Simple Almond Cake
This simple almond cake is moist and tender with a lightly crisp top and a rich almond flavor. Made with almond flour and a handful of basic ingredients, it's an easy cake to serve on its own or pair with whipped cream and seasonal fruit.
Servings 12 servings
Ingredients
- 250 grams almond flour finely ground
- 60 grams all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt Diamond Crystal
- 200 grams granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- lemon zest from 1 large lemon
- 1.25 mL almond extract
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar for topping the batter
- powdered sugar for dusting over baked cake
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C, Gas Mark 4) and place a rack in the center of the oven.
- Grease the sides and base of a 8-inch (23 cm) round metal baking pan. Line the base with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the almond flour, all-purpose flour, and salt until fully combined. Set aside.250 grams almond flour, 60 grams all purpose flour, ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add the sugar and eggs.200 grams granulated sugar, 4 large eggs
- Beat at medium-high speed until very pale and doubled in volume - ribbon stage.The egg mixture is ready when the whisk leaves thick, fluffy trails, and the mixture falls from the whisk in a thick ribbon that briefly sits on the surface before blending back in.
- Grate the lemon zest directly into the egg mixture. Add the almond extract.lemon zest, 1.25 mL almond extract
- Carefully fold in the flour mixture until incorporated, using minimal strokes.Folding the flour mixture gently into the whipped eggs helps retain as much volume as possible.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Gently smooth the top flat. Sprinkle the top of the batter evenly with 1 teaspoon of sugar.1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- Bake for 35-37 minutes, until the top is lightly golden and firm to the touch, and a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then flip onto a metal cooling rack and remove the parchment from the bottom. Place right side up on the rack to finish cooling.
- Place powdered sugar in a sieve and dust over the cooled cake. Transfer to a serving platter for a clean presentation.powdered sugar
Notes
Almond Flour: This recipe uses finely ground almond flour. You can use almond meal as well. It will simply have a slightly more rustic texture.
Leavening: This cake has no baking powder or baking soda. The whipped eggs and sugar provide the leavening, so beat them until very pale, thick, and doubled in volume before folding in the flour mixture.
Pan: I use an 8-inch round x 3-inch tall anodized aluminum pan. Whether you use a standard round pan or springform, you will have the best results with a light-colored aluminum pan that is NOT nonstick. In my tests, an aluminum pan produced the most evenly baked, level cakes.
If using a darker-colored pan, begin checking for doneness a few minutes earlier.
Half recipe: Make a 6 inch version of this recipe by selecting the ½x button. Bake in a 6 x 2 inch round metal pan at 350°F for approximately 28 minutes.