One recipe crossed the Atlantic and became four. It arrived with Hilda in Sweden, passed to her daughter Mrs. Olson, and from her to my grandmother Greta across a church kitchen in Worcester, Massachusetts. Everyone who got hold of it since has changed something, and every one of them will tell you theirs is the best.
Here is the whole argument, in order.
Mrs. Olson’s — the original
Mrs. Olson and my grandmother ran the kitchen at our church, across the street from my grandmother’s house. If you asked either one who was in charge, each would say she was. The recipe came from Mrs. Olson’s mother, Hilda, back in Sweden, and everything below is a version of it.
Mrs. Olson’s Swedish almond cake
Grammy Greta’s — plus vanilla
I spent a great deal of my childhood in my grandmother’s kitchen. She used real milk and real butter and, contrary to modern wisdom, she and my grandfather both lived well into their nineties. Her almond cake was the standard everyone in the family measured against. Put the two recipes side by side and the only difference is a teaspoon of vanilla — which was enough for two women to argue about for years.
Grammy Greta’s Swedish almond cake
Aunt Harriet’s — plus cinnamon
Harriet had four children to cook for, and with that many taste buds to tweak she added an eighth of a teaspoon of cinnamon. Not enough to taste as cinnamon. Enough to make people ask what was different.
Kathi’s — the biggest departure
Kathi would rather bake than cook, and she changed more than anyone: raw sugar instead of white, whole milk, and melted coconut oil rubbed on the pan instead of cooking spray. Hers never sticks.
Kathi’s Scandinavian almond cake
What you need
All four are baked in a fluted almond cake pan, and all four insist on the same thing: let it cool in the pan before turning it out, or it breaks.