I Put Cake in the Air Fryer to Make This Crunchy Swedish Topping

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Pound cake doesn’t need me to “fix” it. This gorgeously dense, butter-enforced, sweet treat has graced bakeries and grocery store freezer aisles since dinosaurs roamed the earth. (Or, fine, the 18th century.) The point is, a girl can still get tired of a good thing. When you have an entire cake on the counter, it helps to have a few tricks up your sleeve to keep things interesting. For example, I use my air fryer to seal a crunchy almond topping onto slices of pound cake.

A totally different cake inspired me to do this little number: the Swedish Visiting Cake. I’m not Swedish, but I’ve expressed in previous posts how much I love their daily practice of fika—taking a break during the day to have a warm drink, chat with friends, and enjoy a sweet snack. Swedish Visiting Cake is a total fika cake. It’s a simple buttery almond cake, but the topping is what really makes it special. The batter is slathered with a sweet almond topping before baking. After it bakes and cools, the topping becomes crunchy and flavorfu—a delightful contrast to the soft cake.

The only thing is, I already have cake. I made a giant lemon loaf from my cookbook of the week. It’s divine, but I’ve been eating it for three days already. A little crunch would be a welcome switch. So I mixed a bit of egg white with powdered sugar, a drop of almond extract, and a heap of sliced almonds, essentially making a loose royal icing with nuts in it. Royal icing is that hard icing bakers use to decorate sugar cookies because it dries completely solid and travels well. This almond topping uses that idea, coating the nuts in sugar and egg white, but instead of waiting around for the water to evaporate, I sped it up in the air fryer.

Sliced almonds in a bowl with egg whites.

Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann

To make this crunchy cake topping, whisk together the powdered sugar and egg white. It’ll be a bit chunky at first but the sugar lumps will dissolve quickly in the liquid. Stir in a pinch of salt and an optional drop of almond extract. Gently fold in the sliced almonds. Some of the liquid will pool on the bottom, and that’s all right. Scoop a spoonful or two onto a slice of pound cake, or any unfrosted cake, and put it in a 350°F air fryer (I used my trusty Instant Vortex) for seven to 10 minutes. Check on the cake after five minutes to see how it’s getting along. The nuts should be browned over the top but not scorched. Remove the slice and let it cool on a wire rack for a minute so the sugars can set. Dust with more powdered sugar and enjoy.

Pound cake with almond topping with a piece broken off.

Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann

Air frying a slice of pound cake is like reliving its first hour out of the oven. The fats warm up again and the cake becomes super tender and moist. The air fryer’s heat primarily comes from one direction, usually on the top or side of the unit, so the cake underneath doesn’t dry out. It’s just enough time to toast the nuts and dry the egg whites, leaving the cake itself only gently warmed.

This recipe makes enough topping for two or three slices of pound cake. It’s also good on brioche, challah, or any soft bread if you don’t have cake lying around.