Happy Easter everyone! I can’t believe it’s April…where has time gone? As my sweet man always says, time waits for no one.
As I sit here planning our Easter menu, all I can think about is the dessert. I recently made a Scandinavian Almond Cake and was blown away by the taste and texture. It was rich, but not heavy. The intense almond flavoring came from the use of pure almond extract and the addition of sliced almonds to the cake… making the house smell divine! The outside of the cake was crunchy while the inside remained soft and airy. It reminded me of how you want your cookies…crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside.
This recipe came to me through my daughter who was given this gem by a colleague when she taught school in our area. She has had it for years and only recently pulled it out. Daughter, what took so long?!? But now that she has shared this recipe with me…I’m sharing it with you because I find this to be the perfect dessert to complement your Easter meal or for that matter, any meal!
Here’s what you will need:
- 2 ½ cups sugar
- 2 ½ cups flour
- 2 eggs
- 2 sticks butter, melted
- 3 tsp. pure almond extract
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1 1/3 cup whole milk
- Handful of sliced almonds
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F).
- Butter and flour a Bundt pan, critical to getting the crunchy.
- Using a stand mixer, beat sugar, eggs, milk, and pure almond extract until smooth, approximately one minute.
- Add in flour, baking powder, and melted butter and beat until everything is incorporated, approximately a minute and a half.
- Sprinkle sliced almonds into the bottom of the pan before pouring the batter into it.
- Gently pour mixture into pan and bake for 50 – 60 minutes or until edges are golden brown.
- It is important to cool the cake completely in the pan before removing.
Notes:
Because I was baking my cake in a Bundt pan, I doubled the original recipe. Below I have provided you with the exact measurements when using a traditional almond cake pan. This specialty pan has a curved design for a classic Scandinavian look. The directions remain the same…the only difference, bake the cake for 40 – 50 minutes.
- 1 ¼ cup sugar
- 1 ¼ cup flour
- 1 egg
- 2/3 cup milk
- 1 stick butter
- 1 ½ tsp. pure almond extract
- ½ tsp. baking powder
I used pure almond extract which is made through soaking whole almonds in an alcohol-based solution. Imitation almond extract is made from synthetic materials made to taste like the flavor extracted from almonds. Doesn’t sound too healthy!
I also made this recipe using pure lemon extract. I made it according to the double recipe but replaced the almond extract with 3 teaspoons pure lemon extract and did not use the sliced almonds. The taste and texture…the same as the almond cake. I will definitely make this again but with the addition of blueberries!
From my kitchen to yours…enjoy and bon appétit!
