High Altitude Almond Poppy Seed Cake

A good high altitude almond poppy seed cake is almost as much of a classic recipe as a perfect vanilla cake. I’ve never been able to turn down an almond pastry of any kind, so this one is a personal favorite. This cake is so incredibly soft, light and fluffy, stays moist for days, and is so easy to make. It’s flecked with poppy seeds, and frosted with almond poppy seed buttercream that’s silky, fluffy, and not too sweet. If you’re looking for a reliable, perfect high altitude almond poppy seed cake recipe, you’ll just love this cake!

Looking for more high altitude cake recipes? Don’t miss this brown butter carrot cake, chocolate fudge cake, and mint chocolate chip cake.

Update: I originally published this recipe in 2016, but have updated the post and recipe in 2022. If you’re looking for the original recipe, see the notes section of the recipe card at the end of this post.

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe

So Soft and Fluffy. While I love a dense, buttery cake like this almond pound cake, the lightness of today’s almond layer cake is hard to resist. The fluffy cake crumb is moist, flavorful, and flecked with poppy seeds.

Easy to Make. You only need a bowl and whisk to quickly mix up the cake batter!

Versatile. Add some finely chopped almonds to the cake batter, or to add a nutty crunch to the buttercream. You could even spread some sweet almond pastry filling between the cake layers.

High Altitude Tested. I develop all the recipes on my site for Denver’s altitude of 5,280 feet. If you’re at a lower or higher elevation, please see my FAQs for guidance on adjusting recipes for your altitude.

See the recipe card at the end of the post for the full ingredients list and instructions.

Ingredients

Cake.

• Cake Flour. For a lighter, fluffier cake crumb, use cake flour, which has a lower percentage of protein than all-purpose flour.
• Granulated Sugar. Adds sweetness, as well as moisture.
• Baking Powder. Leavens the cake, making it rise. Baking powder is also more stable for high altitude baking than baking soda, so I prefer baking powder over baking soda for high altitude cakes.
• Coarse Kosher salt. Balances the sweetness.
• Poppy Seeds. The poppy seeds add a nutty flavor, and pretty speckled appearance.
• Buttermilk. Adds moisture and acidity, for a soft, tender cake crumb.
• Unsalted Butter + Vegetable Oil. A combination of melted butter and vegetable oil gives this cake a wonderful buttery flavor, as well as a very moist and light crumb.
• Eggs + Egg Whites. This recipe uses 2 eggs, plus 2 extra whites, so you can save the 2 leftover egg yolks for another recipe. The eggs add protein, richness and structure, while the extra whites keep it light and fluffy.
• Almond Extract + Vanilla Extract. Use good-quality almond and vanilla extracts for the best flavor in this cake.

Buttercream.

• Unsalted Butter. Makes the buttercream rich, flavorful and fluffy. For a whiter buttercream, substitute up to 50% of the butter with vegetable shortening.
• Powdered Sugar. Sweetens and thickens the buttercream.
• Meringue Powder. Adds stability and improves the texture of buttercream.
• Coarse Kosher Salt. Balances the sweetness and enhances the flavor of the almond.
• Almond Extract + Vanilla Extract. Use good-quality almond and vanilla extracts for the best flavor in your buttercream.
• Poppy Seeds. The poppyseeds add a nutty flavor, and pretty speckled appearance.
• Milk. Only add milk as needed for desired spreading/piping consistency.

Instructions

Getting Ready.

• Preheat the oven to 350F, and grease the bottoms of three 8-inch cake pans with non-stick baking spray.

Sift the Dry Ingredients.

• In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Whisk in the poppy seeds.

Whisk in the Liquid Ingredients.

• Separately, whisk together the buttermilk, melted butter, oil, eggs, egg whites, almond extract and vanilla extract.
• Add the wet ingredients to the dry, and whisk until combined and smooth, about 10-15 seconds.

• Divide the batter evenly between the greased pans. Tap the pans on the counter a few times to release any air bubbles in the cake batter.

Bake and Cool the Cakes.

• Bake the cakes on the center oven rack until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, and the tops spring back when lightly touched, about 25-30 minutes.
• Set the pans on a cooling rack, cover loosely with a clean kitchen towel, and cool completely before frosting.

Make the Buttercream.

• In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter for 1 minute.
• Separately, combine the powdered sugar, meringue powder and salt. With the mixer on low, add the powdered sugar mixture by spoonfuls, mixing just until combined, but clumpy.
• Add the extracts. Increase the speed to medium, and whip the buttercream for 4-5 minutes until light and fluffy, scraping the bowl several times. Add the milk only if needed for desired consistency.
• Turn the speed down to low, add the poppy seeds, and mix for 1 minute to pop any large air bubbles.

Frost the Cooled Cakes.

• If the cakes are domed on top, carefully slice off a thin layer of cake with a sharp non-serrated knife to level the cakes before frosting them.
• Stack, fill and frost the cooled cakes with the buttercream. I always recommend spreading on a thin crumb coat of buttercream and chilling the cake for 20-30 minutes, before frosting the cake with the final coat of buttercream.

Be sure to read all of my BAKING FAQs where I discuss ingredients, substitutions and common questions with cake making, so that you can be successful in your own baking! I also suggest reading these comprehensive posts on making Perfect American Buttercream, How to Stack, Fill, Crumb Coat and Frost Layer Cakes and How to Use Piping Bags.

How to Pipe the Buttercream Flower

The piped buttercream flower is an easy and pretty way to decorate your cake. You’ll need a large petal tip – I used tip #125.

• Fit a piping bag with your piping tip, and fill with buttercream. Holding the bag, position the tip so that the wider, rounded end of the tip is facing towards the middle of your cake, with the smaller, pointed end facing outwards.
• Pipe a row of half circles around the perimeter of your cake, as shown in the photos below.
• Continue to add more rows, working towards the center. As you get closer to the center of the cake, you’ll need to pipe smaller petals to fill in the middle.

• For the simple drop flowers on the side of the cake, use tip #2D.

Be sure to read all of my BAKING FAQs where I discuss ingredients, substitutions and common questions with cake making, so that you can be successful in your own baking! I also suggest reading these comprehensive posts on making Perfect American Buttercream, How to Stack, Fill, Crumb Coat and Frost Layer Cakes and How to Use Piping Bags.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I add chopped almonds to the cake or buttercream?

You sure can! I would suggest chopping them rather fine, and folding them into your cake batter or buttercream after mixing it. They should add a lovely crunch and nutty almond flavor.

Has this cake recipe changed from the original recipe you posted in 2016?

Yes, my original recipe from 2016 was a little different, using coconut milk in the cake batter. After re-testing the recipe many times, I’ve updated it since this version is much tastier, fluffier, and more reliable for high altitude baking. This updated recipe is based on my fluffy vanilla cake recipe.

Can I use almond pastry filling between the cake layers?

Of course! Keep in mind that almond pastry filling (not to be confused with almond paste) is very sweet. Just spread a thin layer between the cake layers to add more almond flavor.

What do poppy seeds taste like?

Poppy seeds have a lovely nutty flavor and aroma.

What should I use if I don’t have cake flour?

If you can’t find cake flour at your local grocery store or Walmart, you can also buy cake flour online. In a pinch, you can make your own cake flour. Measure out 1 cup of all-purpose flour using the spoon and sweep method. Remove 2 tablespoons of flour, and replace with 2 tablespoons of corn starch. Whisk together until thoroughly combined.

What can I substitute for the buttermilk?

While I prefer whole buttermilk, I’ll also use low fat buttermilk if it’s the only thing available at my grocery store. The next best thing is to make your own sour milk by stirring together 1 1/2 tbsp white distilled vinegar with 1 1/2 cups whole milk. Let sit for 15 minutes to curdle before mixing your cake batter.

Can I make the cake ahead of time and freeze it?

Yes, after baking and cooling the cakes, wrap each layer individually in plastic wrap and freeze for 3-6 months until you’re ready to frost your cake. You can also freeze the fully assembled and frosted cake in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

How long will this almond cake stay moist?

If you keep it in an airtight container, it will stay moist for days and days.

How should I store the leftover cake?

Store leftover vanilla cake in an airtight container or cake carrier at room temperature for up to 3-5 days.

Do I need to use 8-inch cake pans, or can I use 9-inch cake pans?

I love my 8-inch cake pans, since they make tall, pretty cakes. You can certainly bake this recipe in 9-inch pans, though, and your assembled cake will be a little wider and shorter.

Will this recipe work as a sheet cake?

This recipe will certainly work as a sheet cake. Bake the batter in a greased 9×13 pan, and bake for a little longer, watching the center for doneness.

Can I cut this recipe in half?

Yes, you can easily halve this almond poppy seed cake recipe, and bake the batter in three 6-inch pans. Six inch layers will bake in about 15-16 minutes.

Can I make this recipe even if I don’t live at high altitude?

If you’re at sea level or low altitude, you may need to make a few slight modifications, such as reducing the flour by 2-4 tablespoons, and increasing the baking powder from 3 tsp to 4 tsp.

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