Not your typical pound cake, this one has almond cream swirled into a wonderful lemon batter. The result is moist and perfectly dense with a fantastic flavor! It's a beautiful recipe for a brunch table, a special occasion like Mother's Day or Easter, or just because you want a little sunshine in your day. It freezes very well, so you can make it ahead.
I can't write enough about how delicious this cake is. Lemon and almond might sound like a normally good pair, and in this cake, they both shine.
It's a very simple cake but the almond flavor is given by almond frangipane, that fantastic French cream used in many classic desserts, especially fruit tarts.
The almond cream is swirled into the lemon batter, and it all melds together during baking, producing a tender crumb with a unique flavor. It's a showstopper.
Lemon might be one category we can all agree is a huge crowd-pleaser. Here at least, lemon always wins. Always. More so than chocolate.
Ingredient list
- Almonds or almond flour: used for the cream. You can use whole and ground them finely or use the prepared flour.
- Powdered sugar
- Eggs: fresh, large.
- Lemon juice and zest.
- All-purpose flour.
- Salt.
- Baking soda: make sure it isn't expired.
- Vanilla extract.
- Almond extract.
Quantities are listed on the recipe card towards the end of this post. The Ingredients page has more details and lists the brands we use.
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.
It's a good idea to cool it on a wire rack for 15-20 minutes before removing it from the pan until it has time to firm up a little and make it easier to remove. Cakes that are removed right out of the oven are too hot with a very fragile crumb, and can easily fall apart as you unmold them.
Most bundt cakes are large and or dense, so the hole distributes the batter in a way that it bakes more evenly. Otherwise, the center of the cake would take too long to bake (and sometimes it never bakes well), and by the time it does, the edges would be very dry.
Yes, absolutely, and it's very easy! Follow my recipe for homemade frangipane (almond cream). It keeps very well for weeks in the fridge and can be frozen.
Steps to make almond lemon cake
The lemon cake batter
- Use a large mixing bowl: this is a large cake.
- Electric or stand mixer: the butter needs to be very well creamed with the sugar. So it's hard to do it manually.
- The mixture might look curdled before the final part of flour is added and that is fine. Make sure the batter is smooth and silky.
- Scrape the bottom with a spatula at the end, and folding the batter to make sure there are no dry spots left.
Assembling the layers
Now comes the fun part.
- Swirling the almond cream: do this lightly with the tip of a smooth-bladed knife. You want to distinguish both preparations.
- The last step is to add the remaining almond cream and swirl it for the last time. You then finish the assembly with a swirled layer.
Place the cream in small mounds over the cake batter. This will ensure it is distributed evenly.
Repeat the process by adding the rest of the batter on top of the swirled batter (do so in parts so it's easier to spread) and spreading it carefully with the spatula to cover completely.
Baking and glazing
Bake as directed. For me, it's 55 minutes in a large dark bundt pan. But start checking at about 45 minutes because all pans and ovens are different and it might take a few minutes more or less.
The glaze: make sure the cake is completely cooled before glazing it. I like to use limoncello (lemon liquor) because it adds a nice zing and makes the icing crackly, but lemon juice works just as well. Both cut through some of the sweetness, and that's a good thing.
Kitchen Notes
- Organization: read the recipe first and ensure you have ingredients at the correct temperature, utensils and equipment needed, and enough workspace. This will make the process so much easier.
- Baking time: consider that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as possible, but it might take you more or less time. You can use a thermometer(like the OXO oven thermometer) to check that your oven is at the right temperature. I recommend keeping track of how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust.
- Bundt pan: this is a large cake, so don't use a smaller pan than specified. Make sure it's greased and floured, according to our guidelines, so it's easy to remove the cake later. I swear by shortening and flour and cake goop when I have it. You can use 2 loaf pans instead of one large bundt.
- Almond cream: this cake is way faster if you make it ahead. You'll also have frangipane to use in other recipes.
- Lemon zest: don't you skimp on it. Use 2 medium or large lemons so it has enough power to balance the sweetness of the almond cream.
- Glaze: thinner or thicker, that is always the question. I like it thinner for this cake and once I drizzle it, I let it drip and then scoop up the drips and drizzle them again. It created a sort of double layer of thin glaze that I love because it's crackly. A thicker glaze will make the cake sweeter. Just use less liquid.
- Make ahead: you can freeze this cake for up to a month. Wrap in plastic and then in foil or a large Ziploc bag.
- Storing: it keeps well for a few days. Make sure you wrap it in plastic or put it under a cake dome. After 2 days, I recommend keeping it refrigerated and well-wrapped to prevent dryness.
Related recipes you might like:
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Lemon Almond Pound Cake
Ingredients
For the almond cream (frangipane):
- ½ cup whole almonds
- ⅓ cup white granulated sugar
- 1 egg white, at room temperature
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon flour
- ¼ teaspoon each of pure almond and vanilla extracts
- 1 tablespoon milk
For the lemon cake:
- 1 ½ cups unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 ½ cups sugar
- 5 eggs, at room temperature
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon of salt
- ¾ cup whole milk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Zest of 2 medium/large lemons
For the glaze:
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 3-4 teaspoons lemon juice or limoncello, lemon liquor or use ½ teaspoon almond extract and milk if you want to enhance this flavor and not lemon
- Sliced almonds, toasted, optional for decorating
Instructions
For the frangipane cream:
- Put almonds and sugar in the bowl of a food processor and process until almonds are in coarse pieces.
- Add butter in pieces and egg.
- Process until it all becomes a cream.
- Add flour, almond extract and/or vanilla extract, if using, and process *just* to mix.
- Mix the frangipane with the milk and reserve.
- Preheat oven to 350ºF (180°C).
For the cake batter:
- Grease with shortening a large bundt pan (10 or 12-cup capacity), flour it, shake off excess, and reserve while making the batter.
- In a large mixing bowl (stand mixer or with an electric hand mixer), beat butter for a few seconds until creamy.
- Add sugar gradually while beating at medium/high speed for 3 minutes. It should be light-colored and fluffy.
- Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Add vanilla extract, lemon zest, and mix to combine.
- Add the sifted dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, and salt) in 3 additions, alternating with milk in 2 additions. You can sift the dry ingredients together in a different bowl before adding them or have them measured and sift them directly over the butter mixture.
- Pour half of the batter into the prepared pan. Smooth top.
- Add half the frangipane in small mounds and lightly swirl with a knife.
- Cover with the rest of the batter, spreading evenly.
- Repeat with the remaining almond cream, swirling lightly.
- Bake for 50-55 minutes, or until a cake tester or toothpick in the middle comes out clean. All ovens and pans are different so start checking at 45 minutes. Mine was baked at 55.
- Let cool for about 15 minutes, then carefully remove to a wire rack and let cool completely before glazing.
- Pour the glaze evenly on the completely cooled cake, letting it drip down the sides. Scoop the drips and drizzle it again before it dries. The icing is thin, so it will drip easily.
- Sprinkle with sliced almonds immediately, before it sets.
- Keep covered at room temperature for a day or two and then refrigerate covered in plastic wrap or in an airtight container. You can freeze it for a month.
For the lemon glaze:
- Mix sugar and limoncello or lemon juice until completely smooth. It should be runny but not too much. You can make it thicker (like thick honey) by adding more powdered sugar or using less liquid.
cquek says
Oh my godddd I must make these,
Sandra Lee says
Flavor trumps glitter everytime. Happy Anniversary!
Anne ~ Uni Homemaker says
This bundt cake sounds AMAZING! The glaze looks just beautiful. I want a big slice now! 🙂
Amy says
I would take flavor over look any day! Your Lemon Frangipane Bundt Cake is not just wonderful with flavors, but also looking beautiful. How nice that you have a doctor that you can trust and call all the time, and bribe. I hope you're feeling better by now and getting better each day. 🙂 Take care and have a great weekend. Thanks for sharing this gorgeous cake recipe with us.
mividaenundulce says
A mi me encanta que me regalen queques, pero por lo general soy yo la que los regala, o los lleva, es lo que nos toca, verdad?
Tengo la suerte que el médico de la familia es mi hermano, es pediatra, así que lo llamo cuando quiero sin remordimiento...ja,ja,ja...
Veronica Gantley says
You can bribe me anytime. That cake looks fantastic!
Felice Geoghegan says
You had me as soon as I saw lemoncello. I keep forgetting that I have a bottle in the cupboard that I have been meaning to open, and this seems like the perfect recipe to do this. Lovely photos too.
The Ninja Baker says
I'm actually running out to see my doctor but your Bundt photos and funny first line made me stop and read. Frangipane is very party perfect - it's fancy! I'm not usually a huge almond paste fan but your cake has me seriously reconsidering my former taste...BTW How very lucky and wonderful that you actually have a family doctor who returns your calls on the same business day!
Deb says
What a timely post! I'm in a baking frenzy for a family wedding and will be very happy when I'm finished! I adore Bundt cakes, my Mom enjoyed making them. But Never anything as scrumptious as the Lemon Frangipane!
Lori @ Foxes Love Lemons says
Yep, that's the trade off for knowing how to cook. You can use it your advantage, but people start to expect it of you, too. It gets a bit exhausting, but at least it's something we love, right? 🙂
Stacy says
I would never sub lemon juice for limoncello and expect you to understand. After all, a baker has to have her standards. I love your lemon frangipane Bundt cake, Paula, and I am sure your doctor friend does too. Good thing for him that I don't live nearby as well. He'd be fat but we'd be happy. 🙂
Holly @ abakershouse.com says
I think you have the right idea-- sharing this cake will surely put you on someone's good side!
Kathya Rodriguez says
Your are right food is always a good tool to make everyone jump in one leg and this cake is perfect for that.
Grandbabycakes says
That is a gorgeous bundt cake!
yummychunklet says
Your glaze turned out wonderful! Jealous!
Cher Rockwell says
Gorgeous cake.
I do wonder what you do with all these gorgeous desserts you make 🙂 (And I would be very happy if this cake showed up for my birthday...)
Renee says
Anyone would be incredibly lucky to receive this cake from you. I'd cook, bake, clean, and much more for one. Lovely!
Sally - My Custard Pie says
Magnificent. I must pull out my enormous and underused Bundt tin.
Angie Schneider says
Happy Birthday, Bundtamonth!
I love it loaded with almonds!
Baker Street says
Oh I would be happy to exchange this for anything! Absolutely stunning, Paula! A warm slice of this cake is all that I need today! So glad you're a part of bundtamonth! Thank you for baking along month on month! Here's to the many more anniversaries to come! Cheers! 🙂