Chocolate Almond Cake

Because baking chocolate cake at high-altitude is one of the harder tasks, I’m always working on another high-altitude chocolate cake recipe. This is my latest fav- baked in a sheet pan, this cake is ultra fluffy and chocolatey and we’re piling lots of almond whipped cream on top.

The chocolate almond flavor combo is really delightful, but it would also be lovely with just a vanilla whipped cream on top if you don’t like almond. This is a super easy recipe to pull together, and the cake definitely won’t disappoint any of you chocolate lovers out there. Let’s get to it!

How to Make Chocolate Almond Cake

Starting with the chocolate cake, we’ve got a good amount of ingredients for this one but it’s well worth it. This recipe uses buttermilk and sour cream to create a super soft texture, plus hot coffee which helps bring out the chocolate flavor. Start by stirring together your dry ingredients in a bowl and set this mixture aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the brown sugar and vegetable oil until well combined- the mixture will be lumpy at this point but that’s ok. Add in the eggs and vanilla extract and whisk together until you have a smooth mixture.

Then it’s time to add in the dry ingredients and buttermilk in alternating additions. Start by adding in about 1/3 of the dry mixture and whisking to combine. Then add in about half of the buttermilk, and again whisk until combined. Repeat until all of ingredients have been added in.

Finally, slowly whisk in the hot coffee. This cake will not taste like coffee once it’s baked, but coffee itself is an ingredient that helps bring out the flavor of chocolate. Using hot coffee also allows the cocoa powder to bloom slightly, again enhancing the flavor. You should have a smooth, silky batter once the coffee is whisked in.

I’m baking this cake in a 9×13 inch sheet cake pan, which is a standard size that most folks have on hand. You can also bake this cake in many other sizes with great results- see my tips section below for more info on that!

The fluffy whipped cream frosting has cream cheese whipped in which gives it an addicting flavor along with the almond extract, but it also helps keep the whipped cream stable so it’s perfect for frosting a cake.

Optionally, sprinkle the top with some toasted sliced almonds and slice to enjoy!

Tips & Tricks for the Perfect Chocolate Almond Cake

Here are my tips to help you along the way!

• Do I have to use dutch-processed cocoa powder? Yes, I only recommend baking with dutch-processed cocoa powder especially at high-altitude because it brings a stronger chocolate flavor. Don’t skip it!
• Can I make this cake by hand? Yes, I like to whisk the cake batter by hand, and use an electric mixer for the frosting, but you can whisk it by hand as well with a little extra work. Mixing the batter by hand helps to avoid over-mixing anything!
• Can I bake this cake in other pans? Yes, this cake batter will work in two 8 inch cake pans or three 6 inch cake pans with a bit less baking time. They can also be baked into 24 cupcakes if you’d like, again reducing the bake time.
• I don’t like coffee, can I skip it in this recipe? I don’t recommend skipping the coffee here. The resulting cake does not taste like coffee, but instead tastes more strongly of chocolate and it’s well worth it!
• How do I know when the cake is finished baking? The cake should be puffed and look set, and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake should come out mostly clean with just a few crumbs clinging to it.
• Why do I need cream cheese in the frosting? The cream cheese gives the frosting a great flavor and it also keeps the whipped cream stable so you can frost the cake and it will last for about a week. It tastes amazing!
• What if I don’t like almond? You can skip the almond extract and go for vanilla instead if you prefer here.
• I’m at about 5,000 ft. above sea level and I find that most people who live between about 3,000-7,000 ft. above sea level do not need to make any adjustments to my recipes.

Enjoy!

Print

Chocolate Almond Cake

Servings 12 slices

Ingredients

For the cake:

• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup dutch-processed cocoa powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. salt
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 3/4 cup hot coffee

For the frosting:

• 4 oz softened cream cheese
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds optional

Instructions

For the cake:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9×13 inch cake pan, lining with parchment paper optionally.
2. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, dutch-processed cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt and set this mixture aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the vegetable oil and brown sugar until combined- this mixture will be lumpy.
3. Whisk in the eggs and the vanilla extract and stir until you have a smooth mixture. In a small bowl or your measuring cup, whisk together the buttermilk and sour cream until well combined. Add about 1/3 of the dry ingredients to the egg mixture and whisk to combine. Then add in about half of the buttermilk mixture, again whisking to combine. Repeat this process until all the wet and dry ingredients have been added. Lastly, whisk in the hot coffee until you have a smooth batter.
4. Pour the batter into your prepared cake pan and spread evenly. Bake the cake for 28-32 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out with just a few crumbs clinging to it. Cool the cake completely before frosting.

For the frosting:

1. In a large bowl using an electric mixer, whip the softened cream cheese until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add in the heavy cream and whisk the mixture until stiff peaks have formed, about 5 minutes. Add in the powdered sugar, almond extract, and salt until well combined. Frost your cake as desired.
2. Optionally, toast your sliced almonds in a skillet over low-medium heat until they are lightly golden all over, about 10 minutes. Cool the almonds and sprinkle them on top of your cake before serving. Enjoy!

Dough-Eyed

Hello and welcome! My name is Nicole, and Dough-eyed is a food blog for people who want to bake for their family and friends in high-altitude areas. Think of me as a friendly voice there with you in the kitchen, here to give you confidence when you’re baking, and to help you with the struggles of baking at high-altitude. Come back every week for new recipes, tips, and advice on high-altitude baking!