This almond coffee cake tastes as if it came straight from a bakery! One extra ingredient in the batter makes the crumb SO tender that it practically melts in your mouth. And there’s a little surprise hiding in the middle of every slice.
Any kind of coffee cake usually disappears in our house within a day. I’d love to think we’re the family that can snack on it all week, but when it’s so good, like this almond coffee cake, it’s impossible to resist.
I wanted to develop a more elevated, bakery-style coffee cake with this recipe. The coffee cake batter uses sour cream and a sugar-spiced filling in the center for extra deliciousness. Topped with a crunchy, brown sugar streusel, it’s a snack that everyone wants the recipe for.
If you love coffee cake, my apple coffee cake and pear crumb coffee cake are two others to try.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Your friends will think you bought this from a bakery. They’ll be so impressed to hear that you made it yourself! It’s not a difficult cake to make, as long as you have a mixer.
- Enjoy it for breakfast, brunch, a snack, or dessert. It’s a versatile cake you can serve at any time of day.
- Only gets better with time. You’ll be amazed that the flavor gets even better on day 2 (if it lasts that long!).
Key Ingredient Notes
Cake:
- Unsalted butter – Use room temperature butter (it should dent easily when pressed) so it creams up light and fluffy. Only have salted? Cut the salt to ¼ teaspoon.
- Granulated sugar sweetens the cake and keeps it tender. Creaming it with the butter traps air for a lighter crumb.
- Large eggs – Use room temperature eggs so they mix smoothly. Forgot to take them out? Place them in warm tap water for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Sour cream adds moisture and a little tang. Use full-fat, at room temperature.
- Almond extract gives the cake its almond flavor without overpowering it. Measure carefully; a little goes a long way!
- Vanilla extract – I always add vanilla along with almond to round out the flavors.
- All-purpose flour – Spoon it into the cup and level it off. Never pack it, or the cake will be dense.
- Almond flour – The key to the tender, fine crumb and light, nutty flavor. Look for finely ground almond flour, not almond meal (it’s coarser).
- Baking powder helps the cake rise. Make sure it’s fresh.
- Baking soda reacts with the tangy sour cream to help the cake rise and brown.
- Salt – Always add a pinch of salt to your sweets. It balances the sweetness and brings out the almond flavor.
- Ground cardamom adds a warm, slightly floral spice that pairs so well with almond. Cardamom loses its flavor quickly once it’s out of the pod, so for the best flavor, I recommend removing the seeds and grinding them right before using. Not a fan? Use cinnamon instead.
Filling Mixture:
- Brown sugar – Light or dark both work (dark gives a deeper caramel flavor).
- All-purpose flour gives the filling structure so it stays in a thin layer instead of sinking.
- Ground cardamom – More of that warm spice. If you swapped in cinnamon for the cake, use it here too.
- Almond extract – Another hint of almond to help it shine!
Streusel:
- All-purpose flour binds the streusel into crumbs.
- Brown sugar adds sweetness and crunch. Light or dark, both work.
- Unsalted butter – Melted, so it coats the flour and sugar and forms crumbs.
- Sliced almonds add a nutty crunch on top. Slivered or chopped almonds work too.
- Salt brings out the sweetness and makes it so addicting.
- Ground cardamom – One more dash to tie all the flavors together.
- Powdered sugar – For a bakery-style finish. Dust it on once the cake is completely cool.
How to make almond coffee cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and line a 9-inch round cake pan with parchment paper. (TIP: If you have a springform pan, use that, since it makes the cake easier to remove.)
Step 1: Make the batter
- Cream the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
- Stir in the sour cream, almond extract, and vanilla extract until smooth and fully combined.
- Add the all-purpose flour, almond flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cardamom to the bowl.
- Mix on low just until combined. A few streaks of flour are ok. The batter will be thick, not pourable.
Don’t over-mix!
This will make a dense cake. Mix on low just until you barely see streaks of flour remain.
Step 2: Make the filling
- Stir together the brown sugar, flour, cardamom, and almond extract in a small bowl.
The filling should be fairly fine
You aren’t looking for a clumped texture here. You want it closer to a fine texture so it suspends in the cake batter.
Step 3: Make the streusel topping
- Combine the flour, brown sugar, melted butter, sliced almonds, salt, and cardamom in a medium bowl.
- Stir until a crumbly mixture forms.
Step 4: Assemble and bake
- Spoon half the batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly.
- Sprinkle the filling evenly over the batter.
- Add the remaining batter and gently spread and smooth it to cover the filling.
- Sprinkle the streusel evenly over the top.
- Bake for 40–45 minutes, or until golden brown, the center is set, and a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. If using an instant-read thermometer, the internal temperature should be 200º-205ºF. Start checking the cake after 35 minutes. (TIP: If the edges are browning too quickly, wrap the edges with foil to prevent over-browning them.)
- Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 15–20 minutes before removing.
- Once the cake is completely cool, dust with powdered sugar right before serving.
How to get it out of the pan
Run a thin knife around the edge. Place a plate over the pan and flip the cake out, then peel off the parchment. Place your serving plate on the bottom of the cake and flip it again, so the streusel is right side up. Don’t worry, the streusel bakes right into the cake and stays put! (You might lose a few sliced almonds, and that’s ok.) If you’d rather not flip it, a 9-inch springform pan works too.
Expert Tips
- Adding almond flour makes the cake elevated in flavor, moist, and so so tender. Since almond flour is finely ground almonds, it adds a light nutty taste with delicious fat that keeps this cake hydrated throughout.
- Avoid over-mixing the batter to keep the texture light. If you mix too much, you risk having a dense cake.
- If you don’t like cardamom, you can leave it out. I add a little cardamom to each layer so it warms up the almond without taking over.
- The filling layer is very thin to avoid sinking, which helps keep a layered look. It’s not meant to be thick and crunchy by any means, just a nice flavor addition to the cake.
- The streusel forms a finer crumb rather than large chunks for a more even crunch for topping.
- Use a thermometer to determine when the cake is done. Since this cake is thick and moist, a thermometer is the surest way to know it’s done. You’re looking for 200ºF-205ºF on the thermometer. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
Storage
Store any leftover cake at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days. You can warm the cake, if desired, before serving.
Freezing slices of the almond coffee cake is great too! Store in the freezer for up to 2 months, and thaw overnight in the fridge until you are ready to enjoy.
It’s the perfect breakfast, brunch, or afternoon snack to make ahead and nibble on throughout the week or bring to a party or gathering.
FAQs
What are the most common baking mistakes when making a cake with almond flour?
Overpacking the flour when measuring, as well as over-mixing the batter. You still want to spoon and level the almond flour in the measuring cup, or else the cake will be dense.
Can I add more almonds to this almond coffee cake?
Yes, you can also add them to the filling if you desire. I suggest chopping them up finely.
What other spices can I use instead of cardamom?
I recommend cinnamon or a cinnamon-nutmeg blend.
More Delicious Cake Recipes
Almond Coffee Cake
The batter is thick (not pourable), and that's totally normal. Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 to 20 minutes before you take it out, then wait until it's completely cool before dusting it with powdered sugar. You'll get a tender almond coffee cake with a crunchy streusel top, and it tastes even better the next day!
Ingredients
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter softened
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- ¾ cup (170 g) full-fat sour cream room temperature
- 1½ teaspoons almond extract
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1½ cups (190 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (50 g) fine almond flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoon ground cardamom Note 1
Filling:
- ¼ cup (50 g) brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon (8 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
Streusel:
- ½ cup (63 g) all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup (65 g) brown sugar
- 4 tablespoons (56 g) unsalted butter melted
- ⅓ cup (35 g) sliced almonds
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
- Powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and line a 9-inch round cake pan with parchment paper.
Make the batter
- In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
- Stir in the sour cream, almond extract, and vanilla extract until smooth and fully combined.
- Add the all-purpose flour, almond flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cardamom to the bowl. Mix on low just until combined. A few streaks of flour are ok. The batter will be thick, not pourable. (TIP: Avoid over-mixing the batter to keep the texture light. If you mix too much, you risk having a dense cake.)
Make the filling
- In a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar, flour, cardamom, and almond extract to make the filling mixture.
Make the streusel
- In another bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, melted butter, sliced almonds, salt, and cardamom to make the streusel. Stir until a crumbly mixture forms.
Assemble and bake
- Spoon half of the batter evenly into the prepared pan and spread it evenly across the pan.
- Sprinkle the filling mixture evenly over the batter.
- Add the remaining batter and gently spread and smooth it to cover the filling.
- Sprinkle the streusel evenly over the top.
- Bake for 40–45 minutes, or until golden brown, the center is set, and a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. If using an instant-read thermometer, the internal temperature should be 200º- 205º F. Start checking the cake after 35 minutes. (TIP: If the edges are browning too quickly, wrap the edges with foil to prevent over-browning.)
- Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 15–20 minutes. Run a thin knife around the edge, flip the cake out onto a plate, and peel off the parchment. Then flip it onto your serving plate so the streusel is right side up.
- Once the cake is completely cool, dust with powdered sugar right before serving.
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Tips & Notes
Note 1: Cardamom adds a warm, slightly floral spice that pairs so well with almond. Cardamom loses its flavor fast once it’s out of the pod, so for the best flavor, I recommend removing the seeds and grinding them right before using.
If you don’t like cardamom, use cinnamon instead or leave it out. I add a little cardamom to each layer to warm up the almond without taking over.
Storage:
-Store any leftover cake at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
– Freezing slices of the almond coffee cake works well too. Store in the freezer for up to 2 months, then thaw overnight in the fridge before serving.
– It’s the perfect breakfast, brunch, or afternoon snack to make ahead of time for nibbling on throughout the week or bringing to a party or gathering.
-Store any leftover cake at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
– Freezing slices of the almond coffee cake works well too. Store in the freezer for up to 2 months, then thaw overnight in the fridge before serving.
– It’s the perfect breakfast, brunch, or afternoon snack to make ahead of time for nibbling on throughout the week or bringing to a party or gathering.
Nutrition
Servings: 1 slice
Calories: 422kcal
Carbohydrates: 50g
Protein: 6g
Fat: 23g
Sugar: 29g
Sodium: 296mg
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