Did it work out?
One click, and we know how the recipe works in a real kitchen.
Cooking
Swedish Almond Cake
· 8 servings
Making the sponge batter
Whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt, gradually adding the icing sugar as you go. Once you have stiff, glossy meringue, gently fold in the ground almonds with a wooden spoon.
Baking
Line a round tin with baking paper (including the sides) and pour in the batter. Bake in the oven at 170°C for about 25-30 minutes. Once baked, remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack.
Meanwhile, make the cream
In a saucepan, combine the cream and sugar and heat over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Important – don't let it come to a boil!
Watch the temperature and whisk
Keep an eye on the temperature, moving the pan off the heat briefly if needed. Add the egg yolks and whisk vigorously – they mustn't curdle! Keep whisking until thickened, roughly the consistency of custard.
Cool while stirring occasionally
Remove from the heat and let it cool, stirring from time to time so a skin doesn't form on top.
Whip the butter until fluffy
Put room-temperature butter into a bowl and whip it for about 5-10 minutes, until you get a beautifully light, almost white, fluffy texture.
Beating in the cream
Gradually beat the cooled yolk-and-cream mixture into the whipped butter until fully combined, then place the cream in the fridge to firm up – this takes about 2 hours.
Making the brittle
Put the sugar into a small saucepan and drizzle in a little water – don't stir. Heat until the sugar starts to caramelise, then add the almond flakes. 'Toast' them this way until golden brown.
Grinding the brittle
Tip the almonds onto baking paper to cool and dry. Once dry (they'll no longer feel sticky from the caramel), put them in a chopper and grind finely. Your brittle is ready.
Back to the sponge
The cooled sponge should be about 4 cm tall (using a 21 cm tin). Carefully slice it in half to get two thin layers.
Layering
Spread cream over the first layer and sprinkle with the almond brittle. Spread cream on the second layer too, including the side that will touch the brittle, then press the two layers together.
Chilling until set
Spread cream over the top and sides of the cake – this is easiest when the cream is firmer straight from the fridge. If the cream starts to soften, pop it back in the fridge for about 10 minutes and continue once it's firmer again. Once finished, chill the whole cake until fully set.
Decorating
Decorate the top of the cake with toasted almond flakes or almond brittle – I used both.