This Chocolate-Frangipane Bundt Cake is a show-stopper: a rich chocolate cake with a hidden frangipane layer inside, crowned with drippy icing and almonds.
This cake would be perfect for the holiday season–or any time of year you want to go all-out on a delicious cake.
There are a lot of directions and ingredients, but the cake is really quite straightforward to make. I tried to simplify some elements from the original in Bake from Scratch Magazine (who would notice browned butter in a cake that’s already rich in several ways?) and made the ingredient division friendlier, too.
I have a deep, abiding love for frangipane, and this recipe balances the sweet almond paste against a nice, dense chocolate cake. It’s a fine combo.
If you want to save some baking day effort, make the frangipane a day ahead and stash it in the fridge. I do that quite often with recipes like this.
Bready or Not: Chocolate-Frangipane Bundt Cake
Equipment
- 10-cup bundt pan or larger
Ingredients
Frangipane
- 1 cup almond flour sifted
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick) melted and cooled
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
Bundt Cake
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick) plus more for pan
- 2 cups whole buttermilk or soured milk*
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 Tablespoon instant espresso powder
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups white sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup Dutch process cocoa powder sifted, plus more to dust pan
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
Frosting
- 1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 3 Tablespoon half & half or heavy cream
- sliced almonds
Instructions
- First of all, make the frangipane. In a medium bowl, stir together all ingredients until a smooth paste forms. This can be made a day or hours ahead of the cake assembly; if it is made ahead, press plastic wrap to directly cover the frangipane and refrigerate until it is used.
- Preheat oven at 350-degrees. Generously grease interior surface of a 10-cup bundt pan with butter, then sift extra cocoa powder to coat it as much as possible. Rotate pan to distribute cocoa powder, tapping out excess if necessary.
- Melt butter in microwave or on stovetop and let it cool a few minutes. Pour it into the bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk attachment. Add the buttermilk, eggs, espresso powder, almond extract, and vanilla, beating until smooth.
- In a separate large bowl, combine the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt, and baking powder. Switch from the whisk to the paddle attachment. Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the wet until just smooth.
- Pour half the batter into the pan and smooth the top. Dollop the frangipane over the batter and smooth out, if possible. Top with remaining cake batter and smooth it again.
- Bake until the middle passes the toothpick test, about 55 to 60 minutes, rotating pan halfway through. Let pan cool for about 20 minutes and then carefully invert it onto a rack to completely cool. Bits might stick to the pan; if so, pry them out and try to patch the cake. Remember that frosting will help mask any damage.
- Once the cake is room temperature, make the frosting. Beat the confectioners' sugar, almond extract, and half & half together to together to form a thick consistency, then drizzle over the cake. Sprinkle sliced almonds on top.
- Cake will be moister on the first day but keeps fairly well for a few days. Slices can also be individually wrapped and frozen for later.
