If you've never been to Sweden, but like to visit IKEA stores, you probably know this dessert very well. Swedes call it 'mandeltårta'. The crust of this Swedish Almond Cake doesn't contain any flour, only ground almond, so I think this cake could be a great option for anyone on a gluten-free diet.
These Scandinavian cakes are the best when you can enjoy the right balance of cream and crust, so thin layers of each will make the best almond cake.
Ingredients
Crust
- 3 egg whites
- 5 tbsp cane sugar
- 200 g ground almond
- 1 pinch cinnamon
Filling
- 3 egg yolks
- 2 tbsp cane sugar
- 100 ml double cream
- 50 g white chocolate
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 200 g butter
- 1 tbsp cornstarch or gluten-free flour
Other
- Toasted, sliced almonds
Instructions
Crust
- Whip the egg whites until the foam starts to be stable.
- Then add the cane sugar and whip until it forms stiff peaks.
- Finally, incorporate the ground almond very gently with a spatula.
- Divide the batter between 2 large or 3 smaller round, lined cake tins.
- Bake the crust in a pre-heated oven at 180 °C, for about 25-30 minutes. Do not let it turn too dark golden brown.
- Chill the crusts upside down in the tin, on a cooling rack. This way the crust won't collapse.
Filling
- First of all let's put the egg yolks, sugar, double cream and starch into a pot. Stir it till you get a smooth mixture and cook it over steam till it thickens while constantly stirring it.
- Remove the pot from above the steam, and immediately add the crushed white chocolate, butter, and vanilla extract and stir it till the chocolate and butter completely melt.
- Cover the mixture with cling film and place it into the fridge for at least an hour. The butter should be set a little bit before you cover the crust layers.
Assembly
- Place the base crust layer on a cake stand, spread some cream on it. It's not necessary to cover it too thick.
- Repeat this with the second (and third) crust layer and cover the cake completely with the leftover cream.
- Decorate the side with toasted almond slices.
- Serve it chilled.
Swedish Almond Cake - Photo by © Reka Csulak
