Almond Cake

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This almond cake is the perfect dessert for every and any occasion. Serve it plain for afternoon tea, or top it with whipped cream and fresh fruit for the holidays. All you need are seven simple ingredients, with a secret addition that gives it that deliciously pure almond flavor.

Almond cake on a cake stand

I love a simple cake that’s not overly sweet or overly complicated with excess ingredients. And that’s what this almond cake recipe is all about! It’s one of those cakes you can enjoy anytime, anywhere, depending on how you top it off (I’ve got a few ideas below).

For reference, this almond cake is almost like a Tarta de Santiago cake (Spanish almond cake). But instead of using lemon juice or lemon zest in the ingredients, like my paleo lemon blueberry cake, this recipe emphasizes the natural almond flavor that’s mild and slightly sweet. Call me a purist, but I want my almond cake to taste like nutty, earthy, and toasty almonds!

Ingredients for almond cake on a table

Almond Cake Ingredients

  • Dry Ingredients: You’ll see other recipes using almond paste or freshly ground almonds. But to keep things simple, finely ground almond flour achieves the same result with fewer ingredients. In addition to that, you’ll need baking soda and a pinch of kosher salt.
  • Eggs: When it comes to baking, it’s best to bring your eggs to room temperature. They’ll blend in better with the batter, help the cake rise properly, and give it a slightly fluffier texture.
  • Sweetener: You can use maple syrup or honey in this recipe. Personally, I prefer maple syrup, as I feel it gives a lighter overall texture, while honey can increase the density just a smidge.
  • Vanilla and Almond Extract: Vanilla extract is a key ingredient and adds sweetness. But if you want to bump up the almond flavor, I highly recommend using almond extract as well.
  • Toppings: Top your cake with sliced almonds for that final almond touch. And if you’ve got time, dusting powdered sugar will make it look exquisite. Side note – you can make powdered sugar in a snap from any granulated sugar!

How To Make Almond Cake

Grease the pan. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease the bottom and sides of a 9-inch cake pan or springform pan. You can also line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper for easy removal.

Prepping a spring pan for almond cake

Mix dry ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the almond flour, baking soda, and salt.

Dry almond cake ingredients in a bowl

Mix wet ingredients. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, honey, vanilla extract, and almond extract.

Wet almond cake ingredients in a bowl

Combine the ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir it all together until it’s combined into a cake batter.

Mixing almond cake batter in a bowl

Bake the cake. Pour the batter into the greased pan and top with sliced almonds. Bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let the cake cool for 15 minutes in the pan, then remove and let the cake cool completely on a wire rack.

Raw almond cake batter in a cake pan

Almond Cake Toppings

  • Classic Topping: My favorite is to top this cake off with extra sliced almonds and a dusting of powdered sugar. It’s simple, elegant, and perfect for brunch or afternoon tea.
  • Fruity Topping: If you want to jazz this up a little bit for the holidays, you can add dollops of coconut whipped cream on each slice with pieces of fresh fruit.
Baked almond cake

Ingredient Substitutions & Modifications

  • Using a different sugar. As a reminder, the dry-to-wet ratio in baking is crucial. Since I’ve made this recipe with a liquid sweetener, you can easily swap maple syrup with honey, date syrup, or liquid erythritol for a keto-friendly option. But if you’re using granulated sugar, you’ll need to adjust the ratio by either adding additional wet ingredients or minimizing a dry ingredient.
  • Add a hint of citrus flavor. You can always omit the almond extract and add lemon or orange zest for a bright flavor.
  • Alternative to almond flour. A traditional almond cake requires almond flour or a base that’s ground almonds or even almond paste. But if you can’t find almond flour, hazelnut flour works in a 1:1 substitution. Unfortunately, other flours are not usually an equal substitution and may require some tweaking to find the perfect ratio.
Dusting powdered sugar on a cake

Common Questions

Which almond flour is the best for almond cake?

I love to use Bob’s Red Mill almond flour (which I’ve linked below in the ingredients). But any brand will work as long as the flour is super fine and blanched.

Can you freeze almond cake?

It’s highly unlikely there’ll be leftovers (yes, it’s that yummy). But leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. If you’d like to store it longer, once it’s completely cooled, tightly double-wrap it in plastic wrap and store it in the freezer for up to 3 months.

A slice of almond cake on a plate

More Easy Cake Recipes

I hope you enjoy this simple almond cake as much as I do! If you make it, I’d love to hear your thoughts on the recipe in the comment box below.

Almond cake with powdered sugar

Almond Cake

4.92 from 48 votes
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Cool Time: 15 minutes
Total: 1 hour
Servings: 12 servings
Author: Lisa Bryan

Description

This almond cake is the perfect dessert for any occasion. Serve it plain for afternoon tea or top it with cream and fruit for the holidays. Watch how I make it in the video below!

Video

Equipment

Ingredients 
 

Instructions 

  • Grease the pan. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease the bottom and sides of a 9-inch cake pan or springform pan. You can also line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper for easy removal.
    Spring pan for cake
  • Mix dry ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the almond flour, baking soda, and salt.
    A bowl of cake flours
  • Mix wet ingredients. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, honey, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Then pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir together until combined into a cake batter.
    Mixing almond cake batter in a bowl
  • Bake the cake. Pour the batter into the greased pan and top with sliced almonds. Bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let the cake cool for 15 minutes in the pan, then remove and let the cake cool completely on a wire rack.
    Baking almond cake
  • Serve the cake with the simple sliced almond topping, or if you'd like, garnish with a dusting of powdered sugar.
    A close up of an almond cake

Nutrition

Calories: 186kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 55mg | Sodium: 210mg | Potassium: 66mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 79IU | Calcium: 67mg | Iron: 1mg
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Almond Cake, Almond Cake Recipe
Did you make this recipe?Mention @downshiftology or tag #downshiftology!

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About the author

Lisa Bryan

Lisa is a bestselling cookbook author, recipe developer, and YouTuber (with over 2.5 million subscribers) living in sunny Southern California. She started Downshiftology in 2014, and is passionate about making healthy food with fresh, simple and seasonal ingredients.

4.92 from 48 votes (5 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




130 Comments

  1. I made the almond cake and it turned out great. It was even better the next day. I sprinkled powdered sugar on top and arranged fresh berries on top. It looked beautiful.5 stars

  2. Made for the 2nd time last night. I only baked for 20 min this time and it came out perfect. Last time the full 30 min overcooked it. My oven is def hotter. So glad I made it again. Super easy and super tasty. I’ll try and pretend I haven’t eaten almost the entire cake from just last night. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯5 stars

    1. Hi Clark – It’s always a good idea to know how hot your oven cooks. Glad your second time making this almond cake was a hit!

  3. This was almost great! So simple and perfect texture, had with freshly picked strawberries and lightly sweetened whipped cream. However, it tasted heavily of baking soda and I know I measured correctly and it’s not old. I’ll try again with less but curious that no one else has mentioned this.4 stars

  4. Perfect, quick and an easy desert even for baking beginners. One of my favourite for friends and everyone love it.5 stars

  5. I made this last weekend for a dinner party with an entire anti-inflammatory menu. Everyone loved it and the consistency was perfect!

  6. Hi Lisa, instead of maple syrup or honey can I use monk fruit sweetener, if so would I add yoghurt or something to makeup for the liquid

  7. I made the Almond cake for our Women’s Bible Study, it was quite easy and delicious. Had hardly any leftovers to take home to hubby, son & MIL.5 stars

    1. Hi Lisa, i love how simple this recipe is and would love to give it a try. Do you think it would turn out okay if i add strawberry slices in the mixture?