INGREDIENTS

INGREDIENTS

Scandinavian Almond Cake

STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY LAUREN FERRAGUT CARLSON

For years, I remember seeing a 3- by 5-inch recipe card bordered with rosmål taped inside my mom’s kitchen cupboard — the one where she kept her holiday china and sometimes a stashed bar of chocolate. The recipe was for Scandinavian Almond Cake. I didn’t realize then how that cake would play such a big role in my adult life so many years later.

I started making this classic Scandinavian cake after moving to New York State in 2013 to bring a little North Dakota to Upstate New York. I brought it to work, dinner parties, picnics and holiday parties. I brought it everywhere. Most, if not all, Dakotans and Minnesotans would recognize this cake by its traditional shape, but in New York is was novel dessert. I started making it for our local farmer’s market and it was always a best seller behind the-hard-to-beat Swedish Kringle. I described Scandinavian Almond Cake to my customers as being similar to a pound cake. It is sponge-like, dense with flavor, yet light in texture, and it is so much quicker and easier to make than a pound cake.

Best of all, this cake is foolproof. It will be the most flavorful, moist and impressive cake — and you can make in three minutes. Really! That’s all it takes! It’s a one-bowl, dump-inall-the-ingredients, stir-and-bake cake. It is baked in a traditional rectangular pan with ridges, which makes for a pretty cake, but also perfect for slicing. Besides being a great cake to bring to a gathering, the pan itself makes a great gift! It’s quite affordable and comes with a rosmål tray in addition to the pan and recipe. It can be found online or at any specialty Scandinavian store, like Fargo’s own Stabo. I gift them to my non-Midwest friends!

In Norway, this cake is served at Christmas time and on Constitution Day, Syttende Mai. But the truth is, this cake is wonderful yearround. It makes a great summer cake garnished with cream and fresh berries and a perfect autumn dessert with a dusting of powdered sugar. I served one at my baby shower topped with toasted almonds. Personally, I prefer this cake without any bells or whistles, but the ways to dress it up are endless.

This flavorful and elegant Scandinavian cake is a favorite of mine. Its simplicity and flavor will delight your guests. Traditionally baked in an elongated loaf pan, 9-inch pans also work well.

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I didn’t realize then how that cake would play such a big role in my adult life so many years later.

There are no tricks or secrets or special tips in making this cake. Simply follow the directions and, within 40 minutes, you’ll have the most tempting cake. Despite making this cake many times over the years, I, too, have my own recipe card taped to my cupboard just as my mom did. I can recite the recipe forwards and backwards and upside down and underwater and with my eyes closed; but there is something comforting about having it right there on the kitchen cupboard as it’s always been.

The traditional loaf pan makes for perfect slicing and will serve 18. I enjoy gifting the baking pan with a recipe enclosed to my New York friends.

Wine Wisdom

Chelsey Malstrom, Seven Sisters Spirits, Detroit Lakes, Minnesota

Cloudline Willamette Rosè 2020

Enjoy bright strawberries and raspberries with a lovely jammy-plum nish. This 100% Pinot Noir Rosé has a decadent creaminess with superbalanced acidity. Drink with an array of cheese and meats or perfectly pair it with lemon pepper chicken.

Cloudline Willamette Pinot Noir 2019

Using the same grape as their rosé, this wine portrays a totally different expression of it. This wine boasts tart cherry and smoked plums with lush blackberries on the nish. This would be fantastic with grilled lamb chops — and earn extra points if you top it with chimichurri sauce! Cheer ! Chelsey Malstrom

Traditional Scandinavian Almond Cake

INGREDIENTS: 1¼ cup sugar 1 egg 1½ tsp. almond extract 2⁄3 cup milk 1¼ cup all-purpose flour ½ tsp. baking powder 1 stick butter, melted

METHOD: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients well. Spray pan generously with non-stick baking spray. Pour batter into pan. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until edges are golden brown and toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool in pan before removing. Cake will break if removed too soon. Sprinkle with confectioners sugar. Enjoy!

VARIATIONS Before putting batter into the pan, sprinkle sliced almonds on the bottom or, after baked, top with fresh fruit and whipped cream.

Personally, I prefer this cake without any bells or whistles, but the ways to dress it up are endless.

What I love most about this cake is that it is actually a one-bowl cake. It's so easy. Dump all the ingredients into a bowl and mix — no stand mixer is necessary. Just a spoon!

Spread the pan liberally with butter or cooking spray, then sprinkle with flour. The new pan will take a few bakes before it becomes “seasoned” enough to release the cake for an easy transfer to a serving platter.

Bake for about 40 minutes or until the cake turns a beautiful golden brown. Another sign that your cake is done? The sides of the cake will begin to pull away from the edges of the pan.

If there is any tip or trick involved in making Scandinavian Almond Cake, it would be to allow the cake to cool before unmolding. If you do it too soon, the cake will break, as with any cake. Let it rest.