Name: Vanilla Almond Cake
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 220g (1 3/4 cup) all-purpose flour; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 2 teaspoons baking powder; 1/4 tsp baking soda; 113g (1/2 cup) butter, room temperature; 30g (2 tablespoons) neutral vegetable oil; 200g (1 cup) granulated sugar; 3 large eggs; 50g (1/2 cup) almond flour; 1 teaspoon almond extract; 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract; 160g (2/3 cup) natural or Greek yogurt, room temperature; 20g (1/4 cup) sliced almonds for topping

Jump to Recipe

A simple vanilla almond cake with a soft and tender crumb. It’s flavored with almond extract, and ground almonds in the batter bring a tender and fluffy texture.

A simple vanilla almond cake like this is the perfect recipe to put together quickly for special occasions or just a treat. The cake batter is nice and simple, with a mixture of butter and oil to give a moist crumb and a mix of almond flour and regular flour for a soft texture.

The flavors come from almond extract and pure vanilla paste. If you don’t have vanilla paste, use a good-quality vanilla extract instead. Before baking, the cake is topped with sliced almonds, then dusted with powdered sugar.

This fluffy cake is delicious as is, or you can add other flavors too! It’s a lovely moist cake that’s a perfect vessel for fruit. For example, press in some fresh berries or sliced peaches before baking.

For more almond desserts, try this pear and almond galette or almond sweet rolls!

Ingredients

You’ll find the exact quantities for this vanilla almond cake recipe written in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post. Here’s a brief overview of what you’ll need:

Granulated white sugar
Pure vanilla paste or extract
Almond extract – brings rich almond flavor.
Large eggs
Natural yogurt or Greek yogurt – This could be subbed with sour cream or buttermilk.
Vegetable oil – Just a little to bring moisture. You could use oils like olive oil, canola oil or rice bran oil.
Butter – Salted or unsalted butter at room temperature.
All-purpose flour or cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Almond flour – Almonds that have been ground up without skins. You could use an almond meal instead, which includes the almond skins, and it’s not as fine. This will give a coarser texture to the cake.
Almonds for topping

For another almond recipe, try these almond cupcakes.

Equipment

This almond vanilla cake was baked in an 8-inch pan, but 8 or 9-inch cake pans can be used.

Method

Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C, grease, and line an 8-inch or 9-inch round cake pan with parchment paper.

Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl and whisk. Set this flour mixture aside. Add granulated sugar, butter, and oil in a large mixing bowl. Use an electric mixer or stand mixer with a paddle attachment to cream them on high speed until light and fluffy.

Next, add the eggs, almond flour, vanilla paste, and almond extract to the butter mixture. Beat well until everything is well combined.

Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, along with the yogurt. Fold until combined. Be careful not to overmix the batter.

Scoop the batter into your prepared cake pan, gently spreading it evenly with a butter knife or an offset spatula.

Sprinkle the top with sliced almonds and bake the cake for 40-50 minutes until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean with a few moist crumbs clinging to it.

Allow the cake to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely.

Dust the top of the cake with a light sprinkling of powdered sugar. Serve with a cup of coffee for a delicious morning snack.

Storing

Leftover vanilla almond cake can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. If you need to store it for longer, you can wrap the cake tightly in plastic wrap and freeze it, which will keep for up to 3 months.