Spiced Almond Tosca Cake

Tosca cake is traditional Swedish cake that has a lightly crisp and toasted caramel almond topping baked on top of the cake- it’s so delicious! My version uses spice cake with a maple Tosca topping that’s so warm and cozy. I love this cake because the topping makes it feel super special without a lot of work.

The combination of almond flavors in a soft spice cake topped with this really amazing almond topping is addicting. Let’s get to it!

How to Make Spiced Almond Tosca Cake

This cake uses simple ingredients plus the addition of lots of warm spices throughout the cake and the topping.

This is a cake mixing method that I use in some of my recipes where you basically put everything into the bowl and once and mix until it’s just combined. It’s not a method for all cake recipes, but it works well here when you want to really avoid over mixing, and the results are a super light, fluffy cake.

Once the cake batter is mixed, you want to spread it into a prepared cake pan and bake it until it’s nearly finished. A toothpick should come out with a few crumbs still clinging to it- this is about the stage where you might typically think you need another 3-5 minutes of baking.

Remove the cake from the oven at this stage, and then it’s time to add the topping. You want to spread it fairly evenly over the top of the cake, but it doesn’t have to be perfect.

Then it’s back to the oven with an increased temp to bake the topping and finish the cake. The topping will get bubbly and deeply golden brown all over and as it cools it becomes slightly crisp and chewy.

I love to serve this cake plain, but it’s also lovely with some whipped cream or a light dusting of powdered sugar. Enjoy!

Tips for Spiced Almond Tosca Cake

Here are some extra tips and tricks to help you bake the perfect Spiced Almond Tosca Cake:

• Do I really just mix everything together at once? Yes, it’s an odd mixing method that I only use for some recipes, but it works well here. It’s ok if there are a few small lumps of butter running through the cake batter.
• Do I have to use the spices? You can opt to omit the warm spices in the cake and topping and simply lean into the almond flavors here instead if you prefer.
• Can I use other spices instead? Yes, you can use any mix of warm spices that you prefer in this recipe.
• How do I know when the cake is finished baking? You want to remove the cake from the oven a few minutes before it’s completely done, and a toothpick inserted into the center should come out with a few crumbs clinging to it. Then it’s time to add the topping and finish baking.
• How long do I cook the topping for? The topping should take about 10 minutes to bake and it should be bubbling and deeply golden brown all over.
• Can I bake this cake in a different size or shape pan? You can bake this cake in either an 8 inch square or round cake pan, or you can double the recipe and bake it in a 9×13 inch cake pan, though it may take a little longer to bake in the larger pan.
• What can I serve the Tosca cake with? I love this cake plain because the topping is almost a garnish itself, but it’s also lovely with whipped cream or a dusting of powdered sugar.
• I’m at about 5,000 ft. above sea level and I find that most people who live between about 3,000-7,000 ft. above sea level do not need to make any adjustments to my recipes.

Enjoy!

Print

Spiced Almond Tosca Cake

Servings 8 slices

Ingredients

For the cake:

• 1/2 cup butter softened
• 2 tbs oil
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp. almond extract
• 1 1/4 cups flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp clove
• 1/2 tsp. salt

For the topping:

• 3 tbs. butter
• 1/4 cup real maple syrup
• 1 tbs. sugar
• 1 1/2 tbs. heavy cream
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 1 cup sliced almonds

Instructions

For the cake:

1. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees and grease an 8-inch round cake pan. Optionally, line the pan with parchment paper with overhanging edges for easy removal. In a large bowl, beat together the room-temp butter, oil, sugar, eggs, sour cream, vanilla extract, almond extract, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, clove, and salt. This is a bit of an odd mixing method, but trust the process- you want to just beat everything together at once until just combined. The batter will be thick.
2. Evenly spread the batter into your prepared cake pan. Bake the cake for 20-25 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out with just a few crumbs clinging to it. Remove the cake from the oven and increase the temperature to 400 degrees.

For the topping:

1. While the cake bakes, place the butter, maple syrup, sugar, heavy cream, vanilla extract, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, and salt into a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture is boiling, and then continuing cooking for another 2 minutes. Remove the mixture from the heat, and stir in the almonds until everything is well coated.
2. Once the cake comes out of the oven, gently spread the hot almond syrup mixture over the top in an even layer- it doesn’t have to be perfect! Return the cake to the oven for 10 minutes, or until the topping is bubbling and become a deep golden brown all over.
3. Cool the cake in the pan before running a knife around the edges and turning the cake out to slice and serve. Enjoy!

Nicole Hampton

Hello and welcome! My name is Nicole, and Dough-eyed is a food blog for people who want to bake for their family and friends in high-altitude areas. Think of me as a friendly voice there with you in the kitchen, here to give you confidence when you’re baking, and to help you with the struggles of baking at high-altitude. Come back every week for new recipes, tips, and advice on high-altitude baking!