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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 ...
- ½ cups sliced almonds
- 1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
- 3 tablespoons fresh orange juice
- ¾ cup powdered sugar plus more for sprinkling
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- ¾ cup plain yogurt or Greek yogurt
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1½ cups all purpose flour
- ¾ cup almond flour not almond 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
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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.
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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 (these will be used at the end to top the cake).
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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.
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In a large bowl, combine the yogurt, sugar, and eggs, stirring until well blended.
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Add the all-purpose flour, almond flour, baking powder, salt and extracts. Stir to combine.
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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.
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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.
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While the 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 the toasted almonds over the 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.
Karin Hicks says
Hi Chris,
thank you for this wonderful recipe. I have made it on a few occasions and last Sunday took it to an evening cafe-style service. It was so well received by all who love almonds and I had many comments on how lovely it was. Considering how easy and quick it is to make this cake, and that is delicious to look at, too, it has become one of my staples. Everybody loves it.
Shame, that we won't be able to put it on the menu for our cafe, due to almonds and nut allergies. But I noticed you have just published a recipe for a Fall Spice Cake with Maple Glaze and will try that. I have no doubt it will be much loved, too. We are doing a trial run for our cafe menu and I will suggest this as a staple. Thank you for all the inspiration you have been/are! Love and blessings, Karin x
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review, Karin! I think you will love the Fall Spice Cake too!
M.J. Eldridge says
Is it possible to substitute goat yogurt for Greek yogurt? I an making it for lactose intolerant. Also, how much would it affect the cake if it is made with all-purpose flour in place of part almond & part all-purpose?
Chris Scheuer says
Hi M.J., yes you could use goat yogurt in place of Greek yogurt. You could definitely make the cake with 100% all-purpose flour although the almond flour does add a really nice flavor and moist texture.
Noor says
I have made this recipe its really nice
I will make it again
i think people who got confussed is by oil measure its 170 ml by 3-4 cups and 162-163 by grams.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks, Noor!
Jennifer says
I am a little disappointed in this cake. I love your French Yogurt cake recipe. It's one of my favorites. But this cake is less like a traditional French almond cake and more like the French Yogurt cake with almond flavoring. I was looking for those traditional dense, moist almond breakfast cakes like you see in French hotels -- almost like a Financier. This cake was light and fluffy like the yogurt cake - not different enough to warrant a whole new recipe.
I followed the recipe exactly as written except that I slightly decreased the sugar. The cake was still so sweet for my taste. The cook time for me was only 28 minutes. It was starting to burn at that point already.
I think I need to keep searching for the type of almond breakfast cake I am craving. I'll keep checking your site to see if you come up with one though!
Chris Scheuer says
This recipe has been a huge hit with so many of our readers but I hope you find just the recipe you’re looking for, Jennifer!
Aastha says
Hi,
Can I halve the ingredients and make a 6 inch cake?
How would the baking time differ?
Thank you!
Chris Scheuer says
You could try that, Aastha. I haven't tried it, so I can't say for sure about baking time.
Sheila Verghis says
Hi Chris,
after seeing how quickly I can put the ingredients together , it was a must try for me.
I tweak it a bit. I used a drop of rose essence along with almond and vanilla essence in the batter mix. For the glaze too I used a couple of drops of vanilla and rose essence . and decorated it with dried rose petals. it was absolutely delicious just as I had hoped it would be. Thank you for sharing the recipe.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much for letting us know, Sheila!
Jiné says
This cake is very delicious, you can’t stop eating!!I made the exact recipe but used a Bundt cake mold, I also added 2 tablespoons of Cointreau to the orange and powdered sugar glaze, this is absolutely a 5 stars .Thank you for sharing.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much for sharing your results, Jiné!
Savia says
This cake is absolutely delicious. Definitely will be making again.
Chris Scheuer says
Awesome! Thanks for letting us know, Savia!
Marianne says
Delicious cake! My boyfriend found this recipe last year and we have made it a couple of times. I've even used this recipe to make cupcakes! (I just half the baking time and kept an eye on it. Also tried lemon juice instead of orange, which turned out OK but I prefer the orange. It's a delicious amazing recipe!
I did have some trouble baking in a cake pan as the centre of the cake would be underdone. Still trying to figure out if it's the oven or cake pan size. Otherwise great cake!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks for sharing your results, Marianne. I'm sorry you had trouble with the center underdone. I have not had this problem and it's hard to say what went wrong without being in the kitchen with you.
Adriana says
Delicious cake, and so easy to make it, thank you so much for this .recipe
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much, Adriana!
JAnthony says
Do you know if I could make this cake in muffin tins? Trying to think of how I could make mini-cakes with this!
Chris Scheuer says
Hi, I haven't tried that but I would think it would work fine.
Far Dean Farmer says
Delicious and for me entirely successful recipe. Best cooked confidently - for the longst time I suspect (worked for me). I used one large Orange perfectly in season here now, for the glaze/marinade this yielded too much but I made it anyway using the rest to whisk into yoghurt and some thick cream to accompany this fine scented moist cake. Also I baked the almonds mixed with the rest of the juice and powder sugar, hot-cooked attentively till just so. It's a really delicious, clever but easy recipe, deeple appreciated by many (with acknowledgements) and I thank you.
Chris Scheuer says
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review, Far Dean Farmer!
linda nicholas says
Can you use only regular flower and omit the almond flower ? Also I have vanilla yogurt can I use and omit the vanilla?
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Linda, I haven't personally made this with 100% almond flour but a few of our readers have and have reported good success. I would still add the vanilla for good flavor even if using vanilla yogurt.
Leigh says
Made this in a bundt pan for Easter Brunch. So easy, delicious, light, and not too sweet. Served with freshly whipped cream and fresh raspberries.
Chris Scheuer says
Awesome! Thanks for letting us know, Leigh!
Pam says
Well, after baking two other cakes successfully in my new oven, I had a rare disaster with this one. After 45 minutes, a toothpick came out clean and the top was nicely browned but I guess I failed to check for firmness in the center. The center of the cake was terribly unudercooked -- in fact runny. Still perplexed!!
Chris Scheuer says
So sorry you had trouble with this, Pam. It's hard to say what went wrong without having been right there in the kitchen with you. I haven't had and issue with this nor have I had any other reviewers with this problem. It might have been an inadvertent error with one of the ingredients.
Arlene Tynan says
Ive had the same problem twice with this lovely cake. Please help!!
Merci!
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Arlene, every oven is different so that may be the issue. But this cake is done when it's between 205 and 210˚F or 96-99˚C. I would use an instant thermometer to test the doneness and if it seems to be getting too brown on the top, cover it with foil until you reach the correct temperature.
Ai Lin says
I only have extra fine ground almonds. Will that work?
Chris Scheuer says
Yes, that should work fine, Ai!
Chris Scheuer says
The cake may not be as light but it will work okay.
Anna says
Hi there,
I wanted to know if you could suggest a dairy free substitute for the yogurt? Looking forward to making this recipe!
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Anna, I can't say for sure because I haven't tried a dairy-free version. If you try a substitute, let us know!
stacy vanorsdale says
Try using coconut milk yogurt, unsweetened, my daughter is vegan, and I use that in place of sour cream as well!
Jenny Bethell says
Hi, in answer to using egg replacer, it’s a tasty yes! I used Crackd & followed the instructions of lowering the temp & baking for longer & it’s a great, simple bake.... even my non vegan other half approved!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much for letting us know, Jenny!