My French Almond Croissant Cake has a unique, fluffy texture and a beautifully fragrant almond flavor.
French almond croissant cake is a variation on two other cakes that I absolutely adore ~ my French Pistachio Cake and subsequent Mocha Hazelnut Cake. The unique recipe is authentically French, and contains no butter or oil. Instead whipped cream is folded into the batter for a texture that is rich and light at the same time. This easy recipe is reliable, rises beautifully, and slices like a dream.
We almond lovers (you know who you are!) are always looking for the next fresh almond experience, and my almond croissant cake marries a classic French pastry with a moist and fluffy coffee cake. This recipe would be gorgeous on a spring holiday table, or for afternoon tea or coffee any time of year.
almond croissant cake ingredient notes
Rustic French and other European cakes are often simple and naturally elegant, made with minimal ingredients but rich in flavor. This contrasts with many American cakes that tend to be layered, frosted, and heavily decorated, French cakes focus on texture, natural sweetness, and the quality of ingredients rather than elaborate presentation.
almonds
- I use whole almonds (which I finely grind) in the cake batter, and sliced almonds on top. You can, if you like substitute almond flour for the ground almonds in the cake.
almond extract
- It’s key to the flavor of this cake. While extracts technically have quite a long shelf life, I like to use my small bottles up and refresh at least yearly. See below for top choices.
heavy cream
- This cake contains neither oil nor butter, with heavy cream providing the needed fat.
the almond flavor in almond croissant cake
The flavor in almond croissant cake depends on almond extract. Almonds themselves don’t actually taste super “almondy” because they’re missing benzaldehyde—the compound that gives that bold, nutty, marzipan-like flavor. Bitter almonds have it, but they’re toxic, so almond extract is the go-to for getting that deep, classic almond taste in baking.
- Nielsen-Massey Pure Almond Extract
My top choice. Renowned for its rich and full-bodied almond flavor, this extract has the best almond flavor, IMO.
2. McCormick Imitation Almond Extract
Despite being an imitation McCormick is a good choice too, and is more affordable and widely available in grocery stores. I use it often.
3. Simply Organic Almond Extract
This organic extract avoids synthetic solvents, preservatives, or artificial flavoring agents.
4. Cook’s Pure Almond Extract
Made with pure bitter almond oil, Cook’s extract delivers a strong, well-rounded almond flavor without an overpowering artificial taste. (Bitter almond oil used in extracts is safe because it undergoes a process that removes the toxic compounds.)
5. LorAnn Almond Bakery Emulsion
This water-based alternative to alcohol-based extracts provides a robust almond flavor that doesn’t bake out.
how to know when your almond croissant cake is done
Baking times in recipes can only be suggestions, and should never be followed blindly. I have made this cake in different ovens and the bakings times have varied by as much as 10-20 or more minutes. And this is one of those cakes where you do need to be careful not to over-bake. Here’s how I monitor the progress of my cake:
- The best idea is to hang an inexpensive oven thermometer from your oven rack so you can be sure of the temperature.
- Make sure the oven light is on and you keep an eye on the progress through the window.
- About 3/4 of the way through the recommended baking time I’ll check in. If the cake has risen and is turning golden, I’ll open the door very briefly and gently jiggle the pan ~ if the center is wobbly I’ll keep baking.
- If it is firm, the top is golden, and the cake is just beginning to pull away from the edges of the pan, it’s done.
- If you’re still unsure, remove the cake from the oven and check with a toothpick. Comes out clean? It’s done. Got wet batter on it? Pop your almond croissant cake back in the oven, but check again in a few minutes. The final stage of cake baking can go quickly from under done to over done.
almond croissant cake storage and freezing
This cake is best kept at room temperature. It can be stored on the counter, under a cake dome or under foil for several days. Do not slice it before serving or it can start to dry out.
To freeze ~ be sure to let the cake cool completely. Then wrap in plastic and in foil. Freeze for up to a month for best quality.
Almond Croissant Cake
Equipment
- 9" springform pan
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup whole raw almonds, (I use skin-on almonds, you can also use blanched almonds.)
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream, cold
- 1 1/2 cups (minus 1 Tbsp) all purpose flour*
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3 large eggs
- 1 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 tsp almond extract
for the topping
- 1/2 cup sliced almonds
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- powdered sugar, for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Butter and flour your 9" springform pan.
- Finely chop your almonds. I do this in my food processor, pulsing until they are finely ground but not reduced to a meal. Set aside. Note: if you are trying to do this with a knife you will need to spend the time to get the nuts very finely chopped.
- In a large bowl whip the cold cream until it forms firm peaks. Refrigerate.
- In a medium bowl whisk together your flour, salt, and baking powder. Set aside.
- Whisk eggs, sugar, and almond extract until really light and fluffy (I do this in my stand mixer.) Fold in the flour mixture, along with the ground almonds.
- Gently fold the whipped cream into the batter until there are no streaks left. Do this thoroughly but gently so you don't deflate the air you've whipped into the cream. Turn the batter into your prepared pan and spread out evenly.
- Scatter the sliced almonds on top of the cake, and sprinkle 1 Tbsp of sugar on top.
- Bake for 45-55 minutes or until puffed and golden on top. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out without wet batter on it ~ but moist crumbs are fine. Note: baking time can only be a suggestion as every oven is different. Your baking time may vary from mine, so keep a close eye on your cake while it bakes.
- Let the cake cool for ten minutes, then release from the pan. Transfer to a cake stand or serving plate and dust with powdered sugar.
- The cake is wonderful warm or at room temperature. Store on the counter under a cake dome or wrapped in foil. It will keep for several days. Do not slice until ready to serve.
- The cake will keep at room temperature for up to 3 days, and can be frozen for longer storage.
Notes
✔ Structure – Flour provides gluten and stability, so a small change can impact how well the cake holds together.
✔ Absorption – It affects how liquid ingredients bind, which can alter moisture levels. If precise texture matters, it’s best to measure accurately! 😊
Nutrition
more almond recipes for almond lovers
This is simply delicious! I will be honest my cake sunk a bit in the middle and overflowed the pan (yes it was the right size) but it was still delicious! It was moist and not too sweet (it is how I like cakes). Perfect for brunch, with afternoon tea or anytime as a snack. The golden edges were my favorite and I am not sorry the cake overflowed as I got lots more “edges” that way. I don’t really care what I did wrong as the cake was gone in no time and everyone loved it!
The batter is even delicious! The only problem I had was my cake really ran over the edges of the pan, and I used a 9” springform. Next time I will bake some in another pan to eliminate the runoff. Not sure what I did wrong.
It doesn’t sound like you did anything wrong since it rose so well! Possibly your pan has slightly lower sides than mine. I’ll try to remember to measure and note that.
Yes, I totally agree with Bern that it is essential to measure precisely… baking is a science and even a seemingly insignificant deviation, like 1 tbs of flour, can be the difference btwn a great baked good and a mediocre one. I started using an inexpensive kitchen scale a few years ago and it was a game changer. So, yes, Sue, thank you for including the metric weights.
I do have one question… I don’t have a way to grind almonds, so how much almond flour would I use to replace the ½ cup of almonds? Thank you.
P.S. I LOVE almond EVERYTHING, and really enjoy your European style cakes and other baked goods. Your recipes are unique, which is refreshing.
Hey Jan, thanks for the nice comment! You can use 1/2 cup almond flour.
This sounds great. Will try this WE. Re-your comment “If precise texture matters, it’s best to measure accurately! 😊” I agree and thank you for including metric weight info so we measure ingredients precisely.
Thank you for this recipe-it sounds amazing. My question is-Can I substitute almond flower for the chopped almonds?
Can’t wait to try this!!!🩷
Yes, you can, that works fine.
A problem when a tablespoon of flour is so critical is that the cup and a half will weigh over 6 ounces Depending on how the cup was measured, for something this critical it would be preferred to have a weight in grams to eliminate the guess work.
Yes, so you could take the metric weight of the flour and subtract 15 grams.
The Almond Croissant Cake looks delicious .I will try this one next. As always, beautiful photos.
It’s a goodie ~ thanks Ellen!