This almond flavored cake will become your go-to pound cake recipe. SO delicious, moist and flavorful! Seriously the best moist pound cake recipe out there!
Almond Pound Cake Recipe
Pound cake is a dessert I’ve been trying to perfect for a while now. There are a lot of pound cake recipes out there that are much more complicated than necessary and that just wasn’t working for me.
Other recipes turned out dry or just too dense or with hardly any flavor at all.But, finally, with this Almond Pound Cake recipe, I hit the jackpot.
This pound cake is moist, dense like a pound cake should be but not super heavy, and so flavorful. And the almond pound cake glaze?! To die for!
The key to the perfect almond pound cake is patience. You can’t add everything to the bowl at once and expect to get the right consistency. Five minutes of beating the mixture for such deliciousness is well worth it!
This Almond Pound Cake recipe is one I love to serve guests. Since the cake needs to cool completely before adding the tasty almond pound cake glaze, I like to make this in the morning or early afternoon.
Make Ahead
That way, it’s done and I don’t need to worry about dessert while I’m also prepping dinner. Then, I just need a few minutes to whip to together the glaze and this delicious dessert is ready to be served.
Since the almond pound cake glaze is so delicious, this is a pound cake recipe that can be served by itself or with a cup of coffee. However, for a little something extra, you can serve it with fruit and whipped cream or a scoop of ice cream. Yum!
If you’ve tried a pound cake recipe before and found it too much of a hassle, I definitely recommend giving this Almond Pound Cake a shot! You may be surprised how easy it is!
But first… here are a few tips on making the best moist pound cake!
ONE. Do not overmix the batter. The most commonly made mistake in making a pound cake is overworking.
This is actually made easier when you are using a stand mixer because we overestimate how long the batter has been beaten. Pay attention or set a timer. You can also mix by hand and get a good arm workout!
TWO. Sift the dry ingredients. Even if you are using a boxed cake mix, sift the cake mix to get out any clumps. This will make it blend better, but also make it less likely that you will over mix.
If you don’t have an actual sifter (I like the crank handle version) then gently shake your ingredients through a mesh colander.
THREE. Eggs. Eggs make a cake moist and yolks make them even more moist. Try adding one or two extra yolks to your favorite cake recipe and watch the crumb get even crumblier. Yes, I made that word up!
You can even omit egg whites altogether and use 2 egg yolks for every whole egg.
Another baker trick (that I have no tried…) for a light and fluffy cake is to use the egg whites, but seperate them and beat them to a froth, then fold them in. Much like you would for pancakes.
FOUR. Don’t over bake your cake! This might seem like it is obvious, but many folks wait too long before taking the cake out of the oven and presto, dry cake. Whomp, whomp.
Don’t let the top get lightly browned and use a cake tester. I also like to rotate my cakes while baking to avoid hot/cold spots.
FIVE. Measure your flour. You might think you measure your flour, but are you doing it correct?
Scoop flour into the measuring cup and level it off with a flat spatula or butter knife.
Don’t pack it down, just let is sit how it did when you scooped it. Additional flour makes cake dry and even have a slight heap on your measuring cup could be the culprit.
Tools for making Almond Pound Cake:
Loaf Pans – While you can get away with having one, I prefer to have two for baked goods like this, which typically call for 2 loaves.
Cooling Rack– Cooling racks aren’t just great for cooling, they are also the best for drizzling!
Questions you might have about how to make pound cake:
Can I make this recipe in a bundt pan? Presumably you can, however I have not personally tried it. There should be enough cake batter to make 1 average bundt cake. If you do try it, let us know!
Can I use cake flour instead of all purpose flour? For most recipes you can substitute cake flour for all purpose, so yes.
What is the difference between cake flour and all purpose flour? According to the kitchn…
Cake flour is a finely milled, delicate flour with a low protein content; it’s usually bleached. The primary difference between cake flour and all-purpose (AP) flour is the protein content (which becomes gluten). The protein content of cake flour is about 8%, while the protein content of AP flour is slightly higher.
Can I use vanilla extract instead of almond extract? You can, but you will then have a vanilla pound cake instead of an almond pound cake. Not bad, just not the same.
Here the recipe for my classic vanilla pound cake and sour cream pound cake in case you want to give them a whirl!
My cakes are sticking? Did you grease and flour your pans? Just grease alone often doesn’t do the trick. Make sure to lightly flour your pans, tapping them on the sink so there is just a tiny amount.
More easy cake recipes:
- Pistachio Icebox Cake
- Sour Cream Coffee Cake
- Tiramisu Pound Cake
- Passion Fruit Tres Leches Cake
- Chocolate Pound Cake
Red Velvet Cake
Caramel Apple Dump Cake
Almond Pound Cake Recipe
Ingredients
Almond Pound Cake:
- 3 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon coarse Kosher salt
- 2 1/2 cups sugar
- 1 cup unsalted butter , softened
- 5 large eggs
- 1-2 teaspoons almond extract
- 1 cup milk
Almond Glaze and Topping:
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2-4 tablespoons milk
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 1/4 cup sliced almonds
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and lightly flour two 9×5-inch loaf pans.
- In medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.
- In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat sugar and butter until light and fluffy.
- Add almond extract and eggs, beating on high speed 5 minutes.
- Add flour mixture into sugar mixture alternately with milk on low speed, beating just until smooth after each addition.
- Evenly divide into two pans.
- Bake 55 to 60 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
- Cool 20 minutes; remove from pan(s) to wire rack. Cool completely, about 2 hours.
- In a medium bowl, combine powdered sugar, almond extract and 2-4 tablespoons milk, whisking until smooth. Amount of milk will vary, you want a consistency that sticks to the back of a spoon, but is still pourable.
- Pour over cooled pound cakes. Top with almond slices while still tacky.
- Allow to set for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
- If you’ve tried this recipe, please come back and leave us a comment!
Hi-
Could you possibly 1/2 this recipe for only one loaf pan?
Thanks
Yes!
Hi can this recipe be turned into a sour cream pound cake. I’ve been making this recipe for years and trying to decide if simply adding sour cream would be okay to make this a sour cream pound cake and omitting the almond extract.
I am going to say no, but I do have a sour cream pound cake recipe you can try! Maybe adding a tablespoon or so won’t make too much of a difference, but any more and you’ll need more flour, etc, for it to set. https://www.savoryexperiments.com/sour-cream-coffee-cake/
Just seeing your response and yes epic fail. It did not rise. Going to try again in a little while.
Well actually not sure if it was a fail for the Bundt I made. I thought I remembered it being higher. But your pics don’t look like it’s that high. But I did put half in a 8.75 inch Bundt and that didn’t rise as well I don’t think. Maybe not enough batter.
Probably not enough batter since I usually make this in a loaf pan. Did you make sure your baking powder was not expired? I haven’t personally made this in a bundt pan, only loafs, so I can’t attest to how it works that way.
Ok so my baking powder is expired which is odd because I bake everyday ??? and never any issues. But I cut into the cake and it was delicious just not high enough. So I’m thinking if I add more to the pan it will come out higher like I want it
Possibly, but you’ll also need to cook it longer. You might not need more with fresh baking powder 🙂 Glad it was tasty!
I found this recipe like 10 years ago in a magazine. Is this your recipe? I was trying to find the article last year and ended up finding your pin and it looked like the pound cake so I figured it was the same recipe. It sure tasted the same anyways after making it
Hi Rachel, this is a recipe my mom and I used to make, but it is a family recipe not from a magazine. I’m sure it could be similar though.
Ok so I did them over and used sour cream. Came out perfect with the right amount in each pan. I made it twice and did 9.75 inch. Bundt pan and then 2 loaf pans per usual and of course new baking powder!!!!! I used all the contents for the Bundt pan with no left overs also.
Fabulous! So glad to hear that!
Look wise it came out good. But seems a bit dry. I made them for my church. So I had a extra one. This was my first time using stand mixer. I don’t remember adding all eggs at once and then beating ok high for 5 minutes. I had it on 8 on kitchen aid please correct if I’m reading it wrong
Overmixing can result in dry cake, I would only mix until combined and on a medium speed.
Yeah I know. I just followed what the recipe said as I e always but this time I used a stand up mixer and epic fail. But will try medium instead of high speed next time. Ty!
Oh and also first time using the “professional” KitchenAid.
This turned out wonderfully for hubby’s birthday. I used a Bundt pan and had leftovers for a loaf pan. Mine bakes very quickly in my convection oven—30 for the loaf and 40 for the Bundt. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Thank you, Sara! Happy birthday for hubby!
Such a delicious cake! Added some vanilla extract and baked in a bundt pan. It came out amazingly and everyone loved it!
Yum! Thanks for the feedback!
I love this recipe and haven’t made it in like 7 years. I know sad right. I couldn’t find the recipe and stumbled upon it today. I can not wait to devour this cake. My pregnant belly will love it lol
I made this cake and it was awesome I only change a few things (cause I didn’t have so I substitute)
Milk didn’t have heavy whipping cream I did ½c. HWCREAM +½c. Water = 1c Milk
And kinda make my own Extract
Grind whole Almond n add vodka and let it sit in dark part of pantry and mix it in food processor and it turn out so very lovely I didn’t want to even cut it
Thanks, Michele!
I stumbled across this recipe, on Pinterest, yesterday and tried it today. It is absolutely fabulous. I followed the recipe to the letter with no substitutions. Baked for 60 minutes. The taste is brilliant, with just the right amount of almond flavor. I also love that the recipe makes two loaves. I can enjoy one and share the other!
Thanks for stopping by to let us know, Tami! It is one of our favorites as well 🙂 Have a great Monday!
Could this be done in a bundt pan? If so, should i double the recipe?
Hi Heather! Although I haven’t tried it, I would be nearly 100% certain it would be ok in a bundt pan. This recipes makes 2 full loaves, so no need to double. In fact, you might have slightly more batter than you need. I would fill up the bundt pan to about 1/2 way full and if you have enough, make another or discard the rest. Not sure about bake time either, but it might be the same since the diameter is similar, just keep a close eye on it. And come back and let us know how it went!
I used a bundt pan and it worked great! There is enough dough for the pan, no worries!
Awesome, thanks for letting us know!
Thanks so much for this recipe! this pound cake was just as moist and dense as I imagined it to be! And the almond glaze was heavenly!
Yay!!! That is what I love to hear!
I can tell from your photos how moist and flavorful this almond pound cake is. Since I’m a huge almond fan, I love that you’ve garnished the top with all those wonderful slivers. I can’t wait to make this cake!
You’ll love it!