If our almond cake with lemon mascarpone cream were to be described in just one word, it would be “delicious.” Perhaps in two words: “simply delicious.” Its base is nutty and light and then balanced with a thick layer of creamy mascarpone, which gets a fresh and summery aroma from lemon. If you’re looking for an elegant cake, look no further!
Our Almond Cake with Lemon Mascarpone Cream Recipe
It’s hard not to see, or to taste, the beauty of cakes. Whether with nuts, fruits, or simply with airy creams, cake comes in many forms and flavors. We find it hard to pick a favorite direction, but will maintain one truth when it comes to baking cake: Preparing it should be as uncomplicated as possible. Which of course doesn’t mean that the cake isn’t sophisticated. But, as you know, sometimes less is more!
Today, we’re diving into our almond cake with lemon mascarpone. Which takes inspiration from Mediterranean cuisine. We love its fantastically balance of flavors and can’t help but feel whisked away to Italy whenever we enjoy it.
As the name implies, the base is a simple almond cake. This recipe is completely flourless, and insteady you’ll be using ground almond. It does without traditional flour altogether, by the way. To really lean into the almond of it all, today we are going using finely ground almonds for the base. Almond flour will also do! This not only gives the cake a particularly nutty aroma, but also makes it gluten-free without further ado. A little lemon juice and zest will take care of lifting up and sublty complementing the earthy almond..
It’s no lie that alone the almond cake would make for a great minimalist dessert. But, we do believe that the mascarpone lemon cream plays so well with the almond cake that the two really do complete each other. To make the frosting, mix mascarpone, lemon juice, some lemon zest, and powdered sugar until a smooth cream forms. Whip the cream until stiff, then carefully fold it into the mascarpone mix.
Once the cake has properly cooled, you are now free to frost it. Spread the cream on evenly and garnish with lemon zest for a final dose of citrusy freshness. We are of the particular mind, that when it comes to this cake, the more lemony the cream gets, the better. But, we’ll leave the final call up to you! Once ready, simply keep your masterpiece in the fridge until serving. This cake’s flavors and textures are simply better experienced cool, and of course, in the heat of summer, isn’t that just the perfect addition?
Summertime is cake time. Even more delicious cake ideas for sweltering afternoons, barbecues, and picnics in the park can be found at Scrumdiddlyumptious. Say with our Prosecco & cherries cake, two-ingredient marzipan cake, and Nutella marble cake (among others). Happy baking!
Almond Cake with Lemon Mascarpone Cream
Equipment
- 1 (9-in. diameter) springform pan
Ingredients
For the batter:
- ⅔ cup softened butter plus more for greasing the pan
- ½ organic lemon zest and juice
- ½ cup sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1¾ cups finely ground almonds or almond flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
For the cream:
- ⅔ cup heavy cream
- 1 organic lemon zest and juice
- 1 cup mascarpone cheese
- 2 tbsp powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch springform pan with butter. Zest and juice ½ lemon and set aside.
- In a bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Gradually beat in eggs.
- Add salt, vanilla extract, lemon zest, and lemon juice.
- Fold in ground almonds and baking powder. Mix until smooth.
- Pour batter into prepared pan, smooth top, and bake for 35 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool completely.
- While the cake is cooling, prepare the cream. In a bowl, whip heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Zest and juice one lemon.
- In a bowl, combine mascarpone cheese, lemon zest, lemon juice, and powdered sugar. Mix until smooth.
- Gently fold whipped cream into mascarpone mixture. Spread evenly over the cooled cake.
- Sprinkle lemon zest over cream and refrigerate until ready to serve.