A high altitude Italian almond cake made with nutty brown butter, almond flour and a subtle hint of lemon zest, topped with crunchy sliced almonds. This one layer almond cake is incredibly moist and dense, and the notes of citrus nicely complement the flavor of the almonds. I especially love this cake at Christmas, but it’s wonderful any time of year.
You might also love these high altitude recipes for almond amaretto layer cake, almond shortbread cookies, and almond biscotti.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
No Mixer Needed. The almond cake batter comes together quickly and easily with just a bowl and whisk.
Smaller Size. This is a modestly sized cake, baked in an 8-inch cake pan for 8 servings.
Moist and Buttery. With brown butter, whole milk and sour cream, this Italian almond cake is dense, rich, very moist, tender and buttery, like almond pound cake. It’s wonderful both for breakfast and for dessert.
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
- Butter. To add the most incredible flavor to this cake, don’t skip the step of browning the butter first.
- Granulated Sugar. Adds sweetness and moisture.
- Eggs. Gives the cake structure and helps the batter to hold together.
- Vanilla + Almond Extracts. Flavor.
- Whole Milk + Sour Cream. Adds fat and moisture for a moist, tender cake.
- Lemon Zest. Italian almond cake typically has a little lemon zest to add brightness and subtle notes of citrus flavor. You can leave out the lemon zest, if you prefer.
- Flour. All-purpose flour gives the cake structure and strength.
- Almond Flour. The almond flour not only adds more almond flavor, but also moisture and a nutty richness that makes this cake just so good. You can also use very finely chopped almonds if you don’t have almond flour. An almond cake with almond flour will have a more dense, nutty texture than a vanilla cake that’s just flavored with almond extract.
- Baking Powder. Leavening agent, so the cake rises when it bakes.
- Salt. Balances the sweetness and enhances the flavor of the almonds.
- Sliced Almonds. For a crunchy topping on the cake.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 F, and position a rack in the center of the oven. Lightly spray an 8 or 9 inch springform pan or round cake pan with non-stick baking spray.
- In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Continue to cook the butter until nutty, golden brown milk solids form at the bottom of the pan. This process might take about 10 minutes. First the butter will hiss and splatter as the water evaporates, then as it quiets down, a layer of foam will form on top of the butter. This means the butter is done. Immediately remove from the heat, and scrape the butter, including the brown milk solids, into a large bowl. Let cool for 10 minutes.
- In a bowl, whisk together the cooled brown butter with the granulated sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, almond extract, milk, sour cream and lemon zest, until combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, almond flour, baking powder and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet, whisking just until moistened.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and sprinkle with the sliced almonds, gently pressing them into the batter. Bake for about 55-60 minutes for an 8 inch pan, or about 40-50 minutes for a 9 inch pan, until a toothpick or cake tester comes out clean or with moist crumbs clinging to it.
- Set the pan on a wire rack to cool for 30 minutes before removing the cake from the pan. Let cool for another 30 minutes, then serve warm, or at room temperature.
Be sure to read all of my BAKING FAQs where I discuss ingredients, substitutions and common baking questions, so that you can be successful in your own baking!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use chopped almonds instead of almond flour?
Yes, you can use very finely chopped almonds if you don’t have any almond flour.
What can I use if I don’t have any sour cream?
If you’re out of sour cream, you can use creme fraiche or buttermilk, or just replace it with more whole milk, and add 1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar.
How should I store leftover cake?
Store Italian almond cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-5 days.
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High Altitude Italian Almond Cake
All recipes on Curly Girl Kitchen are developed for high altitude at 5,280 feet. See FAQs for adjusting to higher or lower elevations.
Ingredients
- ¾ cup unsalted butter
- 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 ½ tsp almond extract
- ⅔ cup whole milk, room temperature
- ⅓ cup sour cream
- 1 tsp fresh lemon zest
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, fluffed, spooned and leveled
- ½ cup almond flour (or very finely chopped almonds)
- ¾ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
- 1 cup sliced almonds
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 F, and position a rack in the center of the oven. Lightly spray an 8 or 9 inch springform pan or round cake pan with non-stick baking spray.
- In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Continue to cook the butter until nutty, golden brown milk solids form at the bottom of the pan. This process might take about 10 minutes. First the butter will hiss and splatter as the water evaporates, then as it quiets down, a layer of foam will form on top of the butter. This means the butter is done. Immediately remove from the heat, and scrape the butter, including the brown milk solids, into a large bowl. Let cool for 10 minutes.
- In a bowl, whisk together the cooled brown butter with the granulated sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, almond extract, milk, sour cream and lemon zest, until combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, almond flour, baking powder and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet, whisking just until moistened.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and sprinkle with the sliced almonds, gently pressing them into the batter. Bake for about 55-60 minutes for an 8 inch pan, or about 40-50 minutes for a 9 inch pan, until a toothpick or cake tester comes out clean or with moist crumbs clinging to it.
- Set the pan on a wire rack to cool for 30 minutes before removing the cake from the pan. Let cool for another 30 minutes, then serve warm, or at room temperature.
This is delicious and currently trying not to go eat the whole cake. I made two 6 inch rounds with the batter and gave one to a friend, we are families of 2 and a 8 or 9 inch cake is sometimes too big. Being near sea level, I probably should have cooked this at 350 (just took longer to bake than expected) but it’s moist and delicious and I know it will become a regular!
Not eating the whole thing was definitely a challenge for me, too. 🙂
This was so good! Perfect for breakfast, a mid-afternoon snack or post-dinner dessert. The lemon zest makes it extra special.
What a beautiful cake! I didn’t have to tweak it much for sea level baking and it was fluffy and light and so aromatic. Delish!