Swedish Visiting Cake
Soft butter cake with lemon zest and almonds
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Makes: 8 large slices
Ingredients
- 3/4th cup caster sugar (see notes)
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp salt if using unsalted butter
- 115 gms butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 3 tbsps sliced almonds
Instructions
- Grease a shallow 8 inch cake pan or pie dish and set aside. Preheat the oven to 175 C.
- Add the sugar and lemon zest to a mixing bowl. Rub the zest into the sugar with your fingertips till the sugar feels moist.
- Whisk in the eggs one at a time, then add the vanilla, salt (if using) and whisk again.
- Stir in the flour and finally add the melted butter, stirring till the batter is smooth and even. A silicone spatula is useful here. It will seem like the butter is too much but it gets absorbed into the batter quickly.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothening it if necessary with the back of a spoon or spatula. Sprinkle the top with the almonds.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until the top is golden-brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Rotate the pan halfway through the baking time to let the cake brown evenly. Let the cake cool for about 20 minutes before slicing, it tastes great slightly warm! Allow to cool completely before storing in an airtight tin at room temperature for 3 to 4 days, and in the fridge for a week. Happy baking!
Notes
*Originally, this cake was made with 1 cup sugar. I found it a bit over sweet but it produces a shinier crust and even softer texture, if you want to try it that way.
*The eggs are crucial here to make the cake rise and I'm not aware of a substitute.