Raspberry Almond Cake with Brown Butter Glaze and Almonds
Raspberry Cake
Tender almond cake studded with raspberries and finished with a nutty brown butter glaze.
This Raspberry Almond Cake is one of those recipes I make when I want something pretty enough for guests but simple enough for a weeknight treat. The crumb is tender from almond flour, and bright raspberries dot every bite; the toasted sliced almonds add a lovely crunch that balances the softness.
The brown butter glaze brings a nutty, caramel note that ties everything together—it's quick to make and worth the tiny extra step. Serve it slightly warm with a cup of tea or chilled for dessert; either way, it disappears fast.
Nutrition (per serving)
Directions
-
1
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch round cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
-
2
In a medium bowl whisk together the all-purpose flour, almond flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
-
3
In a large bowl, cream the softened butter with granulated sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 2–3 minutes.
-
4
Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then stir in the vanilla extract, almond extract, and lemon zest if using.
-
5
Alternately add the dry ingredients and the sour cream (and milk) to the butter mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined; do not overmix.
-
6
Fold 1/2 cup of the sliced almonds into the batter, then gently fold in most of the raspberries, saving a handful to scatter on top.
-
7
Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top. Scatter the remaining raspberries and remaining sliced almonds evenly over the surface.
-
8
Bake until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out with a few moist crumbs, 40–45 minutes. If the top browns too quickly, tent with foil for the last 10 minutes.
-
9
Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely before glazing.
-
10
For the brown butter glaze: melt the 4 tbsp butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, swirling until the milk solids turn golden brown and smell nutty (2–4 minutes). Remove from heat and let cool 1 minute.
-
11
Whisk the powdered sugar into the browned butter, adding almond milk 1 tsp at a time until you reach a pourable glaze consistency. Drizzle over the cooled cake and let set.
-
12
Slice and serve. Leftovers keep covered at room temperature for 1 day or refrigerated for up to 3 days—bring to room temp before serving for best texture.
Ingredients
- All-purpose flour:1 3/4 cups
- Almond flour:3/4 cups
- Baking powder:2 tsp
- Baking soda:1/2 tsp
- Salt:1/4 tsp
- Unsalted butter, softened (for batter):8 tbsp
- Granulated sugar:1 cups
- Brown sugar:1/4 cups
- Eggs:2 pieces
- Vanilla extract:1 tsp
- Almond extract:1/2 tsp
- Sour cream:1/2 cups
- Milk:1/4 cups
- Fresh raspberries:12 oz
- Sliced almonds, divided:3/4 cups
- Unsalted butter (for brown butter glaze):4 tbsp
- Powdered sugar (for glaze):1 1/2 cups
- Almond milk (or regular milk) for glaze:2 tbsp
- Lemon zest (optional):1 tsp
Tips & Notes
- To keep raspberries from sinking, toss them lightly in 1 tsp flour before folding into the batter.
- Watch the brown butter closely—the aroma changes fast; remove from heat as soon as it smells toasty and you see golden bits.
- If using frozen raspberries, do not thaw; fold them in frozen to minimize bleeding into the batter.
- Toast the sliced almonds in a dry skillet until fragrant before using for extra crunch and depth.
