Almond Coffee Cake
Almond coffee cake is a moist single layer almond cake topped with a buttery brown sugar almond crumb streusel baked on top. It's perfect with coffee for breakfast, brunch or an afternoon snack!
Servings: 16 pieces
Calories: 230kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
Crumb Topping
- ⅓ cup whole blanched almonds or use raw nuts and toast them or add them without toasting
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon orange blossom water or vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- vegetable oil for frying, about 1 cup, optional
Almond Coffee Cake
- ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup light brown sugar packed
- ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1½ teaspoons almond extract
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- ½ cup sour cream room temperature
- ¼ cup milk whole or 2%, room temperature
- 1½ cups all purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- powdered sugar optional, for dusting
Instructions
Crumb Topping
- Frying the amonds: If planning to fry the almonds, make sure they are blanched. You can buy blanched almonds or blanch them yourself (see instructions below in notes section). Place a few paper towels on a plate. Place next to the stove. Heat one cup of vegetable oil in a large skillet til the oil shimmers. Add the almonds to the hot oil. Stir constantly til just light golden brown. The almonds will darken quickly, so be careful not to burn them or let them get past lightly golden. Use a spider strainer to transfer them to the paper towels to drain and cool. Once cooled completely, finely chop the almonds.
- Toasting the almonds: Instead of frying the almonds, you can toast raw or blanched almonds. To toast whole almonds, set a large skillet on the stove over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, add the almonds. After 30 seconds, stir the almonds, trying to flip them over so that they are evenly browned, until fragrant. This will take about 10 minutes for whole almonds or about 5-6 minutes for sliced or slivered almonds. Remove from pan and allow to cool before finely chopping.
- If you prefer not to fry or toast almonds, you can skip this step.
- In a small bowl, mix together all of the streusel ingredients with a fork til crumbly and combined. Place crumble in the fridge while you prepare the batter.
Almond Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 Fahrenheit. Grease an 8X8 inch square pan. Line it with parchment paper leaving an overhang on two sides to make it easier to remove once baked.
- In a medium bowl, whisk to combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat the room temperature butter and sugars with a mixer on medium high speed til creamy and combined, about 2 minutes.
- Mix in the eggs one at a time. Add the vanilla and almond extract. Mix in the sour cream and milk.
- Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Mix until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Pour the batter into the pan. Use a spatula or offset spatula to spread it evenly and smooth the top.
- Remove crumble from the refrigerator. Use a fork to break up the crumble if needed. Spread crumble evenly over the batter.
- Bake 32-36 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle of the cake.
- Remove from oven and place pan on a cooling rack. Use the parchment paper overhang to lift the cake out of the pan. The cake is best enjoyed warm or at room temperature. Enjoy as is or dust with powdered sugar.
Notes
Pan: For best results, I recommend an 8 by 8 inch light colored square pan.
Sour cream: Use full fat plain yogurt instead of sour cream.
Orange blossom water: Orange blossom water is used in the crumb topping. It's optional, but I recommend it. It is a common ingredient in Middle Eastern cuisine. I love its floral, citrusy flavor and it pairs well with the cinnamon and almonds. You can often find it in the international food aisle, in Middle Eastern stores or online.
Almonds: You can use any type of almond here. I prefer to buy whole, blanched almonds and lightly fry them. I don't recommend frying almonds with their skins on. If you prefer skins on the almonds, you can add them as is without toasting or you can toast them on the stovetop or in the oven. Toasting (or frying) almonds makes almonds extra crunchy and flavorful!
Blanching almonds: I prefer to buy blanched almonds, but you can also quickly blanch them at home. Place almonds in a heat proof bowl. Pour boiling water over them. Allow them to sit for 1 minute (not longer than that). Drain then run cold water over them. Squeeze each almond with your fingers, peel the skin off and remove it. Make sure almonds are dry before toasting or frying.
Topping: This cake is delicious as is or with toppings like powdered sugar or icing. Allow to cool slightly before adding any topping.
Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the fridge for up to 6 days.
Nutrition
Serving: 1piece | Calories: 230kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 46mg | Sodium: 146mg | Potassium: 68mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 324IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 55mg | Iron: 1mg
