October is the best month for gathering together. It’s a calm month, with the hectic summer behind us and the holiday season well enough ahead of us. October is for cooking up good food {without fear of over-heating the whole house. Hallelujah for cooler temperatures!} and sitting for hours with a glass of wine just talking.

Which is precisely what we have been up to lately, with a variety of different neighbors, friends, and family members. Our meals have mostly been comprised from the odds and ends that are still lingering in the garden: cherry tomatoes that weren’t bothered by the very light frost we had in September, kale, and acorn squash.

It’s a little difficult to take good photos of these visits, since they happen after dark in the dimly-lit kitchen where our camera is only capable of producing fuzzy, blurry versions of the real scene. But chances are that you’ve experienced a fall get-together of your own before, so you know what it looks like.

The Swedes have a special cake, aptly named the Visiting Cake, which they make and bring to potlucks or even just for dropping in on a neighbor for a chat and some coffee. It’s simple, delicious, and full of comforting flavors {although, since Mike is 50% Swedish, we’re perhaps a little biased.}

It could be made gluten free very easily by using almond flour instead of wheat flour, but I would suggest skipping the almond extract in that case {almond flavor can easily overwhelm.}

The only dairy in the cake is the butter and the eggs, so for you vegans I would guess you could use substitutes for both and it would still come out great. Olive oil is a great sub for butter- I have used it in cake recipes before and could not detect any difference from the butter version.

Image courtesy Baked Bree.

Swedish Visiting Cake
8 tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus more for preparing pan
1 cup sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
Grated zest of 1 lemon
2 eggs
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
1/2 tsp almond extract (optional)
1 cup flour
1/4 cup sliced almonds (blanched or not)

Center a rack in the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Butter a seasoned 9-inch cast-iron skillet or other heavy oven-proof skillet or a 9-inch round cake or pie pan.

Pour sugar into a medium bowl. Add lemon zest and blend zest into sugar with your fingers until sugar is moist and aromatic. Whisk in eggs, one at a time, until well blended. Whisk in salt and vanilla and almond extracts.

Switch to a rubber spatula and stir in flour. Finally, fold in melted butter. Scrape batter into prepared skillet or pan and smooth top with rubber spatula.

Scatter sliced almonds over top and sprinkle with sugar. If using a cake or pie pan, place pan on a baking sheet. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden and a little crisp on outside; the inside will remain moist.

There you go! You’re all set for your next neighborly visit. Enjoy!