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Home » Cake & Cupcakes » Almond Cake

Almond Cake

Published: May 15, 2019 · Modified: Dec 14, 2021 by Allison · 44 Comments

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Love almonds? This Almond Cake is for you! A single-layer cake that is moist, tender and loaded with almond flavor. Serve as-is or top with berries and whipped cream.

Single layer cake topped with jam, whipped cream and fresh berries.I’m filing this recipe under: FAVORITE CAKE EVER. And yes, I have 957 favorite things, but this cake has immediately shot to the top of my list. If you’re almond-obsessed like me, you will love this!

A slice of cake topped with whipped cream and mixed berries.

This is a simple single-layer cake that is loaded with almond flavor thanks to a combination of almond paste and almond extract. This cake has a moist and tender crumb and it manages to be both dense and light at the same time. Although it is dense, it still has a slightly airy quality that makes you feel as if you can keep eating one slice after another.

This Almond Cake is versatile enough to be served on its own topped with sliced almonds and a sprinkle of sugar, or you can top it with berries and whipped cream; more on that below.

A slice of cake topped with sliced almonds on a white plate with a gold fork.

How To Make Almond Cake:

This cake batter is assembled in the food processor. It comes together in minutes! Here’s how to make it:

  1. Almond paste and sugar are pulsed in a food processor until finely ground.
  2. Add softened butter and process until combined.
  3. Add eggs and almond extract and process until combined.
  4. Sprinkle in flour, baking powder and salt. Give it a whirl until combined.
  5. Pour the batter into a greased and lined 8-inch round cake pan and bake.

Ingredients (almond paste, sugar, eggs, flour) in a food processor to make almond cake.

Topping for Almond Cake:

Unlike a traditional cake, this cake does not get topped with frosting. I like to serve it one of two ways. Feel free to try one of these or get creative and top it any way that you’d like.

Sugared Almonds: Before baking, top the cake batter with sliced almonds and a sprinkle of granulated sugar. Serve the cake as-is or with a dusting of powdered sugar. It’s simple, but absolutely delicious (it’s my favorite way to enjoy this cake). It’s especially great alongside a cup of coffee or tea for breakfast or dessert.

Single layer cake topped with sliced almonds on a white plate.

Berries and Cream: This topping creates is a slightly fancier presentation. The cake is topped with jam, followed by whipped cream and a mound of fresh berries. Bake the cake as directed (without the sliced almond topping), then after cooling, top the cake with a layer of jam, homemade whipped cream and fresh berries. I add a little bit of cream cheese to the whipped cream to help thicken and stabilize it. It also adds a touch of tanginess that keeps the topping from being too sweet.

Cake topped with jam being spread with whipped cream.

Feel free to get creative with the toppings for this cake. You can skip the jam, use flavored whipped cream, add other types of fruit, or even top the plain cake with a small batch of Strawberry Frosting, Vanilla Frosting or Cream Cheese Frosting (scale down the vanilla buttercream and cream cheese frosting, as those are large recipes).

A slice of cake topped with whipped cream and mixed berries.

Lastly, let’s talk about a key ingredient in this recipe: almond paste.

What is Almond Paste?

Almond paste is primarily a mixture of ground almonds and sugar or sugar syrup. You can purchase it in tubes or cans in the baking aisle of well-stocked grocery stores. It should be soft, moist, and easy to break apart. The almond paste gets processed into the cake batter and adds texture and a sweet almond flavor to every bite of this cake. I do not recommend trying to substitute the almond paste with another ingredient. 

Other recipes using almond paste: Almond Bars, Almond Cherry Streusel Bars

MORE CAKE RECIPES: COCONUT CAKE – STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE CAKE – ALMOND CRANBERRY CAKE – CINNAMON ROLL CAKE

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Slice of Almond Cake on a plate

Almond Cake

A single-layer cake that is moist, tender and loaded with almond flavor. Serve as-is or top with berries and whipped cream.
5 from 17 votes
Print Pin SaveSaved!
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Dessert
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 8
Calories: 331kcal
Author: Allison - Celebrating Sweets

Ingredients

Cake:

  • 4 ounces almond paste
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 3 large eggs
  • ¼ teaspoon almond extract, increase to ½ teaspoon for a stronger flavor
  • ½ cup all purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt

Sugared almond topping:

  • ½ cup sliced almonds
  • 1-2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Berries and Cream Topping:

  • 2 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • ⅓ cup powdered sugar
  • ⅛ teaspoon almond extract
  • ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ⅔ cup chilled heavy cream
  • ⅓ cup berry jam, I like raspberry or strawberry
  • 2-3 cups fresh berries, larger berries cut into bite-sized pieces

Instructions

Cake:

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-inch round cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
  • Crumble almond paste into food processor bowl. Add granulated sugar and pulse until almond paste is finely ground. Add butter and process until smooth (it will turn into a ball; just keep processing until it smooths out). Add eggs and almond extract and process until combined, occasionally stopping the processor and scraping sides and bottom of bowl. Sprinkle in flour, baking powder, and salt, and process until blended. 
  • Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth the top. If using the sugared almond topping, top the cake batter with sliced almonds and 1-2 tablespoons sugar (I like to add half the almonds, sprinkle over half the sugar, then repeat with remaining almonds and sugar).
  • Bake for 23-26 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Place the pan on a wire rack, cool 15-20 minutes, then carefully invert and place back on the rack to cool completely. If you are not using the berries and cream topping you can enjoy this cake while still warm, otherwise, cool completely. 

Berries and Cream Topping:

  • Combine the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Fit the mixer with the whisk attachment and mix on medium speed until smooth. 
  • With the mixer still running, slowly pour in the heavy cream down the side of the bowl. Continue beating, slowly increasing the speed and occasionally stopping and scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl. Increase the speed and continue whipping until the cream can hold a stiff peak.
  • Place the cake on a plate or serving platter. Spread the top of the cake with jam, spreading it to ½-inch from the edge. Top with whipped cream, followed by berries. 

Notes

  • This cake is best at room temperature, as it will be extra soft and tender. 
  • If topping with whipped cream and berries, I recommend doing so right before serving. If you have to assemble in advance, I would recommend doing so the day you need it. Keep refrigerated and bring to cool room temp before serving. 
  • Nutrition facts are for cake with sugared almond topping. 

Nutrition

Calories: 331kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 109mg | Sodium: 106mg | Potassium: 170mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 470IU | Calcium: 74mg | Iron: 1.3mg

Nutritional Information is an estimate based on third-party calculations and may vary based on products used and serving sizes.

Tried this recipe?Leave a comment and rating below!

Recipe adapted from Good Housekeeping.

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Comments

  1. Jade Manning

    May 15, 2019 at 11:06 am

    5 stars
    This Cake looks simply divine!

    Reply
  2. Lora

    May 16, 2019 at 3:06 am

    5 stars
    I love cakes like this that are so simple and moist. And there are so many ways to make it more decadent if you want!!

    Reply
  3. Erin | Dinners,Dishes and Dessert

    May 16, 2019 at 6:15 am

    5 stars
    This couldn’t look any more perfect! This looks fabulous!

    Reply
  4. Catalina

    May 16, 2019 at 7:21 am

    5 stars
    I love the texture of this cake! Looks heavenly!

    Reply
  5. Beth Pierce

    May 16, 2019 at 7:55 am

    5 stars
    This was such a decadent dessert! Made this for my husband’s birthday and had smiling faces all around the table!

    Reply
  6. Jenna

    May 16, 2019 at 8:15 am

    This cake looks so perfect! I love the idea of topping it with jam and whipped topping and berries. I can practically taste it.

    Reply
  7. Sara Welch

    May 16, 2019 at 11:46 am

    5 stars
    This will be perfect for my daughter’s bake sale for her dance team! Looks decadent!

    Reply
  8. kris

    September 05, 2019 at 3:11 pm

    Any chance you could do small cupcakes with this mix?

    Reply
    • Celebrating Sweets

      September 06, 2019 at 9:48 am

      Hi, Kris. You can make cupcakes, but this recipe produces a fairly dense cake with very little rise. Your cupcakes will not have a high dome or a light texture (as most cupcakes do), but they should still taste ok. Enjoy!

      Reply
  9. Cathie Rakovec

    October 06, 2019 at 8:39 am

    5 stars
    I made this cake for my husband’s birthday. It is absolutely delicious. The cake has the texture of a pound cake, but the whipped cream topping and raspberries lighten it up. This is a keeper. Thank you for sharing!

    Reply
    • Celebrating Sweets

      October 06, 2019 at 2:41 pm

      Thanks for the kind review, Cathie. I’m glad you enjoyed it. 🙂 -Allison

      Reply
  10. Eli Anselmi

    October 09, 2019 at 4:17 pm

    Is there a way to make this cake without a food processor? I have a KitchenAid Classic Mixer, but not a food processor.

    Reply
    • Celebrating Sweets

      October 15, 2019 at 10:50 am

      The food processor breaks down the almond paste so that it evenly distributes throughout the cake batter. I guess you could try making it with the paddle attachment on your mixer, but I would be concerned that the almond paste might not get smooth enough.

      Reply
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aboutHi, I'm Allison! I'm a busy wife and mom with a passion for cooking and baking. This is where you'll find my favorite homemade recipes, designed to help you make every day delicious! Read more....

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