Flourless Swedish almond cake with buttercream

Tip: tap a step to mark it as done.

1. Preparation

   Separate the eggs into whites and yolks. Draw a circle about 24 cm in diameter on each of two sheets of parchment paper, then turn the sheets marked-side down.

2. First layer

   Beat four egg whites until stiff peaks form, gradually beat in 110 g sugar, then gently fold in 100 g ground almonds with a spatula. Spread the mixture within the circle on one sheet of parchment and bake in an oven preheated to 180 °C (350 °F) for about 20 minutes, until light golden.

3. Second layer

   Prepare and bake the second layer in the same way using the remaining four egg whites, 110 g sugar, and 100 g almonds. Let the layers cool, then carefully peel off the parchment.

4. Buttercream

   Melt the butter in a bowl set over a pot of boiling water, then add 250 g sugar, the cornstarch, and the egg yolks. Beat with an electric mixer over gentle steam until the cream thickens. Remove from the heat and let cool, stirring occasionally.

5. Almond topping

   Toast the sliced almonds in a dry skillet until golden, then let cool.

6. Assembly

   Spread half the buttercream over the first layer, place the second layer on top, and spread with the remaining buttercream. Sprinkle with the toasted almonds and dust with powdered sugar. Refrigerate the cake for at least 2 hours before slicing.

Tip: Fold the almonds into the whipped egg whites with a spatula, working from the bottom up to avoid deflating them. For a gluten-free diet, choose cornstarch and almonds labeled gluten-free.

This recipe was translated from the Slovak original: Švédska mandľová torta s maslovým krémom bez múky