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Almond Cake From Scratch

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Almond cake from scratch is a cake recipe every baker needs in their repertoire! You don’t need a box mix to make a delicious almond cake with a beautiful, moist crumb.

Almond cake from scratch is a cake recipe every baker needs in their repertoire! You don't need a box mix to make a delicious almond cake with a beautiful, moist crumb. * Recipe on GoodieGodmother.com

One of the best things a baker will ever hear is “The last piece of cake caused a small argument between my wife and I.” Yesterday, my husband came home from work to tell me someone stopped by his office just to share how much he and his wife enjoyed the almond cake I sent their way. They enjoyed so much there was a bit of tension over who got the last sliver. Since she also bakes, and I know almond cake is a flavor she makes rather regularly, this was a Big Deal. I also wished I had sent a little more their way! Oh well, she’ll have the recipe now.

Almond cake is one of those basic cakes, like white cake, yellow cake, and chocolate cake, where you need a solid recipe you can use as a base for everything else. It’s one of the most popular wedding cake flavors, so you’d think there would be loads of recipes running around, and there are, but the vast majority use box mix.

Almond cake from scratch is a cake recipe every baker needs in their repertoire! You don't need a box mix to make a delicious almond cake with a beautiful, moist crumb. * Recipe on GoodieGodmother.com

Almond cake has been around longer than box mix, so why wouldn’t the majority of the options be for an almond cake recipe without box mix? I too, am perplexed.

Almond cake from scratch is a cake recipe every baker needs in their repertoire! You don't need a box mix to make a delicious almond cake with a beautiful, moist crumb. * Recipe on GoodieGodmother.com

I think maybe part of the explanation is that nuts have a tendency to make cakes feel heavy, and while you want the almond cake to be dense enough to use under fondant, you don’t want to feel like you’re eating something as dense as a pound cake either. There has to be a happy medium.

This cake, is that happy medium. It doesn’t dry out easily, has the perfect texture for cake carving or holding its shape under fondant, but it makes beautiful cupcakes as well, light and perfectly domed. I think this is partially due to the method in which the ingredients are mixed.

Almond cake from scratch is a cake recipe every baker needs in their repertoire! You don't need a box mix to make a delicious almond cake with a beautiful, moist crumb. * Recipe on GoodieGodmother.com

To make the cake, you use what’s called a reverse creaming method. The dry ingredients are mixed first and then you add the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. This ensures that your leaveners are evenly spread throughout the batter and prevents over-beating, so you get a perfect almond cake every time.

I hope you enjoy this recipe for almond cake from scratch as much as we do! Happy baking, darlings!

Almond cake from scratch is a cake recipe every baker needs in their repertoire! You don't need a box mix to make a delicious almond cake with a beautiful, moist crumb. * Recipe on GoodieGodmother.com

Almond Cake From Scratch

Yield: 7 cups batter, so one 2 layer 8x2" cake or about 2 dozen cupcakes
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes

Step away from the box mix! This almond cake, from scratch, is the recipe you've been looking for!

Ingredients

  • 3 large eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp almond extract
  • 1/3 c whole milk
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 3/4 c unbleached all purpose flour
  • 1/4 c cornstarch*
  • 1/2 c finely-ground blanched almond meal
  • 1 1/2 c granulated sugar
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 12 tbsp (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened and cut into 1 tbsp sections

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Butter and flour your cake pans, or place liners in 2 dozen cupcake wells.
  2. Combine the flour, cornstarch, almond meal, sugar, baking powder, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on low for about a minute to ensure that the dry ingredients are well blended.
  3. Add the butter 1 tbsp at a time and mix until it's well incorporated and the mixture resembles wet sand.
  4. In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, sour cream, extracts, and milk. Add this mixture to your dry ingredients in two parts, scraping the bowl after each addition. Stir until just combined.
  5. Pour into your cake pans or fill your cupcake liners 2/3 of the way and bake 20-25 minutes for cupcakes and 30-35 minutes for cakes. The cake is ready when the center springs back when touched gently.
  6. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan 5 minutes before carefully transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.**

Notes

  • You may also substitute 2 cups of cake flour for the all purpose flour and corn starch, but it's just as easy to mix your own if you don't have any on hand.
  • To make cutting and leveling cakes easier, I often wrap each layer in plastic wrap while it's slightly warm and refrigerate for a few hours. Well chilled cake is easier to work with. If you freeze the cake, thaw in the refrigerator before decorating.
  • I like to pair this almond cake with my fresh raspberry buttercream recipe

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Almond cake from scratch is a cake recipe every baker needs in their repertoire! You don't need a box mix to make a delicious almond cake with a beautiful, moist crumb. * Recipe on GoodieGodmother.com

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bonnie

Wednesday 31st of August 2016

Can I leave out the almond meal flour and use almond flour instead?

Mary (The Goodie Godmother)

Wednesday 31st of August 2016

They're the same thing. :) I just write both almond meal and almond flour as people know them by two different names depending on where you are. Enjoy!

Beth

Thursday 11th of August 2016

Most of the "almond" cake recipes I have seen use equal amounts of vanilla and almond extracts. Since this recipe uses double the vanilla, is it more a vanilla flavor? If I wanted more almond could I go 2t almond, 1 vanilla? Thanks

Mary (The Goodie Godmother)

Saturday 13th of August 2016

I personally feel that the cake has a definite almond flavor thanks to the inclusion of the almond meal, BUT, you are more than welcome to adjust the extract quantities to suit your taste. It will still turn out delicious, and I'm a big believer in making recipes in a way that makes you happy. :)

April

Thursday 11th of August 2016

Hello, I do not have whole milk on hand. What can I use for a substitute? I have 2%, unsweetened almond milk, and buttermilk on hand. Thank you!

Mary (The Goodie Godmother)

Saturday 13th of August 2016

Any of those actually work wonderfully as substitutes. :) Enjoy!

Kendra

Saturday 11th of June 2016

I'll be making my sister's wedding cake this August and I've made this recipe for a cake tasting we're having this weekend - thank you so much for sharing! Just wondering if you'd recommend going with a vanilla buttercream or an almond buttercream to go with the cake and if you have a go-to buttercream recipe?

Mary (The Goodie Godmother)

Sunday 12th of June 2016

I'm so glad you enjoyed! I would probably go with a vanilla buttercream just because some people aren't a fan of a very strong almond flavor so it provides a balance. A creamy buttercream recipe that holds up well at room temperature is my swiss meringue buttercream frosting (https://goodiegodmother.com/vanilla-bean-swiss-meringue-buttercream-frosting/). It's a cooked egg white buttercream. Were you looking for that recipe or something more along the lines of the classic butter/powdered sugar recipe?

Luz

Wednesday 30th of March 2016

I've made this cake and it was really delicious! I'd like to make it for my daughter's first birthday but would need to double the recipe. Is this recipe that will double well or should I make up two batters?

Mary (The Goodie Godmother)

Wednesday 30th of March 2016

I've never doubled the recipe, but as a general rule, when I need to double cake recipes, I make the batter twice just to stay on the safe side. :)

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