Toscakaka Torte ~ #TheCakeSliceBakers

It's so comforting to have a small piece of cake. Just one slice.

The Cake Slice Bakers continue to bake from The European Cake Cookbook by Tatyana Nesteruk. So far it has been a wonderful journey filled with delicious cakes from all over Europe, each one more delicious than the next. I can see a gym membership in my immediate future. 😊

The choices for March were a Triple-Citrus Mousse Cake, a Toscakaka Torte, a Creme Brulee Cheesecake, and an Austrian Pound Cake. This was a really difficult choice as they all sound amazing. I almost made the Austrian Pound Cake, but decided that made a few pound cakes before and I had all the ingredients for the Toscakaka Torte so my choice was made.  Kaka means cake in Swedish, and this torte is a classic Swedish caramel cake. It is a tender caramel almond cake topped with a homemade caramel that sauce that sinks into the cake and delicious toasted almonds that give it a great crunch factor.

This cake was super easy to make, but I will say that there are a few steps where you think that the cake has separated, and also the caramel when you are at that step, but just keep on mixing, mixing, mixing and I promise it will all turn out perfectly.  Instead of puring all fo the caramel over the top I saved a small amount and then poured it over the top when serving the cake, and a little ice cream on the side did not hurt either.

Toscakaka Torte

Printer Friendly Recipe

Ingredients
Cake ~

• 170g (¾ cup) unsalted butter, softened
• 100g (½ cup) granulated sugar
• 120ml (½ cup) dulce de leche
• 3 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 120ml (½ cup) milk
• 190g (1½ cups) all-purpose flour
• 50g (½ cup) almond flour
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 110g (1 cup) sliced almonds, lightly toasted, for garnish

Caramel Sauce ~

• 200g (1 cup) granulated sugar
• 60ml (¼ cup) water
• 120ml (½ cup) heavy cream
• 60g (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation
Cake ~

1. Preheat oven to 170℃ (335℉).
2. Line the bottom of a 23cm (9-inch) springform pan with parchment paper and spray the sides with baking spray.
3. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment whip together butter, sugar and dulce de leche on high speed until pale and fluffy.
4. Add in eggs and vanilla extract and blend on high speed until creamy, gently blend in milk (mixture may look curdled but it's fine).
5. In a medium mixing bowl whisk together flour, almond flour, baking powder and salt.
6. Sift flour mixture over batter and gently fold just until combined.
7. Pour batter into prepared springform pan and smooth top.
8. Bake in preheated oven for 30 - 35 minutes, the sides should be set but the center slightly under-baked.
9. Prepare the caramel sauce (see below) and the almonds while the cake is baking.
10. Spread the sliced almonds on a small baking sheet and toast in the pre-heated oven for 5 minutes, tossing once or twice, until golden in color.
11. After baking the cake for 35 minutes remove from the oven and pierce all over the top with a fork.
12. Pour the prepared caramel sauce over the top and spread it to the edges (reserve a few tablespoons to drizzle over the top before serving if desired).
13. Sprinkle with toasted almonds.
14. Return the cake to the oven and bake for an additional 15 minutes.
15. Remove the cake from the oven and allow to stand for 10 minutes, allowing the caramel to cool slowly, then run a knife around edges of cake to loosen and remove pan ring.; the caramel may drip down the sides.
16. Use a serrated knife to cut the cake; serve warm or cool completely and store in an airtight container.

Caramel Sauce ~

1. In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and water.
2. Cook the syrup over medium-high heat for 15-18 minutes, until it turns an amber color (approximately 180℃ (350℉) on a candy thermometer).
3. Add the cream, butter, vanilla, and salt and whisk until butter melts completely and the sauce is smooth, about 2 minutes.

Each month The Cake Slice Bakers are offered a selection of cakes from the current book we are baking through. This year it is The European Cake Cookbook by Tatyana Nesteruk. We each choose one cake to bake, and then on the 20th - never before - we all post about our cake on our blogs. There are a few rules that we follow, but the most important ones are to have fun and enjoy baking & eating cakes!

Follow our Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest pages where you can find all of our cakes, as well as inspiration for many other cakes. You can also click on the thumbnail pictures below to take you to each of our cakes. If you have a blog and are interested in joining The Cake Slice Bakers and baking along with us, please send an email to thecakeslicebakers at gmail dot com for more details. The Cake Slice Bakers also have a new Facebook group called The Cake Slice Bakers and Friends. This group is perfect for those who do not have a blog but want to join in the fun and bake through this book.

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