Swedish Visiting Cake

This is cake is so wonderful and SO easy to make, I actually made it twice this week.  It’s light and thin with a golden sugar crust and the interior is soft, chewy, and moist.  It perfectly compliments a morning cup of coffee and only takes a few minutes to whip together.

This cake is literally the EASIEST thing I’ve ever baked.  You don’t need any fancy utensils or appliances.  Simply combine the ingredients in a bowl, throw it in a pan, and in 25 minutes you have a warm, wonderful cake.

Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees F.  Butter a seasoned 9-inch cast-iron skillet or other heavy oven-proof skillet, a 9-inch round cake pan, or a pie pan.  The first time I made this I made it in a pie pan because I was bringing it to work.  The second time I made it in a 10-inch skillet because I don’t have a 9-inch.  I didn’t notice any kind of difference in taste either time.  A 9-inch skillet or pan of course would yield a slightly thicker cake.

Pour the sugar into a medium bowl and add the lemon zest. Using your fingers, mix the zest and sugar together until the sugar is moist and aromatic.

Whisk in the eggs one at a time until well blended.  Then whisk in the salt and extracts.

Switch to a rubber spatula and stir in the flour.  Finally, fold in the melted butter.

The difference between folding and stirring is that folding is a gentler way of combining ingredients.  Folding is designed to combine ingredients without knocking air out of the mixture.  In a single action, run the spatula or spoon around the side, then along the base, of the bowl, bringing the ingredients of the bottom of the bowl up to the top.  Rotate the bowl 90° and continue to repeat this technique until ingredients are just combined.  

Scrape the batter into your skillet or pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula.  Scatter sliced almonds over the top and sprinkle with a little sugar.

Bake the cake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until it is golden and a little crisp on the outside.  Remove the skillet from the oven and let the cake cool for 5 minutes.

You can serve this cake warm or at room temperature.  Well-wrapped, the cake will keep for about 5 days at room temperature or for up to 2 months in the freezer.  The best part is that you probably have all or most of the ingredients already!

Ingredients

• 1 cup sugar, plus a little more for sprinkling
• Grated zest of 1 lemon
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp pure almond extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• About 1/4 cup sliced almonds

Original Recipe from Baking by Dorie Greenspan

Seriously. Go make this.