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This simple almond pound cake recipe has a tender, buttery and dense crumb that stays moist for days. The top is drizzled with a sweet almond glaze and some sliced almonds for the perfect finishing touch.
Table of Contents
Pound cake is a great cake to make when you need an easy, not fussy cake to share. There are no layers to stack and no buttercream to smooth. Making it perfect for transporting to parties or cook outs!
The crumb is tight and dense, but the addition of sour cream keeps it super moist and tender. And the almond flour and almond extract bring a beautiful almond flavor that makes this a little more special than a classic vanilla pound cake.
You’ll Love This Simple Pound Cake Recipe
- Almond flour and a sweet almond glaze bring tons of flavor to this buttery pound cake.
- Sour cream brings extra moisture, making this almond pound cake super moist!
- An easy almond glaze and sliced almonds make this cake easy to decorate.
- Pound cake is perfect for a simple weekday cake or for a special holiday brunch!
Ingredients Needed
- Butter: I recommend unsalted butter so you can control the saltiness of your pound cake.
- Granulated Sugar: adds sweetness and moisture.
- Baking powder: not always an ingredient in pound cakes, but used to lighten the crumb for a tender and buttery texture.
- Kosher salt: balances the sweetness and enhances the almond flavor.
- Sour cream: use full fat sour cream for the best results. The sour cream adds moisture and softness to this almond pound cake.
- Eggs: this recipe uses four large eggs. They help to keep the cake moist and also serve to help it rise.
- Vanilla and almond extracts: bring flavor to the recipe.
- Almond flour: brings more rich almond flavor to this pound cake.
- All-purpose flour: for structure and tenderness in the cake crumb.
Cool the cake in the pan for 30 minutes, then use the parchment to lift the cake out onto a cooling rack. Cool until slightly warm or room temperature before serving.
If desired, glaze the almond pound cake with almond icing and sliced almonds.
Success Tips
Use room temperature butter, eggs and sour cream for the best results.
Don’t be alarmed when the batter gets curdled after the addition of all the eggs! The four eggs bring a ton of liquid to the cake batter. Once you add the first half of the flour mixture and the sour cream, the batter starts to even out.
The pound cake batter is thick and an offset spatula is helpful for smoothing it into the loaf pan.
Once the batter is in the pan, gently drop the loaf pan on the counter once or twice to help remove any air bubbles from the batter.
FAQ
I use a 1.25 pound loaf pan, which measures 9x5x2.5 when measuring at the top of the pan.
A 1 pound loaf pan, 8.5×4.5×2.5 will also work, but may take a few extra minutes of bake time.
Loaf cakes tend to have longer bake times. The best way to tell that it is done is to insert a skewer into the middle of the loaf and makes sure it comes out with just a few moist crumbs. If it still has wet batter on it, more baking time is needed.
If the cake starts to brown too much for your liking, you can tent the top with a piece of aluminum foil.
More Pound Cake Recipes
Almond Pound Cake
This almond pound cake has a moist, buttery crumb and is topped with a sweet almond glaze—simple, tender, and delicious for days.
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Preheat oven to 350°F and line a 9×5 loaf pan with parchment paper so the paper hangs over the larger sides.
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In a mixing bowl whisk together the all-purpose flour, almond flour, baking powder and kosher salt. Set aside.
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Using a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, cream the butter for about 1 minute until softened. Then slowly add the sugar with the mixer running, beating on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Scrape up and down the bowl.
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With the mixer running on medium, add the eggs one at a time, stopping to scrape the bowl after the addition of the second egg. Add the almond and vanilla extracts with the final egg. The mixture can look curdled at this point.
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Scrape the bowl and add half the flour mixture, mixing on low until just combined. Add the sour cream and mix until incorporated. Scrape the mixing bowl and add the remaining flour mixture and mix on low until a few streaks of flour remain. Finish mixing the batter together with a spatula.
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Transfer the batter to your prepared pan and smooth out the top.
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Bake in the preheated oven for 40-50 minutes or until a cake tester comes out with moist crumbs and the crust is golden brown.
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Cool the cake in the pan for 30 minutes, then use the parchment to lift the cake out onto a cooling rack. Cool until slightly warm or room temperature before serving.
To Make the Almond Glaze
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If desired, glaze the almond pound cake with almond icing. Sift powdered sugar into a medium mixing bowl. Add ¼ teaspoon almond extract and ½ teaspoon vanilla and 1-2 teaspoons milk and whisk together until smooth. You may need to add more powdered sugar or milk to reach a moderately thick consistency.
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Use an offset spatula to spread the glaze over the top of the almond loaf cake and top with sliced almonds, if desired.
The almond loaf also freezes well, with or without the icing. If you know you are freezing the cake, I would wait to glaze it until you defrost it.
Wrap it tightly and store in an airtight container or zip-top bag in the freezer for up to two months. Allow to defrost at room temperature before serving.
Serving: 1slice, Calories: 333kcal, Carbohydrates: 35g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 20g, Saturated Fat: 11g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 101mg, Sodium: 124mg, Potassium: 73mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 22g, Vitamin A: 612IU, Vitamin C: 0.1mg, Calcium: 38mg, Iron: 1mg
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