This buttery Almond Pound Cake is moist and delicious with double almond flavor and an ultra-fine crumb. Make this expertly tested recipe from scratch with just 10 ingredients for an easy, bakery-worthy dessert.
In this article you'll learn:
- This almond cake stays moist and tender because it uses sour cream, oil, and a balanced ratio of fat to flour that I tested repeatedly in my kitchen.
- Toasted almonds in the batter, almond extract, and an almond-sugar pan coating build layered almond flavor and a fine, bakery-style crumb.
- The almond-sugar coating creates a lightly crisp exterior and helps the cake release cleanly from Bundt or loaf pans.
- This recipe works reliably in Bundt pans or loaf pans, with timing adjustments that prevent sinking or dryness.
- The cake stores well at room temperature, freezes beautifully, and can be served plain or finished with fruit, glaze, or whipped cream.
Generated with AI and experts from the Tara Teaspoon team.
Almond is one of my favorite flavors to bake with. Its sweet, nutty flavor is simply delicious and elevates simple bakes into something great.
There are a lot of great almond cake recipes available, so I knew I had to use my editorial recipe development skills to make the best one you can find!
I'd like to introduce you to the best Almond Pound Cake! This tender cake was tested and retested, making it extra special. Plus, you can make it in a Bundt pan, decorative tube pan, and even loaf pans.
The secret to this cake's flavor and texture
In addition to being an easy recipe to make that turns out moist and dense, it has incredible almond flavor!
I added layers of almonds, from the almond-sugar pan coating, to real, toasted almonds in the batter, as well as almond extract for extra bakery-style flavor. That, my friends, is triple the almond flavor!
But that's not all--there's still more to love:
- Minimal ingredients: Pound cakes are one of the easiest types of cake to make. This almond pound cake has just 10 ingredients; enjoy it on its own, with confectioners' sugar, fresh fruit, or icing.
- Quick and versatile: It only takes about 25 minutes to prep the cake, and you'll love how versatile the final product is. Use it for a simple dessert, comforting afternoon snack, or even a sweet breakfast!
- Crisp outer crust: Something that makes this cake unique is that it's baked with a toasted almond-sugar mixture that forms a sweet, crisp outer crust. It's truly delightful AND makes cake removal extra easy.
- Amazing flavor and texture: This glorious, buttery almond pound cake has an ultra-fine crumb and triple the almond flavor. The sour cream helps make it perfectly rich, tender, and bakery-worthy!
Almond extract is delicious in cake recipes. Try my Almond Flower Cake and Fig Almond Cake to see exactly what I mean!
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Ingredients
Let's get started by gathering everything you'll need. Check out these ingredient tips to help you select the best. See recipe card for quantities.
- Slivered almonds: The almonds will be toasted to bring out their flavor. A portion will be ground down to use in the batter, while the other portion will be used to create a beautiful exterior crust.
- All-purpose flour: Measure properly (with a food scale if possible!) to make sure the cake doesn't become overly dense.
- Baking soda
- Unsalted butter and fine salt: Give the butter time to soften to room temperature before mixing it into the batter. If you don't have unsalted butter, omit the added salt.
- Granulated sugar: To sweeten the cake and create a crisp outer crust.
- Oil: I use canola oil or avocado oil to add moisture to the cake.
- Large eggs: Room temperature eggs will mix more easily into the batter.
- Almond extract
- Sour cream: Adds rich flavor to the batter. Bring it to room temperature before using.
- Confectioners’ sugar: Optional garnish. See variations below for other ways to dress the cake.
Tara's Tip
For a light, evenly colored cake, I used blanched, slivered almonds because they have their skins removed. However, you can easily use the same amount of regular, sliced almonds if they are easier to come by. Just be aware that the cake batter will have dark flecks in it from the almond skins.
How to make almond pound cake
Let's make this delicious dessert together! Follow these step-by-step instructions to understand the entire recipe. See recipe card for comprehensive directions.
Prepare the almonds
- Step 1: Toast all the almonds in the oven until fragrant and golden brown. Let them cool.
- Step 2: Grind ½ cup of the toasted almonds in a small food processor until very finely ground.
- Step 3: The ground almonds will look like course almond flour. Set them aside in a bowl.
- Step 4: Combine the remaining ⅓ cup toasted almonds and ⅓ cup sugar in the food processor.
- Step 5: Grind into a fine mixture to use in the pan(s) and top of cake.
- Step 6: Place the almond-sugar mixture in a bowl and set it aside as well.
Prepare the pan
Use the sugar-almond mixture to dust the buttered pan.
- Step 1: Generously butter an 8-to-10 cup capacity Bundt pan.
- Step 2: Coat the inside of the pan with the almond-sugar mixture.
- Step 3: Tap the pan to remove any excess mixture. Reserve the excess.
- Step 4: Alternately, you can butter and coat 2 standard loaf pans following the method described.
Make and bake the cake
Here's where you'll use the plain ground almonds! Make the cake following the recipe method and your choice of baking pan(s).
- Step 1: Stir together the ground almonds, flour, salt, and baking soda until combined. Set aside.
- Step 2: Cream together the butter and sugar, then drizzle in oil.
- Step 3: Add the eggs one at a time, fully incorporating before adding the next. Mix in almond extract.
- Step 4: Add the flour mixture and sour cream alternately in 3 batches, starting and ending with flour.
- Step 5: Beat mixture until fully combined and no streaks of flour remain.
- Step 6: To evenly mix the batter, use a spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl in between additions.
- Step 7: Spoon batter evenly into the prepared pan or pans.
- Step 8: Sprinkle the top with some or all of the remaining almond and sugar mixture. Let the cake sit for 15 minutes before baking.
- Step 7: Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce temperature to 325ºF. Bake 40 to 45 minutes, until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- Step 8: Let cake cool in pan 10 to 15 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack.
- Step 7: Cool to room temperature.
- Step 8: Dust with confectioners’ sugar and serve.
Tara's top tips
Test your pan size: A classic Bundt recipe is typically baked in a 10-cup capacity pan, but Bundt pans come in an array of sizes. If you are unsure of the size of your pan, use water to measure the cup capacity.
Room temperature ingredients: Using room temperature ingredients prevents lumpy, overmixed batter. Every kitchen is different, but you'll likely need to let the ingredients sit out for about 30 minutes.
Don't overmix: After the eggs have been added, it's important not to overmix the batter or the gluten in the flour will become overactivated, making the cake overly dense and tough.
Let the batter sit: Giving the batter 15 minutes to sit in the pan before baking allows the dry ingredients to absorb some of the moisture from the wet ingredients. The cake will bake more evenly, producing an ultra-tender crumb.
Don't overbake: The most common way to test for doneness is to insert a toothpick into the center of the cake. It should come out clean or with only a few crumbs. You can also press the top of the cake gently with your finger. If it leaves an indentation, it needs to cook longer; if it springs back, it's done.
Cover with foil: If the cake is browning too quickly, cover the top of the pan with foil.
Variations
I really like the simplicity of confectioners' sugar on top, but there are many other ways you can garnish this beautiful cake:
- Subtle flavor: If you don't like the flavor of almond extract, swap it for vanilla extract.
- Glaze or whipped cream: Drizzle it with a simple glaze like the one I used on my Cranberry Pound Cake, or serve with a dollop of freshly whipped cream.
- Nuts: Top with a sprinkle of sliced or slivered almonds as a garnish and a little crunch.
- Fruit: Serve with fresh fruit like strawberries, raspberries, cherries, and peaches.
This moist, dense loaf can also be sliced for shortcake or cubed for a trifle. Try it with a scoop of ice cream and your favorite dessert sauces. Dress up your almond pound cake with these tasty recipes:
Equipment
Nordic Ware Bundt pans are heavy duty and work beautifully. If you're baking in loaf pans, I love USA Pan brand loaf pans.
Quality wire racks are great for cooling cakes.
A 3-cup small food processor or a 4-cup mini food processor works great for grinding the almonds.
A good quality pastry brush makes buttering pans easy.
A stand mixer or hand mixer works for making this cake.
Use a kitchen scale and an oven thermometer to ensure perfection!
Storage
Room temperature: Cover the cake and store airtight, at room temperature, for up to 3 days.
Freeze: This cake can be frozen whole or in individual slices. Wrap well in plastic and an additional layer of foil to freeze for up to 3 months. It's best to freeze the cake plain, before it has been dusted with sugar or other garnishes. Thaw at room temperature.
FAQ
There are a couple of reasons your almond pound cake might turn out dry. The biggest reason is accidentally adding too much flour. Make sure to use the scoop and level method, or ideally, a kitchen scale to measure the flour properly.
It might also turn out dry if it is over-baked or baked in an overly hot oven. It's a good idea to use an oven thermometer to make sure it's heating properly.
Yes! I fact, this recipe has sour cream in it. The sour cream adds rich flavor and moisture to the cake. You can swap plain whole milk yogurt for the sour cream.
If your cake has sunken in the middle it was most likely underbaked or baked in an oven that is too cool. It's wise to use an oven thermometer to check the accuracy of your oven.
This type of cake was invented in the 1700s in England and was made from 1 pound each of butter, sugar, eggs, and flour. It produced a thick, moist cake that people have continued to enjoy over the years. Modern bakers often scale down the amounts or adjust them to preference, but the general ratio of essential ingredients remains the same.
More easy cake recipes
Homemade cakes are fun to make and eat! Here's a few more favorites to try:
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📖 Full Recipe
Almond Pound Cake
Ingredients
- ½ cup (2.7 ounces) slivered almonds* (for batter)
- ⅓ cup (1.6 ounces) slivered almonds* (for pan)
- 3 cups (384g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ cup unsalted butter (room temperature, plus more to grease pan)
- 2 ½ cups granulated sugar (Divided, plus more for pan)
- ½ cup canola oil (or avocado oil)
- 5 large eggs (room temperature)
- 1 tablespoon almond extract
- 1 cup sour cream (room temperature)
- Confectioners’ sugar (for garnish)
Instructions
- Heat oven to 375ºF with the rack in the center.
- Toast all of the almonds* in the oven on a baking sheet until just golden and fragrant, 4 to 5 minutes. In a mini or small food processor, process ½ cup slivered almonds until very finely ground, like course almond flour. Remove to a bowl and set aside for the cake.
- In the same food processor, combine ⅓ cup sugar and ⅓ cup toasted almonds and process until finely ground; set mixture aside.
- Generously butter an 8-to-10 cup Bundt pan. Use the sugar-almond mixture to coat the inside of the pan, gently tapping any excess out and reserving it.
- In a bowl combine the plain ground almonds, flour, salt, and baking soda.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until mixed well. While the mixer is running on medium-low speed, drizzle in the oil and beat the mixture until lightened and aerated, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add the eggs one at a time with mixer running, allowing each to be incorporated before adding the next. Add the almond extract.
- Add the flour mixture and sour cream alternately in 3 batches, starting and ending with flour. Beat mixture until fully combined and use a spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of bowl to evenly mix batter.
- Spoon batter into prepared pan and sprinkle with some or all of the remaining almond sugar mixture. Let the cake sit in the pan for 15 minutes at room temperature before baking.
- Bake at 375ºF for 15 minutes and then reduce oven temperature to 325ºF. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Cover pan with foil if the cake is browning too quickly.
- Let cake cool in pan 10 to 15 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. When cool, dust with confectioners’ sugar and serve.
- Cake can be stored, covered, up to 3 days.
Notes
Nutrition Per Serving
Tara Teaspoon
I’ve been in food publishing for over 25 years, creating recipes & food-styling for magazines, books, television, food brands, & advertising. With two cookbooks under my belt and thousands of my recipes at your fingertips, I hope you'll be inspired to spend more time in the kitchen!
Mary says
This cake is glorious! I have made it and shared with neighbors with rave reviews and requests for the recipe. It is easy to make so so pretty in a loaf or bundt. The beautiful sugary crisp topping is the bomb!