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This French Almond Cake is incredibly delicious and incredibly easy. One-bowl, no-mixer and just a few minutes to throw together!
Think of this French Almond Cake as an early little Christmas gift. Why give a Christmas gift when December’s barely gotten started? Well, just because I knew you were going to need it.
I sure do! A cake that’s moist, tender and incredibly delicious, while at the same time being one-bowl, no-mixer and just-a-few-minutes-to-throw-together is exactly what I need at this time of the year.
Don’t wait till the 25th to give me this one, I’ve got all sorts of get-togethers and occasions coming up and people who I’d love to surprise with a special treat.
I need it now!
And I thought perhaps, you were in the same boat, so it’s comin’ your way today! Merry Christmas!
So that’s about all I’m writing today friends because, just like you, I’m trying to wrap my mind around Christmas and the fact that’s it’s not waiting on me.
The perfect cake to make when you’re pinched for time
I admit, I’m a bit more behind than usual because, instead of doing lots of baking and decorating over the long Thanksgiving holiday, we did something infinitely better. We were incredibly blessed to welcome a new baby boy into the family! More on that coming up… but with a few minutes to spare, I think I might throw together a French Almond Cake!
In closing, since I have some really sweet French friends like Paule and Barbara and Monique (as close to French as you can get), I thought I better confess the real deal, as I don’t want to get into any kind of trouble with them or have la gendarmerie (the French police) arrest me for a counterfeit cake. So, here’s the scoop: I kind of made up this recipe, but I did base it on my French Grandmother’s Lemon Yogurt Cake which is a favorite of ours and really truly is French. I just changed up the flavors a bit, added almond flour, almond extract, a sliced almond topping and a shower of powdered sugar.
Now I’m clean. Sort of …
- ¾ cup plain yogurt or Greek yogurt
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1½ cups all purpose flour
- ¾ cup almond flour meal
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¾ cup sunflower oil grape seed or canola oil
- For the glaze:
- 1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
- 3 tablespoons fresh orange juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- ¾ cup powdered sugar plus more for sprinkling
- 1/2 cups sliced almonds
Preheat the oven to 350˚F (175˚C). Spray a 9-inch round cake pan (with at least 2 inch tall sides) with baking spray. Line bottom of pan with parchment paper and spray parchment paper lightly. Set aside.
- Place almonds in a small baking pan. Spread to a single layer. Bake for 15 minutes or until just beginning to turn pale golden brown, stirring every 5 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.
- Combine the orange zest, orange juice, powdered sugar and extracts in a small bowl for the glaze. Stir with a whisk until smooth. Cover and set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the yogurt, sugar, and eggs, stirring until well blended.
- Add the all-purpose flour, almond flour, baking powder, salt and extracts. Stir to combine.
- Add the oil and stir well. Don't worry, at first it will seem to separate, but keep stirring till smooth. This might take 2-3 minutes.
- Pour the batter into prepared pan. Bake for 35-45 minutes, until the cake feels springy to the touch in the center and a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Cover loosely with foil if getting too brown near the end and cake is still not done*. Be careful not to over bake. Cool cake on a wire rack for 10 minutes; then turn it out of the pan onto the rack.
- While cake is still warm, using a pastry brush, gently pat the glaze all over the cake. Just keep going over the cake till the glaze is gone. Some of it will drip off, but most of it will soak in. Sprinkle almonds over top of cake while glaze is wet and pat gently. Allow cake to cool completely. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve.
*Spray foil lightly with cooking spray or rub with a bit of oil to prevent cake from sticking to the foil.
Alice says
Hi, I’d like to make this cake for my mom’s birthday, and have some lemons handy. Do you think I could substitute the orange zest and fresh orange juice with lemon? I’m thinking I would need less lemon juice than orange.
Chris Scheuer says
Absolutely! That will be delicious, Alice!
jennifer says
H Chris, i made it twice as per recipe; it was delicious and moist. thanks a lot.
I wanted to ask whether
1) i can replace the oil by melted butter?
2) i can increase the almond – is it possible to replace some all purpose flour by additional almond meal? for example use 100 grams all purpose flower + 172 grams almond meal?
cheers Jennifer
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Jennifer, you could sub butter for the oil but it won’t be as moist. I might do half and half if you really want more butter flavor.
Regarding the almond flour, yes, I think that will work. The cake might be a little heavier but it will be delicious!
Bonnie J McEachren says
Making this cake for the second time for family. It was a hit with everyone the first time, young/old and a few with very particular taste, and I received many accolades. Your recipes are the best! Thank you from 🇨🇦!
Chris Scheuer says
Aww, thanks so much, Bonnie! So happy everyone enjoyed this cake! It’s one of our favorites too!
Gaya says
Hi there!
Quarantine baking finally saw me bake this after having keenly pinned this some time last year on Pinterest. It turned out great and received compliments from those I managed to safely deliver a slice to! I shared a photo on Pinterest for anyone interested. Next time, I may too play around with the almond flour to all purpose flour ratio… it may be nice to have a slightly nuttier taste. Thanks again for sharing this lovely recipe!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks, Gaya! We appreciate you sharing your results and are so happy you got to try this recipe! Stay safe and enjoy baking!
Pani says
A wonderful recipe, I used the 9 inch /2 inch cake mould , your cake seems very high mine was a bit flat is it supposed to be that way or is it shown differently in the photograph, thank you for the incredible recipes.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks, Pani. It’s not a super high cake. With the close-up photography, it may look a little higher. We’re so happy you enjoyed it!
Kate says
My daughter, who loves food almost as much as me, wants an almond flavored rainbow cake for her birthday. (Lemon curd also needs featured). And because I love the showstopper challenge her birthdays, I’m trying to figure this out.
So question, do you think I could make 2 batches of this and tier them?
Chris Scheuer says
How sweet! You’re a good mama, Kate! Yes, others have done this with good results. Another option would be to make this cake with a little almond extract: https://thecafesucrefarine.com/lemon-curd-poppy-seed-cake/
It’s fabulous – and a little lighter than the french almond cake.
Talin says
Thank you so much for this recipe! It was absolutely delicious and not difficult to make at all. I will definitely be using again!
Chris Scheuer says
Yay! Thanks for sharing your results, Talin!
Lynn Ang says
This, is the most amazing almond cake recipe. I followed your recipe exactly and, wow! It’s going into my family’s recipe keepsake forever. It was delicious, simple to make and everyone in the family from 3 years old to 70 years old loved it. Thank you for sharing this!
Chris Scheuer says
I love that everyone loved this cake, Lynn. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment!
Elif says
Chris,
Thank you for this recipe. On first try it came out good but it was a bit too sweet for me . My second try was excellent. I used less sugar (1 cup), less all purpose flour (3/4 cup) and more Almond flour (1 1/2cups).
It was absolutely delicious.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks, Elif! I appreciate you sharing your results!
Kay says
This cake was light and fluffy with a similar crumb and flavor to a cake mix cake (pillsbury or Duncan Hines) – I’m guessing the use of canola oil may have been the reason for this, causing a strong oily taste. The cake was quite sweet, and the almond and orange flavors were not brought out very well. This is not the recipe I was hoping for in a french bakery, made-from-scratch quality cake. Perhaps I should have tried recipe for a sponge or dacquoise cake.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks for sharing your review, Kay.
Christie R says
I have had so many problems using canola oil in my baking. Between the oily taste, there can be a fishy taste. I use sunflower or a safflower exclusively for baking unless the recipe calls for olive oil
VG says
This is a wonderful, easy-to-make cake. The orange glaze really gives it a ‘pop’ of flavor; I’ve included a teaspoon of orange liqueur each time I’ve made it. It is definitely bookmarked for future use! I also love the website, it gives me a warm and cozy feeling. 🙂
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks, VG, I love your modification with the orange liqueur!
Yumna says
This is an amazing recipe. Thank you! Can I make a coconut cake with this by replacing almond flour and almond extract with desiccated coconut and coconut extract?
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Yumna, I haven’t tried that combination but it sounds delicious and I would think it should work.
Dabinder says
Thank you. Delicious and so easy to make. I used orange marmalade as a glaze under the almonds.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks, Dabinder! The orange marmalade was a wonderful idea!
Melanie says
OMG!!!! This cake has to be the best cake I’ve ever made! Thank you for this wonderful recipe! It’s a winner, winner chicken dinner!
Chris Scheuer says
Awesome! Thanks so much for sharing your review! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Melanie!
Pamela Brown says
My all-time favorite almond cake recipe!!! I have substituted a gluten-free flour blend for all-purpose flour with great results.
Chris Scheuer says
Awesome! Thanks for sharing your results, Pamela. I know this will be helpful to others who are GF!
Lynn Bornstein says
Can I use only almond flour to make a Passover cake?
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Lynn, I haven’t tried this personally but others have with good success!
Vivian says
Is there any substitution for the yogurt? Can I put cream cheese or sour cream?
Chris Scheuer says
Sour cream or buttermilk will work well!
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Vivian, sour cream or buttermilk would work.
Preethi says
Can I use butter instead of oil? If yes, how much?
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Preethi, you could sub an equal amount of melted butter for the oil but the cake won’t be as moist and the texture will be a little different.
Zgk says
Can I use vegetable oil instead of canola oil?
Chris Scheuer says
Yes, that will be fine.
Lesley says
So far so good cake is cooling but should I turn upside down? Or finish w top
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Lesley, the bottom will become the top so flip it out of the pan onto a cooling rack.
becky says
Incredible cake. The flavors are so well balanced and it is very moist. Love It!!!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much, Becky! I’m so happy you enjoyed it!