Shelf Life #4: Tosca cake and a lavender field

Including a recipe link for this cherished Scandinavian sponge cake with a gorgeous crunchy caramel and almond top

At the weekend I had a slice of Tosca cake at The Wilde Story Café, set on a lavender farm in Dorset, while looking out over the purple haze to the soft, green fields beyond. It could have been the sublime surroundings, but the cake – a light sponge topped with caramelised almonds – was the best bit of cake I’d eaten in a long time. Buttery, a little crunchy, just sweet enough. I’d forgotten how good Tosca cake is.

Tosca cake (or toskakaka) is a Scandinavian classic, named – so the story goes – after Puccini’s opera, which was popular in Sweden when the cake first appeared in the early 20th century. It’s one of the region’s most cherished cakes: a single layer of tender sponge with a crackly almond caramel on top. It’s perfect for pudding, afternoon tea or indeed, breakfast.

I don’t have the recipe the café used, so instead I’m sharing this lovely version from Cupcake Jemma , which you can download from the website (0.89p) or watch the YouTube version. She’s always reliable.