Toscakaka - Great Bloggers Bake Off 2014

This week on the Great British Bake Off it was European Cake Week.

This week I was really stuck for choice. I couldn't decided what to bake out of Toscakaka, Kringle or Bica Gallega.

A Scandinavian Kringle is very similar to a couronne that I made for last years Great Bloggers Bake Off so didn't want to bake something similar.

A Bica Gallega is a favourite Spanish cake that I used to enjoy when I was living there. It is a delicious sponge with a crispy sugar topping (I will be making one soon!).

But the Toscakaka won this week. Toscakaka is a Scandinavian vanilla sponge cake which is topped with crunchy praline. I love a traditional sponge, nuts and praline so this is a winner.

I found the recipe in one of my favourite baking books Scandilicious by Signe Johansen. If you haven't seen this book I thoroughly recommend that you do, it contains so many delicious recipes.

I have changed a couple of ingredients but have followed the directions.

This is what I did...

Toscakaka

Ingredients

150g butter, melted
3 eggs, at room temperature
150g caster sugar
1/4tsp vanilla paste
150g self raising flour
25g whole almonds, lightly crushed
25g almond flakes
100g peanuts
125g light brown muscovado sugar
125g butter

Method

Pre heat the oven to 150C fan

1 - Place the eggs, caster sugar and vanilla paste in a bowl and whisk until light, fluffy and airy

2 - Gently pour in a little of the melted butter and gently stir in

3 - Gently stir in a little flour, continue alternating between a little butter and flour until all of the ingredients are evenly combined keeping as much air in the mixture as possible

4 - Pour the mixture into a prepared cake tin and place in the centre of the pre heated oven and bake for 30 - 35 minutes or until golden and firm to the touch

5 - About 10 minutes before the cake is ready prepare the praline by placing the nuts, butter and muscovado sugar into a pan over a medium heat

6 - Melt the butter and sugar stirring continuously, bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes

7 - Once the cake is ready remove from the oven and turn the heat up to 220C fan

8 - Pour over the praline mixture and return the cake to the oven for 5 - 10 minutes or until the topping is golden crispy

9 - Remove from the oven and leave to cool a little before running a knife around the edges and removing from the tin and cooling on a cooling rack

This is a delicious cake which combines the softness of the vanilla sponge with the sweet brittleness of the praline.

Enjoy x

As always I am joining in with The Great Bloggers Bake Off 2014 which is hosted by the lovely Jenny at Mummy Mishaps.

I am also sharing with Supergolden Bakes - GBBO Bake Along and CookBlogShare