Old-Fashioned Almond Torte Recipe
The inspiration for this old-fashioned almond torte came both from the simple French cakes I had in northern France, and which many French families serve as an after-school snack, and from the traditional Swedish almond cakes my relatives in Stockholm make on weekends. The flavor is at once familiar and unique, like something you've had long ago but can't quite place now. One taster exclaimed upon trying the cake that it "tastes just like the IKEA cake," and they're not wrong.
To lighten up the relatively dense cake, I decided to fold in lemon zest, almond extract, and amaretto into the crumb. This helps keep the almond flavor bright rather than cloying. The sliced almonds and brown sugar topping bake down into an almost marzipan-like layer that is faintly caramelized and slightly crunchy. But my favorite part just might be the lightly whipped crème fraîche, which now permanently lives in my mind as one of the best cake creams, ever.
As a recipe developer and blogger, I reach for this almond torte when I want something that travels well and holds for days on the counter. Something that doesn't feel fancy or presumptuous, but is somehow good enough to be worthy of a minor special occasion. It feels at home at a weekend brunch, a school pickup, or the end of a dinner party, and it just might be the little black dress of cakes.
Gather the ingredients for this old-fashioned almond torte
For the torte, gather unsalted butter, all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, eggs, amaretto, pure almond extract, lemon zest, almond flour, kosher salt, light brown sugar, and sliced almonds. For topping, you'll need cold heavy cream, cold crème fraîche, powdered sugar, and pure vanilla extract.
Step 1: Preheat the oven
Preheat the oven to 350 F.
Step 2: Prep the pan
Spread 1 tablespoon of softened butter over the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan, dust with the 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, and tap out the excess.
Step 3: Line with parchment
Line the bottom with a round of parchment paper.
Step 4: Mix the butter and sugar
Melt the remaining 12 tablespoons butter in the microwave and mix it with the granulated sugar together in a large bowl with a rubber spatula until combined.
Step 5: Add the eggs and flavorings
Stir in the eggs, amaretto, almond extract, and lemon zest until smooth.
Step 6: Fold in the dry ingredients
Sift the 1¼ cups all-purpose flour, almond flour, and salt into the bowl. Fold until just incorporated. The batter will be thick.
Step 7: Fill the pan
Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
Step 8: Make the topping
Sprinkle with the brown sugar, then scatter the sliced almonds evenly over the surface.
Step 9: Bake the torte
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the top is deep golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If the edges darken before the center sets, tent it loosely with foil for the last 10 minutes.
Step 10: Let the torte cool
Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Run a knife around the edge, release the springform, and cool completely, about 40 minutes more.
Step 11: Whip the crème fraîche topping
Whip the heavy cream, crème fraîche, 1 tablespoon powdered sugar, and vanilla extract in a chilled bowl to soft peaks, about 2 minutes.
Step 11: Garnish and serve the almond torte
Dust the torte with the remaining tablespoon of powdered sugar, slice, and serve with the whipped crème fraîche.
What can I serve with almond torte?
Old-Fashioned Almond Torte Recipe
Lemon zest, almond extract, and amaretto flavor this rich, dense almond torte, which is topped with sliced almonds and brown sugar and a whipped crème fraîche
Ingredients
- For the torte
- 13 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 1 ¼ cups + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, divided
- 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon amaretto
- ½ teaspoon pure almond extract
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- ¼ cup almond flour
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
- ½ cup sliced almonds
- For topping
- ½ cup cold heavy cream
- ¼ cup crème fraîche
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar, divided
- ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F.
- Spread 1 tablespoon of softened butter over the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan, dust with the 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, and tap out the excess.
- Line the bottom with a round of parchment paper.
- Melt the remaining 12 tablespoons butter in the microwave and mix it with the granulated sugar together in a large bowl with a rubber spatula until combined.
- Stir in the eggs, amaretto, almond extract, and lemon zest until smooth.
- Sift the 1¼ cups all-purpose flour, almond flour, and salt into the bowl. Fold until just incorporated. The batter will be thick.
- Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
- Sprinkle with the brown sugar, then scatter the sliced almonds evenly over the surface.
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the top is deep golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If the edges darken before the center sets, tent it loosely with foil for the last 10 minutes.
- Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Run a knife around the edge, release the springform, and cool completely, about 40 minutes more.
- Whip the heavy cream, crème fraîche, 1 tablespoon powdered sugar, and vanilla extract in a chilled bowl to soft peaks, about 2 minutes.
- Dust the torte with the remaining tablespoon of powdered sugar, slice, and serve with the whipped crème fraîche.
What is a torte and how does it differ from a cake?
The word "torte" comes from German, and the difference between a torte and a cake is partly a technicality and partly a matter of tradition. Cakes, especially American cakes, typically use wheat flour as the main grain. They also rely on chemical leaveners like baking soda or powder for lift. Tortes, on the other hand, often utilize ground nuts or nut flour, and use eggs for leavening rather than baking powder. As a result, tortes tend to be denser and richer. I used to think that tortes were always layered, but over time I learned that was not a requirement.
As you'd expect from this distinction, this old-fashioned almond torte is less airy than a classic cake, and more intensely flavored. Tortes come from European baking traditions, particularly from Central Europe, and classics like the Austrian Sachertorte and the Hungarian Esterházy torte are perfect proof of the rule. They are dense, heavy on nuts, and keep so well that they are perfect even after a few days.
What substitutions can you make if you don't have specialty ingredients like amaretto and creme fraiche?
Baking is an exact science, so subbing anything in a recipe like this can require some testing and good old-fashioned hope. Luckily, several of the specialty ingredients here can be subbed with similar results. For amaretto, the best swap is a bit more almond extract. I also like to sub it for a nut liqueur like Frangelico, or a pour of brandy. Brandy is great in baking, and it gives the cake a good flavor and aroma.
If you're unable to find crème fraîche, it's much easier to make at home than you think. It can also be used in a myriad of ways, so I love making extra and using it throughout the week. If you want to sub it nonetheless, full-fat sour cream is the closest replacement. Use the same amount of it as you would crème fraîche. If you want to lighten it up a bit, use full-fat Greek yogurt for tang. Neither one will hold the peak quite as long as crème fraîche, but the flavor will be rich and interesting.