Soft and delicious, this bundt cake has a subtle almond flavor, a gorgeous glaze, and a tender crumb. It's beautiful for a brunch table and can be made in advance and frozen.
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A beautiful cake with a unique flavor
I love bundt cakes and that's easy to see if you visit the bundt cake recipe archive.
Almond is subtle. And that simplicity is what makes it wonderful.
This cake has some ground almonds (or almond flour) in the batter, uses pure almond extract and has a sweet almond glaze. You can use Amaretto, that fantastic almond liqueur from Italy, to spike it up a bit. I do.
Preparing the bundt pan
If you bake bundt cakes often, you've likely had one stick to the pan. It's frustrating, but preventable. Here are three reliable methods:
- Shortening and flour: Coat the pan thoroughly with soft shortening using your fingers or a brush, making sure to reach every corner, including the center tube. Dust with flour, rotating the pan to cover evenly, then tap out the excess over the sink.
- Cake goop (pan-release paste): Mix equal parts shortening, flour, and oil into a paste. Brush it onto the pan. Store leftovers in a jar, 1 month at room temp or up to 3 months in the fridge. This is one of my favorite methods.
- Baking spray with flour: Only use baking spray that includes flour. Regular cooking spray isn't enough and often leads to sticking. I rarely use this anymore.
The recipe matters too: When I find a bundt cake that releases cleanly, even without perfect prep, I hold onto it; it's a keeper.
Bundt cake glaze
I use this powdered sugar glaze a lot, and for good reason: it delivers big time. It's the easiest two-ingredient glaze ever.
You just mix powdered sugar with your liquid of choice, such as milk, cream, citrus juice, liquor, wine, honey, or olive oil, and make it as thick or as runny as you want it to be. Yes, it's that versatile.
For this almond cake, we use milk with a few drops of almond extract. This enhances the almond flavor without overpowering the cake.
FAQ
Yes, by all means! I even think they sometimes benefit from a stay in the freezer. This almond pound cake can be frozen for up to a month; always well wrapped. Defrost at room temperature, unwrapped.
This is a large bundt cake (10 to 12-cup capacity), similar to the white chocolate raspberry cake. You can use other pans. This recipe makes 2 loaf pans, 1 large sheet cake, and 3 layers (8-inch), so pick your favorite.
Related recipes you might like:
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Almond Bundt Cake (with simple glaze)
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 2 tablespoons shortening, soft, to grease the pan
- 1 ½ cups unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 cups white sugar
- 6 eggs, at room temperature
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ teaspoons almond extract
- 1 teaspoon orange zest, or lemon zest
- ½ cup ground almonds , or almond flour
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, or cake flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup sour cream, full-fat, at room temperature
For the glaze:
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 2 to 3 tablespoons milk
- ⅛ teaspoon almond extract
- 2 tablespoons sliced almonds , lightly toasted, for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Grease a 10 to 12-cup bundt cake pan (26cm) with 2 tablespoons shortening, making sure every nook, cranny and angle is covered. Dust with flour, shaking off excess. Reserve.
For the cake:
- In a large bowl with an electric mixer (or the bowl of a stand mixer) beat 1 ½ cups unsalted butter until creamy.
- Gradually add 2 cups white sugar and beat until creamy and light in color, about 3 minutes.
- Add 6 eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Add ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 ½ teaspoons almond extract, 1 teaspoon orange zest and ½ cup ground almonds (or almond flour) and mix without beating much.
- Sift 3 cups all-purpose flour with ½ teaspoon baking powder and ½ teaspoon baking soda and ½ teaspoon salt. Add them in 3 parts to the butter mixture, alternating with 1 cup sour cream in 2 parts. That means you begin and end with flour.
- Beat until well mixed and smooth but don't overbeat at this point.
- Pour the batter into the cold pan and bake for about 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Let cool on wire rack for 10 minutes, shake the pan to make sure the cake is loose and unmold carefully.
- Let cool completely on the wire rack before glazing.
For the glaze:
- In a small bowl mix 1 ½ cups powdered sugar with 2 tablespoons milk and ⅛ teaspoon almond extract until very creamy. If needed add more milk until you have the desired consistency.
- Pour over cold cake and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons sliced almonds before it sets.
Pat says
curious to know if this is an original receipt from the Margo Oliver Cookbook from back in the 60’s or 70’s if so it is the best recipe ever and I hav e been hunting for it for over 30 years.
Paula Montenegro says
Hi Pat! No, it's not, and I never heard of that cookbook, but will look it up.
Elizabeth says
Despite the butter, sour cream, and 6 eggs, the bundt cake turned out dense and dry. I suspect it matters what climate it is being baked in and how much relative humidity. Usually, I love bundt cakes, but this one didn't have a ton of flavor and it was literally dried out within 2 hours of cutting into it on the same day it was baked. Won't make it again but the directions were clear and well written.
Eliane says
Hi, just wanted to make sure it is really 420g of flour, not 375g. I usually do 1 cup = 125g.
Paula Montenegro says
Hi Eliane! I don't live in the US so I always measured my own cups. For me it's always 140g, maybe 135g on occasions. But I know google gives a range of 120g-145g. So it's confusing because the difference between them is a lot. If you are used to baking with flour that weighs 125g per cup, go ahead and use that number.
Anya says
I made some changes - yogurt instead of sour cream, coconut instead of almond meal, and I had no zest. It was wonderful. I brought it to work to share with my peeps and it was a hit. Thanks, it's a great recipe and I'll make it again.
Paula Montenegro says
So happy to hear that Anya!
Lia says
Thank you so much for this recipe. It restored my faith in bundt cakes. This one is a keeper. The only thing I added was 1/2 cup buttermilk (for added moistness) and then, before I poured on the glaze, I poked holes all over top of cake to allow a little to filter on through.Maybe it didn't need any of that, but it really came out so moist and satisfying! Thank you
Paula Montenegro says
Happy to hear it turned out well Lia, and love how you enhanced it! Have a great week.
Jen Smith says
Beautiful and delicious cake! I did not have issues with it being dry at all. Golden crust with the buttered/floured pan: tender crumb inside. Used a tad more almond extract than called for. Lemon zest was a perfect add. Could have easily halved the glaze recipe. Thanks!
Paula Montenegro says
So happy to hear that Jen! I will adjust both the almond extract and glaze, as an alternative. Thanks for letting me know. Happy Sunday!
Jenny says
Ok I need to add to my previous rating ... The next day this cake is tasting better. I think baking for less time next time, and maybe even pouring the glaze over it while it is still warm (poking holes in the top?) could help with the moist issue.
It does have good flavor.
Lisa Spano says
Great cake and presents so beautifully. I would add a little more almond extract to increase the flavor next time. It turned out a little drier than I would've liked , but I will make it again and maybe take it out of the oven a little sooner.
Paula Montenegro says
Hi Lisa, I probably agree with you about adding more extract, and maybe a spoon of amaretto? I will try that definitely. Besides taking it out a little sooner, sometimes the pan makes a difference. Some bundt pans are beautiful but take too long for cakes to bake.
Carola says
Just what I love in a bundt cake. Beautiful photos Paula.
Juliana says
Wonderful bundt. Gonna make it soon! Thanks for the recipe
Tara says
Such a great tip to butter and flour the pan and then refrigerate it until baking. My cake released like a dream!
Kushigalu says
This cake looks gorgeous and what a great recipe. Thanks for all the tips. Must try!
Jenn says
What a gorgeous looking cake! I love almonds and bet the touch of sour cream lends moisture. I can't wait to try it!
Jordin says
Oh YUMMM! This bundt cake is a must make, looks super easy to make and incredibly delicious. I can't wait to try out this cake!
Claudia says
I made this last weekend for a brunch between friends and it was a real success! Thank you for the great instructions 🙂