Almond Cake Pakistani Bakery Style

You can always distinguish a Pakistani-style Almond Cake with the beautiful circle of halved almonds surrounded by a sea of crushed ones. Lightly sweetened with some honey, the fat from the almonds gives it a moist and tender crumb. If you’ve visited my blog before, you probably know that tea time is an essential Pakistani tradition. Sweet and savory snacks like khalifa-nankhatai-pakistani-cardamom-shortbread cookies, coffee cake with buttercream icing, chicken patties, and chicken pakoras always accompany afternoon tea.

Why you’ll love this almond cake recipe

One bowl recipe - An uncomplicated recipe mixed in one bowl, this almond cake is straightforward to prepare. Beautiful presentation - The rings of sliced almonds layered with crushed almonds make for a stunning presentation. Enjoy it at any meal - I love this cake for breakfast, brunch, tea, and even a light dessert.

Ingredients for the almond cake

Flour and almonds - Freshly ground almonds add texture and fat, making the cake moist and tender. The flour adds structure; without it, the cake will be too oily and crumbly, running the risk of falling apart. Honey - The floral notes of honey work beautifully with the almonds in this recipe. Powdered sugar - Honey can caramelize and burn when cooked for an extended time. A little bit of powdered sugar helps prevent that. Butter - This cake requires less butter than most other baked goods, as the almonds provide most of the necessary fat. Cottage cheese - The traditional Pakistani Almond Cake recipe incorporates a dried evaporated milk solid called khoya. This is often difficult to source, so after some recipe testing, I found that cottage cheese makes the perfect substitute.

Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the complete list of ingredients, measurements, and recipe instructions.

Substitutions & variations

Ricotta - Similar to cottage cheese, this is a great substitute. However, it will increase the calories per slice of cake. Use almond extract—I like using vanilla extract in this recipe, but ½ a teaspoon of almond extract is great if you want a stronger almond flavor. Don’t add too much; it can make the cake taste bitter. Add a dollop of cream - A great way to serve this cake as a dessert is with a dollop of homemade whipped cream with vanilla bean. Add chocolate chips—Chocolate and almonds make a great combination. Add ½ cup of chocolate chips to the cake if you’re a chocolate lover.