Scandinavian Almond Cake
Light and airy, this delicious Scandinavian Almond Cake is easy to make and even better with the homemade rum glaze! The unique, rectangular and beveled shape of the baking pan makes a lovely presentation for this holiday dessert.
I make this easy Scandinavian Almond Cake every Christmas holiday! It’s easy to make and is a lovely presentation on your holiday dessert table!
I first had this delicious at my Mother-in-law’s house in Minnesota. They are of Finnish descent, and somehow this Scandinavian recipe ended up in her recipe collection of Finnish and Norwegian desserts. Scandinavia consists of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, where “Nordic” includes Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Iceland.
You won’t typically find Scandinavian desserts in the South, so this is always a welcome treat, especially around Christmas!
Here’s what you’ll need
Traditional Scandinavian Almond Cakes are made in a beveled, rectangular pan. You can make this in an 8 x 8 pan or a loaf pan if you don’t have access to the beveled baking dish. For best results, do not place this coated baking dish in the dishwasher. Best to handwash this pan.
You can find this traditional Scandinavion baking pan on Amazon…search for “Scandinavian Almond Cake Pan”… they’re about $10 and totally worth it!
- As for the Nordic dessert ingredients, here’s what you’ll need
- For the batter: granulated white sugar, all-purpose flour, eggs, melted butter, milk, baking powder, almond extract and sliced almonds.
- For the glaze: butter, water, sugar and about 1/2 cup of dark rum.
How to make it
Spray oil the baking pan and sprinkle sliced almonds in the bottom. I use sliced almonds, but you can substitute with slivered almonds if you prefer.
In a large mixing bowl, combine sugar, eggs, almond extract and milk; stir that together, then add the flour, baking powder and melted butter. Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and bake uncovered, on the middle rack @ 350°F for 40-50 minutes…that’s it!
Yield
If you slice in between the grooves, you’ll get about 16 thin slices from a traditional Scandinavian almond cake pan.
Recipe Tips
- Spray oil right before you pour the batter in the pan
- Don’t use a pan you’ve ever put in the dishwasher; the Nordic pan has a coating on it and I only hand wash mine
- Bake on the middle or top rack -definitely not the bottom rack
- Make sure your oven is calibrated
- Try to release the cake from the pan while it’s is still warm
- If it starts to fall apart, let it cool then release it from the pan
Don’t wanna use a rum glaze?
Scandinavian almond cake can be made without a rum butter glaze, or serve the glaze on the side (this is so moist, you really don’t need a butter glaze, but you could just pour melted butter over it! )
Another option is to make a sugar/butter glaze and add a little powdered sugar to the butter; stir well, and serve warm.
A third and traditional option is to eliminate the glaze altogether and just sprinkle some powdered sugar on top.
Can I make this in a regular cake pan?
If you don’t have an elongated pan, you can use a regular 8 X 8 pan but double the recipe. WHY?
The “Scandinavian Cake pan” is not very deep; if you use the single recipe in an 8″ or 9″ round pan, it is too thin and not very appealing.
You can also use a tube or Bundt pan.- but again, you’ll need to double the recipe!
Lightly oil the pan first, then sprinkle the bottom of the pan with sliced almonds; pour in the batter and bake. Allow a little more baking time if doubling the recipe.
Make it in advance!
This holiday treat holds up quite well if you want to make it in advance.
Cover with plastic wrap and make sure it’s airtight and refrigerate. Store the glaze in the fridge as well.
When you’re ready to serve this Scandinavian Christmas dessert, take it out of the fridge and let it get to room temperature; reheat the rum glaze on the stove top and serve.
I do not recommend reheating the rum glaze in the microwave. I’ve tried it a million times and it always burns, bubbles and makes a mess!
Scandinavian Almond Cake is also a perfectly light dessert for year-round events: wedding/baby shower, brunch or a sweet addition to a wine and cheese tasting party!
They also make great hostess or Christmas gifts! If you want to make individual cakes, simply follow the instructions, but make them in a muffin pan!
Related recipes
- Orange Italian Cream Cake
- Fresh Apple Cake
- Classic Southern Pecan Pie
- Gingerbread Bundt Cake
- Easy Homemade Marshmallows
- Bread Pudding with Whiskey Sauce
If you make this recipe, please scroll down and leave a comment and rating! I love to hear from you! Thank you!
Scandinavian Almond Cake
Ingredients
Cake Ingredients
- 1 cup sugar , granualted
- 1 whole egg , lightly beaten
- 1½ teaspoons almond extract
- ⅔ cup milk ,2% or whole
- 1¼ cups flour , all-purpose
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 stick melted, salted butter
- 4 oz. almonds sliced or slivered
- cooking spray for pan
Rum Butter Glaze Ingredients (See Recipe Notes)
- 1 stick butter melted
- ¼ cup water
- 1 cup sugar
- ¼ – ½ cup dark rum (See Recipe Notes)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350º F
- In a large bowl, combine sugar, egg, almond extract and milk; combine well1 cup sugar, 1 whole egg, 1½ teaspoons almond extract, ⅔ cup milk
- Add flour, baking powder and melted butter to sugar/egg combination; combine well1¼ cups flour, ½ teaspoon baking powder, 1 stick melted, salted butter
- Spray baking dish with cooking spray; add almonds to baking dishcooking spray, 4 oz. almonds
- Pour batter into prepared baking dish, shake the pan so the batter is evenly distributed, and bake for 40-50 minutes or until the edges are golden brown. Check the middle with a toothpick to make sure it's completely cooked.
- Allow cake to cool in pan for a few minutes; gently remove and plate
- Serve with warm rum butter glaze
Glaze Instructions
- Add all ingredients to sauce pan and heat until sugar is dissolved1 stick butter, ¼ cup water, 1 cup sugar, ¼ – ½ cup dark rum
- Drizzle glaze over cake or individual slices
Notes
- Spray oil right before you pour the batter in the pan
- Don’t use a pan you’ve ever put in the dishwasher; the Nordic pan has a coating on it and I only hand wash mine, so the cake doesn’t stick
- Bake on the middle or top rack -definitely not the bottom rack
- Make sure your oven is calibrated
- Try to release the cake from the pan while the cake is still warm
- If your cake “puffs up” on top, that’s okay. Let it cool, then use a sharp knife and trim off the puffy part so the cake lies flat on your serving platter.
- Double the recipe
- Start with 1/4 cup of dark rum in the sugar mixture; taste it after the sugar is dissolved to see if you want more rum:) if so, add a little more!
- If you only have light rum, start with 1/4 cup of light rum and 2 tablespoons of brown sugar; heat until sugar is dissolved; taste and add more rum or brown sugar until it’s to your liking!
We love this with freshly whipped cream and blueberries
Made this cake for a viking themed party and it was lovely. The rum and almond flavour went well together.
I make this cake every Christmas to share with friends and neighbors. Easy to make and a great gift’
Thank you for sharing! It is a wonderful hostess gift, too!