This very simple Swedish Almond Loaf Cake is one of my special pan exception recipes. I don’t really have another use for the wacky little pan (other than making half batch Bundt recipes I suppose). But I’m fine with it because it’s so good, so fast, and so beloved. In fact, this recipe (which is so old and reprinted on any Swedish pan you buy that I don’t know how to attribute it to a source) really makes two special pan exceptions, because the cake tray is pretty specific, too. But what’s the point of having rules if you don’t have good reason to break them? Swedish Almond Loaf Cake is lovely for brunch/coffee cake needs as well as for dessert. It’s great with a coffee or tea warm from the oven and without garnish, and it’s perfect with berries, crème fraîche, or ice cream. It’s also the cake I use as the base for my Saffron Poached Apricot Almond Trifle, and it was absolutely perfect. So what I’m trying to say, is that this cake may cause you to break a “no special pan” rule of your own. Or, you’ll just double it and make it in a Bundt or tube pan. That works too. Whatever you do, making this Swedish Almond Loaf Cake only once won’t be it.
- 1 ¼ cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 ½ teaspoon almond extract
- ⅔ cup milk
- 1 ¼ cup flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ stick (4 tablespoons butter, melted)*
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- Berries to garnish (optional)
- Beat or whisk sugar, egg, almond extract and milk together (a mixer or by hand works well).
- Add flour and baking powder. Then add butter (and oil if you're using both).
- Spray pan with cooking spray or butter, etc. (be thorough- the wet sugary batter likes to stick). Pour in batter.
- Bake at 350° F for 50 minutes (until cake tests done with toothpick). Cool for 20 minutes, then remove from pan.
- Can be served warm or cold, preferably on a Swedish Almond Loaf Cake tray complete with Dala Horses. Okay, maybe I'm taking it too far.
- *Most recipes call for margarine, rather than butter. My only innovation is to go half and half on butter and vegetable oil as I don’t like to use margarine.
- Recipe can be doubled and bake in a Bundt pan.
That just looks so good! I love the pan…It makes a beautiful cake. 🙂
Thanks!
Such simple ingredients make this an easy go to dessert. Love almond cake especially topped with strawberries.
Agreed. Great combo.
Ooooh! That looks so good, especially for summer. I don’t have that kind of pan, though. Do you think I could use an ordinary loaf pan?
The best plan is to double the recipe and make it in a tube/bundt pan. That produces a similar effect.
I love simple cakes like this. The pan adds such simple elegance as well! The ingredients remind me of French financiers. Have you ever tried making this with fruit inside? I’m wondering if it will effect the texture?
I haven’t. It does have a very moist, almost spongey texture I’m afraid to mess with too much. I bet sliced almonds would be fine, but the truth is that Swedes tend to serve fruit on the side and keep the cakes really simple.
What a beautiful scrumptious cake I wish I had a slice right now. Great pictures too =)
Thanks!
Is the oil amount correct or should it be 1/4 cup of oil (4 tablespoons) plus the 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) of melted butter? Don’t want to make this util I am sure. Thank you for any help you can give.
good catch. The total amount of oil should be 1/2 cup.
I just made this cake. Baked for 50 minutes. It rose over the top of the specialty pan, browning the edges. I let it rest for 20 minutes and turned it over with success. However, the entire middle was soupy…not done at all. I made I exactly as the recipe stated; use all butter instead of half and half. Any suggestions on what I did wrong?
Is there any chance your oven runs hot? Even when I’m baking something I bake often, like this cake, I always do the tooth pick test. That way you know if the cake isn’t done before you unmold it. That’s really the only thing I can think of. I hate it when that happens.
I was also confused with adding 1/4 c. oil and 1/4 c. melted butter since recipe steps do not mention when to add the oil, only the butter. Could the recipe instructions be updated for others please.
Of course. Sorry for the confusion and thanks for the comment.
I have tried the pan without success! I spray the pan, then put batter in pan and bake. It always sticks and the edges get
hard!! I’m ready to give up on this!
Any help would be sppreciated..
Do you have a non-stick? Do you have a photo? Mine has always just popped out. How is your oven calibrated? Do you feel confident the temp is correct? I’ll think on this some more. It sounds very frustrating.
My solution after struggling to get the cake out of the pan is to line the pan with parchment paper which will peel off nicely when you go to serve the cake
Love the cake and make it around the holidays. You cannot substitute the margarine for butter. I tried and it did not work. Stick to the margarine
I prefer the butter. I stand by my substitution.
Thanks for this recipe, I’m going to try it out in my almond cake pan I bought from a opp shop for $2. first I didn”t know what the pan was used for in baking, I bought it because I like the shape of it. from Donna.
Yum yum I haven’t tried it yet but i have to I’m a big almond lover and anything you stick in the oven especially this kind of bake.