Simple Anytime Almond Cake
This simple Almond Cake is really an Almond Anytime Cake. It’s an easy-to-make, incredibly moist, and delicious buttery snack cake perfect for, snacking, of course, but also for teatime, breakfast, with coffee, or for midnight cravings.
This special cake with simple ingredients and incredibly rich texture is a favorite at my house. Simple, slightly sweet, and wonderful to have around for sweet cravings during the week. Or delightful unplanned, impromptu visits.
What to Love About This Almond Cake
- A simple to make cake that’s slightly sweet.
- Versatile for snacking, teatime, or special enough for holidays.
- Easy ingredients you may already have on hand.
What is an Anytime Almond Cake?
It’s actually exactly what you would imagine, a cake that’s perfect… anytime. Whether that be a Sunday cake with coffee, a teatime cake, a snacking cake, or even for a special occasion.
Think, a unique birthday cake, an anniversary cake, or a holiday cake. A cake for when you’re craving something sweet, a cake to keep for the week. Obviously, I could keep going and going, but you get the idea.
If you love rhubarb in the spring, you might want to take a peek at Anytime Rhubarb Almond Cake too.
Teatime Cake
I particularly like an Almond Cake for teatime. Whether that be served for Afternoon Tea or a simple tea with cake. Its flavorful and moist with a beautiful texture that pairs well with Earl Grey, any kind of black tea or even green tea, chamomile, or Ceylon Cinnamon.
Similar versions of almond cakes, called Bolo de Amêndoa, were often served for afternoon tea in the Portuguese Royal Court. Queen Catherine is credited with bringing the ceremony of afternoon tea to the court in the 17th century.
The New York Times says that while the origins of tea are unclear, Portuguese Queen Catherine of Braganza (who married Charles II in 1662) made fashionable afternoon tea in English living rooms. To support this idea, they look to 17th-century poet Edmund Waller who writes:
“Venus her Myrtle, Phoebus has his bays; Tea both excels, which she vouchsafes to praise. The best of Queens, and best of herbs we owe To that bold nation which the way did show To the fair region where the sun doth rise, Whose rich productions we so justly prize.”
Almond Cake Ingredients
These simple ingredients make the most delicious and moist almond cake. While many recipes call for almond paste, I’ve opted to keep the ingredients easy. (The exact measurements are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.)
Here’s what you will need:
- All-purpose flour
- Sliced almonds (for grinding and garnish)
- Baking powder and baking soda
- Softened butter
- Granulated sugar
- Large eggs softened to room temperature
- Almond extract and vanilla extract
- Sour cream
Special Kitchen Equipment
Spice Blender, Food Processor or Blender:
In this almond cake recipe, you will need to finely grind the almonds. A spice grinder or nut grinder is the easiest, but a food processor or high-speed blender works as well.
Electric Mixer or Stand Mixer:
Creaming the eggs and sugar together is easiest using a hand-held mixer or stand mixer.
Cake Pan:
I prefer a 9-inch nonstick springform pan, but a 9-inch cake pan with at least 2-inch sides can work too. Be sure to line with parchment and butter and flour well.
How to Bring Eggs to Room Temperature Safely
Bringing eggs to room temperature is important because it impacts the structure, texture, and even flavor of your baked goods.
Eggs help create stability and structure in batter, as well as to bind all other ingredients together. The reason room temperature eggs are important is because they blend more evenly in batter and help doughs rise.
The temperature of eggs also affects baking time.
Never leave your eggs at room temperature for more than 1 hour, 30 minutes is best if you are leaving them on the counter. Here are two quick methods to bringing eggs to room temperature that is quicker and safer than leaving them on the counter.
How to bring your eggs to room temperature using running water:
- Place your eggs in a bowl or a container.
- Turn on the hot tap water until the water is warm and comfortable, but not too hot (you don’t want the eggs to begin cooking!)
- Place the bowl of eggs in the sink and let the water run over the eggs for 2 to 5 minutes.
- The eggs are at room temperature when they have lost their chill and feel warm to the touch.
How to bring your eggs to room temperature using a water bath:
- Place your eggs in a bowl or a container.
- Run the tap water until it feels warm to the touch and comfortable.
- Fill the bowl of eggs with warm water to completely cover.
- Soak for 5-10 minutes, or until they are no longer cold.
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Simple Anytime Almond Cake
This simple Almond Cake is an Almond Anytime Cake. Simple, incredibly moist, and delicious. A buttery, slightly sweet snacking cake perfect for teatime, breakfast, or midnight cravings.
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup blanched, sliced almonds (plus more for garnishing top of the cake)
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup butter, softened, plus more for buttering pan
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons almond extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup sour cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Butter sides and bottoms of a 9-inch springform pan.
- In a spice or nut grinder (or food processor or blender), pulse the almonds until finely ground. Then in a medium bowl, combine the flour, ground almonds, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside.
- With an electric mixer or stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy; about 5 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until mixed, then add the almond and vanilla extracts along with the sour cream.
- Beat in the flour mixture just until mixed with no dry flour streaks.
- Transfer the dough to the springform pan. Smooth the batter with a spatula and sprinkle almonds and 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar over the top.
- Bake 40 minutes to 1 hour, or until the top is golden and springs back when lightly pressed. During the last 10 minutes of baking, place a sheet of parchment paper over the cake if it is browning too quickly. Cool in the pan on a wire rack before removing the sides of the pan. When ready to serve, sift powdered sugar on top and slice into wedges.
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Hi!
This recipe looks great!
I run a B&B and like to have single serving sized, freezable cakes or muffins. I am assuming that this freezes ok?
Will this recipe bake well in muffins tins?
Thank you so much! You know what, I’m testing and posting a very similar recipe specifically designed as single serve almond tea cakes in muffin tins. If all goes well on the last bake, I’ll post the recipe on Friday. And yes, this Almond Cake freezes really well!
Has anyone tried baking this cake in a Bundt pan? I recently made a similar cake with a slightly outdated little can of SOLO canned almond filling that was so delicious baked in a Bundt pan. (The recipe was on the can and I made it exactly as printed.) In considering making the recipe again I discovered a can of almond filling is now priced at $6.00! Needless to say I found your well-liked recipe and am eager to try it. My guess is that Bundt pans with the way they are constructed would make it less likely that the center of the cake would be soft when the outer portion is nicely baked. Also, is it necessary to adjust your recipe for my location at 4,200 feet elevation?
Carol Pollard
Klamath Falls, OR
Hi Carol! I’ve not made this recipe in a Bundt pan, but it’s such a great idea! I’ve also noticed the price increase in almond filling and other baking ingredients as well. Yikes.
On elevation, King Arthur has a super informative post on baking at high elevation, which they consider 3500 feet and above. Here’s the link: https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/learn/resources/high-altitude-baking.
I’m going to add your idea to my baking list (hopefully this month) and see how it turns out in a Bundt pan. If you try it, I’d love to hear how you like it!
Looks delicious! I’d love to make this recipe for my gluten-free sister. Do you have any recommendations for AP flour alternatives?
Hi Mia! All-purpose flour can sometimes be difficult to replace. I’ve not tested this particular recipe using gluten-free flour. However, the closest GF flour would be Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour and King Arthur’s Gluten-Free Measure for Measure Flour. You would substitute the same measurement using both of these flours. If you try it, I would love to hear how it works!
Great recipe! Swapped yogurt for sour cream and divided into 2 cakes and so glad to have 1 for me, 1 for new neighbor! Easy and delicious. Cooked 35 min since it was 2 smaller cakes (both are a nice size 8 inch circle).
Hi Adrian– I love that you shared one with your new neighbors and that you enjoyed it! Thank you for updating us on the cooking time for two 8-inch cakes. This is such a great idea for the holidays!
I plan on making this cake for my family. Can I add blueberries to this recipie? And I want to substitute sugar with a sugar supplement. Not sure how the cake will come out. Does anyone have any advise?
I have not tried making this Almond Cake recipe using blueberries, although it sounds delicious! The texture could differ with the addition of blueberries so I might cut back the butter by half. But again, I’ve not tried this. Would love to here how it turns out!
Thanks for sharing this delicious recipe!!! I actually cut the recipe in half and made it in an 8″ springform pan and it was perfect!! (Baked 40 minutes, though next time I’m going to try 35 minutes). Looks, smells and tastes so good!! I was sad when the last piece was gone and plan to make it again later this week.
Hi Kate! Thank you so much for trying the Almond Cake and sharing tips on halving the recipe! I’m SO happy you loved it. That last piece is always a family battle at my house :)!
Hi Stephanie Wilson,
This seems a good recipe, but I wonder if you know what to substitute sour cream?
Thank you
I think the best substitution for sour cream is yogurt. Although buttermilk can also work. My favorite is a full-fat Greek yogurt because it is thicker. Hope this helps!
Thank you very much for getting back.
You are welcome!!
I used Greek yogurt!
I like Greek yogurt too!
The cake was really delicious and fine for any time of day. But I found the cooking time confusing. I used a 9″ springform pand and started touching the center at 45 minutues. I checked every 5-10 minutes, finally using a toothpick. Even at one hour it still needed more time. Not sure, but I probably left it in the oven for 65-70 minutes until the toothpick came out clean.
I’m so glad you liked it, Jean! As you know, ovens tend to vary which makes baking times vary as well. It is very helpful to know how long it took in your oven. Thanks so much!
Made the cake for a ladies’ dinner exactly as written, using size if springform pan as directed. Baked 1 hour, used parchment paper last 10 minutes. As it came out of oven it collapsed 1 3/4 inches in center even though it felt firm when tested before taking it out of oven. My dtr in law had same experience though we live 1200 miles apart & @ very different elevations. Flavor was excellent, just a bit too moist in 4 inches of center
I just made this delicious cake and it looks absolutely gorgeous! I jus have to say I find it super annoying when recipes don’t have weight measurements. Please please update your recipe with the weight measurements! I had to covert everything because I refuse to measure using cups – it’s so time consuming and less accurate. Other than that, stunning cake! I subbed 5% Greek yogurt for the sour cream and replaced half of the butter with vegetable shortening because that’s all I had. It really turned out fantastic!
Hi Kristin! I’m so glad you liked the Almond Cake. It’s a favorite of mine too. I agree that weight measurements are much more accurate. We’ll work on that!
I agree, weight in grams is more useful. Not just for accuracy, but because the rest of the world uses metric. Greetings from Croatia, by the way. 🙂
I just made the cake last night in a regular cake pan. With baking paper on the bottom and around the sides, it came out easily. And it’s delicious.
If somebody needs metric measurements, this is it:
270 g all-purpose flour
70 g sliced almonds (plus more for garnishing top of the cake)
6 g baking powder
2 g baking soda
2 g salt
220 g butter, softened, plus more for buttering pan
300 g granulated sugar
2 teaspoons almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs, room temperature
240 g sour cream
Thank you, Slaven! You are so sweet to provide the metric measurements!
Weight measurements? I prefer to use pinches, handfuls, and smidges like an old school grandma. Please update the recipe accordingly 😉
Hi Kitty! You made my day with a huge smile!
Kitty’s comment wins the best reply ever prize.
I SO agree!
Hi! I have ready made almond flour – how much would I substitute for the almonds in the recipe to save the step of grinding them at home? Is the texture of almond flour too fine? Thanks!
Hi Saffron, I’ve not tested this recipe replacing the ground almonds with almond flour. However, it should work measure for measure. Almond flour usually produces a lighter and fluffier texture to baked cakes when replacing finely ground almonds.
I am assuming the baking powder goes into the flour with the salt.
Yes! Thank you — I’ve updated the instructions.
Thank you. I am always on lookout for quick tea cake recipes. But what did you base your advice for the eggs on? About not leaving them room temp for over 90 mins? Growing up in India, the eggs were sold room temp, wrapped in newspaper. Is something different about eggs in US that increases the risk for salmonella?
Egg recommendations were taken from the U.S. FDA for food safety. My family members living in Europe also purchase eggs at room temperature and I also was curious as to why. Business Insider has an article on the difference between U.S. eggs and other parts of the world. They say, “American farms wash eggs to strip the cuticle, or outer protective layer, which prevents contamination outside the shell. Without the cuticle, eggs must be refrigerated to combat bacterial infection from inside.
In Europe, it’s illegal to wash eggs.”
Learn something new daily. Thanks
I know I certainly do! 🙂
In Europe chicken are vaccinated against salmonella, so there is no salmonella risk from leaving eggs at room temperature.
That’s true! Poultry vaccination is not required in the U.S. Here’s another informative article on why Americans chill our eggs.