Swedish Visiting Cake Bars (almond bars)

I am proud to be partnering with OXO for the 6th year to bring you this Swedish Visiting Cake Bars recipe that's helping to raise funds for Cookies for Kids' Cancer.

Baking in and of itself is a pure joy for me.

Baking for a cause that is near and dear to my heart helps give that joy purpose.

For the 6th year in a row, I am proud to partner with OXO to help raise funds for Cookies for Kids' Cancer. This year, OXO is will donate up to $100,000 to Cookies for Kids' Cancer, a public charity through which 100% of proceeds raised by Cookies fund pediatric cancer research.

It's a pretty amazing organization, and OXO is donating funds toward Cookies for Kids' Cancer on behalf of this recipe.

Swedish Visiting Cake Bars (Dorie Greenspan Recipe)

Today I'm sharing a recipe from baking goddess Dorie Greenspan. Her Cookies cookbook is beautiful and packed with fantastic cookie recipes. The recipe for her Swedish Visiting Cake Bars is one of them, and I was so excited to make them!

This recipe is straight-forward, with easy-to-follow steps and simple ingredients that are easy to find. It requires no special baking tools other than your standard set of baking products (I've included info on the products I used below), and really comes together beautifully.

The result is a pan of delicious almond bars that are part almond cake bar, part almond cookie. It's like a hybrid that gives you the best of both worlds! You get the yummy almond cake base with a crunchy, sweet almond cookie topping.

You can cut the finished baked dessert into 9 squares, or 18 triangles.

Personally, I like the squares, but love the size of the triangles more. They're easy to grab and go for a quick snack, and are just the right amount for a sweet treat without filling you up.

Cookies for Kids' Cancer

I hope this recipe not only inspires you to make these holy moly amazingly delicious and slightly addictive Swedish Visiting Cake Bars, but also to learn more about how YOU can help the fight against childhood cancer.

You can join in the Cookies for Kids' Cancer challenge by registering your event online; if you mark that you were inspired by OXO when you register, OXO will match proceeds from your bake sale up to their annual commitment!

Swedish Visiting Cake Bars Recipe

Swedish Visiting Cake Bars

5 from 10 votes

Recipe by Marlynn Schotland

Servings: 9 square bars

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Ingredients

For the topping

• ▢ 1 cup (120 grams) confectioners’ sugar
• ▢ 3 large egg whites
• ▢ 1½ cups (150 grams) sliced almonds, blanched or unblanched

For the bars

• ▢ ¾ cup (150 grams) sugar
• ▢ 2 large eggs at room temperature
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
• ▢ 1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon pure almond extract
• ▢ 1 cup (136 grams) all-purpose flour
• ▢ 1 stick 8 tablespoons; 4 ounces; 113 grams unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• ▢ Confectioners’ sugar for dusting (optional)

Instructions

• Center a rack in the oven and preheat it to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter a 9-inch square baking pan and line it with parchment paper.
• To make the topping: Put the sugar in a medium bowl and pour over the egg whites. Using your fingers or a fork, mix until the sugar is moistened. If there are lumps, ignore them. Toss in the almonds and stir them around until they’re coated with the sugared whites. Set aside while you make the batter.
  
• To make the bars: Working in a large bowl, whisk the sugar, eggs and salt together until the mixture lightens in color and thickens a little, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the vanilla and almond extracts. Switch to a flexible spatula and gently stir in the flour. When the flour is fully incorporated, gradually fold in the melted butter. You’ll have a thick batter with a lovely sheen. Scrape it into the pan and use the spatula to work the batter into the corners. The layer will be very thin.
  
• Give the topping another stir, or a run-through with your fingers, and turn it out onto the batter. Use a spatula or your fingers to spread the almonds evenly over the mixture, making sure to get nuts into the corners too.
  
• Bake for 28 to 32 minutes, or until a tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean or with only a few crumbs stuck to it. The meringue topping will be pale golden brown. If you’d like a deeper color on the topping, run it under the broiler until you get the shade of gold you like best.
  
• Transfer the pan to a rack and let rest for 5 minutes, then run a knife around the edges of the cake and unmold it onto the rack. Very gently peel away the parchment and invert the cake onto another rack to cool to room temperature.
• Transfer the cake to a cutting board and, using a long, thin knife, slice it into nine 3-inch squares. For smaller portions, cut each square into two triangles. If you’d like, you can dust the bars with confectioners’ sugar just before you serve them.
  

Notes

Storing: Wrapped, the bars will keep at room temperature for 4 to 5 days.

Tried this recipe?Please leave a star rating and comment! Then snap a pic of your dish and share it on social media. Tag @UrbanBlissLife and #UrbanBlissLife!

Nutrition information is a general estimate. Actual nutrition details may vary depending on the exact foods & brands you use to make this recipe. It does not take into account any substitutions, toppings, or optional ingredients.

If you make this recipe, don't forget to share it on Instagram with hashtag #UrbanBlissLife and tag me @UrbanBlissLife.
I'd love to see what you make! And, if you like this recipe, please do me a huge favor and leave a star rating. Thank you, sweet friends! 

Kitchen Tools

I've long loved OXO products. My kitchen drawers and cabinets are full of them. They are all made with high quality materials, are super functional, and last a long time.

Here are some of the main kitchen tools that I used to make these Swedish Visiting Cake Bars:

• Non-Stick Pro Cake Pan: https://bit.ly/2nsgm6T
• 5lb Food Scale with Pull Out Display: https://bit.ly/2MiyIVG
• 11" Balloon Whisk: https://bit.ly/2OYP0l3
• Non-Stick Cooling and Baking Rack: https://bit.ly/2MizDW8

All of these products (and, really, all OXO products I own) help make it simpler, easier, and better to bake!

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This post is in partnership with OXO and Cookies for Kids' Cancer. As always, all opinions and photos are my own. 

This post contains affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy for details.