Classic Swedish almond cake with or
without Emmy's berrylicious twist
This cake is a Swedish classic, loved by King Oskar II.
The cake is gluten free and can also be lactose free if you choose lactose-free butter and cream.
The cake is possible to prepare the day before and can even be frozen. It almost gets better over time!
I usually bake it for Midsummer and then add lemon to the butter cream and top it
with whipped cream, strawberries and flowers but it's really yummy in its original version too!
Download a printable version of the recipe here: Link to PDF recipe
The cake is gluten free and can also be lactose free if you choose lactose-free butter and cream.
The cake is possible to prepare the day before and can even be frozen. It almost gets better over time!
I usually bake it for Midsummer and then add lemon to the butter cream and top it
with whipped cream, strawberries and flowers but it's really yummy in its original version too!
Download a printable version of the recipe here: Link to PDF recipe
You need:
3 almond cake bases:
240 g (0,53 pounds) almonds
3.2 dl (1,35 cup) of unrefined granulated sugar
8 egg whites
Butter Cream:
8 egg yolks
1.6 dl (0,68 cup) cream or milk. For Emmy's version:
replace half of the cream with squeezed lemon (about 2 lemons).
1.6 dl (0,68 cup) of unrefined granulated sugar
280 g (0,62 pounds) of butter
Topping:
50 g of almond flakes
For Emmy's version you also need:
2 dl (0,85 cup) of whipped cream, strawberries or other berries,
edible flowers or anything else that's in season
Instructions:
Almond cake bases:
1. Draw 3 circles of 24 cm (9,5 inches) in diameter on baking sheets.
2. Grind the almonds in an almond mill or mix it as fine as you can in a mixer.
3. Crack the eggs and separate the yokes from the whites.
4. Beat the egg whites to stiff foam. Gently add the sugar.
Stir and continue to whip the mixture to shiny and stiff foam (about 3 min).
Gently mix in the ground almonds.
5. Spread the batter evenly, within your circles on the baking paper.
Bake one cake base at a time just below the middle of the oven at 175 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit)
for around 22 minutes (until the surface has a bit of color).
6. For each almond base that is ready: Immediately flip the ready-baked base to another
baking paper and pull the baking sheet from the bottom.
7. Let the bases lie on their new baking sheets and cool off on a grid.
Butter cream:
1. Stir egg yolks, cream (+ squeezed lemon) and sugar into a saucepan with a thick base.
Allow to boil while stirring. Whisk vigorously and let the cream simmer (not boil) until it thickens.
Whip vigorously all the time!
2. When the cream thickens, allow it to cool slightly.
Then add the cold butter, a little at a time and whisk down to a smooth cream.
3. Let the cream cool and solidify in the refrigerator.
4. Spread 1/3 of the cream on one of the almond bases and then layer the cream and bottoms.
There should be cream on top.
Roasted almond flakes:
Roast the almond flakes in a dry frying pan on top heat for a few minutes.
Keep an eye on it all the time because it can very quickly get burnt!
Topping:
For a classic almond cake: sprinkle the roasted almond flakes on the top layer of butter cream. Done!
For Emmy's version:
Whip cream and spread it on top of the top layer of butter cream.
Top with strawberries or other berries, edible flowers or anything else in season and finish of with almond flakes.
Keep the cake refrigerated before serving. You can prepare the cake one day in advance if you want a little softer cake
or you can make the almond cake bases and the butter cream the day before and then assemble the cake on the serving day.
The cake can also be assembled completely and then kept in the freezer (not with whipped cream and berries though!)
Emmy's Midsummer Cake a few years ago
Stock Photo image of classic almond cake