This delectable Tosca cake recipe comes from a Finnish friend of mine who used to bring Tosca cake to all of our potluck dinners. It was a family favourite of hers which had been passed down from her grandmother to her mother. I was lucky in that she shared the recipe with me. I have made it multiple times over the years for important family events. Every time I make Tosca cake it reminds me of my bubbly friend Maritta, who unfortunately passed away 20 years ago. Looking at the recipe in her handwriting when I am making it brings back wonderful memories of all of the laughs we had together.
Tosca-Cake
The cake base is a light and moist sponge cake and the topping is a sugar,butter and almond mixture which as it bakes creates a wonderful caramelized topping. Once cooled becomes crunchy and almost like a candy topping. Who could pass up such a wonderful dessert? Not me for sure – this one calls for seconds! In order not to break through the topping, use a serrated knife to slice this beauty. This will make picture perfect slices.
Tosca-Cake
The recipe may seem a little intimating in that you have to pour the hot topping over a half-baked cake, but it really does work. Just ensure that you pour nice and slow and bring the pot close to the top of the cake when you pour so that there isn’t a lot of force on the fragile top. If some of the topping does break through don’t worry – it will still taste great (I know from experience on that one!)
Tosca-Cake
So if you have a special celebration coming up in your future or you are just in the mood for something really delicious, give this spectacular Tosca cake a try- you won’t be disappointed.
- Cake:
- 2 eggs- room temp
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ tsp almond extract
- ¼ cup butter, melted
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup milk-room temp
- Topping:
- ⅔ cup butter
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 3 tbsp flour
- 1 cup slivered almonds
- 2 tbsp milk
- Butter and line a 9" springform pan with parchment. Easiest way is to trace a circle from the bottom of the pan and then cut strips for the sides.
- Preheat oven to 350℉.
- Beat the eggs and sugar with electric mixer until thick and pale yellow. Slowly stream in the cooled melted butter while still beating.
- In a separate bowl sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.
- Add the flour mixture alternately with the milk to the egg mixture, mixing on low speed just until combined.
- Pour into pan and bake for 25 minutes and just slightly golden on top.
- Meanwhile during the last 10 minutes of baking combine all of the topping ingredients in a small saucepan and heat on low heat, stirring constantly. When it starts to bubble turn off and just keep on the element to keep warm.
- When the 25 minutes is up, remove cake from oven and slowly pour the hot topping onto the cake.
- Return to the oven and bake a further 25-30 minutes until golden. If not totally golden brown you can slip under the broiler for a minute or two, but be careful it will burn quickly.
- Remove from the oven and run an offset spatula between the ring of the pan and the parchment. Then remove the ring of the pan. Leave the parchment in place until the cake has totally cooled.
- Once cooled peal the parchment off carefully and slide a spatula between the bottom parchment and the bottom of the pan. Place on plate for serving.
Hi, do you have the recipe in grams??
Thank you.
Hi there. I am of Finnish decent and grew up in Sudbury Canada. I’m not sure if the Maritta you mention was from Sudbury, Canada but if so, it would be the same person my family was very close with. If it is, please let me know. Your website is great and the first place we’ve been able to find the amazing Tosca Cake recipe.
Rene
Hi Rene
Yes Maritta was from Sudbury. She was killed in a car accident with her son and daughter years ago. We lost 3 beautiful people that day. I worked in Nuclear Medicine and Maritta came in on Wednesdays to volunteer in our dept. We absolutely adored her. She would bring in the Tosca cake when it was someone’s birthday- that is how I learned about it.
So neat you found her recipe on my blog💕💕
Wanted a GF Sunday project, so we made this cake with half almond and half brown rice flour. We didn’t have all the ingredients, so we substituted walnuts instead of almonds, vanilla extract instead of almond extract, and added a bit of cinnamon to the topping. It came out great! And it was such fun to make. When we can get almonds again I’ll follow the recipe, maybe reduce the sugar a bit, but this is definitely a recipe we’ll be repeating! The cake separated from the pan very easily and makes a lovely presentation.
So happy that the recipe turned out even with all of the substitutions!!