The Best Almond Cake for Everyday Baking

 

If you love a simple, comforting bake that still feels a little bit special, this Almond Cake is one of those recipes you’ll want to make again and again. It’s moist, buttery, and packed with almond flavor — thanks to a mix of ground almonds, almond extract, and a scattering of chopped almonds baked right on top. The texture is dense in the best possible way, tender and rich without being heavy, and it’s the kind of cake that tastes even better with each slice and day that passes.

This is an everyday cake that doesn’t need frosting or fuss. A drizzle of dark chocolate makes it extra pretty, but it’s just as lovely served plain with a cup of tea. Whether you’re baking for company or simply craving something cozy, this cake fits the moment perfectly.

 

Today I wanted cake.   I love almonds and so I decided to make my favorite Almond Cake. This is a basic every day cake chock full of lovely almond flavors . . .  moist, dense and buttery. The batter is an almost equal mix of self raising flour and ground almonds (almond meal) along with the flavors of both vanilla and almond extracts.

More almond flavor, and a lovely crunch, comes from the sprinkling of coarsely chopped almonds which you sprinkle on top of the batter prior to baking.  

This cake is so moist and delicious that no icing or frosting is needed, but a drizzle of dark chocolate  really sets it off perfectly.  Mmmm . . .  next to a Victoria Sponge, this is my absolute favourite cake.  Truly.

 

INGREDIENTS NEEDED 

TO MAKE THIS ALMOND CAKE

There is nothing too out of the ordinary required here.

• 1 cup (225g) butter, room temperature
• 1 cup plus 3 TBS (225g) caster sugar (Fine granulated sugar)
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 1 1/4 cups (140g) self-raising flour (see notes)
• 2 cups (175g) ground almonds
• 1/3 cup (50g) whole blanched almonds, coarsely chopped
• 1 ounce (25g) dark chocolate

 

I use salted butter. There is no issue with this. 

In North America the granulated sugar is much finer than the granulated sugar in the UK and it is fine to use in this recipe. I use Kirkland organic granulated sugar.

I use farm eggs.

I tell you in the recipe notes how to make your own self-rising flour.

The ground almonds called for in this recipe are the same as what is known as almond flour here in North America.

Blanched almonds are almonds which have been blanched and had the skins removed. You could use slivered blanched almonds, chopped up if you cannot get the whole blanched almonds.

 

 

HOW TO MAKE AN ALMOND CAKE

This is a very simple cake recipe. Do note it is a British recipe. The cake bakes at a lower temperature than most cakes.

1. Preheat the oven to 150*C/300*F/ gas mark 2. Butter an 8 inch round deep cake tin and line with baking paper.
2. Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. (This helps the sugar melt into the batter and prevents it from being granular.)
3. Beat together the eggs and extracts. Gradually beat this into the butter/sugar mixture. (This helps to prevent the creamed mixture from curdling. If it does, simply add a TBS of the flour required.)
4. Sift the flour into the bowl. Stir into the batter along with the ground almonds. Mix until smooth. (Don't overmix.)
5. Spoon into the prepared cake tin, smoothing the top. Scatter the chopped almonds on top. (You can tap the tin gently on the countertop to remove any air bubbles)
6. Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes until golden, well risen and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. (The top should also spring back when lightly touched.)
7. Cool in the tin for 10 minutes before lifting out onto a wire rack to finish cooling completely.
8. Break up the chocolate and melt in a glass bowl over gently simmering water, until smooth and free of lumps.
9. Drizzle over top of the cooled cake and allow to set before cutting into slices to serve.

 

HINTS AND TIPS FOR CAKE BAKING SUCCESS

• Make sure all ingredients are at room temperature
• Follow measurements and instructions with precision. Baking is an exact science.
• When using chemical leaven, such as baking powder, make sure it is evenly distributed amongst the dry ingredients before they are added to the creamed mixture. Otherwise you cake may develop tunnels as it bakes.
• Unless otherwise specified, add dry and liquid ingredients in increments, beginning and ending with dry.
• Don't overmix. Overmixing toughens cakes.
• When folding in ingredients, such as egg whites, do not over blend.
• Bake cakes as soon as mixed as the leavening will start to work once it is moistened. A delay in baking will result in poor volume.
• Grease and line your pans to prevent cakes from sticking, unless you are using a cake tin which prevents this such as a shaped tin such as a Bundt tin. In that case grease and dust with flour lightly.

For layered cakes, I use these cake tin liners when I can get them. They are something like muffin or cupcake liner, except they are the size of a cake tin.  They work wonderfully, without the trouble of having to measure and cut.  I have them in three sizes.  8-inch 9 inch and then loaf tin sized.  They do leave lines on the sides of the cake, but for a cake like this, lines down the side don't really matter that much. I have found them in Dollarama.

 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

DO I NEED TO USE SELF-RISING FLOUR?

Yes you do, but I give a perfectly acceptable way to make your own self-rising flour in the recipe notes. Its not hard to do at all.

WHAT ARE GROUND ALMONDS?

In the UK small bags of almond flour are sold in most supermarkets  and labelled as ‘ground almonds’ in the baking aisle. This is the same product as the ‘almond flour’ which is most commonly called for in US based recipes. The flour is creamy in color without any brown flecks. This is a British recipe so use almond flour in North America, not ground almonds.

HOW LONG WILL THIS CAKE KEEP?

This cake will keep at room temperature for four to five days and still be quite delicious.

CAN THIS CAKE BE FROZEN?

You can freeze this cake quite successfully.  Wrap in cling film and then in aluminum foil. Label and date. Use within 3 months.

 

A FEW OTHER

CAKE RECIPES TO ENJOY

A house is not a home without a cake in the cake tin. Here are a few other favorites that we enjoy baking and eating!

GLAZED COFFEE CRUNCH CAKE - Deeply flavoured with strong coffee, this is a moist cake, with a beautiful crumb. Indeed you will find yourself collecting the crumbs on the tips of your fingers to eat. You will not want to waste even the tiniest scrap of it. There is a fabulously moreish streusel topping stogged full of lovely toasted walnuts. As well the streusel contains chocolate chips and is delicately flavoured with cinnamon. It's crowning glory is . . . a  sweet coffee drizzle icing.  

SPANISH CAKE - This is my all time, absolute favorite cake. So much so that I also recreated it in a small batch version.  This cake is so good that I once baked it about three times in one week! It has a lovely moist crumb, flavored with cinnamon and that brown sugar penuche frosting is to die for.   It is the absolute best! 

 

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Yield: one 8-inch round cake

Author: Marie Rayner

Almond Cake

Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 45 MinInactive time: 10 MinTotal time: 1 H & 10 M

A great every day cake, moist and dense with lots of almond flavour. 

Ingredients

• 1 cup (225g) butter, room temperature
• 1 cup plus 3 TBS (225g) caster sugar (Fine granulated sugar)
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 1 1/4 cups (140g) self-raising flour (see notes)
• 2 cups (175g) ground almonds
• 1/3 cup (50g) whole blanched almonds, coarsely chopped
• 1 ounce (25g) dark chocolate

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 150*C/300*F/ gas mark 2. Butter an 8 inch round deep cake tin and line with baking paper.
2. Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Beat together the eggs and extracts. Gradually beat this into the butter/sugar mixture.
4. Sift the flour into the bowl. Stir into the batter along with the ground almonds. Mix until smooth.
5. Spoon into the prepared cake tin, smoothing the top. Scatter the chopped almonds on top.
6. Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes until golden, well risen and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.
7. Cool in the tin for 10 minutes before lifting out onto a wire rack to finish cooling completely.
8. Break up the chocolate and melt in a glass bowl over gently simmering water, until smooth and free of lumps.
9. Drizzle over top of the cooled cake and allow to set before cutting into slices to serve.

Notes

Make Your Own Self Raising Flour:

You can make your own self raising flour by adding 1 1/2 tsp of baking powder and 1/4 tsp of salt to every cup of plain flour.

 

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