Tosca Cake - Sizin Portal

Tosca Cake

Friday, July 4, 2008

Everyone knows someone who keeps their cooking and recipes secret. I know someone, who, all through my childhood would make the most delicious food. One of the things she made (and still makes) is a Tosca Cake. It was always very exotic to me and for a long time I thought she had invented it! (It's actually Swedish in origin - a heavy sponge cake with a praline-type almond topping.)

I tried several times to ask her for the recipe and she would very generously offer to make it for me, but no, I never did get that recipe! :) So, I went to the ever supportive Blog Search, and found a fairly easy recipe.

So here goes my Tosca Cake.
(adapted from here)


100 g Butter, melted and cooled
1/2 cup Sugar
3/4 cup All-Purpose Flour
1 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 cup Milk
2 Eggs

Beat eggs and sugar until it becomes white (it just never happened for me - remained yellow, so I just gave up! But I was doing it with a whip, maybe in an electric contraption, it might become white).


Sift the dry ingredients (baking powder and flour) and stir into the egg mixture, adding the milk and butter. Mix well till combined. Pour into a cake pan and bake at 175 deg C for about 20 mts.


While the cake is baking, start making the topping:


100 g butter
little less than 1/2 cup Sugar
2 tbsp All-Purpose Flour
2 tbsp Milk
1/2 cup Slivered Almonds

Combine all the above ingredients except for the almonds on low heat. When it starts to thicken, add the almonds and combine.


In case you're looking at those almonds and saying those aren't peeled or slivered, you're right of course. I forgot about that step until I got to the "for the topping" part and I was stumped! And then I remembered a little passage written by Jamie Oliver in the book I was currently reading "Don't Try This At Home" (a funny collection of short stories by brilliant chefs). Jamie Oliver had written about how in the start of his culinary career he had had to peel hundreds of almonds! And I used his method: Let the almonds soak in hot water for a few minutes - and then the peel just slips off. Its very easy. So I peeled all of them and slivered them.














































When the cake has baked for 20 minutes, take it out of the oven, and spread evenly with the topping. Pop back into the oven for about 15 minutes. If you can, put it on a higher rack in the oven, to get the browned effect.



It's simply fabulous, folks. I brought out my nice "China", and celebrated with a cup of tea!


This is off to Andrew @ Spittoon Extra for this month's theme of Waiter There's Something In My...Dried Fruits and Nuts. If you haven't already, hop over to his blog - its absolutely delicious!

I want to thank my dear friend, Homecooked, for the Nice Matters Award. I am so surprised and honored! Her blog is so wonderful - check out her latest gorgeous cake! I also want to thank Gaurav of Gastronome By Choice for the Yummy Blog Award. Thanks so much!

Now, lets see what the fellow Recipe Marathon bloggers have been up to:
Valli has a lovely looking roti and Ranji made some fish cutlets. Dhivya made some fantastic appetizers and Siri made eggplant rice. Swati was disappointed over her cricket teams performance, but managed to make some great curry. Raaga made some savory cakes and Lakshmi got dessert with these amazing truffles. And Bhags made some Chitrannam with lots of left-over rice.

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