My Recipe Reviews

Recipe Reviews, Recommendations, Tips and Musings. Thanks for visiting!

Tatyana Nesteruk

Toscakaka Torte (Swedish Sticky Caramel Almond Cake)

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Toscakaka Torte

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.

Toscakaka Torte

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!

Toscakaka Torte

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

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.

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

© Tatyana Nesteruk
Category: Cakes
 
 

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.

 
 

December 2019 is the final month we will be baking from The European Cake Cookbook and our tradition is that we have free choice of any of the cakes in the book ~

Lemon Drizzle Bundt Cake


Sirnek (Ukrainian Cheesecake)


 Strawberries and Cream Crepe Cake


Apple Sharlotka


Triple-Chocolate Swiss Roll


Mozart Torte

 

 

Toscaka Torte

Apple Sharlotka Cake (The Cake Slice Bakers)

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Apple Sharlotka Cake

We’re winding down the year of baking from The European Cake Cookbook by Tatyana Nesteruk. It’s been an interesting experience with a few successes and a few not so successful.

This Apple Sharlotka Cake is described by Tatyana as “a delicious combination of an apple cake and Ukrainian cheesecake.” She had me when I saw the word ‘cheesecake.’ It has cottage cheese in it, which I assume is the cheesecakey part.

I ate two slices of the cake before I decided that I like it. It has a great texture – soft and spongy, and is very, very moist and a little dense at the same time.

Apple Sharlotka Cake

It’s not real sweet and the cottage cheese doesn’t really give it a cheesecakey texture. In fact since large curd cottage cheese is used, there are chunks of it throughout the cake. Different and not altogether unpleasant.

The only problem I had making this cake was when I tested the doneness with a piece of long spaghetti instead of a toothpick (it’s a fairly tall cake). Half of the spaghetti promptly broke off because the cake is so thick and I had to warn my husband there might be a surprise in one of his slices..

Apple Sharlotka

I added a quarter teaspoon of cinnamon because I knew it would need it and it did. Next time I’ll add a whole teaspoon and highly recommend that.

This Apple Sharlotka Cake is a simple-tasting cake with little chunks of apple throughout and a very good flavor. Not what you would make for a “wow” cake, but what you would make for a brunch or to snack on with tea or coffee. Tatyana says she prefers it warmed before serving, but I prefer it room temperature or right out of the refrigerator.

Apple Sharlotka

Apple Sharlotka Cake

Yield: 8-9 slices
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes

Soft, very moist simple cake. Would be good for a brunch or with coffee or tea.

Ingredients

  • 16 oz large-curd cottage cheese
  • 1/2 C butter, softened
  • 1 C sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 C milk
  • 2 C all-purpose flour
  • 4 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 2 apples, peeled and diced
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch
  • Powdered sugar, for sprinkling

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 335°. Line the bottom of an 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper.
  2. Wring the cottage cheese in cheesecloth, discarding the liquid. Set aside.
  3. Cream together the butter and sugar in a stand mixing bowl. Add the vanilla, then the eggs - one at a time until well combined. (The batter may look a bit curdled at this point - that's OK). Turn the mixer on very low and pour the milk into the bowl and mix for 30 seconds or so until blended in.
  4. In a separate bowl, stir the flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon together. Pour the flour mixture through a sifter and into the batter - mix just until the dry ingredients are combined (don't over mix - you don't want a tough cake).
  5. In a separate bowl, toss the apples with the cornstarch, then set aside about 1/2 cup of apple mixture for later. Remove the mixing bowl from the stand and fold the rest of the apples into the batter with a large spoon or spatula.
  6. Pour the cake batter into the prepared springform pan and sprinkle the 1/2 cup of apples evenly across the top of the batter. Press them down gently into the batter with your fingers.
  7. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, checking at 1 hour. Bake until the top is set and golden brown. Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool completely on a wire rack or serve while slightly warm and sprinkled with powdered sugar.
  8. Store leftover cake covered in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

Notes

Tips and Stuff:

The original recipe calls for an 8" springform pan, but there's no way all the batter will fit in it, so I used a 9" pan.  Use what you have and adjust the time accordingly (bigger pan, less time).

I patted as much liquid as I could from the cottage cheese using a paper towel since I don't have cheesecloth.  

Don't worry if the batter looks slightly curdled before and after you add the milk.  It will smooth out when you mix in the sifted flour mixture.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 9 Serving Size: 1 slice
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 446Total Fat: 15gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 121mgSodium: 477mgCarbohydrates: 68gFiber: 2gSugar: 42gProtein: 10g

Nutrition Values are Approximate

© Tatyana Nesteruk
Category: Cakes
 
 

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.

 

Our choices for September 2019 were ~

  1. Apple Sharlotka Cake
  2. Strawberry Verdens Beste
  3. Apricot Mousse Cake
  4. Italian Coconut Creme Cake

 Strawberry Verdens Beste


 Apricot Mousse Cake


 Italian Coconut Creme Cake

 
 

Blueberry Lemon Ricotta Tea Cake (The Cake Slice Bakers)

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Blueberry Lemon Ricotta Tea Cake

The cake I chose for this month’s Cake Slice Bakers challenge is the Blueberry Lemon Ricotta Tea Cake. I should call it Blueberry Lemon Small Curd Cottage Cheese Tea Cake, but really, that’s way too long.

Our local supermarket doesn’t carry ricotta, so it’s a toss up whether to use cream cheese or cottage cheese. I chose the cottage cheese because it’s closer to ricotta and smushed it through a sieve to get it more like a ricotta texture.

Surprisingly, it works great! The cake is soft, tender and full of bursting soft blueberries, with a whisper of lemon flavor. It is SO good.

Blueberry Lemon Ricotta Tea Cake

A few weeks ago Bret brought home 4 lb. of wonderful strawberries and I managed to use them all up (see that great French Strawberry Cake). This week he came home with a giant container of Costco blueberries. Giant.

Luckily this blueberry cake came up for the challenge, although I’ve also been enjoying them on cereal and thrown into salads. Go antioxidants!!

Blueberry Lemon Ricotta Tea Cake

I thought about making the cake in a 9″ cake pan and am glad I didn’t. It rose very high and would’ve drooled over the sides of the cake pan. It seems like every recipe I see that uses a springform pan requires 8 inches or 10 inches, and finally this one uses the size I have – 9 inches.

If all you have are cake pans, divide the batter between 8 inch cake pans and start checking for doneness at 35-40 minutes. I really recommend the springform, though.

This tea cake will definitely be made a lot at my house. A great use for those good-for-you blueberries and a divine flavor. A truly delicious cake. I think this will be good with blackberries, too. Wonder if Bret’s going to Costco next week..

Blueberry Lemon Ricotta Tea Cake

Blueberry Lemon Ricotta Tea Cake

Yield: 8 - 10 slices
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes

Soft, tender, and bursting with fresh blueberries, along with a lightly lemon flavor.

Ingredients

  • 3 C fresh blueberries
  • 3 tbsp cornstarch
  • 1 C butter, softened
  • 1 C sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • zest from 2 lemons (about 1 1/2 tsp)
  • 4 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 C small curd cottage cheese (or ricotta)
  • 2 1/2 C all-purpose flour
  • 4 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp fresh lemon juice (optional)
  • powdered sugar, for dusting

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 335°. Line a 9" springform pan with parchment paper and grease the sides of the pan.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, toss together the washed and dried blueberries and cornstarch until the berries are well coated. Set aside.
  3. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, vanilla and lemon zest until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, and mix well after each addition.
  4. Press the cup of cottage cheese through a sieve, scraping off of the bottom of the sieve. Add the cottage cheese to the creamed ingredients and mix again until batter is mostly creamy. (If using ricotta cheese, just add it directly to the butter mixture.)
  5. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Remove the creamed mixture bowl from the stand mixer and sift the dry ingredients into the batter, then fold with a spatula just until combined.
  6. Gently stir in the lemon juice, if using (highly recommended). Add 2 1/2 cups of the blueberries to the batter and fold them in.
  7. Transfer the batter into the prepared pan and spread the batter evenly to the edges. Add the remaining 1/2 cup of blueberries over the top, pressing them down lightly.
  8. Bake the cake in the preheated oven for 1 hour and 10 minutes to 1 hour and 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven and cool for 10 minutes in the pan. Remove cake from the springform pan and peel off the parchment paper. Finish cooling on a rack. Dust about 1 tbsp of powdered sugar over the top of the cake after cooled. Serve it warm or cool.

Notes

Since I couldn't easily find ricotta cheese, I used small curd cottage cheese smushed through a sieve.  It worked perfectly.

The original recipe calls for 2 cups of flour and 1/2 cup of almond flour, but I never have luck with almond flour.  I used 2 1/2 cups of regular flour.

I included about 1 teaspoon of lemon juice from one of the zested lemons to add a little bit more lemon flavor.  I highly recommend this.

My cake was done at an hour and ten minutes.  Start checking the cake at an hour.

If you don't have a 9" springform pan, use two 8" cake pans and start checking the cakes at 35-40 minutes while baking. 

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 10 slices Serving Size: 1 slice
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 492Total Fat: 22gSaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 127mgSodium: 477mgCarbohydrates: 68gFiber: 2gSugar: 38gProtein: 8g

Nutrition Values are Approximate

© Tatyana Nesteruk
Category: Cakes
Here’s The Cake Slice Bakers’ Info. Check out the other bakers’ posts!

 
 

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.

 

Our choices for June 2019 were ~

  1. Blueberry Lemon Ricotta Tea Cake
  2. Raspberry Cremeschnitte
  3. White Chocolate Raspberry Pistachio Mousse Cake
  4. Tiramisu Cake

Blueberry Lemon Ricotta Tea Cake

Raspberry Cremeschnitte

Tiramisu Cake

White Chocolate Raspberry Pistachio Mousse Cake
  • Note – this cake was not chosen by any group members

Caramel Honey Cake

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Caramel Honey Cake

This month’s Cake Slice Bakers cake selection comes from The European Cake Cookbook by Tatyana Nesteruk. I chose the Caramel Honey Cake because the photo of this six-layer cake looks challenging and I love caramel!

There were challenges to overcome – definitely. The recipe calls for pecans in the cake as well as on the outside of the cake as decoration. I left those out because Bret can’t have pecans and also knowing it has almond flour in it, I didn’t want the pecans to give the cake an even more coarse texture.

The main challenge, though, is the six layers. My cakes didn’t seem thick enough after baked to cut horizontally in half, so I left the cake at three layers.

Now the frosting is another matter! This buttery frosting has a can of dulce de leche (thick, thick caramel) which gives it a wonderful caramel flavor. The silkiness of the frosting along with that deep caramel flavor is outstanding.

I had to slap Bret’s little fingers a few times when he kept dipping them into the frosting bowl. I really think the frosting is the highlight of this cake.

To me, this Caramel Honey Cake is like a cornmeal-like textured pound cake, which is actually better than it sounds. With the almond flour, I was kind of expecting that texture, but I was wishing it was a smoother and tighter crumb.

I would definitely make the frosting again! It will be great on cupcakes or a deep chocolate cake. Although the cake sponge flavor is good, I probably won’t make it again just because I prefer a softer cake. That’s entirely subjective and many people prefer it. If you’d like a little bit of a challenge, make this cake and see what you think. Believe me, we’ll be forking it up to the last crumb.

 

Caramel Honey Cake

Caramel Honey Cake

Yield: 12 - 16
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 26 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 11 minutes

From The European Cake Cookbook by Tatyana Nesteruk.  European-style, textured cake with a dreamy, creamy caramel frosting.

Ingredients

  • For The Cake
  • 9 large eggs
  • 3/4 C sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 C honey
  • 2 C all-purpose flour
  • 1 C almond flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • For Soaking Syrup
  • 1/2 C sweetened condensed milk
  • 1/2 C heavy cream
  • For The Frosting
  • 2 C butter
  • 1 can dulce de leche
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 C powdered sugar
  • For The Drizzle
  • 4 squares Ghirardelli Bittersweet Baking Chocolate

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°.  Spray three 8-pinch round cake pans with cooking spray, then line each with parchment paper.
  2. To prepare the cake:  In a stand mixing bowl, add the eggs, sugar and vanilla with the whisk attachment and whisk on high for 5 minutes, until voluminous and pale in color.  Pour in the honey and whisk again for 1 minute.  
  3. In a separate bowl, combine flour, almond flour, and baking powder.  Remove the bowl from the stand and with a sifter, sift in the dry ingredients into the egg mixture about 1/3 cup at a time.  After each addition, fold the flour into the eggs, thoroughly combining between each addition.
  4. Divide the cake batter evenly among the three pans and bang the pans gently on the counter to release bubbles.  Bake in the preheated oven for 25-26 minutes, until the tops are golden brown and set.  Remove pans from the oven and run a sharp knife gently around the edges.  Remove the cakes, peel off the parchment paper, and cool on a rack until completely cooled.  
  5. While the cakes are cooling, combine the sweetened condensed milk and heavy cream in a small bowl and set aside.  
  6. For the frosting:  whisk the softened butter in a large stand mixing bowl for 3 to 4 minutes until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.  Add the dulce de leche and vanilla and mix again for a few minutes until completely combined, scraping as needed.  Add the powdered sugar about 1/2 cup at a time, mixing thoroughly until fluffy.
  7. If the cakes are thick enough (about 1"), take a serrated knife and slice each cake evenly horizontally.  To assemble the cake, put the first layer on a cake stand.  Take a pastry brush and generously brush the syrup onto the layer, then put a generous amount of frosting on the layer and smooth evenly.  Repeat with each layer, then complete by frosting the tops and sides of the cake.  
  8. Melt the chocolate in the microwave for 30 seconds, stir, then in 10 second increments until smooth.  Put the melted chocolate into a baggie, snip the corner and drizzle the chocolate across the top of the cake (or drizzle with a spoon.  Refrigerate the cake unless you're serving it immediately.  Let the cake come to room temperature for 30-45 minutes before serving if refrigerated.

Notes

Tips and Stuff:

This cake is supposed to be 6 thin layers, but I made mine 3 layers because they were thinner that I thought they should be and was afraid they'd just fall apart.  If you use 6 layers, be a little more frugal with the frosting.

The original recipe has 1 cup of chopped pecans stirred into the cake batter.  Use that if you wish, but I think it would make the texture rougher.

The recipe calls for unsalted butter, but I used salted butter and left out the called-for salt.

The garnish is up to you - I used chocolate drizzle, but the original used chopped pecans pressed into the sides as well as some wafer cookies stuck on top.  Whatever you think will look pretty.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1 grams
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 799Total Fat: 48gSaturated Fat: 26gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 19gCholesterol: 242mgSodium: 428mgCarbohydrates: 84gFiber: 3gSugar: 61gProtein: 11g

Nutrition Values are Approximate

© Tatyana Nesteruk
Category: Cakes