Almond Pound Cake

This old-fashioned almond pound cake is a simple and easy dessert that comes together with just a handful of basic pantry staples. The end result is a buttery cake with a moist crumb and a beautiful golden brown exterior. A classic Southern treat that is always well received!

If you love pound cake as much as we do, try this vanilla pound cake with caramel icing, a classic sour cream pound cake, a bright lemon cream cheese pound cake, this Southern blueberry pound cake, and summertime favorite peach pound cake, too!

Few desserts are more classically Southern than a pound cake! Every home cook should have a delicious and easy go-to recipe that she can always turn to when hosting a party or serving a special Sunday dinner. This moist, flavorful almond pound cake always delivers!

Why You’ll Love this Recipe

• Easy. Pound cakes have stood the test of time — not only because they’re delicious, but also because they’re incredibly simple. Basic ingredients and a straightforward process make this dessert fool-proof. There are no special baking skills required, no layers to stack, and no intricate designs to pipe in frosting.
• Moist. Like every good pound cake, this almond version has that crisp exterior and soft, moist, buttery crumb that we all know and love. You get that dense pound cake texture, but it doesn’t feel dry or crumbly.
• Versatile. Whether you offer this cake for a Sunday supper with family, set it out for a tea party or snack with visiting friends, or add it to a holiday dessert buffet on Easter, Christmas, or Thanksgiving, an old fashioned almond pound cake is always in good taste!

The Secret to a Good Pound Cake

The best almond pound cake recipe should be light, with a finely textured, moist, and even crumb. It should have a firm, crispy crust that serves as a beautiful contrast to the soft, buttery inside. Finally, the cake should boast a rich flavor, which is why this recipe calls for plenty of vanilla extract and almond extract. Here are a few tips for a moist pound cake every time:

• Room temperature ingredients: starting with room temperature ingredients makes it easier to cream the butter, sugar, cream, and eggs. This ensures maximum volume and lift for your cake.
• Real butter: always use real butter (not margarine or other substitutes) for the proper fat content and texture.
• Low oven temp: by cooking the cake at a lower temperature for a longer period of time, you achieve an extra-deep brown, thicker, more flavorful crust — a product of the Maillard reaction and caramelization of the sugars in the batter.
• Store at room temperature: wrapped tightly, the pound cake will stay fresh at room temperature for 4-5 days. It actually gets better as it sits! While refrigerating the cake will extend its shelf life, this can also alter the texture of the cake.

Serving Suggestions

With the sweet almond glaze and toasted almonds on top, this cake doesn’t need much else! For an extra garnish, serve each slice with whipped cream, a scoop of vanilla ice cream, or fresh berries like strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, or raspberries.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Is there a difference between pound cake and regular cake? Pound cake got its name because the dessert was originally made with a pound of each of its four main ingredients: flour, butter, eggs, and sugar. Unlike a traditional cake, pound cakes are typically baked in a Bundt pan, tube pan, or loaf pan, and have a dense, rich texture and a crisp crust. Pound cakes are large, heavy cakes that don’t rise as much as other cakes. The eggs help the batter rise a little bit, along with the aerated creamed butter and sugar, but there are no leavening agents like baking powder or baking soda in this pound cake.
• What’s the difference between a Bundt cake and a pound cake? Any cake that’s baked in a Bundt pan is technically a “Bundt cake.” As a result, some pound cakes are Bundt cakes, however, not all Bundt cakes are pound cakes. Some Bundt cakes have a lighter, less-dense texture and include leavening agents beyond just eggs for lift. Some of our favorite Bundt cakes include this made-from-scratch apple Bundt cake, a lemon Bundt cake that starts with cake mix, and this easy chocolate chip Bundt cake.
• Can you use almond and vanilla extract together? Absolutely! Using both of these flavors together in cookies and cakes adds great depth of flavor. In general, using these two in equal ratios works well.
• How do I keep my pound cake from being dense? A dense texture is a hallmark of an old-fashioned pound cake. That said, the cake should not be dry. In order to maintain a moist pound cake, start with room temperature ingredients, properly measure the flour, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, use real butter and real heavy cream, don’t bake the cake for too long, and store the cake at room temperature.

Recipe Variations

• Instead of the almond icing, finish the cake with a dusting of powdered sugar, an amaretto glaze (use amaretto instead of almond extract), or a vanilla glaze.
• If you don’t have a Bundt pan or a tube pan, you can use 2 (8 ½ x 4 ½-inch) loaf pans. Alternatively, cut the ingredients in half to make just 1 loaf cake.
• If using unsalted butter, add ¼ teaspoon – ½ teaspoon of salt to the batter.

Expert Tips

• Properly measure the flour. Weigh the flour on a kitchen scale or spoon the flour into the cup and lightly level with the straight edge of a knife. Packing the measuring cup too tightly and using too much flour will result in a dry cake.
• Sift the flour three times for the best texture. I know this sounds like a lot, but it only takes a few minutes and it’s well worth the effort. Sifting multiple times gives the flour a light, airy quality, prevents any dry lumps in the batter, and makes it easier to mix the flour into the other ingredients.
• Make sure that all of your ingredients are at room temperature so that they blend together smoothly.
• Cream the butter and sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 5-6 minutes. Whipping this air into the batter will help the cake rise during baking.
• Don’t leave the cake in the pan for too long after baking — about 10-15 minutes is plenty. After that, condensation will start to form and the moisture will negatively impact the crust.
• Toast the almonds in a dry skillet over low heat just until golden brown and fragrant. Alternatively, you can toast the almonds on a plate in the microwave in 30-second intervals until golden brown and fragrant.

More Pound Cake Recipes to Try

Southern Cream Cheese Pound Cake

2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Chocolate Pound Cake

3 hours hrs 55 minutes mins

7UP Pound Cake

3 hours hrs 40 minutes mins

Almond Pound Cake

Prep: 35 minutes minutes

Cook: 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Cooling Time 3 hours hours

Total: 4 hours hours 50 minutes minutes

Servings 16 slices

Calories 466 kcal

An easy old-fashioned almond pound cake is a classic Southern dessert!

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Equipment

• 1 Bundt pan (or tube pan)

Ingredients

  

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FOR THE POUND CAKE:

• 3 cups (360 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, softened at room temperature
• 3 cups granulated sugar
• 6 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 cup heavy cream, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons almond extract
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

FOR THE GLAZE:

• 1 ¼ cups confectioners’ sugar
• 2 tablespoons milk or cream, plus extra to thin as needed
• ½ teaspoon almond extract
• Pinch of salt
• ½ cup thinly-sliced almonds, toasted

Instructions

BAKE THE CAKE:

• Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease and lightly flour a tube pan or Bundt pan or spray with nonstick baking spray; set aside.
  
• Sift the flour three times.
  
• In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (about 5-6 minutes). Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl periodically.
  
• With the mixer on low, alternately add the flour and the cream, starting and ending with the flour. Mix until combined. Stir in the almond extract and the vanilla extract.
  
• Transfer the batter to the prepared pan. Tap it a couple of times on the counter to release any big air bubbles.
  
• Bake the cake in the center of the oven for about 70-80 minutes, or until the top is browned and the sides begin to pull away from the pan. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then invert on a serving plate or wire rack to cool completely.
  

MAKE THE ICING:

• Once the cake is cool, prepare the icing. In a medium bowl, combine the confectioners’ sugar, milk or cream, almond extract, and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Whisk until smooth. If the glaze is too thick, gradually add cream until it reaches a pourable consistency. If the glaze seems too thin, add more confectioners’ sugar.
  
• Drizzle the glaze over the cake and sprinkle with toasted almonds.
  

Notes

• Properly measure the flour. Weigh the flour on a kitchen scale or spoon the flour into the cup and lightly level with the straight edge of a knife. Packing the measuring cup too tightly and using too much flour will result in a dry cake.
• Sift the flour three times for the best texture. I know this sounds like a lot, but it only takes a few minutes and it’s well worth the effort. Sifting multiple times gives the flour a light, airy quality, prevents any dry lumps in the batter, and makes it easier to mix the flour into the other ingredients.
• Make sure that all of your ingredients are at room temperature so that they blend together smoothly.
• Cream the butter and sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 5-6 minutes. Whipping this air into the batter will help the cake rise during baking.
• Don’t leave the cake in the pan for too long after baking — about 10-15 minutes is plenty. After that, condensation will start to form and the moisture will negatively impact the crust.
• Toast the almonds in a dry skillet over low heat just until golden brown and fragrant. Alternatively, you can toast the almonds on a plate in the microwave in 30-second intervals until golden brown and fragrant.

Nutrition

Serving: 1sliceCalories: 466kcalCarbohydrates: 66gProtein: 6gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 11gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0.5gCholesterol: 117mgSodium: 124mgPotassium: 95mgFiber: 1gSugar: 48gVitamin A: 678IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 38mgIron: 2mg

Keyword: almond pound cake, almond pound cake recipe

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American, Southern

Author: Blair Lonergan

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