Made with simple pantry staples, this delicious Sour Almond Loaf Cake looks impressive but is a snap to make. Sour cream and buttermilk work beautifully in this loaf cake, yielding a cake with a tight, golden crumb and gentle sour notes that are enhanced with almond extract. Finish the cake with a tangy, pink glaze that is simply out-of-this-world delicious. Floral hibiscus tea and lemon juice, along with confectioners’ sugar, create this bright glaze that has the perfect balance of sweet and sour to brighten your day.
What I love most about this recipe, aside from its deliciousness, is that it allows for a few ingredient swaps, depending on what you have around. Don’t have buttermilk? Make your own by adding 1 tablespoon of white vinegar to ⅔ cup milk. Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes so that the milk becomes sour. If you have buttermilk, use ¾ cup in place of all the milk and vinegar. If you don’t have cake flour on hand, whisk 1 ¾ cup of flour with ¼ cup of cornstarch as a substitute. Alternatively, use 2 cups of cake flour instead.
To make the Sour Almond Loaf Cake, you will need the following ingredients:
Preheat the oven to 350 °F and line a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper.
In a small bowl, mix ⅔ cup milk with 1 tablespoon vinegar and let sit for 10 minutes. Alternatively, use ¾ cup buttermilk and skip this step.
In a large bowl, sift together 1 ¾ cups flour, ¼ cup cornstarch (or 2 cups cake flour instead), 1 teaspoon baking powder, and ½ teaspoon salt.
Using a handheld mixer or stand mixer on low speed, beat 8 tablespoons softened butter just until loose and fluffed, about one minute.
Add in 1 ¼ cups sugar and beat until a grainy paste forms, 2-3 minutes.
Add in 1 tablespoon oil, 1 teaspoon almond extract, and ½ teaspoon vanilla extract and beat for 1 minute.
Add 3 eggs and beat until well incorporated, about 1 minute.
Add ¼ cup sour cream and milk and vinegar mixture (or ¾ cup buttermilk) and mix to combine well.
Decrease the speed to the lowest, add the flour mixture and mix just until combined. Use a spatula to mix any remaining large streaks of flour, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl.
Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top.
Bake for 55 to 60 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
Allow to cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes before removing from the loaf pan. Cool completely on a wire rack.
In a small bowl, whisk together 1 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar, 1 tablespoon hibiscus tea, and 1 tablespoon lemon juice until smooth. The glaze should be thick. Add more tea or water to achieve the desired color and consistency. If the glaze is too runny, add some extra sifted confectioners' sugar and mix well.
Pour the lemon hibiscus glaze over the loaf.
Slice and serve!
Give this delicious Sour Almond Loaf Cake a try this week and be sure to let us know what you think! Tag @cookmerecipes on Instagram and hashtag it #cookmerecipes. We love seeing what you’ve made!
This cake brought back memories of baking with my grandma on Sundays.
Superb cake, easy peasy! Perfect for family time.
Made this cake for a family gathering, it was a hit! Easy to make and so tasty.
This Sour Almond Loaf Cake is simply exceptional! I whipped it up last Sunday for a family brunch, and everyone was impressed. The tangy glaze added a delightful touch. I even used homemade buttermilk like the recipe suggested. It made my day to see my kids enjoying it so much.
This Sour Almond Loaf Cake is a total gem. I whipped it up for my mates, and they couldn't get enough. Super easy and the glaze is just delish, brightening my day for sure.
OMG, this Sour Almond Loaf Cake is a total game-changer! Made it for a friend's bday, and it vanished in minutes! So easy and yummy, love the glaze!
I made this Sour Almond Loaf Cake for my baking club and it was a hit! So easy and loved the swaps. Can't wait to try it again with my kids this weekend.
Sour Almond Loaf Cake is legit! I whipped it up last weekend, and my wife was blown away. So moist and full of flavor. It’s a keeper! Can't wait to make it again for fam time.
OMG, this Sour Almond Loaf Cake is amazing! Made it for my hubby's b-day, and everyone was raving! So easy with ingredients I already had. The glaze was just the cherry on top! Thanks a ton for sharing!
OMG, this Sour Almond Loaf Cake was a hit at our fam get-together! Super easy to whip up, and the kids loved it. Totally making it again soon!
Totally awesome! Made this cake for my wifey’s b-day, and it was a hit! The glaze made it pop, and everyone loved it! Gotta make it again. 😍
Delicious!
Yummy! I made this cake for our anniversary and it was a huge hit. My husband loved the sweet-tart flavor!
This Sour Almond Loaf Cake makes my family smile every time. Had it for our brunch last weekend.
Absolutely!
