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Almond Torte Cake is a tender almond cake layered with silky custard, wrapped in fluffy almond frosting, and covered in toasted sliced almonds, my copycat of the famous Prantl’s Burnt Almond Torte from Pittsburgh that I fell in love with years ago. It is a true showstopper for birthdays and holidays, and worth every step like our Italian love cake.
Between the almond cake, the custard filling, and the crunchy toasted almond topping, every single bite is pure almond bliss.
Almond Torte Cake Quick Look
- 🕐 Prep Time: 30 minutes
- 🍴 Cook Time: 50 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 4 hours
- 🍽 Serving: 9 servings
- ⚡ Calories: 717kcal
- 🌶 Flavor Profile: Sweet and nutty with tender almond cake, creamy custard, and toasted almonds
- ✋ Difficulty: Intermediate, a worthwhile project like our lemon cake
Quick Answer
Bake a tender almond-flavored cake in a square pan and cool it completely, then make a creamy almond custard filling and chill it. Toast sliced almonds with a little sugar, and whip up a fluffy almond buttercream. Slice the cooled cake in half, fill it with the custard, frost the outside, and press toasted almonds all over the almond torte cake before serving.
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Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Almond extract in every layer. Adding almond extract to the cake, filling, and frosting layers the nutty flavor so the whole torte tastes deeply of almond.
- Buttermilk keeps the cake tender. The buttermilk and oil in the batter give the cake a soft, moist crumb that holds up to the custard and frosting.
- A cooked custard filling is rich and silky. Cooking the egg yolk and milk filling, then straining it, gives you a lump-free, velvety custard between the layers.
- Toasting the almonds twice deepens the flavor. Toasting the almonds, coating them in sugar, then toasting again gives them that signature burnt almond crunch and caramelized flavor.
- A crumb coat makes frosting easy. Chilling a thin crumb coat first locks in the loose crumbs so the final layer of frosting goes on smooth.
- Make-ahead components save the day. The filling chills for a couple of hours and the cake cools fully, so you can spread the work out instead of rushing.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It is a bakery-worthy copycat of the famous Prantl’s Burnt Almond Torte you can make at home.
- Three layers of almond flavor, the cake, custard, and toasted topping, make it an almond lover’s dream.
- It is a true showstopper for birthdays and holidays, just like our strawberry earthquake cake.
Key Ingredients
- Sliced Almonds: Toasted with a touch of sugar, these create the signature crunchy, burnt-almond coating all over the cake.
- Almond Extract: The key flavor, added to the cake, filling, and frosting for layers of nutty almond taste.
- Buttermilk: Keeps the cake layer soft, moist, and tender with a slight tang.
- Egg Yolks: The base of the silky cooked custard filling and richness in the cake.
- Butter: Used in the cake, the filling, and the fluffy almond buttercream frosting.
- Sugars: Granulated sugar sweetens the cake and filling, while powdered sugar makes the frosting smooth and creamy.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
- Make it a layer cake: bake the batter in two round pans for a taller, rounded torte.
- Swap the nuts: use sliced hazelnuts or pecans for a different toasted-nut topping.
- Add a glaze: drizzle a little almond glaze over the top for extra shine and flavor.
- Lighten the filling: fold a little whipped cream into the chilled custard for a lighter texture.
- Try a different cake: if you love almond desserts, you will also love our almond cookies.
How to Make Almond Torte Cake
- Cream the butter, oil, and sugar, beat in the eggs and extracts, then alternate the flour mixture and buttermilk to make a smooth almond batter.
- Spread the batter into a square pan and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 26 to 28 minutes until golden, then cool completely.
- Cook the egg yolks, cornstarch, milk, and sugar into a custard, stir in butter and extracts, strain, and chill the filling until set.
- Toast the sliced almonds, toss them with water and sugar, then toast again until golden and crunchy.
- Whip the butter, powdered sugar, salt, extracts, and milk into a light, fluffy almond buttercream.
- Cut the cooled cake in half, fill with custard, frost the outside, and press toasted almonds all over before serving.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Cool the cake completely. A warm cake will melt the filling and frosting, so let it cool fully before assembling.
- Chill the filling. The custard needs a couple of hours in the fridge to set up thick enough to spread.
- Strain the custard. Pressing the filling through a fine mesh strainer removes any lumps for a silky texture.
- Watch the almonds closely. They go from toasted to burnt fast, so stir often and pull them when golden.
- Do a crumb coat. A thin first layer of frosting, chilled, locks in crumbs for a clean finish.
- Press almonds while frosting is soft. Add the toasted almonds right after frosting so they stick all over the cake.
- Make it ahead. Bake the cake and make the filling a day before, then assemble the next day.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
This almond torte cake is a showstopper all on its own, so serve generous slices with a tall glass of cold milk or a cup of hot coffee. It is the perfect centerpiece for a birthday or holiday dessert table next to our chocolate espresso cake.
For an elegant dessert spread, pair it with a few other sweets like our key lime eclair cake so guests can sample a little of everything. A scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side is never a bad idea.
Store any leftovers covered in the fridge, and let slices sit at room temperature for a few minutes before serving so the cake softens. However you serve it, this nutty, custard-filled torte is guaranteed to impress.
Almond Torte Cake FAQs
Almond Torte Cake is a tender almond cake filled with creamy custard, covered in almond buttercream, and coated in toasted sliced almonds. This version is a copycat of the famous Prantl’s Burnt Almond Torte from Pittsburgh.
The almonds are toasted until deeply golden, almost burnt, which gives the topping its signature caramelized crunch and flavor. That deep-toasted almond coating is what makes this Almond Torte Cake so special.
Yes. Bake the cake and make the custard filling a day ahead and refrigerate them. Assemble the Almond Torte Cake the next day so the components are cool and the cake is easy to fill and frost.
Store the assembled Almond Torte Cake covered in the refrigerator for up to four days. Let slices come to room temperature for a few minutes before serving for the best texture.
You can freeze the unfrosted cake layer wrapped well for up to a month. The custard and frosting are best made fresh, so assemble the Almond Torte Cake after thawing the cake.
It tastes sweet and deeply nutty, with tender almond cake, silky almond custard, and crunchy toasted almonds in every bite. If you love almond flavor, this Almond Torte Cake is a dream.
Burnt Almond Torte Cake
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 1 & 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large egg yolks room temp
- 1 large egg room temp
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons buttermilk room temp
For the filling:
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- pinch salt
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter thinly sliced
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
For the almonds:
- 10 ounces sliced almonds
- 2 teaspoons water
- 2 tablespoons decorators sugar or coarse sugar
For the frosting:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- pinch salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 tablespoon whole milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray an 8×8 square baking dish with baking spray, and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and set aside.
- In the body of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment (or in a large bowl with an electric mixer), cream the butter, oil, and sugar together until light and fluffy, 3 minutes on medium speed.
- Add the egg yolks and egg one at a time, mixing the first one in fully until adding the next. Stir in the vanilla and almond extract.
- Add half of the flour mixture and mix it in. Add half of the buttermilk, and stir it in until combined. Repeat with the remaining flour and buttermilk, and scrap down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Spread the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 26-28 minutes until light golden brown and it begins to pull away from the sides, a toothpick inserted into the center will come out clean, a few moist crumbs are okay, but any wet batter and it needs longer. Cool cake in the pan completely on a wire rack.
- Next, make the filling. Place the cornstarch, salt, and egg yolks into a medium-sized bowl and whisk until combined, set aside.
- Place the milk and sugar into a small saucepot and stir to combine. Place over medium heat, constantly stirring until it comes to a simmer. Once at a simmer, very slowly stream the milk mixture into the egg yolk mixture, constantly whisking until fully combined.
- Pour the mixture back into the pot. Stirring constantly, bring to a boil.
- Take off the heat and stir in the butter, vanilla, and almond extract.
- Place a fine mesh strainer over a large mixing bowl. Pour the filling through the strainer and press it through to get any lumps out. Place a piece of plastic wrap touching the filling on top. Place in the fridge for 2 hours to chill completely.
- For the almonds, line a sheet tray with parchment paper, and set aside. Place the almonds on the sheet tray in a single layer. Bake for 18 minutes, tossing the nuts around every 3 minutes.
- Place the nuts into a large bowl. Add the water and sugar, and stir to combine. Place them back on the sheet tray in a single. Continue to bake for 12-15 minutes, stirring every 3 minutes until they reach your desired toastiness. Immediately transfer them to a cold sheet tray to cool, or they will continue to toast.
- For the frosting, in a large bowl with an electric hand mixer, whip the butter until smooth. Add the powdered sugar a little at a time until fully combined.
- Add the salt, vanilla, almond extract, and milk, and stir until combined. Place on medium-high speed and whip for 3 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Once the cake is completely cooled, and the filling is chilled, assemble the cake. Take the cake out of the pan and cut it in half lengthwise. Place one of the cake layers on the bottom of your cake plate or serving platter.
- Smooth the filling on top, leaving a ½-inch border. Place the top of the cake on top, press down gently.
- Add a thin layer of frosting on the top and sides of the cake for a crumb coat. Place in the fridge for 1 hour to set.
- Add the remaining frosting to the outside of the cake. Take the almonds and press them all over the cake into the frosting so it will stick. Serve immediately.
Notes
- This makes a 2-layer 8×8 square cake, perfect for snacking but you can easily double it and make two cakes to feed a crowd.
- Great for a make-ahead dessert.
- This freezes well, see my tips above on how to store.
- Make sure the ingredients called for in the recipe are at room temperature; this will allow the batter to come together smoothly.
- Purchase the original on Gold Belly by Clicking Here.
Nutrition
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Serve a slice of this almond torte cake with a cup of coffee and our chocolate espresso cake for the ultimate dessert table.
I really appreciate this. So many people have seen that and said nothing. You care. You reached out. That means alot. I corrected it. Thank you so much.
Pittsburgh, PA has an H on the end of the city’s name.
A 9×13 works
Do you think it would work to double the recipe and make a 8×12 or 9×13 cake instead of 2 8×8 cakes?
The famous burnt almond torte cake by Prantle’s Bakery —so delicious! Can’t wait to try your recipe for Thanksgiving.
P.S. Pittsburgh is spelled with than “h” when it’s the one in Pennsylvania!
Just made it today and it’s great.