This cake recipe uses buttermilk and almonds. Similar to Swedish visiting cake, this almond cake recipe is quick, simple, and unfrosted.
I was given a bag of sugar from the Zulka company to test and review.
Ever since I bought this baking book by Dorie Greenspan
Honestly, it’s a testament to how simply perfect it is, because generally I’m one for super-sweet, super-chocolatey, completely decadent, over-the-top desserts. This cake is the exact opposite. Simple, not too sweet, unassuming, unfrosted, and gorgeous.
The book says it’s called a visiting cake because you can see your neighbors coming up the road, and throw this cake together before they get to the front door. It’s just about right, too.
This recipe isn’t exactly like Dorie’s, mainly because I really wanted to make a buttermilk cake. Oh, buttermilk, the love of my culinary life. So I merged Dorie’s visiting cake with a blueberry buttermilk cake I found here, to create this deliciously simple almond buttermilk cake.
It was raining when I made it, too, which somehow seemed rather apropos. This thing was easy like Sunday morning. (I may or may not be listening to Lionel Richie while writing this.)
Did I just date myself?
Speaking of simple and uncluttered, I recently discovered this sugar called Zulka. This stuff is unrefined and less processed than the regular stuff, not to mention it catches the light and looks really cool and sparkly.
The awesome people at Zulka sent me a bag to try, and somehow this cake seemed the perfect fit for the unrefined sugar.
My opinion? Well, the stuff is easy to find (I found it at Walmart), the difference between Zulka and regular sugar is pretty small, and the price difference is very small too. So, if you’re the health-conscious, worried-about-genetically-modified-foods type, you’ll love Zulka. I am decidedly not worried about genetically modified foods, but I do like how pretty and sparkly this sugar is.
Is that shallow? Probably.
I guess it’s that time of day, now. Time for me to fight the urge to eat cake for dinner.
And it’s time for you to enter this awesome giveaway. You could win your own bag of sparkly unrefined Zulka sugar!
{Giveaway now closed.}
 Brown Sugar Cake |
 Almond Shortbread |
 Vanilla Buttermilk Cake |
Disclaimer: I was given a free sample of Zulka sugar to review, but all my opinions are my own.
There are affiliate links included in this post, which I may earn money from. I promise not to spend it all in one place.
- ¼ cup butter, softened
- ¾ cup sugar (+more for garnish)
- 1 egg
- ½ tsp. almond extract
- zest of one lemon
- ½ tsp. salt
- ½ tsp. baking soda
- ½ tsp. baking powder
- 1 cup flour
- ½ cup buttermilk
- ¼ cup sliced almonds
- Cream butter and sugar. Add egg, extract, and zest, and mix well.
- Add salt, soda, and baking powder and mix.
- Add flour alternately with buttermilk, mixing just until combined.
- Spread dough evenly in a greased 9-inch round pan. Sprinkle with sugar and sliced almonds.
- Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
cake recipe
almond cake
I would bake a batch of muffins to try out the Zulka sugar.
Hmmmm… Probably something like scones where I could sprinkle the Zulka sugar on top.
Well, I’ve marked your beautiful Almond-Buttermilk Cake to try, so that’s a candidate. Or perhaps I’d make a nice blueberry coffeecake, a favorite in our house.
Looks delicious!! Almond anything is great!!
This looks amazing!! 🙂
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That almond cake looks pretty good, I think I’ll try that with the Zulka sugar! 🙂
I might make that Almond Buttermilk cake – it looks delish!
I am blessing my baby in a few weeks and have lots of sugary goodies to make. I imagine that it would be fun to use extra sprakly sugar in my baking adventures.
This recipe is my flavors. Probably had something to do with growing up in Germany. I might try to make it if I win.
Don’t worry, Jen, I’m shallow too. When I see sparkly things, my eyes glaze over, my brain shuts down and I just repeat “Ooooooh pretty” over and over again. And I started singing along to that line from Lionel as I was reading it. That’s the kind of jam I grew up listening to in the 80s. I’ve never felt compelled to bake this cake from my copy of Dorie’s book but seeing yours and reading your praise, I’m totally going to now. And I’d be happy to use this pretty, sparkling sugar to do it!
Best cookbook ever! If I can get past the sparkleness, I’d probably make either this cake or Dorie’s version.
My wife is requesting peanut butter cookies. so peanut butter cookies it is!
I would make my daughter some ooey gooey brownies and I would make me some chocolate chips cookies! Yummy!
I would make some delicious cookies or this delicious cake. It sounds absolutely delightful.
This cake looks wonderful! Saving it..Thanks!
I am totally with you on this cake. I love buttermilk in baked goods, I love almond and I love simple, not-too-sweet desserts. Yum!
This cake sounds awesome and I just make a little buttermilk cake (to be posted next week) and I think you’ll really like it based on what you wrote about!
Dorie’s recipes always are a win and if I won the sugar, I’d bake cookies or a cake with it!
Cookies!
I found your post while looking for recipes for a new restaurant a friend is opening. This cake sounds perfect for her, and the Zulka sugar would work a treat for it. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks, Mac! What a compliment! Let me know when the restaurant opens, so I can come by and try it! I’d love to have some cake, and let someone else do the dishes. 😉 How about naming it after me?
Hi Jen,
I have never heard of that kind of sugar before. Te cake sounds wonderful.
Barb
Love this cake!
I would make cookies.
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This looks gorgeous and ever so tasty. It is on my to-bake list for sure 🙂
This recipe looks wonderful and I happen to have a few Meyer lemons in my fridge dying to be zested!
This cake is incredible! I made it yesterday and had a piece for dessert with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. My new favorite recipe! Thanks for sharing and I am a fan of your blog.
I made this cake to take to a family Christmas lunch. What a beautiful and delicious cake it was. Unfortunately, I left it in the pan to transport and there was no getting it out upon arrival. However, that was a pretty minor issue compared to the taste. This is a keeper recipe that I plan to make often. Many thanks.