Last updated on April 28th, 2023.
This moist Almond Cake recipe from scratch is delicious, tender, moist, and beautifully decorated with an interior of dark chocolate veins.
Easy almond cake for every occasion
Cakes like the Jewish Apple Cake, Honey Cake, and this Marble Cake, have always been popular and comforting. And today, I am extending my recipe collection with an elegant, delicious cake.
This tender, buttery, moist cake is made from scratch, is loaded with almond flavors, and is as easy to make as delicious. What I love the most about this cake is that it is perfect for any occasion. Bake it as a layer cake for a birthday cake or in a loaf pan for a casual afternoon treat, or use your favorite bundt pan and serve it with seasonal fruit (or fresh fruit) at your next gathering.
If you can’t get enough almond desserts, check out these Almond Cupcakes, Almond Poppy Seeds Cake, and these Mandel Bread Cookies.
Key Ingredients
The full measurements and instructions you can find below on the recipe card.
- Almond Paste and Almond extract. The almond paste gives the cake its beautiful and natural almond flavor in addition to the extract. Please do not mistake it for Marzipan. Marzipan is much sweeter and less flavorful.
- Vanilla extract. To enhance the flavors.
- All-purpose wheat flour. Bleached, unbleached all-purpose flour or cake flour is ok.
- Whole milk at room temperature. You can use sour cream, buttermilk or plant base milk instead.
- Eggs at room temperature; check out my tips.
- Semi-sweet or dark melted chocolate.
How to make almond cake
First, preheat the oven and grease or line a pan with parchment paper. You can use an electric mixer, a large mixing bowl, or a stand mixer.
- Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. In a separate medium bowl, mix the milk and extracts.
- Beat the butter, sugar, and almond paste until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
- With the mixer on high speed, add the eggs, one at a time, waiting for each egg to completely incorporate before adding the next.
- Reduce speed to low and add the dry ingredients in three additions, alternating with the wet ingredients.
- Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan and drizzle the chocolate on top of the cake. Use a toothpick to swirl the chocolate.
- Bake until the toothpick comes out from the center of the cake with a few moist crumbs. Remove from the oven and cool for 15-20 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack.
Expert Tips
Measure the ingredients accurately.
This is key for every recipe. Using a kitchen scale (affiliate), measuring spoons, and measuring cups is the best way to ensure accuracy. If you do not have a kitchen scale, aerate the flour and scoop it into the measuring cup. Run a knife over the top of the cup to remove any access flour. Do not compress the flour, ever.
Bring the eggs to room temperature.
Cold eggs, butter, or milk also mean dense, chewy, and much shorter cake. To bring the eggs to room temperature fast, place them in a bowl under warm running water for about 30 seconds, then let them sit for about 10 minutes in the warm water.
Alternatively, fill a large bowl with warm water and soak the eggs for 15-20 minutes.
Adjust baking time
The recipe is from my book “Baking Science.” It can be baked as a 9-inch loaf pan, a bundt pan, a brownie pan (8×8 or 9×9 inch square pans), and even round pans in case you want to make almond birthday cake recipe or any layer cake (you’ll have to double or triple the recipe depending on how big and tall your cake is).
Other topping and flavoring ideas
The chocolate swirls are optional. Add lemon zest from 2 small lemons, top with sliced almonds as I did with this Honey Almond Cake, or dust it with confectioners sugar or coarse sugar.
Almond Meal
As well as almond flour is ground almonds and can not replace flour.
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 cake recipe
Tender, moist and flavorful almond cake swilred with melted dark chocolate
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.
Recipe 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: 45-55 minutes. Brownie pan and cake layers: 30-35 minutes. Remember that each over is different, so check the cake, not the timer. The cake is ready when a cake tester comes out of the center with a few moist crumbs, and the cake is golden brown.
- For this post, I used an 8 cups bundt pan and had to double the recipe by 50%.
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 !