Easy French Almond Cake Recipe (Amandier)
Why You Should Give This Recipe a Try
In my never-ending quest to convince you that French cooking does not have to be difficult, I present this Easy French Almond Cake Recipe (Amandier). A very simple, one-layer cake, this amandier is a flavorful almond cake with a bright pop of orange and just a touch of warming cardamom. It is a moist cake bursting with nutty flavor. It is perfect for serving with tea or as a simple dessert or afternoon snack. Amandier is also perfect for the gluten-free people in your life as it is made with almond flour instead of all purpose flour. And if you’re looking for more gluten-free desserts, try this delicious Flourless Chocolate Mocha Cake Recipe (Gluten Free) or these Super Chocolatey Gluten Free Brownies .
Some of the best features of this recipe:
Almonds, orange, cardamom: These three ingredients blend together perfectly to produce a simple cake that is bursting with flavor.
Just the right amount of sweetness: Without frosting or fillings, this cake is flavorful without relying on a ton of sugary extras.
Gluten-free almond cake: Almond flour is the base of this cake, so it is gluten-free.
Elegant: Top your cake with sliced almonds and a little dusting of powdered sugar (confectioners sugar) for an elegant and delicious cake.
As with everything I post, this Easy French Almond Cake Recipe (Amandier) is super simple with no complex cooking techniques, no special equipment, and with basic ingredients you can find in most grocery stores.
Recipe Ingredients
3/4 cup granulated sugar
Zest of one orange
6 tbsp butter (melted)
3 large eggs
1 tsp almond extract
2 cups almond flour
1/4 tsp cardamom
1/4 cup Greek yogurt
1/3 cup sliced almonds
Powdered sugar/confectioners sugar (optional)
Helpful Tools
- Dry measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
- Citrus microplane zester
- Small microwave safe dish
- Fine mesh sieve
- Medium bowl
- Small bowl
- Stand mixer with paddle attachment/electric mixer/wooden spoon
- Silicone spatula
- Offset spatula or large spoon
- 8 or 9-inch cake pan
- Parchment paper
- Non-stick cooking spray
Ingredient Notes
Almond flour: Be sure to use almond flor and not almond meal. Almond meal is coarser than almond flour and not appropriate in this recipe.
Greek yogurt: I use plain 2% fat Greek yogurt.
Butter: I tend to use salted butter in all my recipes, omitting any additional salt. Having salted and unsalted butter in my house is too much for me to handle.
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees f.
2. Prepare the pan. Cut out a circle of parchment paper to fit in the bottom of the pan. Spray the pan with non-stick cooking spray. Place the circle of parchment paper in the bottom of the pan and spray that as well. Set aside.
3. Cut the butter into approximately tablespoon pieces and place it in a microwave safe dish. Melt in the microwave about 30 seconds. It does not have to be 100% melted. Set aside.
4. Zest the orange.
5. Add the sugar to a small bowl.
6. Combine the orange zest and sugar, rubbing the zest and sugar between your fingers. Set aside.
7. Sift the almond flour into a medium bowl. Add the cardamom and gently stir to combine.
8. Add the butter and orange zest/sugar mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. You can mix this cake by hand if necessary.
9. Mix on low speed until combined, about 2 minutes.
10. Add the eggs and almond extract and mix on low until combined.
11. Gently pour the almond and cardamom into the butter and sugar. Mix on low until just combined.
12. Mix in the Greek yogurt, mixing on low until just combined. Do not over mix.
13. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
14. Evenly sprinkle the top of the cake with sliced almonds.
15. Place in the preheated oven and bake until the edges pull away from the sides and a knife or wooden skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean, about 45 minutes.
16. Allow to cool completely before removing from the pan.
17. If you wish to decorate with confectioners sugar, place a small amount of the sugar into a fine mesh sieve. Hold the sieve over the cake and gently tap on the side adding a light dusting of the sugar.
Storage
Store the cake in an airtight container or wrapped in plastic wrap at room temperature for 2 days. Transfer to the fridge for an additional 2 days if necessary.
Tips & Tricks
Almond flour can be lumpy, so don’t neglect to sift it. You don’t want chunks of almond flour in your cake. You can add the almond flour to a fine mesh sieve placed over a bowl. It is thicker than flour, so you can gently push it through with a spoon or with bottom of a measuring cup.
Whenever I make cake that involves lemon or orange zest, I blend it into the sugar by rubbing zest and sugar between my fingers. This allows the oils to blend with the sugar, adding flavor.
Lining a cake pan with parchment paper and spraying the paper and the pan is a great way to keep the cake from sticking.
When removing the cake, run a knife around the edge of the pan before inverting.
French food has a great reputation for good reason: it’s delicious! Don’t be intimidated, though; French food can be super accessible. Why not try some of these easy recipes?
Easy French Comfort Food: Creamy Potatoes & Pancetta (Tartiflette)
One Pot Meal: French Roast Chicken (Poulet Rôti)
Caramelized Onion Quiche with Bacon & Gruyère Cheese
Easy to Make One Pot Coq Au Vin Recipe
Easy Oven Roasted Ratatouille with Herbes de Provence
Easy French Almond Cake Recipe (Amandier)
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 orange zest only
- 6 tbsp butter melted
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tsp almond extract
- 2 cups almond flour
- 1/4 tsp cardamom
- 1/4 cup Greek yogurt
- 1/3 cup sliced almonds
- Confectioners sugar optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees f.
- Prepare the pan. Cut out a circle of parchment paper to fit in the bottom of the pan. Spray the pan with non-stick cooking spray. Place the circle of parchment paper in the bottom of the pan and spray that as well. Set aside.
- Cut the butter into approximately tablespoon pieces and place it in a microwave safe dish. Melt in the microwave about 30 seconds. It does not have to be 100% melted. Set aside.
- Zest the orange.
- Add the sugar to a small bowl.
- Combine the orange zest and sugar, rubbing the zest and sugar between your fingers. Set aside.
- Sift the almond flour into a medium bowl. Add the cardamom and gently stir to combine.
- Add the butter and orange zest/sugar mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. You can mix this cake by hand if necessary.
- Mix on low speed until combined, about 2 minutes.
- Add the eggs and almond extract and mix on low until combined.
- Gently pour the almond and cardamom into the butter and sugar. Mix on low until just combined.
- Mix in the Greek yogurt, mixing on low until just combined. Do not over mix.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
- Evenly sprinkle the top of the cake with sliced almonds.
- Place in the preheated oven and bake until the edges pull away from the sides and a knife or wooden skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean, about 45 minutes.
- Allow to cool completely before removing from the pan.
- If you wish to decorate with confectioners sugar, place a small amount of the sugar into a fine mesh sieve. Hold the sieve over the cake and gently tap on the side adding a light dusting of the sugar.
