Pinterest Image began as a photograph before it became a recipe. A pale golden cake on a linen cloth, one slice cut away, the crumb so tender it seemed to hold the afternoon light rather than the other way around.
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It is a quiet cake, almond-scented and barely sweet, the kind you make when the kitchen window is open and there is nowhere to be. The top crackles faintly under a fork; beneath it the crumb stays soft for days.
I bake it in a square pan because corners are honest. They tell you the truth about your oven, and they taste like the edge of something good.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
About the Ingredients
1 3/4 cups (210g) all-purpose flour
Spoon it into the cup and level off, or the cake turns dense. Swap in white whole wheat flour one-for-one for a nuttier crumb.
1 cup (100g) almond flour
Look for finely ground blanched almond flour, not almond meal, which is coarser and darker. Hazelnut flour works beautifully here too.
1 1/4 cups (250g) granulated sugar, divided
Reserve 2 tablespoons for the top. Cane sugar or a light raw sugar gives a slightly crunchier crust.
3 large eggs, room temperature
Room temperature eggs whip lighter and blend more smoothly. If you forgot, rest them in warm water for ten minutes.
3/4 cup (180g) whole-milk plain yogurt
Greek yogurt makes a denser cake; sour cream gives a richer one. Both work without other changes.
1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
Brown the butter first for a deeper, toasty note, then cool it for ten minutes before adding.
2 teaspoons almond extract
Pure extract, not imitation, is the difference between perfume and flavor. Vanilla extract can replace half of it.
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
Check the date on the tin; older baking powder loses lift and the center stays sunken.
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
Fine sea salt dissolves evenly. If using table salt, reduce to a scant 1/2 teaspoon.
1/3 cup (40g) sliced almonds, for the top
Toast them dry in a pan for two minutes first if you like a deeper color. Slivered almonds are a fine substitute.
Tips & Tricks
- Weigh the flour if you can. A cup scooped straight from the bag can hold 30 percent more flour than a leveled cup, and that alone makes a dry cake.
- Do not overmix once the flour goes in. Stop the moment the last streaks disappear; gluten develops fast and turns tender into tough.
- Check doneness by the center, not the edges. The edges set first and will look done while the middle still trembles.
- Cool completely before cutting. A warm cake tears and the squares lose their clean lines.
Pro Tips
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Heat the oven
Set a rack in the lower third and heat the oven to 350F (175C). Line an 8-inch square pan with parchment, leaving two overhanging wings.
2. Whisk the dry
In a large bowl, whisk the flour, almond flour, 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons of the sugar, baking powder, and salt until no lumps remain.
3. Blend the wet
In a second bowl, whisk the eggs, yogurt, melted butter, and almond extract until glossy and smooth, about one minute.
4. Fold together
Pour the wet into the dry and fold with a spatula just until combined. The batter will be thick and slightly sticky; that is right.
5. Rest the batter
Let the bowl sit on the counter for ten minutes. The almond flour drinks in the liquid and the batter relaxes.
6. Fill and top
Scrape the batter into the pan and smooth the top with a damp spatula. Scatter the sliced almonds over the surface, then dust with the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar.
7. Bake until golden
Bake at 350F (175C) for 32 to 38 minutes, until the top is deep golden brown, the edges pull slightly from the pan, and a skewer in the center comes out with only a few moist crumbs.
8. Cool in the pan
Set the pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes, then lift the cake out by the parchment and cool completely before cutting into twelve squares.
Delicious Variations
Orange and Olive Oil
replace the butter with 1/2 cup olive oil and add the zest of one orange.
Cherry Almond
scatter 1 cup halved fresh cherries over the batter before the almonds and add four minutes to the bake.
Cardamom Rose
add 1 teaspoon ground cardamom to the dry mix and finish with a whisper of rose water in the wet.
How to Store Pinterest Image
Refrigerator
Keep in an airtight container at room temperature for three days, or refrigerate for up to one week wrapped tightly.
Freezer
Wrap individual squares in parchment and foil, then freeze for up to two months. Thaw at room temperature, still wrapped.
Reheating
Warm a square in a 300F (150C) oven for five minutes, or ten seconds in the microwave, to bring back the softness.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can I make Pinterest Image without almond flour?
Yes, replace it with an equal weight of finely ground oats or more all-purpose flour, though the crumb will be less tender. If you use all-purpose only, add two extra tablespoons of yogurt to keep it moist.
Q: Why did my cake sink in the middle?
A sunken center almost always means the oven was too cool or the batter was overmixed. Use an oven thermometer, preheat fully, and fold only until the flour disappears.
Q: How do I know when it is fully baked?
The top should be deep golden and a skewer in the center should come out with a few moist crumbs, not wet batter. The internal temperature at the center reads about 200F (93C) when done.
Q: Can I bake this in a round pan instead?
Yes, a 9-inch round pan works and bakes in 28 to 34 minutes. The cake will be slightly thinner, so start checking at 26 minutes.
Q: Is this cake gluten free as written?
No, it contains all-purpose flour. To make it gluten free, swap in a one-to-one gluten-free blend by weight and add a quarter teaspoon of xanthan gum if the blend lacks it.
Make it on a slow afternoon, when the light is long and there is no hurry in the house. Cut one square while it is still faintly warm, sit by the window, and let the rest cool for tomorrow. Less, but better.
Pinterest Image
Pinterest Image is a soft almond sheet cake with a crackly sugar top, ready in about 50 minutes and made for sharing.
🧂 Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups (210g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (100g) almond flour
- 1 1/4 cups (250g) granulated sugar, divided
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 3/4 cup (180g) whole-milk plain yogurt
- 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 2 teaspoons almond extract
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/3 cup (40g) sliced almonds, for the top
📋 Instructions
- 1Heat the oven — Set a rack in the lower third and heat the oven to 350F (175C). Line an 8-inch square pan with parchment, leaving two overhanging wings.
- 2Whisk the dry — In a large bowl, whisk the flour, almond flour, 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons of the sugar, baking powder, and salt until no lumps remain.
- 3Blend the wet — In a second bowl, whisk the eggs, yogurt, melted butter, and almond extract until glossy and smooth, about one minute.
- 4Fold together — Pour the wet into the dry and fold with a spatula just until combined. The batter will be thick and slightly sticky; that is right.
- 5Rest the batter — Let the bowl sit on the counter for ten minutes. The almond flour drinks in the liquid and the batter relaxes.
- 6Fill and top — Scrape the batter into the pan and smooth the top with a damp spatula. Scatter the sliced almonds over the surface, then dust with the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar.
- 7Bake until golden — Bake at 350F (175C) for 32 to 38 minutes, until the top is deep golden brown, the edges pull slightly from the pan, and a skewer in the center comes out with only a few moist crumbs.
- 8Cool in the pan — Set the pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes, then lift the cake out by the parchment and cool completely before cutting into twelve squares.
Ingrid explores Scandinavian minimalist design and slow living. She writes about creating calm, functional spaces with fewer, better things.
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