Last updated on January 11th, 2026.
This almond cake gets its tender, melt-in-your-mouth texture and bold almond flavor from almond paste. It’s moist, and swirled with melted dark chocolate for a dramatic, bakery-worthy marble effect.
This is one of my favorite recipes I developed for my cookbook, Baking Science. The cake is inspired by the old-fashioned Wonder Cake you’d find in Jewish bakeries (well, used to find). Like the classic, it gets a boost of almond flavor from almond paste, and a drizzle of melted chocolate swirled into the batter, giving the cake a subtle chocolate note and a mesmerizing marble finish.
This cake is not your classic marble pound cake. It’s tender, slightly crumbly, and finished with an elegant twist that feels both nostalgic and timeless.
Key Ingredients
The complete recipe is at the bottom of this post in the recipe card, below is a short description of the key ingredient, and substitutions when possible.
- Almond Paste and Almond extract. The almond paste gives the cake its beautiful and natural almond flavor in addition to the extract, you can also make your own Homemade Almond Paste. Please do not mistake it for Marzipan. Marzipan is much sweeter and less flavorful.
- Whole milk at room temperature. You can use sour cream, buttermilk or plant base milk instead.
- Semi-sweet or dark melted chocolate.
- All-purpose flour. Best to use unbleached flour, and for a more refined crumb, use cake flour.
Make It
This cake is made using the Creaming method, below are step by step images for visual cues. I also included all my tips and notes I learned when testing this cake.
- Bring the ingredients to room temperature: the butter, eggs, and milk should all be at the same temperature. If an ingredient is too cold, the batter will be lumpy, not cohesive and will bake into a dense short and chewy cake.
- Use a rubber spatula to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl as you go. The paddle attachment does not always reach to the bottom of the bowl and some batter gets stuck on the sides. Stop the mixer 2-3 times and scrape the bottom and sides and mix in any incorporated batter.
- Reduce the mixer’s speed to low when adding the flour and milk. This is to make sure the flour will not develop any gluten chains and the cake will bake chewy. I like to use a rubber spatula once I add the last portion of the flour.
- Do not over swirl the melted chocolate, once around the pan is enough.
Yields and Pans Options
The recipe can be baked as a 9-inch loaf pan, a 6 cups bundt pan, or a 9-inch round pan. Enough for 10-15 slices, depending on the size of each slice. Make sure to adjust the baking time (see recipe notes), and make sure pay attention to the cake and not he timer. The cake is ready when a tooth pick comes out from the center with a few moist crumbs.
Storing
The cake is best at room temperature for up to three days, covered with aluminum foil. Freeze in an airtight container wrapped in plastic wrap for up to four weeks.
Almond Paste Cake | With Chocolate Swirls
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 Cups All purpose flour (180 g / 6 oz)
- 1 tsp Baking powder
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/2 Cup Full fat milk (120 ml/4 floz)
- 1 tsp Almond extract
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 1 Cup Granulated sugar (200 g / 7 oz)
- 3/4 Cup + 1 tbsp Unsalted butter, softened (180 g / 6 oz)
- 3 TBSP Almond paste (45 g/2 oz)
- 3 Large Eggs
- 1/3 Cup Melted dark chocolate (45 g / 2 oz)
Instructions
- Grease your pan with soft butter then sprinle with flour. Preheat oven to 350F. (180 C)
- In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Use a fork to blend.
- Pour the milk into large measuring cups and mix in the extracts.
- In a bowl of a standing mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, sugar, and almond paste on medium-high speed until light and airy, about 5 minutes. Make sure to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl once or twice.
- Increase speed to hogh and add the eggs, one at a time waiting for each egg to fully incorporate before adding the next.
- Reduce speed to low and add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the milk mixture starting and ending with the flour mixture. Once you add the last portion of the flour, stop the mixer and use a rubber spatula to fully blend the flour into the batter.
- Spread the batter into the greased pan, drizzle the chocolate on top of the cake and use a large skewer to swirl the chocolate and create the veins.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes or just until a cake tested comes out clean from the center of the cake. (or with few moist crumbs)
- Remove from the oven and allow the cake to cool for 20 minutes before inverting and slicing.
Notes
- Make sure the ingredients are at room temperature.
- Do not replace almond paste with marzipan.
- Wide pans will need less time than tall narrow cake pans. Loaf and almond bundt cake: 38-45 minutes. 9-inch pan: 30-35 minutes. The cake is ready when a cake tester comes out of the center with a few moist crumbs, and the cake is golden brown.
In your recipe for the almond cake the recipe calls for 1/2 cup full fat milk but gives this amount as 250ml/8oz. Is the correct amount 1/2 cup or 1 cup?
no you are correct, it is 1/2 cup 120ml
Hi Dikla
This cake looks delicious, do you happen to have a recipe for making your own almond paste, I have found a few online but their sweetness varies. Love that you include metric measurements, so much easier to use and accurate.
Thanks Carol
Hi Carol, my go-to recipe is:4 cups bleached almonds (550 g), 1 1/3 cups (270 g) granulated sugar, 1/4 cup (60 ml) corn syrup (or honey), 1/2 cup water (120ml), one tablespoon almond paste. Bring the water, sugar, and syrup to a boil, add the almonds then process with the almond extract it all for 5 minutes until smooth. Add 1-2 tablespoons of simple syrup if it is too thick.
You can reduce the sugar to 1 cup (200 g), hope this helps.
could you clarify – Did you double the recipe or did you increase by 50%. It isn’t the same thing? Thank you very much – looking forward to making it.
I increased the recipe by 50%, meaning I used 270 g flour. (vs. 360 if I double it)
Delicious cake. Moist and delicious
Suggestions for making this Gluten-Free? Would a one-to-one baking flour be enough of a swap out for the regular flour?
Hi Julie,
Yes one-to-one GF flour should be ok, use a brand you are familiar with and trust.
I love almond anything and this cake does not disappoint! It has a beautiful light crumb and soft texture and the almond flavor is just right. I love pairing almond with fruits so I served this with some sliced strawberries and whipped cream for a perfect and light summer dessert. Delish!
Loved this recipe! I’m gonna add it to my recipe stash and will definitely be making it again!
I forget to rate the recipe 🙂 definitely worthy of five stars !
Hi,
Love your recipes!!
In this one, I see that in some pictures there is a chocolate coating on top after the cake has been baked. Is that correct? If so, please tell me the ingredients for that.
Thank you!!
Nava
Yes. Melt one cup of chocolate and mix in 2 tablespoons of unflavored vegetable oil.
Could you make this cake without chocolate subbing possibly another item like raspberry? Or just almond no mix in?
Sure! I never tried it once with strawberries and it turned out very delicious but slightly too moist to my taste