Name: Almond Cake
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 50 min
Ingredients: 125g unsalted butter (softened - for details on softening butter, see here.); 125g marzipan (softened - see Recipe Notes); 75g caster sugar; ¼ teaspoon almond extract; ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract; 3 eggs; 75g plain/all-purpose flour; ½ teaspoon baking powder; ⅛ teaspoon fine salt; icing sugar to sieve over the cooked cake

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As easy to make as it is delicious to eat, this incredibly moist, buttery Almond Cake, with a tender and fluffy crumb, is almost impossible to cock up! Literally knocked up in minutes in a food processor, this cake is wonderful served plain with a cup of tea, or serve with some fruit and cream and it transforms into the most magnificent dessert. If you love a sweet breakfast, try it with fruit and natural yoghurt – outstanding.

I have been making this wonderful recipe from the inestimable Nigella Lawson for well over 20 years. It is such a simple cake to make that Nigella calls it ‘Easy Almond Cake’. I prefer to call it simply ‘Almond Cake.’ Using the word ‘easy’ somehow detracts from how utterly splendid this cake actually is.

The wonderful almond flavour comes from marzipan, rather than ground almonds. Although I buy marzipan specifically to make this dish, it is nevertheless a perfect recipe should you have any marzipan left over after Christmas or Easter. What a wonderful excuse to make this cake!

Nigella’s Tips

You want ‘the marzipan to ooze into the cake batter’. To do this, it is important to use room temperature, not fridge cold, marzipan. If your marzipan is particularly cold, give it a short blitz in the microwave to soften it.
Equally, make sure your butter is also at room temperature and soft. For more details on softening butter, see here.
Try replacing the vanilla paste with the finely grated zest of an orange.

Happy Birthday Andrew!

I made this for Andrew’s birthday cake yesterday. Not only does he love anything with almonds and/or marzipan, I was looking for something `I could whip up quickly before skiing, plus I needed a cake recipe which can be baked at altitude. Our chalet is at 1700m and it bakes perfectly.

How to make Almond Cake

Collect all your ingredients together:

unsalted butter (softened)
marzipan (softened)
caster sugar
almond extract
vanilla extract
eggs
plain/all-purpose flour
baking powder
fine salt
icing sugar to sprinkle over the cooked cake

**With cream and cooked fruit compote for dessert**

How to make this splendid cake:

Chop the marzipan and butter into cubes and put into a food processor with the sugar. Blitz until it is thoroughly mixed, the marzipan broken down and the mixture is thick and creamy. This may take a few minutes.
With the engine running, add the almond and vanilla extracts and the eggs, one at a time.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl of the processor and add the flour, baking powder and salt. Blitz until mixed in and the cake batter is smooth.
Pour into a lined cake tin and bake in the centre of a pre-heated oven for 45 – 50 minutes. The cake is cooked when it is golden and:
- the centre feels springy when lightly touched with your finger and no imprint remains,
- a toothpick inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
Leave in the tin for 5 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack.
To serve: sieve over a thick layer of icing sugar and serve:
- in slices with a cup of tea, or
- for dessert with fresh or cooked fruit and fresh cream, crème fraîche or ice cream, or
- for breakfast with fresh or cooked fruit and natural yoghurt.

Made this recipe?

If you make this recipe, do please tag me on instagram @daffodil_kitchen. You could also leave a comment in the box directly below the recipe.

Almond Cake

As easy to make as it is delicious to eat, this incredibly moist, buttery Almond Cake, with a tender and fluffy crumb, is almost impossible to cock up!

Serves 8

Course afternoon tea, Dessert, Morning Coffee

Cuisine British

Keyword Almonds, cake, dessert, marzipan

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes

Ingredients

125g unsalted butter (softened – for details on softening butter, see here.)
125g marzipan (softened – see Recipe Notes)
75g caster sugar
¼ teaspoon almond extract
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
3 eggs
75g plain/all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
⅛ teaspoon fine salt
icing sugar to sieve over the cooked cake

Instructions

Collect together your equipment (see Recipe Notes below) and ingredients.
Preheat oven to fan oven 150°C/170°C/325°F/Gas 3
Chop the marzipan and butter into cubes and put into a food processor with the sugar. Blitz until it is thoroughly mixed, the marzipan broken down and the mixture is thick and creamy. This may take a few minutes.
With the engine running, add the almond and vanilla extracts and the eggs, one at a time.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl of the processor and add the flour, baking powder and salt. Blitz until mixed in and the cake batter is smooth.
Pour into a lined cake tin and bake in the centre of a pre-heated oven for 45 – 50 minutes. The cake is cooked when it is golden and:
– the centre feels springy when lightly touched with your finger and no imprint remains,
– a toothpick inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
Leave in the tin for 5 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack.
To serve: sieve over a thick layer of icing sugar and serve:
– in slices with a cup of tea, or
– for dessert with fresh or cooked fruit and fresh cream, crème fraîche or ice cream, or
– for breakfast with fresh or cooked fruit and natural yoghurt.

Recipe Notes

Equipment:

kitchen scales and measuring spoons
chopping board
food processor
18cm/7inch deep, round cake tin, lined with baking parchment

This is a Nigella Lawson recipe:

How many does this cake serve?

The quantity in the recipe above is sufficient for a deep 18cm/7inch round cake and more than enough for 6 – 8 generous slices. Nigella’s recipe uses double the quantities and she cooks hers in a 25cm/10inch springform tube pan or patterned ring mould, buttered and floured.)

Nigella’s Tips:

You want ‘the marzipan to ooze into the cake batter’. To do this, it is important to use room temperature, not fridge cold, marzipan. If your marzipan is particularly cold, give it a short blitz in the microwave to soften it.
Equally, make sure your butter is also at room temperature and soft. For more details on softening butter, see here.
Try replacing the vanilla paste with the finely grated zest of an orange.