Almond Pound Cake Twist
E
By Emma
Certified Culinary Professional
•
Recipe tested & approved
Dense, buttery cake with almond flare, baked in a bundt pan. Uses a mix of flour and almond flour for texture twist. Vanilla swapped with lemon zest for bright lift. Sugar slightly cut down to balance fats. Alternating wet/dry ingredients builds batter strength. Almond glaze with a hint of citrus, topped with toasted almonds. Watch crumb color and toothpick test for doneness. Greasing pan smartly prevents sticky nightmare. Notes on handling flour types and egg temperature. Glaze consistency crucial for right drip. Baking times flex depending on oven hot spots. A touch of salt sharpens sweetness. Not too sweet, not bland. A cake with soul and character.
Prep:
25 min
Cook:
Total:
Servings:
12 servings
#baking tips
#almond recipes
#bundt cake
#cake glaze
#dessert
#American cuisine
Butter and sugar creamed until clouds form, the sound of mixer whirring, beats measured. Flour not just flour - pure all-purpose, bolstered with almond flour’s nuttiness, because bland cake is just sad. Eggs, cold from fridge, beaten in one at a time - patience or dense disaster. Milk watering it down? No, it blooms the batter’s strength. Lemon zest, a spark against the shy almond extract - learned this from botching vanilla-only versions. Glaze is almost a promise of sticky fingers, powder sugar melding with a creamy liquid drizzle. Toasted almonds crackle on top like tiny percussion instruments. Baking time not set in stone; eyes and toothpick judge. Bundt pan greased like a well-oiled machine - sticky cakes unforgivable. The story of this cake is trial by error, the kitchen smells speaking louder than timers. Cuts clean, rich crumb, a bite of buttery nostalgia with a twist of bright.
Ingredients
- 2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup almond flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract for glaze
- 2 tablespoons milk for glaze
- 1/3 cup sliced almonds toasted
About the ingredients
Flour blend matters. Almond flour adds moisture and texture; can be swapped for hazelnut or ground pecans, but don’t exceed 1/3 cup or batter gets greasy. Butter must be softened but not melting. Old butter? Microwave, 5 seconds max. Sugar can be trimmed a bit for less sweetness or swapped half-and-half with brown sugar for deep molasses notes. Eggs at room temp emulsify better, yield finer crumb; cold eggs risk curdled batter. Milk works best whole but can use buttermilk for acidity and tender crumb. Vanilla extract optional if adding lemon zest, which brightens flavors; too much extract overwhelms. Almond extract is potent; use sparingly. Glaze thickness matters: too runny, slides off, too thick, blobs awkwardly. Milk in glaze can be subbed by cream or almond milk for subtle flavor. Toasted almonds are non-negotiable for crunch contrast; burns easily, don’t walk away during toast. Bundt pan greasing crucial: use solid butter over spray to avoid sections forgetting coat.
Method
- Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour a 10-12 cup bundt pan liberally. Flour makes release easier; don't skip.
- In mixer bowl, cream butter and sugar together. Takes about 6 minutes until pale and fluffy. Important to trap air here, so patience.
- Whisk all dry ingredients in a large bowl: all-purpose flour, almond flour, baking powder, salt. Almond flour adds subtle crunch and depth.
- Add eggs one by one into butter-sugar mix. Mix thoroughly after each. Scrape bowl sides often, batter loves equal exposure.
- Add dry and milk alternately, starting with 1/3 dry, then half milk, 1/3 dry, rest of milk, remaining dry. Mix gently but thoroughly after each addition.
- Add vanilla extract, almond extract, and lemon zest. The zest brightens almond flavor, cutting weight of fats.
- Pour batter into bundt pan; scrape bowl clean. Tap pan lightly on counter to pop air bubbles and level batter.
- Bake roughly 1 hour 5 minutes, but watch crumb color and edges. Toothpick inserted in center should emerge nearly clean, few moist crumbs okay. Oven temps vary; don't trust timer blindly.
- Cool cake for 12 minutes in pan. Then invert onto platter while still warm but not hot. The release is easier at this stage.
- Mix powdered sugar, almond extract, and milk for glaze until thick but pourable. Drizzle over cooled cake. Too thin will run off, too thick won’t spread.
- Sprinkle toasted sliced almonds over glaze while wet to stick. Adds crunch and nutty aroma. Toast almonds in dry skillet until fragrant, about 3 minutes, shake pan often.
- Let glaze set before slicing. Store cake well wrapped to prevent drying.
Cooking tips
Creaming butter and sugar aerates and sets the cake’s lightness — don’t rush, don’t mix too fast. When adding eggs, incorporate slowly to maintain emulsion; bowl scraping is your friend. Alternating dry and wet ingredients prevents gluten overdevelopment, keeps cake tender. Mixing technique is balance: stir enough but avoid overmixing or crumb gets dense. Folding in extracts and zest at the end preserves their vibrancy. Batter consistency should be thick but stirrable - too thin hints at measurement errors. Baking times are guidelines - look for deep golden crust, edges pulling away slightly from pan, toothpick test mostly clean with few moist crumbs. Invert warm but rested cake carefully; cooling completely in pan risks sticking. Glaze should be poured when cake is fully cool; else melts into cake and disappears. Use a whisk—not a spoon—to ensure glaze lumps vanish and texture is silky. Sprinkle almonds immediately after glaze drizzle; timing locks them beautifully in place. Store leftovers wrapped airtight to keep buttery moisture intact, freeze if longer than 3 days.
Chef's notes
- 💡 Cream butter and sugar until pale, fluffy clouds form, mixer whirring important. Don’t rush aeration or cake gets dense lump. Slow patience traps air in batter.
- 💡 Add eggs one at a time. Cold eggs kill batter texture; room temp is non-negotiable. Scrape bowl sides between additions. Uneven mixing means patchy crumb.
- 💡 Alternating dry and wet keeps batter strong but tender; start and end with dry. Mix gently after each addition. Overmix, gluten builds, crumb tough. Under mix, lumps linger.
- 💡 Lemon zest cuts buttery weight, wakes almond flavors better than vanilla here. Add zest last to keep zing bright, not muddled. Almond extract potent; a little goes long way.
- 💡 Glaze needs thick but pourable. Too thin slides off, too thick blobs awkwardly. Whisk powdered sugar with milk slowly. Use cream or almond milk to adjust flavor or thickness.
- 💡 Toast almonds in dry pan, shake often, about 3 min until aromatic. Burns ruin nutty crunch. Timing matters; little smoke means pull off heat. Add immediately to wet glaze to stick.
- 💡 Bundt pan greasing with solid butter beats spray. Focus on nooks and ridges. Butter melting too fast? Microwave max 5 sec. Forgot pan here means sticky nightmare, mess and breakage.
- 💡 Baking time varies - watch crumb color, edges pulling back from pan, toothpick test crucial. Insert toothpick in center; clean or few moist crumb bits ok. Don’t rely solely on timer.
Common questions
Can I substitute almond flour?
Hazelnut or pecan ground work but max 1/3 cup. Higher and batter gets greasy, heavy. Texture changes noticeably. Almond best for crumb and moisture.
What if eggs are cold?
Cold eggs shock batter, may cause curdling or lumps. Room temp eggs form better emulsion, finer crumb. If forgot, warm gently in warm water bath, quick fix.
How to fix runny glaze?
Add more powdered sugar slowly. Whisk constantly. If glaze too thick, milk or cream little by little. Glaze consistency crucial for visual and texture finish.
How long to store cake?
Wrapped airtight keeps moisture 3-4 days fridge. Freeze wrapped tightly for weeks. Keep glaze set before wrapping to avoid soggy top. Reheat slight in warm oven.
