Italian Almond Cake
This quick and easy Italian almond cake takes less than 30 minutes to prepare! It is sweet, super moist, and full of almond flavor.
This Italian almond cake is one of my family’s favorite recipes, and it is clear why. It is one of the easiest no-fuss cake recipes that also has great flavor. This almond cake with almond flour also has almond extract for an even more intense flavor. The texture of this almond dessert is soft and moist, has a satisfying amount of sweetness, and looks super impressive due to the sliced almond topping.
I first tried this recipe from Splendid Table, and adapted it to make it taste even better. After baking and eating this Italian almond cake several times, I believe this version is the best! I would recommend decreasing the sugar to 3/4 cups (or 150 grams) so that the almond flavor can really shine.
This quick almond cake is perfect for any occasion. Served alongside some tea and fresh fruits, this cake is sure to be a showstopper at any gathering!
Tips
Why did my cake crack?
There are several reasons why this might happen (It happened to me several times!)
- There were large air bubbles in your wet mixture before you added the dry ingredients. To avoid this in the future, make sure to whip the eggs and sugar long enough until there are no more noticeably large air bubbles. It takes me about 5 minutes on medium-high speed.
- Also, make sure to gradually add in the oil and butter while mixing on medium speed. This will help to emulsify the eggs and fat (oil and butter) together. The cake batter should have a consistency thick enough to hold ribbons. If you need to, continue mixing until the mixture becomes thick and glossy.
- Make sure to drop the cake a couple of times on the counter to eliminate any large air pockets.
Want more easy recipes? Try these:
- If you like almond desserts try my Chinese Almond Cookies
- Healthy Banana Bread
- Healthy Breakfast Oatmeal Cookies
- Other Quick and Easy Recipes
Italian Almond Cake
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 168 grams almond flour (1 ½ cups)
- 84 grams cake flour (¾ cups)
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp baking powder
Wet Ingredients
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup sugar (200 grams, can reduce down to 3/4 cups or 150 grams)
- 1 tsp almond extract
- 5 tbsp unsalted butter, melted (70 grams)
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil (50 grams)
- 1/3 cup almond slices
Instructions
- Grease a 9 inch round cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 325 F.
- In a bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients together.
- In a separate bowl, beat the eggs and sugar together on medium high for 5 minutes. The eggs should turn a pale yellow and increase 2 to 3 times in size.
- While mixing on medium speed, slowly pour the almond extract, melted butter and oil into the eggs until fully incorporated and there are no large air bubbles. The egg mixture should thicken and become glossy.
- Fold the dry ingredients and wet ingredients together until just combined.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared baking pan. Tap the cake pan on the counter a few times to knock out any air pockets.
- Sprinkle the cake evenly with almond slices.
- Bake the cake for 35 to 40 minutes, rotating the cake halfway through baking. (If using a convection oven, no need to rotate). After baking, a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake should come out clean, or the cake should spring back when pressed gently. Note 1
- Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing and slicing.
Notes
- The baking time may vary depending on the type of cake pan you are using. Here, I used a thicker, black cake pan. However, if you are using a lighter color cake pan, you will probably need to extend the time to upwards of 75 minutes.
How to Prepare Italian Almond Cake
Mix the Dry Ingredients
To begin, mix all of the dry ingredients in a bowl.
Prepare the Wet Ingredients
Then, beat the eggs and sugar together at medium-high speed to incorporate some air into the cake. Make sure your eggs are either warm or at room temperature so that they whip up faster.
The best way to add the almond extract, melted butter, and oil is to drizzle them in while the mixer is on medium speed. This method helps the oils to emulsify with the eggs and mix correctly. Otherwise, the batter may “split” and become runny. A runny batter can cause the almond slices to sink and create dents in the cake when baking.
The wet mixture should thicken so that when you lift the beaters/whisk, the falling batter creates small ribbons before disappearing into the bowl. I found that the easiest way is to put the almond extract, butter, and oil together in a measuring cup with a spout before adding them to the eggs.
Mix and Bake the Cake Batter
Gently fold the dry ingredients and wet ingredients together until just combined.
Finally, grease a 9″ cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. Pour the cake batter into the pan. Drop the pan on the counter a few times to knock out any large air bubbles.
Sprinkle the cake generously with almond slices. The recipe calls for 1/3 of a cup of almond slices, but you can add more or less based on what you would personally like.
Bake the cake at 325 F for 35- 45 minutes. To check if the Italian almond cake has finished baking, insert a skewer into the center of the cake. If done, the skewer should come out clean. You can also press the cake gently to see if it springs back. **NOTE: If you are using a lighter color cake pan, then the cake can take significantly longer to bake (~ over 60 minutes). Just use the toothpick test to determine when the cake is done.
