dulce de leche

Toscakaka Torte is the last cake this year from the European Cake Cookbook. The Cake Slice Bakers group will be starting a new cake cookbook in January and I’m really looking forward to the change of pace. The European Cake Cookbook has had some good cake recipes, but there were a few that missed the mark for me.

Toscakaka Torte, a classic Swedish caramel almond torte, is on the really good list! The cake isn’t overly sweet even though you add dulce de leche to the batter (yum). It also has a great soft texture.

You pour the caramel over the top, it sinks down into the cake and creates the most amazing combination of caramel and cake. Toast the almonds and sprinkle them on top to finish the entire cake with a nutty crunch. Amazing.

I should’ve known when I chose a cake with kaka in the title that it wouldn’t go as smoothly as it should. The batter was a breeze to put together, but in the middle of baking my oven went out. Ack.

I finally figured out what switches flipped and got them flipped back, but lost track of how long the cake had been in the oven. I pulled on my big-girl baking championship contestant pants and used my best judgement (i.e., guessed). Luckily it turned out fine!

This Tascakaka Torte cake is wonderful. Tender caramel cake kind of like a sticky toffee cake with pockets of homemade caramel sauce, with those toasted almonds. It’s delicious.

Toscakaka Torte

Yield: 10 slices

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Wonderfully tender caramel cake with pockets of homemade caramel and topped with toasted almonds. Outstanding.

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Ingredients

• For The Cake:
• 3/4 C butter, softened
• 1/2 C sugar
• 1/2 C dulce de leche or thick caramel sauce
• 3 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 C milk
• 2 C flour
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• For Caramel Topping:
• 1 C sugar
• 1/4 C water
• 1/2 C heavy cream
• 4 tbsp butter
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 C sliced almonds for garnish

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 335°. Line a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper and spray the paper and side of the pan with baking spray.
2. In a stand mixing bowl, cream together the butter, sugar and dulce de leche (or caramel) on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 1 1/2 minutes. Lower the mixer speed to medium and add the eggs one at a time and mix between additions. Lower the mixer speed again and add the vanilla and milk. Mix until totally combined.
3. In a separate medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Remove the stand mixer bowl from the stand and use a sifter to sift the dry ingredients into the batter. Fold in the flour to the batter gently, just until incorporated.
4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 35 minutes (sides will be fairly baked, but the middle will be slightly under baked.)
5. While the cake is baking, prepare the caramel. In a medium saucepan, put the water and sugar together and stir until combined. Turn the heat on medium and cook the syrup for 15 to 18 minutes, until it turns a rich amber color, about 350° on a candy thermometer. (Tip: only stir to combine the sugar and water before turning on the heat. Do not stir after the heat is applied or it may become grainy.)
6. Remove the pan from the heat, then add the cream, butter, vanilla, and salt. Whisk until the butter melts completely and the sauce is smooth, about 2 minutes (it won't be a thick caramel). Set aside.
7. Spread the sliced almonds onto a baking sheet and pop it in the oven for 5 minutes; remove the pan and set aside.
8. After the cake has baked for the initial 35 minutes, remove it from the oven and poke deep holes all over the top if it with a fork. Pour the homemade caramel sauce over the top of the cake, smoothing it evenly to the edges. Sprinkle with the toasted almonds.
9. Return the cake to the oven and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes. Remove the cake from the oven and let it stand for about 10 minutes, allowing the caramel to cool slightly. Have your cake plate ready, then release the cake from the springform pan and slide onto your cake plate (don't forget to remove the parchment paper). Serve warm and cut with a serrated knife. Seal in an air-tight container.

Notes

Tips and Stuff:

Don't be tempted to use a 9" cake pan - the cake rises fairly high and it would overflow.

You can get Nestle's Dulce de leche in the grocery store right by the sweetened condensed milk.  Read the label carefully to make sure you're getting the right stuff.  If you can't find it, use thick caramel sauce as the recipe indicates.

The original recipe calls for 1 1/2 cup of flour and 1/2 cup of almond flour.  I don't like the texture of almond flour, so used 2 cups of all-purpose flour.

Watch the caramel while you're making it and don't stir it.  If it ends up with little sugar chunks, but is still caramely, just strain it through a strainer.  It'll be fine.  When you add the cream it will bubble up, so be careful.

Don't forget your almonds in the oven!!  Nothing worse than burned toasted almonds.  Yes, I did that.

If your cake is still too wiggly after the initial 35 minutes of baking, just leave it in for 5-7 minutes more before pouring the caramel on top of it.

The caramel may drip down the sides when you release the pan, so make sure to release it on top of a plate just in case.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 10 Serving Size: 1 serving
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 540Total Fat: 29gSaturated Fat: 16gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 124mgSodium: 488mgCarbohydrates: 65gFiber: 1gSugar: 43gProtein: 8g

Nutrition Values are Approximate

Each month The Cake Slice Bakers are offered a selection of cakes from the current book we are baking through. This year it is The European Cake Cookbook by Tatyana Nesteruk. We each choose one cake to bake, and then on the 20th – never before – we all post about our cake on our blogs. There are a few rules that we follow, but the most important ones are to have fun and enjoy baking & eating cakes!

Follow our Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest pages where you can find all of our cakes, as well as inspiration for many other cakes. You can also click on the thumbnail pictures below to take you to each of our cakes. If you have a blog and are interested in joining The Cake Slice Bakers and baking along with us, please send an email to thecakeslicebakers at gmail dot com for more details.

The Cake Slice Bakers also have a new Facebook group called The Cake Slice Bakers and Friends. This group is perfect for those who do not have a blog but want to join in the fun and bake through this book.

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Toscaka Torte