Name: Swedish Visiting Cake Bars
Yield: 9 squares

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A crisp almond “meringue” topping and tender but chewy cake make the perfect pair in these Swedish Visiting Cake Bars. In the words of recipe author Dorie Greenspan, “the cake is supremely satisfying”, and great with a cup of coffee or tea anytime of day too.

Two Swedish visiting cake bar triangles on white plates and yellow napkins.

Heads up! This post is sponsored by OXO. As always, all opinions are my own. Thanks for considering the brands that support Love & Flour and help make a difference too.

One thing I always look forward to in September is working with OXO to share the news about Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.

This year, OXO has partnered with chefs who support Cookies for Kids’ Cancer and have provided recipes to inspire people to host Cookies for Kids’ Cancer bake sales.

I baked Dorie Greenspan’s Swedish Visiting Cake Bars, and for the record, I would definitely buy these at a bake sale.

Swedish visiting cake bar triangles on a cooling rack and yellow cloth napkin.

With her recipe, Dorie included a note about why she supports Cookies for Kids Cancer’s mission to fund research into pediatric cancer treatments. “That pediatric cancer is so prevalent and so poorly funded is a terrible paradox. Cookies for Kids Cancer is changing this and I love helping them reach their goals.” Well said.

This is my fifth year participating in the Cookies for Kids’ Cancer campaign, so I feel like I can genuinely say that OXO products make it easy and, dare I say, more fun to bake. The making of this fantastic recipe would not have been nearly as simple without their Non-Stick Pro Cake Pan, Balloon Whisk, and Non-Stick Cooling and Baking Rack.

Overhead shot of Swedish visiting cake bar triangles on white plates and yellow napkins.

I’ve never had a square metal cake pan before, and I really don’t know how I got along without it. I’ve used the Non-Stick Pro Jelly Roll Pan for years, so I’m happy to add this new Non-Stick Pro addition to the family. I like my new pan so much better for simple bakes like these Swedish Visiting Cake Bars and weekend coffee cakes.

I also really enjoyed using the new 5lb Food Scale with Pull Out Display. Kitchen scales and I have a history of tempestuous relationships. This is unfortunate because if I’ve learned one thing from watching The Great British Baking show, it’s to weigh your ingredients! Fortunately, OXO’s scale seems built to last. The pull out display is particularly easy-to-read when placing a large bowl on the scale.

It’s baking made easy. The delicious is up to you. Enjoy!

Close-up of Swedish visiting cake bar triangles on a cooling rack and yellow cloth napkin.

Swedish Visiting Cake Bars

Author Dorie Greenspan

Yield 9 squares

Ingredients

For the topping

1 cup confectioners' sugar

3 large egg whites

1 1/2 cups sliced almonds

For the bars

3/4 cup sugar

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract

1 cup all-purpose flour

8 tablespoons (1 stick or 4 ounces) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

optional: confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Instructions

Start by making the topping. Place the sugar in a medium bowl, and pour the egg whites over the sugar.
Gently mix until the sugar is moistened.
Next add the almonds and stir until coated with the sugar and egg white mixture.
Set the topping aside while you make the bars.
To make the bars, whisk the sugar, eggs, and salt together in a large bowl until the mixture lightens in color and thickens a little, about 2 minutes.
Whisk in the vanilla and almond extracts.
Use a spatula to gently stir in the flour.
When the flour is fully incorporated, gradually fold in the melted butter. The batter will be thick and shiny when it comes together.
Pour the batter into a lightly greased 9-inch square baking pan lined with parchment paper. The layer of batter will be thin.
Stir the topping you set aside earlier and spread it out across the batter. Use a spatula or your hands to spread the almonds evenly over the mixture, making sure to get the nuts into the corners too.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 28 to 32 minutes. The topping will look pale golden brown and a tester inserted into the center of the cake will come out clean with only a few crumbs stuck to it when done.
Allow the bars to cool for about 5 minutes, then run a knife around the edges of the pan, unmold the bars onto the rack, and very gently peel away the parchment paper.
When the bars cool to room temperature, slice them into nine squares or go a step further and halve each square on the diagonal to for 18 triangles.
If desired, dust the bars with confectioners' sugar just before serving.

Notes

If you’d like a deeper color on the topping, run the bars under the broiler until you get the shade you like best.

Courses Dessert

Want to help out?

Join the Cookies for Kids’ Cancer challenge by registering your event online and mark that you were inspired by OXO. The comapny will match the proceeds from your bake sale (up to their annual commitment).