Description
The best Almond Bundt Cake recipe with a moist, buttery crumb and rich almond flavor. Easy to make with simple ingredients, topped with sweet almond glaze. Perfect for any celebration!
Ingredients
For the Cake (Makes one 10–12 cup Bundt cake)
- 1½ cups unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 6 large eggs, room temperature
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1½ teaspoons almond extract
- 1 teaspoon citrus zest (lemon or orange)
- ½ cup ground almonds or almond flour
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup full-fat sour cream, room temperature
For the Glaze
- 1½ cups powdered sugar
- 2–3 tablespoons milk
- ⅛ teaspoon almond extract
Optional Topping
- 2 tablespoons sliced almonds, toasted
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C). Now, this is important — generously grease your Bundt pan with butter or baking spray, getting into every single nook and cranny. Then dust it lightly with flour and tap out the excess.
In your large bowl, beat the softened butter until it’s smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Gradually add the granulated sugar and beat on medium-high speed until the mixture is light, fluffy, and almost doubled in volume.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. The mixture might look a little curdled at first, but keep going — it’ll come together! Mix in the vanilla extract, almond extract, and citrus zest until everything is beautifully combined. Your kitchen should already smell amazing at this point.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. This ensures all your leavening agents are evenly distributed throughout the flour, which means an evenly risen cake.
Here’s where technique matters! Add the dry ingredients to your butter mixture in three additions, alternating with the sour cream. Start with flour, then sour cream, then flour, then sour cream, and finish with flour. Mix on low speed just until combined after each addition.
Finally, gently fold in the ground almonds with a spatula. Don’t overmix or you’ll develop the gluten in the flour too much, which makes the cake tough instead of tender.
Spoon the batter evenly into your prepared Bundt pan and smooth the top with your spatula. Tap the pan gently on the counter a couple times to release any air bubbles. Bake for 55–65 minutes, or until a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.
This is the moment of truth! Let the cake cool in the pan for exactly 10 minutes — not longer or it might stick. Place your wire rack over the top of the pan, then carefully flip everything over. Gently lift the pan off.
In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk (start with 2 tablespoons), and almond extract until you have a smooth, pourable consistency. Add more milk if needed — you want it thick enough to coat the cake but thin enough to drip down the sides beautifully.
Drizzle the glaze over the completely cooled cake, letting it cascade down the ridges. Immediately sprinkle with toasted sliced almonds if you’re using them, before the glaze sets.
Notes
- The Bundt Pan Trick: After greasing and flouring your pan, pop it in the freezer for 10 minutes while you make the batter. This sets the coating and makes releasing the cake even easier.
- Perfect Glaze Consistency: The glaze should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon but thin enough to drizzle. If it’s too thick, add milk ½ teaspoon at a time. Too thin? Whisk in more powdered sugar.
- Avoid the Tunnel of Doom: Overmixing after adding the flour creates tunnels and a tough texture. Mix just until you can’t see dry flour anymore, then stop!
- The Toothpick Test: Insert it into the thickest part of the cake. It should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs, but no wet batter.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American