Last week I got a text from a friend of mine. She wanted my address to mail me a almond torte that she wanted me to try to recreate. To quote her text: “I’m DYING to figure out the recipe to this. I LOVE this pastry thing cuz it reminds me of my grandmother who I swear used to make this.” The torte was made by a friend who wasn’t giving up the recipe! So her package arrived two days later via Priority Mail.
I did a little Googling and came up with a couple of recipes I thought might be close and set to work.
Lucky for me I hit it on the head the first try! All of the recipes had basically the same ingredients – flour, butter, sugar, extract and almonds. I just did a little tweeking.
After mixing everything together I put it into a greased 9 inch springform pan. I lined the bottom of the pan with parchment paper to make removal easier.
I then sprinkled it with some sliced almonds and a little more sugar. The trick with this recipe was getting the cooking time correct. You want the cake to be nice and moist without the edges drying out too much. I decided for my oven baking it at 350 for 35 minutes and then covering it with foil for another 5-7 minutes was perfect. The cake will be soft and gooey in the middle if you can’t wait and cut into it before it cools but once it cools it’s just right!
The inside is just right, moist and full of yummy almond flavor. The top had a nice little crunch to it thanks to the sugar and almonds.
This torte would be perfect as dessert (my neighbor topped his with some ice cream), served at a brunch or breakfast as a coffee cake or just as a treat! I can’t think of a time when this Almond Torte wouldn’t be just right!
When I texted my friend to let her know I think I had done it and that I actually thought my version was better than the one she sent me, she got a little excited. I sent her the recipe and she made it right then and there.
Here’s her text: “Eaten 2 pieces. I’m gonna be sick (from eating too much). Yours is better. You’re right!”
So here’s my question. Do you have a recipe you won’t share? One that’s an old family secret?? Lucky for you I don’t. I share all my recipes!!
For some other yummy almond flavored treats try these:
Almond Torte Recipe
Almond Torte
Ingredients
- 3/4 C butter salted
- 1 1/2 C sugar
- 2 eggs beaten
- 2 tsp almond extract
- 1 1/2 C all purpose flour
- 3/4 C almonds
- 1 TBSP sugar
Instructions
- In mixing bowl beat butter for 2 minutes until creamy.
- Add in 1 1/2 C sugar and beat for four minutes until fluffy.
- Add in eggs and extract. Beat on high until combined.
- Add flour and beat until combined. Batter will be thick.
- Line bottom of 9 inch springform pan with parchment paper (trace around the pan onto parchment and cut out circle) Lightly spray the pan.
- Pour batter into prepared pan and sprinkle with almonds and 1 Tbsp sugar mixed together.
- Sprinkle with sugar and almond mixture and bake at 350 for 35 minutes and then cover with foil and bake 5-7 more minutes so that center is set.
- Top will be be light brown and crispy on edge.
- Cool completely before slicing and serving. It will be slightly gooey in the middle until cooled.
- Enjoy - let me know!
Recipe adapted from here.
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On a trip to Portland, Oregon, last Christmas I tasted an almond torte, from a small bakery, that tasted just like the ones that an Italian-American woman baked for her small restaurant some 75 years ago. Now you know my age. When I returned home, I searched for that same flavor and texture. Your recipe hit the mark. Thank you. Since January 1, I have baked at least two dozen 6-inch tortes — your recipe makes two — a few for my wife and me, plenty for gifts.
This morning I wrote an unpaid review for LorAnn Almond bakery emulsion, the product that I use in place of almond extract. You can find it at Amazon, for the LorAnn product. I included your URL. I gave the almond bakery emulsion a five star ating, just as I give your recipe. Thanks, Mom.
Mac — 74 and counting
Thanks so much! I am so glad you love it too and I appreciate the info about the emulsion. I definitely need to check out. Also, I live in Portland, Do you remember the name of the bakery. I’d love to check it out.
Wow! It was soooooooooo good. I am loving it so much, I’m looking for an excuse to make it every week. I let guests take the leftovers otherwise I will eat the whole thing!
Maurine, I love hearing that – it’s one of my favorites!
Cant wait
I saw a recipe for something that was in German but I could tell it was a torte. The center looked Goodyear than this one and it seemed to be higher. I “think” it was an almond tort because the top had almonds on it. It looked soooo good. Do you know of anything like this but with a creamer inside
Vicki, Sorry I don’t.
Mom made this for nephews “birthday cake”. It was awesome!!!!
So glad it was a hit!
Is the flour plain or almond flour ?
Regular all purpose flour.
Just made this today. It’s wonderful! Thanks for the recipe.
So glad you enjoyed it! I haven’t made it in awhile and now you’ve got me craving it!
this looks delicious and in fact I am making it right now. Just curious, could you freeze this after cooling for another day
?
Marie, It freezes really well. Enjoy!
I’m so glad I found this! When I was in culinary school I remember making this for everyone! But I could never get the recipie down to memory. But I do remember instead of adding the whole eggs, whisk only the egg whites with the sugar and then gently fold in the fluor with the almonds. It tastes wonderful and add a little brown sugar to the top with the rest of the almonds and its fluffier and amazing!
It is very sweet. I wonder if you could cut back on the sugar. I halved the recipe and used cupcake liners (I got 5). They are in the oven as we speak. But I think it would be plenty sweet with half or a fourth of as much sugar…
I made this about a month ago and my friends and family went nuts over it. I was looking for an almond torte similar to one I’d had over the summer. This was even BETTER! Thank you so much. I think I ate half the torte myself! One of the best desserts I’ve ever baked and I do a LOT of baking…so that’s saying something! Thank you for sharing 🙂
So glad this was a big hit at your house too. We love it!!
I thing your friend and I share the same friend. I always wanted her to give me the recipie but she wouldn’t. How surprised I was when I found it in Pinterest. I already emailed the recipie to EVERYBODY that tried her torte and asked for the recipie and never got it. Thank you!
Glad you found the recipe – hope you think it is as good as we do!!
My family is a huge fan of almond. We especially love marzipan. This torte was a HUGE hit. My dad and brother literally gave it a thumbs up with the request that I figure out how to make it into a berry cobbler version. I’ll let you know how that goes.
Also, my mom loved them so much she’d like to give these to neighbors this Christmas season. Thinking of making them smaller and topping them with chocolate and raspberry syrup. Then wrapping them with cello and tying with a big beautiful ribbon.
Thanks for the great recipe! Delish!
You made my day with this comment!! So glad everyone loved it!!! If you figure out a berry cobbler version I want a piece (or at least the recipe) Love the idea of giving them as a holiday gift.
I love almonds and this looks incredible. I don’t have any recipes I won’t share, but I have a friend that won’t share her cutout recipe that I have always wanted:-(.
Thanks for sharing this one. I love the sheet cake recipe, too. Think I actually liked that one as much, if not more than the chocolate version.
I agree with you about the sheet cake – I love the almond better than the chocolate toO!
Thank you SO much for this!! A neighbor from my childhood home gave us this every year for Christmas but would never share the recipe! I have looked for recipes but never really knew what to look for. I am so excited to make this today!! Thanks again!!
Let me know how it compares!
Sounds amazing!! I love almonds!! Pinning…
Leigh Anne , I have a very similar recipe that a friend gave me years ago. It is called Dutch Butter. It’s just 2 cubes butter, 2cups flour, 1cup sugar, 1 egg, 11/2 teas. Almond extract and 1/2 cup sliced almonds. It used to be my favorite and it is addicting. I am allergic to almonds so I have given up many of my fav recipes.
It is similar – so sad that you are allergic to almonds!
Sprinkle with and bake at 350 for 35 minutes and then cover with foil and bake 5-7 more minutes so that center is set.
I’m confused.
I can see why you are confused! That should be sprinkle with sugar and almonds and bake!! I’ll make sure and make the change.
I love all things almond, so this looks amazing! I’m with you, I think recipes are meant to be shared!
I don’t understand why people won’t share recipes either. It is just odd to me. I can see why your friend wanted to know how to make this torte though. It looks so delicious. I might just have to give it a try.Thanks for all your sharing. We are lucky you aren’t one of “those” people.
I was just saying the other day how much I LOVE almond extract and shortbread-like desserts. Must make this one…
Oh my goodness, this looks good! I have to admit, as soon as I saw the title of this post, I turned my printer on because I knew I’d want to print out this recipe and make it right away. 🙂 I love anything almond flavored. My hubby makes frozen hot chocolate quite frequently and I always add a little almond extract to mine. Thanks a million for this recipe!!
Hope you enjoy it as much as we have. Love almond!! I love to put it in my steamed milk too.
Looks yummy and seems simple enough to make, but that isn’t why I’m writing. Why won’t people share recipes? One of my father’s grandmothers wouldn’t share her recipes and she took them to the grave with her. Why? Instead, we could remember her every time we tried to recreate her potato pancakes and her bread pudding, instead of wishing we had those recipes to pass on.
I enjoy sharing my recipes too and it is such a great way to pass on the memory of a good cook. Your friend is lucky to have you…now if you would just come to MY house and bake for me. I am so lazy, I call reading recipes “fiction” reading because that is how close I come to taking it on. Some one, come and kick me!
Sue, Love your comment! I totally agree with you. I think recipes are to be shared and enjoyed and what a tragedy that some family recipes go to the grave with someone!
I can understand why people won’t share a recipe. The sugar amount in this recipe 9/16? Maybe I’m reading it incorrectly. Really want to make this torte – love anything almond. Thank you Leigh Anne.
This looks, heavenly! How sweet of you to help out your friend. 🙂
Are you adding the sliced almonds to the top before baking or after?
They are added before. I updated the recipe to reflect that – realized I left that part out!
Where was the dessert she wanted you to recreate from?
The recipe in this post – the ALmond Torte
I LOVE almond. I’m going to try this and think I will add some almond paste to recipe. YUM!
This is a gorgeous dessert! I love almonds–can’t wait to try this. I’ll probably make myself sick from eating too much like your friend. 😉
I must admit I ate a few too many pieces too!!
OH WOW. I love almond flavour so I am definitely going to give this a try!
I am a huge almond fan too and love the flavor of this torte. Enjoy!