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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.
Lupita says
This French Almond Cake is Wonderful, Beautiful, Soft and Super Delicious!!! I used grapeseed oil because I didn't have sunflower Oil, but the taste is amazing! I also reduced the sugar by half a cup and substituted the vanilla extract with Nielsen-Massey *No sugar added* Pure Vanilla Extract. Thank you so much for sharing.
P.S. Presentation of the cake is Fabulous!
Lindsay @ The Café Sucre Farine says
Thank you, Lupita! So glad you enjoyed this.
Maria says
I recently made this for a friend’s Bday party served with unsweetened whipped cream & fresh raspberries - a huge it! Made it a week ahead; froze it well wrapped without the glaze & almonds. Brought it to room temperature before finishing the day of the party. As with other commenters, my oven temp is spot on but I found it took an hour or more for this cake to be done; it also “deflated” slightly in the center when tested with an instant read thermometer after 45-50 minutes. Won’t do that again! I used full fat plain greek yogurt - the recipe doesn’t indicate a recommended fat content so wondering if that caused the longer bake time. (I recently noticed a comment here that suggested using room temperature eggs and yogurt and adjusting the oven temp.) I baked a second time dividing the batter equally in two standard size glass loaf pans. This resulted in 2 smaller cakes about 2 inches high that baked perfectly in 40-45 minutes. I lined the loaf pan bottom and 2 long sides with parchment paper to easily lift the cakes from the pans. It was perfect for a small group using half the glaze and almonds. I froze one unglazed loaf sliced in smaller portions that I can defrost and enjoy with an afternoon cup of coffee or tea. Delicious even without the glaze!
Chris Scheuer says
Thank you for your review, Maria!
Sheila G. says
Hi, Chris! I cannot wait to try this... Our store sells what it describes as almond flour/meal... Is that OK to use, or should I look elsewhere for almond flour. Thank you!
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Sheila, I would look and see if it's made from blanched almonds or almonds with skins. You want an almond flour that's simply blanched (which means the skins have been removed) almonds.
Sheila G says
Thank you!!!
Alice says
This is a fabulous recipe. J have made it five times in the past mo th. It is so simple but delicious. I have made following the recipe exactly. I have also subbed gluten free all purpose flour for the all purpose flour. This year I made it to give to friends for Christmas instead of cookie trays. Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe! I know I will be making it for years to come.
Chris Scheuer says
Wonderful! Thank you for letting us know, Alice!
Lisa says
Hi There! Looking to make this for my great aunt for Christmas. I'm always put on dessert duty, and when I asked her what she wanted she asked for anything 'almond'! At 84 years old, she gets to pick! Just wondering how it affects the flavour to bake and glaze and then freeze? Will I regret making this in advance? Holidays are just so busy! Or would I bake, glaze, decorate and free?
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Lisa, this is a great almond cake for your aunt! It freezes very well. I would freeze it uncovered for one hour or until it's pretty solidly frozen. Then wrap well. Freezing it uncovered at first will keep it from getting flattened by the wrapping.
Terry says
I made this cake a month or so ago for a family gathering and it was gone in 30 minutes. A huge hit !! Thank you so much. I will be making it again for the holidays.
Chris Scheuer says
That's great, Terry! Thanks for letting us know!
Mer says
Hi Chris,
Thank you for sharing this recipe. Sadly, I can't eat gluten and wondering if I shouldI try this recipe with just almond flour?
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Mer, I haven't personally made this cake with 100% almond flour so I can't guarantee this will work. That being said, other readers have reported success with using all almond flour. You could also try an all-purpose GF flour plus the almond flour.
Mer says
Thank You Chris.
Helen says
Thank you so much for making this recipe available. I made it for my family. Everyone loved it. It was so easy to make and is such a great light dessert to have after a heavy meal or with a cup of tea or coffee. I will be making it frequently!
Chris Scheuer says
Wonderful! Thank you for letting us know, Helen!
Lan says
I tried to bake the cake this afternoon, and I thought it was cooked through, but once I took it out of the pan onto the cooling rack, the entire center oozed out. So, I’m baking it again this evening. I’m past 45 minutes now, and the middle has domed, burst open and is very wet. I’ve covered the cake and am trying to bake it more. Any other advice? I had the oven preheated to 350, so I’m not sure why this is happening.
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Lan, I'm so sorry you had trouble with this recipe. It's pretty much impossible to say what went wrong without having been right there in the kitchen with you. This cake usually bakes up very nicely.
Cassie says
I’ve had this happen multiple times. I love the cake but I’ve had very inconsistent results when it comes to the baking time. Don’t know what that’s about!
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Cassie, so sorry you've had difficulty with this recipe. You may want to try testing the cake for doneness with an instant thermometer to ensure success. The temp should be 200-205˚F.
Marlena says
This recipe looks amazing! I do want to make this for the holidays! I have a question. If you don't have a round cake pan, can you bake it in a glass loaf pan? It's just that I'm not really in a position right now to buy a lot of new baking equipment.
Thanks!
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Marlena, I think that should work fine. It will take a little longer to bake. If the sides seem to be getting too brown, you could wrap the pan with a piece of foil toward the end. I can't give you the exact amount of time since I haven't tested this recipe in a loaf pan but you could use the toothpick test or an instant thermometer. The temp should be 200-205˚F when the bread is done.
Marlena says
Thank you Chris! I'm excited to give this a go! I will try to remember to reply back after I bake it to let you know how it turns out.
Bel says
I cook and bake a lot though I have never before left a comment on a recipe - but YUM! This is the almond cake recipe I have been looking for … and I have tried several.
Sweet but not to sweet, moist but light, subtle citrus flavour and enough almond flavour.
Tick Tick Tick.
Thank you - definitely adding to my recipe collection.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks for letting us know, Bel!
Joe says
This looks really good but I was wondering if it was possible to substitute out the sunflower oil for butter and if so, equal amounts?
Someone at the party I am cooking it for is allergic to sunflower.
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Joe, it would be better to substitute the oil for a different type of oil as that's what makes the cake really moist. You could use safflower oil, canola, vegetable, avocado, or grape seed oils.
Nini says
The cake is delicious and moist. The glaze really made it special. My cake rose in the middle so it didn't lay flat. I don't think my 9" cake pan is a full 2 inches in height. Could that be the reason? I'm definitely making this again but will buy a cake pan that's deeper. Thanks for sharing!
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Nini, yes, not using a 2-inch cake pan could cause the cake to rise in the center. It normally rises a little in the center but when you flip it over, it's nice and flat. If you want a perfectly flat cake you can use cake strips around the pan while the cake is baking: https://amzn.to/3pyKk9g
Trinity says
I made this for a friend’s 40th birthday and oh my gosh, it was amazing. Everyone at the party raved about the cake, including the birthday girl. It took longer to bake than the recipe said, closer to an hour, but so worth it. Definitely 5 stars.
Chris Scheuer says
Thank you for sharing your results, Trinity! So glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Bernadette says
Can you use a mixer for this?
Chris Scheuer says
Yes, you can, Bernadette.
Panagiota says
How do you store this cake?
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Panagiota, you can store it on the counter covered for a day or two, but after that, I would freeze it. Enjoy!
Kamini Dandapani says
Sorry if this is a silly question, but what is the difference between almond flour and almond meal? I want to make sure I use the correct product! Thanks.
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Kamini, almond meal and almond flour are both made from ground almonds, almond meal has the skins on and almond flour has blanched and peeled almonds. Almond flour is also more finely ground. We recommend almond flour for this cake!
Mari says
You posted this some time ago but I just found it yesterday. It's absolutely DELISH. I followed the advice of one of your commenters, I too usually find things "too sweet" so I cut the sugar down to 1C. I baked in a 9" springform pan for 35mins. Perhaps a couple of minutes too long for my oven, but it's sooo good. In fact, I'm off to get another slice! Thank you for this recipe!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks for letting us know, Mari!
Cynthia says
I made this cake last night. I had a slice with my coffee this morning. It is delicious.
It takes 2 bowls to make it — one for the glaze and one for the batter. 😉 I used a toothpick to poke holes in the cake to encourage the glaze to saturate the cake. It worked great. Extremely moist and tasty.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks, Cynthia!
Susie says
I've made this cake before and it is wonderful! I am making it again tomorrow for Mother's Day and was wondering if I could add some blueberries to the batter - would that change the texture and/or change the baking time?
Thanks much
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Susie, blueberries would be delicious. It may take a bit longer. I would check the temperature with an instant thermometer. It should read 200-205˚F in the center of the cake when it's done.
Trisha Smith says
Hi Chris and Happy Easter!
I made this cake this morning for my husband and I to enjoy for an Easter treat. It did not disappoint. So moist and delicious and it is so pretty on the plate. I followed your recipe exactly as written and it turned out just like yours! My husband said he wants this cake for his Birthday 🙂
Thanks for sharing another great recipe.
Trisha Smith
Chris Scheuer says
That's awesome, Trisha! Thanks for letting us know!
Christine M says
This cake is moist and delicious. I made two small cakes from this recipe, a 6" Bundt and a 6 1/2" kugelhopf shaped cake. They looked and tasted great. I enjoy making smaller cakes so I can give one away and keep one. I wish I could attach a picture for you to see. They really looked beautiful! Thank you for another great recipe.
Chris Scheuer says
So glad you enjoyed it, Christine! Thanks for letting us know!
Leslie Jones says
Made this recipe last night. It was beautiful, moist & decadent. It did burn quickly @ abt 28mins but once covered with tin foil it did not significantly change the taste or texture. Froze 1/2 to try @ another time. In Australia, a 300g pkt of almond flour is $10. Expensive!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks for letting us know, Leslie!
Nelson says
This cake was a very good cake with excellent flavors, but didn't use nearly enough ground almonds for it to feel like a proper almond cake. Texturally, it was very much just a normal flour-based cake which was very disappointing. The order the instructions are written in is also not efficient, and the bake times listed for both the almond topping and the batter were extremely off.
Chris Scheuer says
So happy you enjoyed it!!
Susan says
I made this cake for a company dinner as it is always so beautiful and easy to make. This time, for some reason the cake fell in the middle. When I tested it with a toothpick it came out clean and the edges were brown. Help!! What did I do wrong? I used almond flour, large eggs, plain (0% fat) yogurt. Followed the recipe to a “T”
Chris Scheuer says
I'm sorry you had trouble with this cake, Susan. It's so hard to say what went wrong without being in the kitchen with you. Give it another try 🙂
Lola says
I don’t think you can use zero fat yogourt for this recipe!! The fat is needed!
Elle says
Where can I buy this cake in New York City? Will travel for food.
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Elle, this is a recipe I created for this blog. You can make it in your very own kitchen 😊