Mallorcan Almond Cake

I spent  a week in a Mallorcan mountain village in July which was completely idyllic.  There was an abundance of local produce from the sweetest oranges I've ever had to almonds harvested a few months earlier.  The village had a lovely bakery to which we made regular visits. My favourite purchase was definitely this local cake.  

A search of the internet has brought up this recipe for Mallorcan Almond Cake. I think my version used grated orange as opposed to lemon zest. This is the perfect cake to have with a cup of tea to remind me of the sunny days of summer holidays.

The Recipe

Unsalted butter and plain flour or preparing cake tin
8 eggs, separated
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
2 cups coarsely ground almonds

1. Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Butter an 11-inch round cake pan with 2-inch sides and then dust it with flour, shaking out any excess.

2. In a large bowl, combine the egg yolks and sugar an whisk together until smooth and foamy. Add the lemon zest, cinnamon, and vanilla, if using, and mix well. Add the ground almonds a little at a time, mixing well after each addition to incorporate fully.

3. Using a whisk or a handheld mixer, beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks. Scoop about one-third of the whites onto the egg yolk mixture and, using a rubber spatula, fold them in to lighten the mixture. Then add the remaining whites and fold them in gently but thoroughly, deflating the batter as little as possible.

4. Transfer the batter to the prepared tin Bake the cake for about 30 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the centre comes out clean. Remove from the oven and, holding the cake pan 6 inches above a countertop, drop the tin onto the counter. This simple dropping action shocks the cake, making it easier to remove from the pan.

5. Transfer the cake to a wire rack and let cool in the pan until warm. Run a knife around the inside of the pan to loosen the cake sides and then invert the cacke onto the rack and lift off the pan. Place the cake upright on a serving plate. Serve warm or at room temperature with ice cream, if desired.

Mjuk toscakaka or Amazing Swedish Cake

For this month's Random Recipe Challenge Dom at Belleau Kitchen told us to dig deep into baking books/sections and pick a baking recipe. This obviously suited me perfectly! After gathering a tottering pile of books I picked at hazard The Art of the Tart which is a sweet little book by Tamasin Day-Lewis. I've made a couple of the savoury tarts from this book but the opening at page 80 was for this Swedish tart recipe. This is I think my absolute new favourite recipe which would be as apt for a dinner dessert as it would be with a mid afternoon cup of tea. This tart shaped cake is moist yet light with the most delicious crunchy, fudgey flaked almond topping.


The Recipe


150g butter
125g caster sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
150g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
5 tbsp water


Topping
30g flaked almonds
60g butter
5 tbsp caster sugar
1 tbsp plain flour
1 tbsp milk


1. Preheat oven to 180 c and butter a 22cm tart tin.
2. Cream the butter and sugar together. Beat in the eggs one by one, then add the vanilla extract. Sift in the flour and baking powder, beat thoroughly, then add the water and continue beating until smooth. Put the mixture into the tart tin, smooth the top and bake for about 30 mins. Remove from the oven and then turn the temperature up to 200 c.
3. For the topping, put all the ingredients together into a saucepan and heat until the mixture bubbles. Spoon the mixture over the tart and return to oven to brown for 5 mins.