I honestly believe that in almost every case it is as easy to make a cake from scratch as it is to throw together a cake mix and this Easy Almond Cake recipe is no exception. The recipe does involve a tiny bit more prep than a cake mix and maybe a few extra minutes but I think it’s worth it for a cake that not only tastes this good but also doesn’t have any ingredients that are difficult to pronounce. I’m never going to try to convince you that cake is good for you but I do think there is a big difference between a cake made of hydrogenated oils, modified food starch and maltodextrin and one that contains flour, sugar, eggs, nuts and butter.
Easy Almond Cake keeps really well covered at room temperature so it’s great for baking ahead. The marzipan (almond paste) makes it incredibly moist and delicious. While it is lovely just as a plain cake for slicing, a little easy embellishment transforms it into a dessert worthy of your most formal dinner party. In this case I like to sprinkle the cake with sieved icing (confectioner’s) sugar and fill the centre of the cake with fruit, preferably blueberries, raspberries, strawberries or any combination of these.
Easy Almond Cake is another recipe from the fabulous Nigella Lawson. Nigella uses a food processor for this recipe and while I cannot argue that this is a super fast and easy way to make a cake, I still prefer my stand mixer when it comes to baking so I have changed her method. I simply chop the butter and marzipan in small pieces and then cream them together in my Kitchen Aid mixer. Next I beat in the sugar and then the eggs, one at a time, followed by the almond flavouring. (I use only almond flavouring and not a combination of almond and vanilla as Nigella does as I prefer the more intense almond-y hit this provides.) Finally I fold in the flour and beat the mixture together well before transferring it to a greased and floured spring form tube pan. The cake does tend to brown very quickly so do be sure to keep an eye on it. I never set the timer for longer than half an hour before checking it the first time, although in my experience it always takes at least 50 minutes to bake.
I’ve lost count of the number of times I have made this Easy Almond Cake, always to rave reviews. I encourage you to give it a try. I’m almost positive you will be very glad you did! For the recipe, please visit Nigella.com.
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Comments & Reviews
Lovely recipe and I love that you used marzipan.
Thank you, Janette 🙂
Looks yummy! I’m going to try it topped with a bunch of fresh berries.
Thank you, Nancy. It really is lovely with berries.
My mom would love this. She is crazy about almond flavored desserts. I like the simple, but beautiful way you’ve decorated the cake with brightly colored berries. Thank you for sharing, April!
Thank you, Michelle 🙂
It looks so beautiful with the fruits 🙂
Nigella is great – I just love here recipes
Thank you, Winnie. And I must say, I love Nigella’s recipes too 🙂
Almonds and cake make for a great combination. You have made it look so spectacular!
Thank you 🙂 I love incorporating fruit in cake decoration.
I made this cake for my mom for Mother’s Day. It is a beautiful cake that’s incredibly delicious! I’m not a huge dessert fan, usually preferring to eat more savory things, but this, I even went back for seconds! It is wonderful! Thanks for sharing this recipe.
I’m so glad you and your mom enjoyed the cake, Debi 🙂 It really is a family favourite!
So pretty! Love its simplicity!
Thank you, Patricia!
This looks absolutely gorgeous April and thanks for sharing it at my Say G’day Party! All pinned
Thank you so much, Joanne, and thank you for pinning too 🙂
The perfect afternoon tea cake, for sure, especially with all those gorgeous berries. Beautiful! Good old Nigella never fails to give us great cake recipes!
Thank you, Elizabeth! I adore Nigella’s recipes. I have made so many of them and they always turn out beautifully 🙂
Beautifully done, April! This is just perfect for a special gathering or a lazy weekend afternoon!
Thank you, Dan!
Love almond cakes, they’re always so tasty! This is a gorgeous summer cake and would really love slices of this with summer berries! 🙂
Thank you, Abigail. I love almond too. It is such a lovely, delicate flavour 🙂
Almond cakes are just wonderful, garnish it with some fresh berries, count me in! 🙂
Thank you, Florian.
This looks absolutely delicious April! Pinned and shared!
Thank you, Joanne, and thank you for pinning and sharing too!
This sounds amazing! What a neat looking cake!
Thanks for joining Cooking and Crafting with J & J!
Thank you, Jess, and thank you for hosting too 🙂
Hi April, what a lovely cake. Homemade with fresh fruit is perfect for the holidays.
Thanks for sharing this recipe at Cooking and Crafting with J & J.
Julie
Thank you, Julie!