This easy Italian almond cake is so flavorful and moist, you'd never guess it's so simple to make at home! You'll fall in love with this cake at first bite.

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One of my favorite things about this cake (besides how easy it is to prepare) is that it's perfect for any time of day. It's not only a wonderful dessert, but also makes a great breakfast treat too...dense yet moist and not overly sweet, with an amazing almond flavor that perfectly complements a hot cuppa coffee or tea. And if you love almonds, wait til you try my Italian barchiglia (pear almond tart)!
Lord knows I love a sweet treat with my sweet cream cold foam coffee. Sour cream coffee cake or coffee bean cookies are a perfect example. But then other days I just couldn't get through without my homemade cinnamon rolls.
And this Italian almond cake perfectly fits the bill for a taste of that fresh from the bakery goodness...except it's made in your own kitchen. Seriously, you won't believe how easy this is...no special equipment required!
π Equipment
- Large mixing bowl
- Whisk
- Wooden spoon
- 9- to 10-inch springform pan or cake pan - I used a 10" springform pan to make my cake, but there's absolutely no reason a regular round cake pan wouldn't work just as well. If you use a regular cake pan, though, make sure to line both the bottom and sides of the pan with parchment paper (with a little extra sticking up to act as "handles"), so you can easily lift the cake out of the pan after baking.
- Food processor - While this makes the job of coarsely grinding the almonds for the batter an easy one, you can also finely chop them with a knife.
- Parchment paper for lining the baking pan
π§Ύ Ingredients
You're just a few simple pantry ingredients away from making this delicious Italian almond cake.
- Butter - We'll use a stick of salted butter that's been melted, to mix into the cake batter.
- Sugar - Your everyday white granulated sugar will do.
- Eggs - A few large eggs are whisked into the batter to add some richness to the flavor of this delectable cake.
- Orange zest - A touch of orange zest is used in this cake recipe. Although you won't taste it much in the finished cake, it adds just a hint of sweetness.
- Almonds - The amount of almonds in this recipe is divided. Sliced almonds work best for the topping on this cake, while we'll be stirring ground almonds into the batter itself. To grind the almonds, it's easiest to use a food processor, but if you don't have one handy, they can also be finely chopped by hand with a knife.
- Vanilla extract - Works alongside the almond extract for an amazing flavor combination.
- Almond extract - In addition to the ground almonds, we'll also be adding some almond extract to the batter for a one-two punch of flavor.
- Flour - All purpose flour.
- Baking powder - Although this cake won't rise very much in the oven, baking powder is still a must to give it just that little boost.
- Salt - Regular table salt or kosher salt will do the trick.
- Powdered sugar (optional) - This is an optional ingredient, but I think it really adds a little something to both the look and taste of the cake topping.
See the recipe card below for full list of ingredients and their measurements.
π₯£ Mixing the batter
Preheat oven to 325Β°F.
In a large bowl, whisk together melted butter and sugar (step 1). Add eggs and whisk again (step 2).
Using a food processor, coarsely grind half of the almonds. If you don't have a food processor, you can also finely chop them by hand using a knife.
Next, add the orange zest, ground almonds, and both extracts to the batter and whisk all ingredients together (step 3).
In a separate bowl, stir together the dry ingredients of flour, baking powder, and salt. Then, add dry to wet ingredients and stir well until smooth (step 4).
Grease a springform pan or cake pan with either butter or cooking spray, then line the bottom with parchment paper.
Tip: If you're using a round cake pan, line both the bottom and sides with parchment, with a little extra sticking up to act as "handles" to lift the cake out of the pan after baking.
Pour the batter into the pan and spread evenly using a rubber spatula.
Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of sugar evenly over the batter, then add the sliced almonds on top.
β²οΈ Baking the cake
Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Remove the ring from the springform pan and let cool. If you used a round cake pan instead, lift the cake out of the pan with the parchment paper, and let cool.
β¨ Finishing touches
Finally, dust the top of the finished Italian almond cake with a little powdered sugar. Enjoy!
π Variations
- Amaretto - Although I haven't tried this myself (but definitely want to soon!), I've read that you can substitute Amaretto for almond extract, though you will need about 4 times the amount of Amaretto.
- Lemon zest - Lemon zest can be used in place of orange zest, but will change the flavor slightly, as lemons are tart rather than sweet.
π Additional topping ideas
In addition to the sliced almonds, top this cake with some slices of peach, fig, pear, or plum...or berries, like raspberries, cherries, or strawberries. A light drizzle of honey would also be spectacular!
β FAQ
Yes! This cake will stay delicious when kept in an airtight container on the counter or in the fridge for several days.

Do you love sweet treats as much as I do? Check out a few more of my recipes now!
- Italian Barchiglia (Pear Almond Tart)
- St. Joseph Pastries (Zeppole di San Giuseppe)
- Tiramisu Overnight Oats
- Sour Cream Coffee Cake
- Coffee Bean Cookies
- Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
- Sweet Cream Cold Foam Coffee
- Salted Caramel Cream Cold Brew
- Lemon Lavender Cookies
- Biscoff Butter Cookies
Did you make this Italian Almond Cake? Let us know in the comments below!
π Recipe
Italian Almond Cake
Ingredients
- 1 stick salted butter, melted
- 1 cup sugar + 1 tablespoon sugar (divided)
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- 1 Β½ cups sliced almonds (divided)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 Β½ teaspoons almond extract
- ΒΎ cup all purpose flour
- ΒΌ teaspoon baking powder
- ΒΌ teaspoon salt
- Powdered sugar for dusting (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325Β°F.
- In a large bowl, whisk together melted butter and sugar.
- Add eggs and whisk again.
- Using a food processor, coarsely grind ΒΎ c of the sliced almonds. If you don't have a food processor, you can also finely chop them by hand using a knife.
- Next, add the orange zest, ground almonds, and both extracts to the batter and whisk all ingredients together.
- In a separate bowl, stir together the dry ingredients of flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Add dry to wet ingredients and stir well until smooth.
- Grease a springform pan or cake pan with either butter or cooking spray, then line the bottom with parchment paper.Tip:Β If you're using a round cake pan, line both the bottom and sides with parchment, with a little extra sticking up to act as "handles" to lift the cake out of the pan after baking.
- Pour the batter into the pan and spread evenly using a rubber spatula.
- Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of sugar evenly over the batter, then add ΒΎ c of sliced almonds on top.
- Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Remove the ring from the springform pan and let cool. If you used a round cake pan instead, lift the cake out of the pan with the parchment paper, and let cool.
- Finally, dust the top of the finished cake with a little powdered sugar. Enjoy!
Notes
- Type of pan:Β I used a 10" springform pan to make my cake, but there's absolutely no reason a regular round cake pan wouldn't work just as well. If you use a regular cake pan, though, make sure to line both the bottom and sides of the pan with parchment paper (with a little extra sticking up to act as "handles"), so you can easily lift the cake out of the pan after baking.
- Food processor:Β While this makes the job of coarsely grinding the almonds for the batter an easy one, you can also finely chop them with a knife.
- Variations:
Amaretto -Β Although I haven't tried this myself (but definitely want to soon!), I've read that you can substitute Amaretto for almond extract, though you will need about 4 times the amount of Amaretto.
Lemon zest -Β Lemon zest can be used in place of orange zest, but will change the flavor slightly, as lemons are tart rather than sweet.
- Additional topping ideas: In addition to the sliced almonds, top this cake with some slices of peach, fig, pear, or plum...or berries, like raspberries, cherries, or strawberries. A light drizzle of honey would also be spectacular!
- Storage:This cake will stay delicious when kept in an airtight container on the counter or in the fridge for several days.
- Suggestion:Β If you love almonds, wait til you try my Italian barchiglia (pear almond tart)!
Cindy
Love Love Love this cake! So easy to make and so delicious! Thank you, made it twice already and will be making it again!
maplewoodroad
Thanks so much Cindy! So glad you love it as much as we do! π
Michele L
OMG! This cake is delicious with a flavorful almond taste. It turned out exactly like the picture, a beautiful dessert with sliced almonds and powdered sugar. Definitely guest worthy. I will say that I did make a few minor modifications. Firstly, I used a 9 inch springform pan instead of the 10 inch because I wanted a thicker cake. Also, I used almond flour (which is ground almonds) rather than placing almonds in the food processor. I increased the baking powder to 1 tsp to help with the rise of the cake. Lastly, I omitted the orange zest because I love almond flavor and didnβt want to taste a hint of orange in the cake ( just my preference). This recipe is a keeper! I will certainly make this again. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
maplewoodroad
Thanks Michele, I'm so happy you enjoyed the cake! And great substitution ideas! π
Wendy
Hi! How tall should this have gotten? I just pulled it out of the oven (itβs for a 50th birthday celebration for my bestie later today)
Mine came out a little under an inch tall in a 9β springform pan. Is that normal?
Canβt wait to taste thisβ¦ it smells so good.
maplewoodroad
Hi Wendy! That sounds about right, an inch or two. It doesn't rise a whole lot in the oven. Hope you all enjoyed it & happy birthday to your bestie! π
Judy R.
I used your recipe for Italian Almond Cake for my book club as it tied in nicely to our book, The Venice Sketchbook. The cake was a hit! And, it was also quite simple to make. Thank you.
maplewoodroad
Oh you don't know how happy that makes me! What a fantastic idea! Thanks so much! π
Mary
OMG, this is my new favorite cake! I've already made it several times and shared with friends, and we all loved it, thank you!
maplewoodroad
Wonderful, thanks so much! π