Italian Almond Cake - Maplewood Road (2024)

Published: Apr 6, 2022 · Modified: May 11, 2022 by Viana Boenzli · This post may contain affiliate links

This easy Italian almond cake is so flavorful and moist, you'd never guess it's so simple to make at home! You'll fall in love with this cake at first bite.

One of my favorite things about this cake (besides how easy it is to prepare) is that it's perfect for any time of day. It's not only a wonderful dessert, but also makes a great breakfast treat too...dense yet moist and not overly sweet, with an amazing almond flavor that perfectly complements a hot cuppa coffee or tea. And if you love almonds, wait til you try my Italian barchiglia (pear almond tart)!

Lord knows I love a sweet treat with my sweet cream cold foam coffee. Sour cream coffee cake or coffee bean cookies are a perfect example. But then other days I just couldn't get through without my homemade cinnamon rolls.

And this Italian almond cake perfectly fits the bill for a taste of that fresh from the bakery goodness...except it's made in your own kitchen. Seriously, you won't believe how easy this is...no special equipment required!

📋 Equipment

• Large mixing bowl
  
• Whisk
  
• Wooden spoon
  
• 9- to 10-inch springform pan or cake pan - I used a 10" springform pan to make my cake, but there's absolutely no reason a regular round cake pan wouldn't work just as well. If you use a regular cake pan, though, make sure to line both the bottom and sides of the pan with parchment paper (with a little extra sticking up to act as "handles"), so you can easily lift the cake out of the pan after baking.
  
• Food processor - While this makes the job of coarsely grinding the almonds for the batter an easy one, you can also finely chop them with a knife.
  
• Parchment paper for lining the baking pan

🧾 Ingredients

You're just a few simple pantry ingredients away from making this delicious Italian almond cake.

• Butter - We'll use a stick of salted butter that's been melted, to mix into the cake batter.
  
• Sugar - Your everyday white granulated sugar will do.
  
• Eggs - A few large eggs are whisked into the batter to add some richness to the flavor of this delectable cake.
  
• Orange zest - A touch of orange zest is used in this cake recipe. Although you won't taste it much in the finished cake, it adds just a hint of sweetness.
  
• Almonds - The amount of almonds in this recipe is divided. Sliced almonds work best for the topping on this cake, while we'll be stirring ground almonds into the batter itself. To grind the almonds, it's easiest to use a food processor, but if you don't have one handy, they can also be finely chopped by hand with a knife.
  
• Vanilla extract - Works alongside the almond extract for an amazing flavor combination.
  
• Almond extract - In addition to the ground almonds, we'll also be adding some almond extract to the batter for a one-two punch of flavor.
  
• Flour - All purpose flour.
  
• Baking powder - Although this cake won't rise very much in the oven, baking powder is still a must to give it just that little boost.
  
• Salt - Regular table salt or kosher salt will do the trick.
  
• Powdered sugar (optional) - This is an optional ingredient, but I think it really adds a little something to both the look and taste of the cake topping.

See the recipe card below for full list of ingredients and their measurements.

🥣 Mixing the batter

Preheat oven to 325°F.

In a large bowl, whisk together melted butter and sugar (step 1). Add eggs and whisk again (step 2).

Using a food processor, coarsely grind half of the almonds. If you don't have a food processor, you can also finely chop them by hand using a knife.

Next, add the orange zest, ground almonds, and both extracts to the batter and whisk all ingredients together (step 3).

In a separate bowl, stir together the dry ingredients of flour, baking powder, and salt. Then, add dry to wet ingredients and stir well until smooth (step 4).

Grease a springform pan or cake pan with either butter or cooking spray, then line the bottom with parchment paper.

Tip: If you're using a round cake pan, line both the bottom and sides with parchment, with a little extra sticking up to act as "handles" to lift the cake out of the pan after baking.

Pour the batter into the pan and spread evenly using a rubber spatula.

Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of sugar evenly over the batter, then add the sliced almonds on top.

⏲️ Baking the cake

Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Remove the ring from the springform pan and let cool. If you used a round cake pan instead, lift the cake out of the pan with the parchment paper, and let cool.

✨ Finishing touches

Finally, dust the top of the finished Italian almond cake with a little powdered sugar. Enjoy!

📖 Variations

• Amaretto - Although I haven't tried this myself (but definitely want to soon!), I've read that you can substitute Amaretto for almond extract, though you will need about 4 times the amount of Amaretto.
  
• Lemon zest - Lemon zest can be used in place of orange zest, but will change the flavor slightly, as lemons are tart rather than sweet.

🍑 Additional topping ideas

In addition to the sliced almonds, top this cake with some slices of peach, fig, pear, or plum...or berries, like raspberries, cherries, or strawberries. A light drizzle of honey would also be spectacular!

❓ FAQ

Do you love sweet treats as much as I do? Check out a few more of my recipes now!

• Italian Barchiglia (Pear Almond Tart)
• St. Joseph Pastries (Zeppole di San Giuseppe)
• Tiramisu Overnight Oats
• Sour Cream Coffee Cake
• Coffee Bean Cookies
• Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
• Sweet Cream Cold Foam Coffee
• Salted Caramel Cream Cold Brew
• Lemon Lavender Cookies
• Biscoff Butter Cookies

Did you make this Italian Almond Cake? Let us know in the comments below!

📝 Recipe