Recipe for almond cake with browned butter and chopped almonds
Simple almond cake with the addition of browned butter is a harmony of crunchy almonds and the deep flavor of browned butter. This easy recipe combines nutty notes with the unique aroma of browned butter, creating a cake that delivers exceptional taste sensations with every bite. Perfect for informal gatherings, afternoon tea, or as a dessert for almond flavor lovers. Highly recommended!
Almond cake with browned butter – notes
I recently spotted today’s almond cake on the Curly Girl Kitchen blog and I had to, absolutely had to try it. And why? Because I love almond cakes, I love their aroma and crunchy almonds. I could add almond extract everywhere! And what additionally delighted me about this cake is how super simple it is to make. Everyone will surely manage it without any problem! You must try it and let me know in the comments how you liked it!
I’ll add that I baked this cake especially for my husband and his running buddies. They were just heading for a very tough mountain race, “Piekło Czantorii” (Czantoria Hell), and I decided that such a dose of good calories would be very useful for them. Almonds in the cake are great natural fats, plus carbohydrates that provide a lot of energy. And a taste that helps sweeten the hardships of the run. If you or someone close to you is interested in mountain ultramarathons, check out the report from the Piekło Czantorii race on my husband’s blog :)
Essential ingredients for making almond cake
To prepare this cake, you will only need a few basic ingredients. Below is a list of products and possible substitutes:
- butter – the best here will be extra butter with a fat content of about 82%. You don’t have to take it out of the fridge beforehand, but you can – it will melt faster then.
- milk – I used 1.5% cow’s milk. You can use any milk here, or even replace it with plant-based milk.
- almonds – two types of almonds are used for the cake – ground and chopped. You can buy ground almonds in a store, or grind them yourself at home. You can grind them with a food processor or, for example, a grinder. Chop large almonds into uneven pieces – the larger ones will be nicely crunchy in the cake later. I used 100g of almonds on top here, but you can add more.
- wheat flour – here you can use type 450, 500 or 550 flour – which is a basic cake flour.
What is browned butter?
Browned butter is a form of butter in which water and milk proteins have been separated from the fat. The process of browning butter involves melting it and evaporating the water, as well as separating the milk proteins, which sink to the bottom. The result is clarified butter, which has a higher smoke point than regular butter, meaning it can be subjected to higher temperatures without burning. Such butter also acquires a brown color and a slightly nutty taste. Browned butter added to the cake (we add it along with the browned specks) gives it a slightly brown color and nutty flavor. Here, such nutty browned butter perfectly complements the taste of almonds. If you haven’t made browned butter before, you must try this method.
How to make browned butter?
Making browned butter is neither difficult nor problematic. Simply transfer the butter to a saucepan and heat it over medium heat until it turns brown and brown specks appear at the bottom. Then remove the saucepan from the heat and let the butter cool. We add this butter in its entirety to the cake.
How to make almond cake – tips
The preparation of the cake itself is incredibly simple and quick. But its preparation must begin with making browned butter – so that it has a moment to cool down. If you have extremely little time, just melt the butter without browning it. But if you have more time, you must try the browned butter version. The rest of the preparation takes place using that same saucepan with the butter. Add sugar and milk to it – this will further lower the butter’s temperature. Only then add the eggs – otherwise, the butter might be too warm and risk scrambling them. You don’t need to use a mixer to combine the ingredients – a whisk or even a spoon will be perfectly sufficient. Although I’m not against using a mixer – if you want to, you absolutely can!
Once you have the wet ingredients mixed, add them to the mixed dry ingredients and just stir until combined. Then pour the almond cake batter into the prepared springform pan and sprinkle with coarsely chopped almonds.
For this almond cake, you can grease the cake pan with butter and dust it with breadcrumbs, semolina, or plain flour. This will give the cake a nice extra crispiness on the sides and bottom. You can also line the pan with baking paper.
How to bake almond cake?
It’s best to bake the cake in an oven preheated to 180 degrees Celsius (top/bottom heat mode) or 170 degrees Celsius with convection. I baked the cake for about 50 minutes. Towards the end of baking, it’s worth checking with a stick if the cake is baked through. If a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out dry, the cake is well baked. However, if it’s coated with wet batter, it means you need to extend the baking time. If the top of the cake is nicely baked at this point, you can switch the oven to the bottom heating function (only the bottom heating element bakes) and bake the almond cake for another 5-10 minutes.
How to store almond cake?
This almond cake does not need to be stored in the refrigerator. It’s perfectly fine to leave it on the kitchen counter. I only suggest transferring the cake to an airtight container with a lid, or covering the cake stand with a dome, to protect the cake from excessive drying out. As I mentioned earlier, I gave almost the entire cake to my husband for his trip, and it was probably eaten instantly, so I don’t know how long it would last maximally, but I think it will easily keep for several days at room temperature. You can also freeze this almond cake – once completely cooled, wrap it tightly in cling film and put it in the freezer.
I hope you will use this recipe – if so, be sure to leave a comment below. Also, try my other recipes for delicious cakes that you can prepare without a mixer.
Recommended almond cake recipes
If, like me, you love almond cakes, then you must also try my other recipes prepared with almonds. Here I recommend, among others, these three recipes:
