Seema’s toscakaka cake recipe

The Kitchen
Seema’s toscakaka cake

Created by the Tesco Kitchen

Seema made this caramel-topped almond cake to accompany Martyn’s meatballs, creating the perfect sweet counterpoint to a hearty meal. Inspired by the Swedish tradition of fika, an afternoon treat meant to be savoured with coffee or tea. The cake combines a light, airy sponge with nutty browned butter and a rich, crunchy caramel nut topping. The result is a beautiful balance of textures and flavours from the zesty lemon sponge to the indulgent, toasty nuts.

See method
  • Serves 12
  • Takes 1 hr
  • 373 calories / serving

Ingredients

For the cake

  • 150g butter, plus extra for brushing
  • 50ml milk
  • 1 lemon, zested and ½ juiced
  • 3 Tesco Finest free range golden yolk eggs
  • 135g caster sugar
  • 100g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
  • 50g ground almonds
  • 1½ tsp baking powder​
  • ½ tsp salt

For the caramel nut topping

  • 100g butter
  • 2 tbsp plain flour
  • 25g light brown sugar
  • 50g caster sugar
  • 4 tbsp milk
  • 50g flaked almonds
  • 20g whole almonds
  • 20g pumpkin seeds
  • 20g sunflower seeds
  • 10g sesame seeds
  • Greek yogurt, to serve, optional

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Each serving contains

Energy
1550kJ 373.0kcal
19%
Fat
26g
high37%
Saturates
12g
high60%
Salt
0.4g
medium8%
Sugars
19g
high21%

of the Reference intake

Carbohydrate 27.3gProtein 6.5gFibre 1.9g

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to gas 4, 180°C, fan 160°C. Grease a 23 cm cake tin, line with baking paper, then brush with melted butter and dust lightly with flour.
  2. For the cake, melt the butter in a saucepan and let it brown slightly until it develops a nutty aroma. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly, then stir in the milk and 1 tbsp lemon juice.
  3. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, the lemon zest and sugar for 5 mins until the mixture is pale, thick and doubled in volume.
  4. In another bowl, whisk together the plain flour, ground almonds, baking powder and salt.
  5. Gently fold one-third of the dry ingredients into the egg mixture, then add some of the browned butter mixture. Continue alternating the dry ingredients and butter mixture in thirds, taking care to keep as much air in the batter as possible.
  6. Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake for 25 mins.
  7. Meanwhile, to make the caramel nut topping, melt the butter gently in the same saucepan used for the browned butter. Whisk in the plain flour to form a loose paste, then add the light brown sugar, caster sugar and milk. Stir well and add the nuts or seeds. Cook on low for 3-5 mins until the mixture thickens slightly and darkens.
  8. After the cake has baked for 25 mins, remove it briefly from the oven and pour the warm nut caramel mixture over the top. Return to the oven for 15 mins or until the caramel is darkened and bubbling.
  9. Allow the cake to cool completely in the tin, then remove from the tin and carefully slice using a sharp knife to cut through the caramel top. Serve with thick Greek yogurt, if you like.

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