Toscatarta (Swedish Almond Cake)

This is a really nice almond cake; a moist butter cake, topped with a sweet crunchy buttery almonds. Another lovely recipe from the book "Cake" by Rachel Allen, 

It is baked in a springform pan, and Rachel has given a useful tip to use the base of the pan upside down, so that there's no lip at the sides of the base removable bottom, and the cake can be slide off easily after baking.

Recipe says to bake the cake for 30 minutes, then add on the topping, which is to be prepared about 5 minutes before the cake's 30 minutes is up. A cake tester inserted in the middle of cake is supposed to have some moist crumbs on it before the topping is added, but my cake tester is clean when I inserted it in the cake at 27 minutes, so it would be a good idea to check on your cake earlier. 

To prepare the topping, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat, add the rest of the ingredients, sugar, flour, cream, vanilla extract and flaked almonds, letting the mixture bubbles for a minute. Spread the mixture evenly over the hot cake, and continue to bake the cake for another 10-15 minutes until the almonds are golden brown.

I sliced  a piece when the cake is still slightly warm, as it smells so good with the almonds! The cake turn out moist with tender crumbs, and the almonds are crunchy, a little sweet, buttery and smells good! The next time, when I make this again, I would reduce slightly, the amount of sugar for the topping, it is a little sweet for me, but it would probably be just right for those who love their dessert a little sweet.

If you love almonds, then you just got to give this cake a try!

Toscatarta or Swedish Almond Cake
(adapted from "Cake", Rachel Allen)
Serves 8-10
3 eggs
150gm (5 oz) caster sugar (I use 120gm)
150gm (5 oz) plain flour, plus extra for dusting
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 tbsp milk
75gm (3 oz) butter, melted, plus extra for greasing

For the Topping :
50gm (2 oz) butter
100gm (3-1/2 oz) flaked almonds
50gm (2 oz) caster sugar
2 tsp plain flour
3 tbsp double or regular cream
1 tsp vanilla extract

One 23cm (9 in) diameter spring-form or loose-bottomed cake tin with 6cm (2-1/2 in) sides

Preheat the oven to 180C (350F), gas mark 4, then grease the base and sides of the cake tin with butter and dust with flour. If you're using a spring-form tin, make sure the base is upside down, so there's no lip and the cake can slide off easily when cooked.

Using a hand-held electric beater or an electric food mixer, whisk together the eggs and the sugar for 5-7 minutes or until thick and mousse-like.

Sift in the flour and baking powder and pour in the vanilla extract, milk and melted butter, then fold everything in until combined. Tip the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out moist but not totally clean, as the mixture will still need another 10 minutes of cooking. Increase the heat to 200C (400F), Gas mark 6.

Just before the 30-35 minutes are up, make the topping. Place the butter in a saucepan over a medium heat. When it has melted, add the remaining ingredients and bring to the boil, allowing the mixture to bubble away for 1 minute.

After the cake has been cooking for 30-35 minutes, remove it from the oven and spoon the almond mixture evenly over the top. Place it back in the oven and bake for about 10-15 minutes or until the topping is golden.

Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes. Then, using a small, sharp knife, loosen around the edges and carefully remove the sides of the tin before placing the cake (still on the base of the tin) on a wire rack to cool down fully.

To transfer to a plate, use a palette knife to loosen the bottom of the cake from the tin, then slide the knife under the cake and ease it onto the plate to serve.

**************************

I'm linking this post to Little Thumbs Up : June 2014 - Butter, organized by Zoe of Bake For Happy Kids, Doreen of My Little Favourite DIY, and hosted by Jozelyn Ng of Spice Up My Kitchen

and Cook-Your-Books #13 @ kitchen flavours

Marbled Chocolate Crumble Cake : Bake Along #59

Time for Bake-Along! For our Bake-Along #59, Lena has selected the theme "Marbled Butter Cake". Marble Cake is really an all-time favourite, I love biting into the two different flavours in one cake, and seeing the pretty swirls in the cake. And for every marble cake that is baked, you would never get the same swirls! One of my earliest memories of eating marble cakes, was the one that my mother used to bake, when we were young. Marble cakes are really special and different when compared to other cakes at that time, maybe because we were not exposed to many other varieties and the many different types of cakes which are available now. I still think that marble cakes are special, old-fashion, yet never "out-of-fashion" !

I've chose to bake this lovely cake from Rachel Allen's "Cake" cookbook. What drawn me to this cake is the crumble topping on top of a moist buttery marbled cake. Usually when I make a marble cake, it would always be plain without any glazing, and this recipe of Rachel Allen's with a crumble topping sounds like fun!

The recipe is really straightforward. The crumble topping is first mixed and kept aside, to be used later to scatter on top of the batter before baking. I've made half a recipe and baked in a 7" round springform pan. I love how the cake rises really well. It looks like a small, elegant and proud cake, with the crumble as its crowning glory, at least to me, anyway! :o)

This is such a delightful cake to eat! The texture is moist, soft and tender. And the crumble topping, with the addition of chocolate chips in the crumble, makes it all the more chocolaty delicious.

This is the kind of cake that is perfect with a cup of either hot coffee or tea.  I love marble cakes, do you?

* my measurement for half a recipe, noted in blue
Marbled Chocolate Crumble Cake
(adapted from "Cake", Rachel Allen)
225gm (8oz) butter, softened, plus extra for greasing (110gm)
225gm (8oz) caster sugar (80gm)
4 eggs (2)
1 tsp vanilla extract (1/2 tsp)
225gm (8oz) plain flour (110gm)
2 tsp baking powder (1 tsp)
50ml (2fl oz) milk (2 tbsp, and 1/2 tsp for the cocoa batter)
25gm (1oz) cocoa powder (12gm)
icing sugar, for dusting

For the crumble topping :
125gm (4-1/2 oz) plain flour, sifted (60gm)
75gm (3oz) caster sugar (25gm)
75gm (3oz) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into cubes (35gm)
75gm (3oz) dark or milk chocolate, in chips or roughly chopped into pieces (50gm)

23cm (9in) diameter spring-form or loose-bottomed cake tin with 6cm (2-1/2in) sides

First make the crumble topping. Using your fingertips, rub together the flour, sugar and butter in a large bowl until it resembles thick breadcrumbs, then mix in the chocolate pieces. Set aside in the fridge while you make the sponge.

Preheat the oven to 180C (350F), Gas Mark 4, and butter the sides and the base of the cake tin. If you're using a spring-form tin, make sure the base is upside down so there's no lip and the cake can slide off easily when cooked. Cream the butter until soft in a large bowl or in an electric food mixer. Add the sugar and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy.

Whisk the eggs and vanilla extract together in a small bowl for a few seconds or just until combined, then gradually add the eggs to the creamed butter and sugar mixture, beating all the time. Sift in the flour and baking powder and fold in carefully, then add the milk and mix gently to combine. Tip half of the cake mixture into another large bowl, then sift the cocoa powder into this bowl and fold it in. (I've added in 1/2 tsp of milk to the cocoa batter for half a recipe).

Place the two different cake mixtures in the prepared tin by alternating heaped tablespoonfuls of the vanilla batter with the chocolate one, then, with a skewer or similar implement, gently draw swirls through the cake mixture to "marbleise" it. Try not to over-mix or you won't get that wonderful marbled effect.

Scatter the crumble mixture evenly over the top of the cake mixture and bake for 50-60 minutes or until the crumble is golden and a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then loosen around the edges using a small, sharp knife and remove the sides of the tin. Place the cake (sitting on the base of the tin) on a wire rack and allow to cool completely.

Use a palette knife or metal fish slice to loosen the bottom of the cake from the base of the tin, then slide the palette knife or fish slice under the cake and carefully ease it onto a plate. Dust with icing sugar to serve.

****************

To join our blog hop, bake any Marbled Butter Cake of your choice, and link your post to our Bake-Along linky.

Please visit my baking buddies, Lena from Frozen Wings and Zoe from Bake For Happy Kids, and all our friends who has baked along with us in the linky below :

Bake-Along will be taking a break in April and we shall be back in May. One exciting news, Bake-Along is celebrating it's 3rd Anniversary in May, and we shall be having a special theme, Theme : Chocolate Cakes. Join us as we celebrate our 3rd year of baking together, bake any Chocolate Cake of your choice and link up with us. Our blog-hop linky will start on 05/05 to 14/05. Everyone is welcome!

A friendly reminder when linking to our blog hop :

1. Please mention Bake-Along event in your own post linking direct to any of the hosts' post (Joyce, Lena or Zoe)

2. Please link only new and current post, related to the current bake or theme provided by us. Unrelated post will be deleted.

3. Feel free to display our Bake-Along badge in your post.

****************************

Cook-Your-Books #10 hosted by Kitchen Flavours

To join our blog hop, click on the link to get the codes

get the InLinkz code

An InLinkz Link-up

Cheesecake Brownies

It has been quite a while since I last made any brownies. I made these brownies a few weeks ago, during that time, I have been baking lots of breads, and the kids are delighted with these brownies, seems like a real treat after all those bread-baking! LOL! This wonderful brownies is from "Cake" by Rachel Allen, her latest book on cakes baking. It is a beautiful book with lots of photos and recipes that are easy to follow.

The brownie base is topped with a mixture of cream cheese, egg yolks and sugar, which are beaten till smooth, then drop by the teaspoonfuls on the brownie batter in the prepared pan. Using a knife, swirl both mixtures together for a marbling effect. Bake for 30-35 minutes and let cool in pan on rack.

Cut into 16 squares to serve.

I love swirls in bakes, do you?

These Cheesecake Brownies has a lovely moist texture. Yummy!

(my changes in blue)
Cheesecake Brownies
(adapted from "Cake", Rachel Allen)
makes 16 brownies
100 gm (3-1/2 oz) butter, cut into cubes
100 gm (3-1/2 oz) dark chocolate, in drops or broken into pieces
125gm (4-1/2 oz) caster sugar (90 gm)
pinch of salt (omit, since I've used salted butter)
3 eggs, beaten
75 gm (3 oz) self-raising flour
1 tbsp cocoa powder
100 gm (3-1/2 oz) dark chocolate, in chips or chopped into pieces

For the cheesecake mixture :
200 gm (7 oz) cream cheese
2 egg yolks
75 gm (3 oz) caster sugar (50 gm)

20cm (8 in) square cake tin with 5cm (2in) sides

Preheat the oven to 180C (350F), Gas Mark 4. If the cake tin has a removable base, butter the sides and line the base with a square of baking parchment, otherwise line the base and sides of the tin.

Place the butter and chocolate in a saucepan and melt over a low heat. Stir just until smooth, then remove from the heat and beat in the sugar and salt, followed by the eggs. Sift in the flour and cocoa powder, add the chocolate chips and stir in. Tip the batter into the prepared tin and spread out using a spatula.

In a clean bowl, beat all the ingredients for the cheesecake mixture together until smooth. Dot heaped teaspoonfuls of this mixture across the top of the brownie batter in the tin, then use a skewer or knife to swirl the two mixtures together, right across the tin and up to the edges.

Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the middle of the cake still wobbles slightly when you gently shake the tin - a skewer inserted into the centre should come out with a little moisture on it. Remove from the oven, place on a wire rack and allow to cool completely in the tin before carefully removing the cake and cutting into squares to serve.

***************

I'm linking this post to :

Cook-Your-Books #9 hosted by Kitchen Flavours