Sometimes, the simplest cakes are the most irresistible. This Swedish Almond Cake (Mandelkaka) is light, buttery, and infused with the delicate flavor of almonds, making it the perfect treat for a cozy afternoon fika. With just a handful of ingredients and minimal effort, you can have a homemade cake ready in no time - ideal for those days when you crave something sweet but don't have hours to spend in the kitchen.
Enjoy it plain and delicate, dusted with powdered sugar, or with a dollop of whipped cream and fresh berries. However you serve it, this classic mandelkaka is proof that simple baking can be the most satisfying.
While Sweden's famous Tosca Cake (Toscakaka) is an almond cake topped with a rich layer of caramelized sliced almonds, Mandelkaka keeps things simple, relying on almond extract to bring out its delicate flavor. If you love effortless, everyday cakes like this one, be sure to try my Swedish Sticky Chocolate Cake (Kladdkaka)-a rich, fudgy delight-or my Simple Carrot Snack Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting for a cozy, cardamom-infused treat.
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The Ingredients
- All purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Granulated sugar
- Unsalted butter
- Large egg
- Milk
- Almond extract
See the recipe card below for exact amounts and detailed instructions.
The Equipment
This cake is traditionally baked in a Swedish Almond Cake pan (essentially a long, shallow ribbed loaf pan) for this recipe. They are available on Amazon and from Scandinavian specialty stores. You can also use a regular 9 x 5 loaf pan, but baking times may vary slightly. If you invest in an almond cake pan, be sure to check out my recipe for Swedish Spice Cake (Mjuk Pepparkaka) that is baked in the same pan!
Substitutions
- Gluten Free: Substitute your favorite gluten free flour blend for the all purpose flour and proceed with the recipe as directed.
- Dairy Free: Substitute a plant-based milk and butter substitute for the traditional milk and butter.
Variations
The simplicity of this cake is very appealing, but should you feel like mixing things up a bit, give one of these delicious variations a try:
- Glazed Almond Cake: Whisk together ¾ cup powdered sugar, 1 ½-2 tablespoons milk and ½ teaspoon vanilla or almond extract. Drizzle over the cake and sprinkle with a handful of toasted sliced almonds if desired.
- Lemon Almond Cake: Add the finely grated zest of one lemon to the batter. If you would like to add a glaze, simply swap out the milk in the glaze variation above with freshly squeezed lemon juice.
- Orange Almond Cake: Add the finely grated zest of one orange to the batter.
- Cardamom Almond Cake: Add up to 1 teaspoon of ground cardamom in with the other dry ingredients. If you want to add a glaze, add a little cardamom to that as well!
- Chocolate Chip Almond Cake: Fold a half cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips into the batter prior to baking.
- Berry Almond Cake: Fold one cup of fresh blueberries or raspberries into the batter prior to baking.
- Apple Almond Cake: Fold one cup of peeled and finely chopped apples to the batter prior to baking.
- Rhubarb Almond Cake: Add one cup of finely chopped rhubarb stalks to the batter prior to baking.
How to Make Swedish Almond Cake (Mandelkaka)
- Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Use a non-stick baking spray on the interior of the pan, even if your pan has a nonstick surface. Because of the ridges in the pan, this cake has a tendency to stick. Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together in a medium bowl.
- Step 2: In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, egg, milk and almond extract. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and whisk until smooth. Add the cooled, melted butter and whisk until fully incorporated.
- Step 3: Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 35-45 minutes or until a tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Step 4: Let the cake sit in the pan for 10 minutes and then flip it over onto a serving tray. Cool and serve!
Expert Tips
- It is extremely important to use a nonstick baking spray, especially if you are using the traditional ribbed pan. This cake is likely to stick to the pan otherwise, especially if the surface of the pan is not nonstick.
- Be sure to place the cake pan onto a rimmed baking sheet prior to baking if you are using a Swedish almond cake pan. Otherwise it may not sit level in your oven.
- Let the cake sit for just 10 minutes in the pan prior to turning it over onto a serving plate. This will help it release more cleanly.
Recipe FAQs
You could use a regular 9 x 5 loaf pan but you will need to add a few extra minutes to the baking time as it will be a little thicker than the almond cake pan version and need a little extra time to bake through.
A light dusting of powdered sugar is all you really need, but if you would drizzle the cake with a simple glaze, whisk together ¾ cup powdered sugar, 1 ½-2 tablespoons milk and ½ teaspoon vanilla extract. Drizzle over the cake and sprinkle with a handful of toasted sliced almonds if desired.
Once the cake has cooled completely, wrap it in plastic wrap and store it at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Yes! It freezes very well. Once the cake has cooled completely, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and place in a freeze safe container or bag or wrap foil around the outside. You can either do this with a whole cake or cut it up into smaller portions or individual slices. Defrost at room temperature prior to enjoying.
What to Serve with this Recipe
A cup of coffee or tea alongside a delicate slice of this cake is wonderful. You might also consider a dusting of powdered sugar or a dollop of this Whipped Vanilla Skyr Cream and possibly some fresh berries.
If you want to take things a step further, consider making a fruit compote such as this pear compote, strawberry rhubarb compote or apple compote to go alongside. These simple roasted strawberries would also be an excellent accompaniment to this Swedish Almond Cake.
Related Recipes
Looking for other easy Scandinavian cakes to enjoy for your afternoon fika? I've got several tempting options here on the blog for you to try:
If you tried this Swedish Almond Cake (Mandelkaka) recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
Recipe
Simple Swedish Almond Cake (Mandelkaka)
Equipment
- Scandinavian Almond Cake Loaf Pan
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cup flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 ¼ cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 teaspoons pure almond extract
- ⅔ cup whole milk
- ½ cup unsalted butter 1 stick, melted and cooled
- powdered sugar for serving, if desired
Instructions
- 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an Almond Cake Loaf Pan or a 9 x 5 loaf pan with nonstick baking spray. Place prepared pan on a rimmed baking sheet.
- 2. Whisk flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- 3. In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, egg, almond extract and milk. Add flour mixture and whisk until mixed well. Add butter and mix until fully combined.
- 4. Pour batter into prepared pan. Place cookie sheet with pan on top into the oven. Bake for 35-45 minutes or until edges are golden brown and toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.
- 5. Let cake rest in the pan for 10 minutes before inverting onto a serving tray. Allow the cake to cool to room temperature. Sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired and serve.
Lorelei says
I have made the Swedish Almond Cake and just love it! However, my loafs always seem to have a dome on top where yours appear to be more level. Any suggestions?
Also, have you ever tried white whole wheat flour?
Kristi says
Hi Lorelei,
So glad you enjoyed it! Mine domes sometimes but I haven't quite put together why it happens (it seems kind of inconsistent). I've never tried it with the white whole wheat but I bet it would be just fine!
Kristi
Sarah from Wandercooks says
New favourite cake recipe! Nice and soft, and baked perfectly for us in 30 minutes.
Shared it with the parents too with rave reviews. Will be making this again very soon!
Kristi says
Thanks so much for your comment, Sarah! We love this one, too. And so easy!
Kristi
Shoneen Wagner says
I enjoy making the cake. However,, mine is never done in the time you list. It is still very runny in the middle. I make sure I preheat the oven for 30 minutes and use an oven thermometer to make sure it is at 350 degrees before putting it in. What is wrong?
Suzanne Murphy says
Not all ovens heat evenly. Check your oven temp with a thermometer made for that purpose, not a candy or oil thermometer. It's not expensive and it hangs on the rack so you can test the temp in different spots. It is important that it hangs and does not sit on the oven rack. You want to measure the air, not the metal rack.. Hope this helps! ☺️
Marie Beckstrom says
My favorite cake! Always a winner with guests.
Kristi says
Thanks, Marie!
Mary says
This is the best almond cake !! I used Sonoma Syrup Pure Almond Extract, it is the only almond extract I’ll uyse
Kristi says
Thanks, Mary! So glad you enjoyed it!
Kristi
Nat says
This was a delightfully nice and simple recipe! I didn't mix the butter in well enough so it spread to the edges creating a dark crust, but it was still fabulous!
Kristi says
Hi Nat,
So glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for your feedback!
Kristi
Eduard Mullokandov says
Thank You for a wonderful recipe. Try today and result is GREAT!
Kristi says
Hi Eduard,
So glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for your feedback!
Kristi
Towana Fuqua says
I'm not much of a baker, because cakes are usually "complicated" and time-consuming, in my mind. But, I do want to try this one because it sounds so quick and simple. Since I don't bake much, I always buy self-rising flour. Will this cake turn out well if I use it and leave out the baking powder and salt? I've heard that's sometimes possible.
Thank you.
Kristi says
Hi Towana,
I've never tried this recipe with self-rising flour but I think it's worth giving it a go (leaving out the baking powder and salt as you mentioned). Let me know how it turns out!
Kristi
Kristi says
Hi Cam,
So glad you liked the cake! Such an easy and delicious recipe. Thanks so much for the feedback!
Kristi
Cam says
This was my first bake in a long time. I whipped it up in 15 minutes and popped it in the oven. It is so simple and tasty! It was quick to make and will certainly be quick to go, as it's already halfway gone! Thanks for the great recipe!
Becca C says
I bought the cake pan from Al Johnson's in WI. I've made the cake two times, and it's been perfect. I try to buy good quality butter and almond extract, but most ingredients are kitchen staples, so this comes together really easily.
What do you think about adding a little lemon rind to the batter?
Kristi says
Hi Becca,
Thanks for your comment! I think lemon rind would be fabulous! Let me know how it turns out!
Kristi
El says
I didn’t have the time correct pan but I had a good sized bread pan that I thought worked just fine. The cake was amazing!
Kristi says
HI El,
I'm so glad you enjoyed the cake! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review!
Kristi
Lisa says
Just baked this cake for our Christmas dinner, in honor of my mother in law Hillevi who passed away earlier this year. Amazingly simply and very elegant looking. My cake did not stick - although I over compensated by using a lot of spray Pam on the bottom, then dusted with flour and coated in crushed, slivered almonds. No way that cake was sticking . Thank you! this cake will be our holiday tradition for years to come.
Kristi says
Hi Lisa,
Thanks so much for your comment! What a lovely tribute to your mother-in-law. I'm so glad this cake has found a special place on your holiday table. Enjoy and happy holidays!
Kristi
Lisa says
Sooo any chance you'd have suggestions on a low carb conversion? Using almond flour and monk fruit sweetener? If not, guess I'll need to experiment. 🙂
Kristi says
Hi Lisa,
I've never tried a gluten free version of this cake but have made other cakes with just almond flour before. I'm sure it's possible! Please let me know how the experimenting goes.
Kristi
Linda says
I’ve made the cake gluten free and it was delicious!
Kristi says
That's great, Linda! So glad to hear that a gluten free version works well!
Peggy McGrady says
I make this recipe gluten free all the time by simply substituting gluten free flour for regular flour 1:1. It is always delicious! I usually add a bit more almond flavor, 2 tsp, and I bake it in a 8x8 or 9x9 inch pan. Works either way.
Most often I spread a layer of sliced almonds on the bottom of the pan and pour the batter over top. I also like adding fresh raspberries to the batter and then baking it. If I don’t have almonds I just skip that step and the cake is always delicious! Peggy
Kristi says
Hi Peggy,
Thanks so much for your feedback! I love all of your modifications....especially the raspberry addition! Yum!
Kristi
Amanda C says
This has become my go to cake for holidays, birthday celebrations, or just when I need a little something sweet. I had to buy the pan, but it was relatively inexpensive on Amazon. It's almost a shame how easy this is to make, because I end up making it too often! It is delicious garnished with just a sprinkle of powdered sugar and some berries.
Kristi says
Hi Amanda,
Thanks for your comment. I agree...this cake is almost too easy! Everyone always loves it and it looks so pretty right out of the pan with a little dusting of sugar. I'm so glad you enjoyed it!
Kristi
Anna says
Even I can make this.
Linda says
I love to make this cake and every one asks me to bring it. My newest version is to pour Amaretto over the top. Then garnish with whipped cream,
Kristi says
That sounds AMAZING! So glad you are enjoying this cake recipe. It's one of my favorites....so easy and versatile. Thanks so much for taking the time to comment!
Kristi
Brendalee Cederlund says
How do you keep the pan from tipping while in the oven?
Kristi says
Hi Brendlee,
I actually set it on a rimmed baking sheet to prevent it from tipping. Hope this helps!
Kristi
Lois says
I love the cake and I have the pan. It just doesn’t come out easily. What do you do to get it out in one piece??!!
Kristi says
Hi Lois,
Are you using baking spray (Like Baker's Joy or Pam for Baking) to grease the pan ahead of time? I find that makes all the difference!
Kristi
Wen says
I’ve made this recipe three times. Every time the cake sticks to the pan. I spray the pan with cooking oil spray and then flour it. I’ve tried cooking it longer and I’ve tried just cooking oil spray on the pan with no flour. Not sure what else to do…
Kristi says
Hi Wen,
You need to seek out Pam for Baking which is totally different product than traditional cooking spray. It has the flour blended right into it and it is definitely THE BEST way to keep the cake from sticking. Hope this helps!
Kristi
Diane says
I use a “homemade pan release” with equal parts neutral oil, shortening, and AP flour. Whisk the three ingredients together until smooth. Dip a pastry brush into the mixture to coat your pan right before pouring the batter in. Store mixture in the fridge.
Kristi says
Great tip, Diane! Thank you!
Kristi