This Almond Pound Cake recipe is easy, moist and deliciously almond flavored, with an almond pound cake glaze, it’s the perfect dessert!
Gather This
You only need a handful of pantry staples to make this almond pound cake. A full list of ingredients with measurements for this recipe is available in the printable recipe card below.
- Flour – No need for cake flour, all purpose flour will work perfectly fine for this buttery cake.
- Baking powder – Cakes always need leavening agents, and that’s exactly what baking powder does for this perfect pound cake.
- Fine sea salt – Salt helps to being out the natural flavor of baked goods. If using salted butter, you can omit this altogether.
- Sugar – Plain white granulated sugar provides all the sweetness we need for the best almond pound cake recipe.
- Unsalted butter – I always use unsalted butter when baking so that I can control the amount of salt. Make sure it is softened.
- Eggs – Any time a recipe calls for eggs, assume it is calling for large eggs. Room temperature eggs blend easier into cake batter, but isn’t going to make or break your cake.
- Almond extract – This is an almond cake after all, so make sure you are using a high quality almond extract here. We use it for both the cake and the glaze.
- Whole milk – Any time I’m baking, I prefer to use whole milk. But 2% milk will work just fine for this easy recipe. I advise against skim, after all, this recipe is about richness. we will use it for both the cake batter and glaze.
- Powdered sugar – This is what we will use for the base of the glaze. It allows for a perfectly sweet and smooth topping.
- Sliced almonds – These are optional, but I love the crunch they added when sprinkled onto the glaze.
Get to Baking
You are going to love how easy it is to make this almond pound cake! Just follow these simple steps.
- Prepare oven and pans. Preheat the oven and grease two 9×5-inch loaf pans with vegetable shortening and then gently flour them, tapping to release the excess. You might not need the full amount of vegetable shortening and you might need more flour- just depends on where and how it sticks.
- Sift dry ingredients. In medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and fine sea salt, then set aside.
- Cream butter and sugar. In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the sugar and butter until light and fluffy.
- Add eggs and extract. Add the eggs and almond extract, beating on high speed five minutes.
- Combine wet and dry ingredients. Alternating on low speed, at the dry ingredients and milk into the wet ingredients on low speed, beating just until smooth after each addition.
- Add to pans and bake. Evenly divide the batter into the two prepared pans. Bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
- Allow to cool. Cool in pans; then remove from pan(s) to a wire cooling rack. Cool completely, about 2 hours.
- Make glaze. In a medium bowl, combine the powdered sugar, milk and almond extract, whisking until smooth. The amount of milk will vary, you want a consistency that sticks to the back of a spoon, but is still pourable.
- Pour over cakes. Pour the glaze over the cooled pound cakes. Top with the sliced almonds while still tacky.
- Set and serve. Allow to set before slicing and serving.
5S Philosophy 👩🏻
- Salt – Salt is added to baked goods to enhance the flavors of the other ingredients. No need to add extra salt if you used salted butter.
- Seasonings – In addition to the almon extract, you can add a splash of vanilla extract for warmth, or even a sprinkle of cinnamon.
- Sauces – Top this almond pound cake with homemade strawberry sauce and a fresh mint leaf. Get fancy with other toppings like Dutch honey or a pistachio cream sauce.
- Senses – Almond pound cake is a sensory delight—its golden crust gives a gentle crunch before yielding to a dense, buttery crumb that melts on the tongue. The warm, nutty aroma of toasted almonds fills the air, wrapping you in a sense of comfort.
Perfect Pairings
You can serve this almond pound cake with just about anything you’d like to. You can do something as simple as a dusting of powdered sugar, or top it with homemade strawberry sauce and a fresh mint leaf. Get fancy with other toppings like Dutch honey or a pistachio cream sauce.
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!
Storage and Freezing
How to Store
Store any leftover almond pound cake in an airtight container at room temperature. You can also wrap in plastic wrap to make sure you keep a moist cake.
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.
Can I Freeze This Almond Pound Cake?
Yes you can! Here are the instructions for freezing the whole cake versus just slices.
Whole Cake: To freeze the entire almond pound cake, first allow it to cool completely. Wrap it tightly in multiple layers of plastic wrap or aluminum foil to prevent freezer burn and moisture loss. Place the wrapped cake in a resealable freezer bag for extra protection. Label the bag with the date. Frozen pound cake can be stored for up to three months.
Slices or Portions: Alternatively, you can slice the pound cake into individual portions before freezing. Place parchment paper between slices to prevent sticking. Wrap each portion in plastic wrap or aluminum foil and store them in an airtight container or freezer-safe bag. This allows you to thaw and enjoy single servings as needed without thawing the entire cake.
FAQ’s
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!
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.
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!
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
While I am no fancy baker, these cake recipes are as easy as they are delicious!
Almond Pound Cake Recipe
Ingredients
Pan Prep:
- 2 tablespoons vegetable shortening
- 2 tablespoons flour
Almond Pound Cake:
- 3 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 1/2 cups sugar
- 1 cup unsalted butter , softened
- 5 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons almond extract
- 1 cup whole milk
Almond Glaze and Topping:
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1/4 cup sliced almonds
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease two 9×5-inch loaf pans with the 2 tablespoons vegetable shortening and then gently flour them using the 2 tablespoons flour, tapping to release the excess. You might not need the full amount of vegetable shortening and you might need more flour- just depends on where and how it sticks!
- In medium bowl, sift together the 3 cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt ; set aside.
- In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the 2 1/2 cups sugar and 1 cup unsalted butter until light and fluffy, approximately 3-4 minutes.
- Add the 5 large eggs and 2 teaspoons almond extract, beating on high speed 5 minutes.
- Alternating on low speed, at the dry ingredients and 1 cup whole milk into the wet ingredients on low speed, beating just until smooth after each addition.
- Evenly divide the batter into the two prepared pans.
- Bake 55 to 60 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
- Cool for 20 minutes; remove from pan(s) to a wire cooling rack. Cool completely, about 2 hours.
- In a medium bowl, combine the 2 cups powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons milk and 1 teaspoon almond extract, whisking until smooth. The amount of milk will vary, you want a consistency that sticks to the back of a spoon, but is still pourable.
- Pour the glaze over the cooled pound cakes. Top with the 1/4 cup sliced almonds 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 or star rating.
Video
Nutrition
Tried this and it was perfect… definitely a keeper.. it is now my go to recipe for almond pound cake 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Glad you loved it and thank you for coming back to let us know!
When halving the recipe do I Put in 2 eggs or 3 eggs. I read one of the comments that said she added an extra egg but she wasn’t halving the recipe. I’m new at all this
Thank you
Nonnie
You can use 2 eggs and one white or yolk so it is essentially 2 1/2 eggs. 🙂
I made this recipe this morning. I altered it slightly. I added 2 tsp almond extract into the whole batter. I used salted butter. I also added 1/2 cup sugar coconut flakes onto the top of one loaf. Then after it baked & cooled down, I used a silicone bristle to brush the glaze on! I made a thicker glaze, I didn’t want it to roll off the top too much! I would suggest brushing the entire surface of the loaf in the glaze!
I was wondering if I halfed recipe could I still use one tsp of the extract and have it not overwhelming thank you
Sure! That much won’t overwhelm the recipe.
Loved it, just needed more milk for the glaze. Skipped the slivered almonds because we didn’t have them. We also wanted to eat it sooner than later, so I glazed it while it was still a bit warm… got eaten very quickly.
Oh and on a side note, the batter is lighter and more liquid than most loaves so don’t panic 😊
Thank you, Shelley! We appriciate the time it takes to leave valuable feedback. Have a nice day!
Hi! I was wondering what the cook time would be with mini loaf pans? Since this recipe calls for 2 regular sized loaf pans I think 4 or 6 mini loaf pans would be good.
Hi Amy! I have not made it in mini loaf pans, but I would probably start at 25 minutes and then check them every 2-3 minutes. If you do try it, come back and let us know what the magic time is and I’ll add it to the recipe card for others who might want minis. Thanks!
Your recipe does not designate salted or unsalted butter. Which do you use in this recipe? It sounds delicious, & I look forward to making it.
I’ll fix that! Unsalted is preferred for most of my baking. Enjoy!
Made this yummy cake today! I had added approx. 1/2 tsp. Extra of the almond extract! We love the almond flavor! Also I did not use the glaze but after 15minutes of baking I sprinkled slivered almonds on top to bake in and get a little toasty! Came out so tasty!
Although I found it a bit too sweet, I was thinking can I cut the amount of sugar?
You can surely reduce the sugar if you’d like. Thanks for the feedback!
I also reduced the sugar from 2.5 cups to 2 cups and upped the almond extract. I also added an extra egg. It tasted amazing!!
Thanks so much for the feedback and glad you loved it!
I made this today for a friend whose dog died this morning. She loves almond, so I thought this would be perfect. I made it exactly as written, using cake flour. I used two loaf pans and cooked at 350. It cooked too fast on the outside and was not even set I. The middle when the top and sides were beginning to brown. To get the toothpick to come out clean, the sides got way too brown. I only cooked it for 45 minutes. I also would have liked more almond flavor. The cake is light and nice in the center.
Thanks for the feedback!
I would like to revise my prior comment. After the cake completely cooled and glaze formed up, the almond flavor was very good. I still don’t know what happened with the baking time. I used dark, nonstick Wilton loaf pans. Perhaps with darker nonstick pans the heat should be reduced.
Hi Sammie, glad you thought it tasted better. Dark nonstick pans are pretty well-known for needing a lower temperature with altered cook time. The packaging usually has a note on them letting users know. 🙂
Just made it first time today! Oh my the cake is tender and moist and oh so delicious!!!!!!