Café Cariappa inspired Tosca cake

Hidden within the heart of the charming burg of Kodaikanal (Kodi) is a chic coffee house called Café Cariappa. And what a pleasant little spot it is. It is, quite literally, a spot. All of a hundred and fifty square feet in size and situated on the first floor of a rather inconspicuous building, this gourmet café is easy to miss. Owner and great conversationalist, Kishore brews his own coffee that he grows in his coffee plantation nestled in the hills of Kodi.

Antiques and collectibles are scattered on the wooden walls and eaves. In a nook under the front counter, there are shelves with delicate tea cups, saucers and Café Cariappa coffee packed in brown paper bags. And sitting shyly in simple display cases on the front counter are beautiful, rustic looking baked goods, all made in-house.

When we arrived there around 4 pm, we found ourselves cosily tucked into a corner on four small chairs and a tiny table. The next thing we knew we were diving into large sized portions of carrot cake and a Swedish Tosca cake. That was quickly followed by a serving of crepes with home grown honey. As Kishore explained, the carrot cake, a hand-me-down hit recipe, had the tiniest bit of carrot and a whole lot of everything else. But it was the delectable Swedish Tosca cake that I couldn’t stop eating (and later, thinking about). Kishore had got the recipe from his Swedish friend and substituted almond flakes that are traditionally used for the top crispy layer, with cashews. It is a wonderful, nutty classic cake that paired perfectly with my cup of Americano.

If you are in Kodi, you couldn’t ask for a more intimate place to spend an afternoon, surrounded by wooden floors and counters and touches of retro, reading or lounging peacefully in this home away from home.

I returned home with a plan to find out more about the Tosca cake and try a recipe. This quintessential Scandinavian cake is basically a simple sponge topped with a mushy caramel almond topping that seeps into the cake and hardens on top to a crunchy candy. Below is the recipe I tried. Thank you Café Cariappa for introducing me to this cake, it may be the best cake I’ve ever eaten.

Ingredients:

For the Sponge:

1. 150g unsalted butter, melted
2. 225g caster sugar
3. 3 large eggs
4. 2 tsp vanilla extract
5. 225g plain flour
6. 1.5tsp baking powder
7. 60ml milk

 For the Topping:

1. 100g unsalted butter
2. 100g caster sugar
3. 60ml cream
4. 2tbs flour
5. 120g flaked almonds

 Method:

1. Cream the sugar, vanilla and eggs until pale and frothy
2. Gradually, sift in the flour and baking powder together and mix
3. Mix in the milk and butter
4. Bake this batter in a well greased tin (I recommend a 9 inch tin) at 180 degrees C
5. While the cake is baking, prepare the topping. Put all the ingredients except the almonds into a small saucepan and heat gently, stirring, until the butter and sugar have melted and the mixture has thickened.
6. After 30 minutes of baking, remove the cake from the oven, stir the almonds through the caramel and pour over the top of the cake.
7. Return the cake to the oven at a higher temperature of 200 degrees C for 10 mins or until the topping becomes golden brown.
8. Remove the cake from the oven. The topping will be golden and bubbling. Allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then remove and cool on a wire rack.