Aunties Tosca Cake

This cake was my aunt's show stopper! It is a heavy, buttery cake with a crunchy, toffee like cover of almonds.

My aunt had two recipes that were our favourites above all others, and this is one of them. She made it to perfection every time. It can't have been easy for her, trying to be accepted into a family of superb cooks... she was raised differently and had barely set foot in a kitchen. My uncle had to face this situation and he did so by stepping up and stepping into the kitchen himself, which was not an altogether common occurrence at that time!

Aunty was incredibly social and had a great sense of humour. She had a kind word and a smile for anyone she met. And she knew everybody, or else she would get to know them. At her funeral the priest shared this anecdote that quite sums up her personality:

The telephone rang and Auntie went to answer. Her dear husband was in the next room, listening to the palaver. The call went on and on. When auntie finally returned he asked, "Who was that?". 

"I don't know," she said, "they had the wrong number."

Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:

for the cake:

125 g. butter

2 dl sugar

3 eggs

3 dl plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

3 tblsp milk

glaze:

150 g. butter

6 tblsp sugar

2 tblsp milk

100 g. almond flakes

Method:

Set the oven to 175 degrees C (350 F)

Cream the butter and sugar together until light and porous. Stir in eggs, one at a time. 

Sift together flour and baking powder and mix into the butter mixture.

Stir in the milk, then pour batter into a greased and floured baking tin, 24 cm diameter.

Bake on low rack for approx. 25 minutes.

Make the glaze: 

Melt the butter in a pan and stir in sugar, flour, milk and almond flakes. Let the mixture simmer for a minute. Glaze the cake.

Put the glazed cake back in oven, on a higher rack, and bake for another 10-15 minutes until the glaze has a nice colour.  Let the cake cool in its tin before you cut it.

Serve with tea/coffee and some good company!