A Cake Meant to be Shared

We all need some culinary tricks in our back pocket -- those few go-to treats that are guaranteed crowd pleasers but require minimal effort and basic ingredients. And when the confection looks as good as it tastes, even you want to give yourself a compliment.

I was recently invited to a luncheon at a dear friend's house and before I could stop myself, I had asked what I could bring. Now, life is fairly challenging around here these days and sometimes just getting the cereal bowls filled in the morning is a minor victory, much less a dish that is presentable to a gathering of women.

When I made the offer, I had a hankering for a certain cake in my repetoire, not only for its ease, but for all its sweet almond flavor that is aptly named Swedish Visiting Cake. We've made it here for a Mother's Day brunch and for my knitting group and I knew that if I could allot the necessary time to assemble the cake, it would be a home run.

On the morning of the luncheon, I found (miraculously)  that I already had all the necessary ingredients--including lemons and slivered almonds--and quickly pulled it all together in under an hour. When I mixed the zest by hand with the cup of sugar and got that burst of citrus aroma out of the bowl, I remembered why I loved this recipe so much. I slid it out of the cast iron skillet it baked in for about a half an hour onto a serving plate and accompanied it with a bowl of softly-whipped cream and another dish of blackberries. The ladies at lunch were impressed--lots of oohs and ahhs--and I reveled in the compliments and sliced myself a generous portion to celebrate.

Swedish Visting Cake (adapted from Dorie Greenspan's Baking: From My Home to Yours)

1 cup sugar, plus extra for sprinkling

Grated zest of 1 lemon

2 large eggs

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

About 1/4 cup sliced almonds (blanched or not)

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Butter a seasoned 9-inch cast-iron skillet or other heavy ovenproof skillet, a 9-inch cake pan or even a pie pan.

Pour the sugar into a medium bowl.  Add the zest and blend the zest and sugar together with your fingertips until the sugar is moist and aromatic.  Whisk in the eggs one at a time until well blended.  Whisk in the salt and the extracts.  Switch to a rubber spatula and stir in the flour.  Finally, fold in the melted butter.

Scrape the batter into the pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula.  Scatter the sliced almonds over the top and sprinkle with a little sugar.  If you're using a cake or pie pan, place the pan on a baking sheet.

Bake the cake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until it is golden and a little crisp on the outside; the inside will remain moist.  Remove the pan from the oven and let the cake cool for 5 minutes, then run a thin knife around the sides and bottom of the cake to loosen it.  You can serve the cake warm or cooled, directly from the skillet or turned out onto a serving plate.

Makes 8-10 servings.