I can never say no to a delicious vanilla streusel coffee cake, and we all know how much I love almond (have you tried my soft almond cookies yet?). So, I made a version with my own spin - rich and sweet Almond Coffee Cake! It's a light and fluffy cake base with amazing almond flavor, and I put sliced almonds in the streusel for an added crunch and nuttiness. It is one of the best coffee cakes I've ever had!
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This recipe is sponsored by Lifeway Kefir. Their organic plain whole milk kefir makes this almond cake extra fluffy and moist. Plus, it's full of healthy probiotics, protein, calcium and it's lactose intolerance friendly!
If you love this cake and poppy seeds, try my almond poppy seed cake. It also makes for a great dessert or breakfast cake!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- You only need a few bowls and one pan to make this easy almond coffee cake recipe!
- Whether you're a beginner or an advanced baker, you'll be able to whip up this elegant treat.
- This almond flavored cake comes together in less than an hour.
- It's the best cake to enjoy for breakfast, brunch, a snack, or dessert!
- This perfect coffee cake is topped with a crunchy almond crumb topping for a perfect pairing of textures.
- It's a simple and delicious spin on a classic coffee cake that's great for fall, just like my pumpkin spiced coffee cake!
Ingredients
- This almond sheet cake gets a double dose of almond flavor from pure almond extract and sliced almonds. Typically you want to toast nuts before using them in baked goods, but in this recipe you can skip this step because the nuts will toast as they bake on top of the cake batter in the streusel topping.
- Plain whole milk kefir creates a super soft and moist cake. Kefir is a fermented milk drink you can find in the dairy section of your grocery store. My go-to brand is Lifeway!
- Vegetable oil keeps this luscious sweet cake from drying out.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions & Variations
- You can use any other neutral oil you have in your pantry, like canola oil, in place of the vegetable oil.
- If you can't find kefir, buttermilk is a great choice to substitute.
- Slivered almonds can be used instead of crushing up sliced almonds.
- Next time for extra sweetness, drizzle a powdered sugar and milk icing over the top of the coffee cake once it is completely cooled.
- If you don't have a 9" round baking pan, make this coffee cake in an 8" square pan.
This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations. If you replace or add any ingredients, please let us know how it turned out in the comments below!
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1: To make the streusel, melt the butter in a small bowl and mix with all purpose flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and sliced almond pieces. Set aside.
Step 2: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
Step 3: In a large bowl, whisk the oil, sugar, eggs, almond extract, vanilla extract, and kefir.
Step 4: Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until combined.
Step 5: Pour the batter into a parchment paper-lined 9" round cake pan. Sprinkle the top of the batter with the cinnamon streusel mixture.
Step 6: Bake at 350°F until a toothpick comes out of the very center of the cake clean (37-42 minutes). Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.
Expert Tips
Tip #1: To avoid a tough crumb cake, only mix the flour mixture into the wet ingredients until JUST combined. Over-mixing the batter can create a gluey, tough cake.
Tip #2: If your flour has clumps, you can sift it with the other dry ingredients before whisking to ensure it is light and fluffy.
Tip #3: Almond extract is an extremely concentrated flavor, so make sure to measure the exact amount the recipe calls for and not to overdo it.
Tip #4: To remove the cake from the pan once it's cooled, place a plate over it and carefully flip it over so that the top of the cake is on the plate. Then, place another plate or wire rack over the bottom and flip it again.
Recipe FAQs
There is no coffee in this coffee cake. It gets its name because it is meant to be eaten as a sweet treat along side your cup of coffee!
Yes, feel free to omit the crumb topping.
Absolutely! Let it cool completely before placing it in a freezer-safe container. Be sure to let it thaw at room temperature or in the microwave before enjoying.
This could be from over-measuring the flour. It's important to use a food scale to weigh your dry ingredients in grams for accurate measurements.
This can be found at lifewaykefir.com or in the dairy section of most grocery stores.
Storage
Room Temperature
Store the cooled almond coffee cake in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
Freezing Instructions
Transfer to a freezer-safe container and store for up to 3 months.
Did you try this recipe?
Leave a ⭐️ review below and tag @brokenovenbaking & @lifewaykefir on Instagram!
📖 Recipe
Easy Almond Coffee Cake
Equipment
- 9 inch round cake pan
- Mixing bowls
- Measuring spoons
- Parchment paper
Ingredients
Cinnamon Almond Streusel
- 3 tablespoons (42 g) unsalted butter melted
- ½ cup (62.5 g) all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup (66 g) brown sugar packed
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons sliced almonds crushed into small pieces
Almond Cake
- 1¾ cups (218.75 g) all-purpose flour weighed in grams or spooned and leveled
- 2 teaspoons (8 g) baking powder
- ½ teaspoon (3 g) salt
- ½ cup (118.29 ml) vegetable oil
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1½ teaspoons almond extract
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup (177.44 ml) Lifeway Organic Plain Whole Milk Kefir room temperature
Instructions
Cinnamon Almond Streusel
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Mix in the melted butter until it resembles wet sand, then add the sliced almonds.
Almond Cake
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a round 9-inch pan with nonstick spray and then place a parchment paper round on the bottom.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- In a large bowl, mix together the oil and sugar really well. Stir in the eggs and almond and vanilla extracts, followed by the kefir.
- Gently fold the dry ingredient mixture into the wet ingredients, just until combined. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and top with streusel.
- Bake on the middle rack until a toothpick comes out clean (about 37-42 minutes). Let it cool in the pan until it's cool enough to touch, then carefully flip it out of the pan.
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Erin says
I made this today, and mmm!! I went to use milk and I only had a 1/2 cup left so I subbed the rest with greek yogurt - I also only had a 9x9 square pan so I used that. It could be because of these two changes that my cake took 53 mins to bake. Awesome recipe - coffee cakes are my new addiction! This one is a keeper.
Kayla Burton says
Yay!! Thanks, Erin! So happy the yogurt and square pan worked well 🙂