I am obsessed with this simple cake. It has all of my favorite flavors; lemon, vanilla, and almond. It takes literally 5 minutes to make and it bakes in 25 minutes. It just might be the perfect snack to have with a steamy cup of coffee or a hot tea. This is going to be a go-to recipe for my next brunch. I found this recipe in the Dorie Greenspan book that I found my pie crust recipe in and really believe that it is a book that all bakers should have in their collection. I love the story that Dorie includes about this cake. She got the recipe from a friend and the friend’s mother would start making it when she could see the guests coming up the driveway and it would be ready by the time they sat down for coffee. She would serve it warm and I cannot imagine how her house must have smelled. I am not Swedish, but I would like to be after eating this cake.
I made the first one a few days ago and Clay and I loved it. It keeps really well wrapped in plastic wrap, you can get about 5 days out of it and up to 2 months frozen. That one did not last very long so I made another one to take to my friend Corey and it was well received by my friend Baby Matthew.
If only I could be this cute shoving cake in my mouth. Ah, to be 14 months old again.
This is the book that I am talking about. Run to the your local BN and buy one or hit up Amazon. You will be thanking me later. I promise you.
1 cup sugar (plus more more sprinkling on top right before baking)
grated zest of one lemon
2 eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup flour
1 stick melted butter, cooled
1/4 cup sliced almonds
In a medium bowl, add the lemon zest to the sugar. Rub the zest and sugar in between your fingers to release the oils, the sugar will start to smell delicious.
Whisk in the eggs one at a time.
Whisk in the salt and the extracts.
Change to a spatula and stir in the flour.
Fold in the butter.
Stir until combined. Dorie makes her in a 9-inch cast iron skillet. I don’t have one so I used a regular 9-inch cake pan. I used a little of the melted butter to grease the pan.
Pour the batter into the pan and top with the sliced almonds and a generous sprinkling of sugar.
Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes. It will be golden and the edges will have a nice crust.
Let the cake cool in the pan for about 5 minutes and then take a knife and run it around the edge of the pan.
This cake can be served warm (and really is there anything more delicious than a warm cake?) or at room temperature.
Here is a picture of cake #2. A latte and some Swedish Visiting Cake, is there really a better way to spend a morning?
Well, yes, there is. With good friends that let us come over and hang out at 9am. We love you guys!
Ingredients
- 1 cup sugar (plus more more sprinkling on top right before baking)
- grated zest of one lemon
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 cup flour
- 1 stick melted butter, cooled
- 1/4 cup sliced almonds
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, add the lemon zest to the sugar. Rub the zest and sugar in between your fingers to release the oils, the sugar will start to smell delicious.
- Whisk in the eggs one at a time.
- Whisk in the salt and the extracts.
- Change to a spatula and stir in the flour.
- Fold in the butter.
- Stir until combined. Dorie makes her in a 9-inch cast iron skillet. I don’t have one so I used a regular 9-inch cake pan. I used a little of the melted butter to grease the pan.
- Pour the batter into the pan and top with the sliced almonds and a generous sprinkling of sugar.
- Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes. It will be golden and the edges will have a nice crust.
- Let the cake cool in the pan for about 5 minutes and then take a knife and run it around the edge of the pan.
- This cake can be served warm (and really is there anything more delicious than a warm cake?) or at room temperature.
I am Bree. I love to cook. Even more than I love to take pictures.
Delicious! Lemon and almond are possibly one of our fave combos…we have a serious weakness for almond extract. This looks like such a superb simple cake…and we love the name!
Me too, I love anything with almond extract in it. You should try these then if you like almond and lemon together. http://bakedbree.com/lemon-ricotta-muffins
I’m with Baby Matthew on this one – that cake looks delish! Perfect with one of those amazing cappuccinos that Corey makes…mmmm. I want both of them & Baby Matthew right now!
I want a Corey Coffeehouse Special right now!
I’ve been meaning to order that book too and I think I’m convinced now! The cake looks absolutely heavenly, I must try this recipe! Thanks for sharing!
It is such a good book. It is rare that there are more things that I want to make vs. things that I don’t want to make in a cookbook. A favorite.
Oh my goodness! I am going to have to give this one a try!
Gorgeous baby btw!
Thank you, he is not mine, but I love him!! Isn’t he cute?
Looks pretty!
simple but delicious, I love that.
I am going to cook that soon with your recipe.
Just two stupid questions,
Before fold in flour, how long do you whisk your wet mixture?
Does the butter make cake soft and fluffy?
Thank you!
no question is stupid, please ask away. You whisk until it comes together. This cake is more dense than light and fluffy. There is no leavening in it.
a pretty cake AND cute babies? love it!
isn’t he cute? Baby Matthew likes cake. Who can blame him?
Yummy- it’s in the oven right now! Can’t wait to eat it after dinner tonight! Thanks for another great recipe Bree. I love your blog!!
hope that you liked it as much as I did!
I just found your blog yesterday thanks to one of my twitter-friends tweeting one of your recipes, and I have since spent literally hours reading your recipes and posts getting some amazing ideas. Tonight I made your tandoori chicken burgers which were incredible, and I bought the ingredients for this recipe to try out tomorrow. I love almond, lemon, and vanilla, too, so I can’t wait to taste this!
I am so happy to hear that! I hope that you continue to read.
I don’t know why I haven’t made this one yet! Looks so good!
do yourself a favor and make it stat, I dream about this cake.
That looks delicious! I will definitely have to try it.
As a side note, I love those ceramic measuring spoons. Would you mind sharing where you got them?
I got the colored spoons at World Market. Anthropologie has cute ones too.
Made the cake last night and it is fantastic! I had a few blackberries that I tossed in, too. It’s hard to pass them up during this Southern summer. Love your posts as always.
That sounds so good Stacy! Blackberries are so good right now.
Thanks so much for bringing this little gem over to our house! It really is a delicious little cake. Baby Matthew really couldn’t get enough of it. What a wonderful treat to have a sweet snack and wonderful friends to share it with.
my pleasure! we had so much fun drinking coffee and destroying your house!
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You got me sooo excited about this. Haha. I’ve never actually seen this Dorie recipe before and am super excited about it. It’s simple, fragrant and it looks like a lot more effort has gone into it. I think it’s just really nice comfortcake. Haha.
It truly is one of my most favorite things on the planet. Simple and elegant. I want some right now!
OMG! My friend Ursula who is a great baker brought this great named Swedish Visiting Cake to a gathering of long time friends last night. We ate it for dinner and then again for breakfast! I looks just like your picture and I was smiling like Baby Matthew! I can’t wait to surprise someone with it myself. Nice to meet you bakedbree.
Nice to meet you as well Frances. This is one of my all-time favorite treats. It is so easy to make too.
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I just made this last night for some surprise visitors–I used slivered instead of sliced almonds. A HUGE hit–thanks so much!
I haven’t made this in so long, I need to make this soon, I love this cake.
I spent the first few years of my life in Sweden, and while I have never been a big dessert lover, this cake is the exception. I, however, have never made it. Thanks for the recipe – looks perfect for an Easter weekend dessert!
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I love this cake, it is so easy to make, and perfect for any time of day.
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Just made this for guests this morning, not because they were unexpected but because my house still smelled like last night’s curry. I didn’t have the almond extract and had to chop up some almonds for the top. But still delicious. I’ll be making it again.
I make this cake all the time, I love it so much. Sometimes I add fruit and it is so good.