King Oscar II cake, also known as almond cake, is a delectable dessert comprising delicate almond meringue layers interspersed with luscious butter and egg cream. This confection is commonly referred to as “Oscar II’s cake,” named after the adored Swedish king who frequently featured it at his grand banquets. An added benefit of this treat is its freezable nature, allowing for advance preparation and storage.
You can prepare and store the cake in the freezer for up to 3 months. Allow the cake to thaw in the refrigerator overnight and then for about 15 minutes at room temperature before serving.
Almond meringue base
- Draw circles 24 cm (9,5 in) in diameter on parchment paper. Since there will be 2 bottoms for the cake, 2 baking sheets are needed with a circle on each.
- Chop the almonds in an electric chopper. You can use blanched or unblanched almonds (with or without the skin) ,whatever you prefer (with or without the skin).
- Separate the egg yolks from the egg white (save the egg yolks for the butter/egg cream). Using an electric hand mixer ,whisk the egg whites to a stiff foam. Gently turn the sugar over, stir and continue to beat with a machine until a shiny and hard foam (it should go and turn the bowl upside down without it running out), it takes a few minutes.
- Add the chopped almonds to the meringue and turn gently until well blended.
- Spread the batter evenly, inside your drawn circles on parchment paper.
- Bake one cake base at a time just below the middle of the oven at 175 ° C (347° F)for about 23 minutes.
- Immediately turn the baked base against a parchment paper and remove the “baked” parchment paper from the base. Let the almond meringue base cool on parchment paper on a wire rack.
Butter/egg cream
- In a saucepan, add egg yolks, powdered sugar, heavy cream and vanilla extract.
- Whisk to a smooth batter. Bring to the boil while stirring. Whisk constantly and let the batter simmer (do not boil) until it thickens. Whisk vigorously in the meantime! When the batter has thickened, remove the pan from the heat and let it cool for a few minutes.
- Then slowly add the butter, a little at a time and whisk until the butter melts and the cream is smooth and shiny.
- Let the cream completely cool down in the refrigerator.
Toast the almonds
- Place blanched flaked almonds into a small dry non-stick frying pan over moderate heat. (No oil or butter require). Keep stirring the almonds around the pan and watch them gently turn a light golden brown colour. Let them cool down.
Assemble the cake
- To assemble the cake, all the ingredients must be completely cold.
- Add one almond meringue base on a plate and spread on half the amount of the butter/egg cream.
- Then add the next meringue base and cover the whole cake with the remaining butter/egg cream.
- Sprinkle the toasted almond flakes over the top layer of butter/egg cream.
- Store it in the refrigerator before serving.
The cake can be prepared the day before and stored in the refrigerator.
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King Oscar II Cake aka Almond Cake
King Oscar II cake aka almond cake is a delicious thin cake with thin bases of almond meringue that are alternated with a butter/egg cream.
Equipment
- 1 Electric hand mixer
- 1 Electric chopper
Ingredients
Almond meringue base
- 150 g sweet almond (5.2oz)
- 5 egg whites
- 200 ml caster sugar (0.85 cup)
Butter/egg cream
- 5 egg yolks
- 100 ml cream (0.42 cup)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 100 ml caster sugar (0.42 cup)
- 175 g butter cold (6.1 oz)
- 50 g almond flakes (1.8 oz)
Instructions
Almond meringue base
- Draw circles 24 cm (9,5 in) in diameter on parchment paper. Since there will be 2 bottoms for the cake, 2 baking sheets are needed with a circle on each.
- Preheat the oven 175 ° C (347° F)
- Chop the almonds in an electric chopper. You can use blanched or unblanched almonds (with or without the skin) ,whatever you prefer (with or without the skin).
- Separate the egg yolks from the egg white (save the egg yolks for later). Using an electric hand mixer, whisk the egg whites to a stiff foam. Gently turn the sugar over, stir and continue to beat with a machine until a shiny and hard foam (it should go and turn the bowl upside down without it running out), it takes a few minutes.
- Add the chopped almonds to the meringue and turn gently until well blended.
- Spread the batter evenly, inside your drawn circles on parchment paper.
- Bake one cake base at a time just below the middle of the oven at 175 ° C (347° F) for about 23 minutes.
- Immediately turn the baked base against a parchment paper and remove the “baked” parchment paper from the base. Let the almond meringue base cool on parchment paper on a wire rack.
Butter/egg cream
- In a saucepan, add egg yolks, powdered sugar, heavy cream and vanilla extract.
- Whisk to a smooth batter. Bring to the boil while stirring. Whisk constantly and let the batter simmer (do not boil) until it thickens. Whisk vigorously in the meantime! When the batter has thickened, remove the pan from the heat and let it cool for a few minutes.
- Then slowly add the butter, a little at a time and whisk until the butter melts and the cream is smooth and shiny.
- Let the cream completely cool down in the refrigerator.
Toast the almonds
- Place blanched flaked almonds into a small dry non-stick frying pan over moderate heat. (No oil or butter require). Keep stirring the almonds around the pan and watch them gently turn a light golden brown colour. Let them cool down.
Assemble the cake
- To assemble the cake, all the ingredients must be completely cold.
- Add one almond meringue base on a plate and spread on half the amount of the butter/egg cream.
- Then add the next meringue base and cover the whole cake with the remaining butter/egg cream.
- Sprinkle the toasted almond flakes over the top layer of butter/egg cream.
- Store the cake in the refrigerator before serving.
Notes
The cake can be prepared and stored in the freezer for at least 3 months. Let the cake thaw in the refrigerator overnight and then 15 minutes at room temperature before serving.
Βon appétit
