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A slice of almond cake topped with sliced almonds and powdered sugar on a white plate.
Maryam

Almond Cake

A tender, fragrant almond cake with a crackly sugar crust that comes together in one bowl and tastes like something from a small Italian bakery.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Italian, Mediterranean
Calories: 380
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Cake
  • 8 oz unsalted butter 1 cup, softened, plus more for pan
  • 1 cup granulated sugar divided
  • 3 large eggs room temperature
  • 1.5 tsp almond extract
  • 0.5 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2.25 cups almond flour finely ground, not almond meal
  • 0.25 cup all-purpose flour or use more almond flour for gluten-free
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 0.25 tsp kosher salt
  • 0.25 cup sliced almonds for topping
  • 1 tbsp powdered sugar for dusting, optional

Equipment

  • 9-inch springform pan
  • Parchment Paper
  • Medium mixing bowl
  • Whisk or Electric Mixer
  • Wire cooling rack

Method
 

Prep
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 9-inch springform pan, line the bottom with parchment, and butter the parchment. Set aside.
Make batter
  1. In a large bowl, beat softened butter and 3/4 cup sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes with an electric mixer. The mixture should look pale and almost creamy white.
  2. Beat in eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. Add almond and vanilla extracts and beat until combined. The batter may look slightly curdled - this is normal.
  3. Add almond flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix on low speed just until no dry streaks remain. The batter will be thick and spreadable.
Bake
  1. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup sugar over the top, then scatter sliced almonds across the surface, pressing them gently into the batter.
  2. Bake 42-48 minutes, until the top is deeply golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The edges will pull slightly from the pan sides.
Cool and serve
  1. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then remove springform ring. Cool completely before dusting with powdered sugar if desired. Serve at room temperature.

Notes

For the best texture, use finely ground almond flour from blanched almonds, not coarse almond meal. The cake keeps beautifully at room temperature for 3 days wrapped well - the flavor actually improves on day two. Serve with barely sweetened whipped cream and fresh berries, or alongside espresso for an authentic Italian breakfast treat.