavor enhancer.
- Baking powder: Helps the cake rise, making it light and fluffy.
- Natural yogurt: This isn’t traditional, but I love to add a little acidity to the batter to make the cake more tender. You can substitute this with buttermilk too.
- Milk: Room temperature milk loosens the batter.
For the Topping
- Slivered almonds: They create the signature crunchy, nutty topping. I like using the thicker cut slivered almonds for more texture. You can also use sliced almonds, which are thinner almond flakes.
- Butter: Adds richness.
- Sugar: Caramelizes with the butter to create the caramel topping.
- Salt: Balances the sweetness of the caramel.
- Flour: Thickens the almond topping mixture to help it cling to the cake.
- Milk: Thins the mixture.
Equipment
- A 9-inch/ 23 cm round cake tin – springform. Using a cake pan with a removable bottom makes for an easy removal.
Method
Preheat the oven and line a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 350°F/ 180°C.
In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the melted butter with the eggs, sugar, and vanilla.
Whisk well until the mixture is well blended and smooth.
Gently fold the dry ingredients into the egg mixture using a rubber spatula. Once halfway incorporated, add the yogurt and milk and continue to mix until just combined.
Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with an offset spatula. Place the pan on the lower rack of your preheated oven and bake for around 20-25 minutes, or until the cake is has just baked through.
While the cake is baking, prepare the topping.
Almond topping
Melt the butter. Take it off the heat and through the rest of the topping ingredients.
Once the cake base is baked, remove it from the oven and spread the almond topping in an even layer on top of the cake.
Return the cake to the oven, this time placing it on the middle position and increase the oven temperature to 400°F/ 200°C.
Bake for approximately 15-20 minutes more, or until the topping has turned a golden brown color and is bubbling.
Let the Toscakaka to cool in the pan on a wire rack for around 20 minutes. Remove it from the pan, running a knife gently along the sides of the pan. The topping will harden slightly as it cools, creating almost an almond praline, and a delicious contrast to the soft cake underneath.
Serving
This Swedish tosca cake is delightful both warm and at room temperature. Enjoy it as is or with a dollop of whipped cream for an extra indulgent treat.
FAQS
Almonds are traditional, but you can definitely experiment with other nuts like hazelnuts or pecans. Or, try something different like sesame seeds!
This can happen if the cake is not set enough before adding the topping, or if the topping is too heavy. Make sure the cake has baked enough before adding the almond layer.
“Kaka” is the Swedish word for cake. The “Tosca” part of the name is believed to be derived from Puccini’s opera “Tosca.” It’s thought that the cake might have been named after the opera to give it a sense of Italian elegance and flair. This was quite trendy at the time the cake became popular in Sweden.
More cake recipes
If you enjoyed this Tosca cake, you might like these too!
Toscakaka – Tosca Cake Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
Cake
- 85 g unsalted butter melted
- 3 large eggs
- 150 g granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 155 g cake flour or all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 60 g natural yogurt room temperature
- 2 Tablespoons milk room temperature
Topping
- 110 g slivered almonds
- 113 g unsalted butter melted
- 100 g granulated sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 2 Tablespoons milk room temperature
Instructions
- Preheat the oven and line a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper. Grease the sides with butter or oil and flour them well. Tap the pan to remove the excess flour. Preheat the oven to 350°F/ 180°C.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the melted butter with the eggs, sugar, and vanilla.Whisk well until the mixture is well blended and smooth.
- Gently fold the dry ingredients into the egg mixture using a rubber spatula. Once halfway incorporated, add the yogurt and milk and continue to mix until just combined.
- Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with an offset spatula. Place the pan on the lower rack of your preheated oven and bake for around 25 minutes, or until the cake is has just baked through.
Topping
- While the cake is baking, prepare the topping.
- Melt the butter, then stir through the rest of the topping ingredients.
- Once the cake base is baked, remove it from the oven and spread the almond topping in an even layer on top of the cake.
- Return the cake to the oven, this time placing it on the middle position and increase the oven temperature to 400°F/ 200°C.
- Bake for approximately 15-20 minutes more, or until the topping has turned a golden brown color and is bubbling.
- Let the Toscakaka to cool in the pan on a wire rack for around 20 minutes. Remove it from the pan, running a knife gently along the sides of the pan.
