Making marzipan cake from scratch is always a daunting prospect for novice bakers who don’t have experience using almond paste. Today, with this simple and easy recipe, you will want to add this to your holiday baking every single year.
Why make this marzipan cake?
If you love marzipan you will enjoy this recipe. It has a wonderful almond marzipan flavor. The recipe is a fuss-free, simple, and easy recipe with a standard creaming method. Most of the ingredients are simple pantry staples or easy to find such as marzipan. Today, I am using homemade marzipan but you can certainly use store-bought marzipan just as well. I am baking the cake in a pretty bundt pan but you can also use a round cake pan to make a layer cake or a loaf pan to make a coffee cake.
Ingredients and substitutes
Marzipan – I am using homemade marzipan made with ground almond but you could also use other ground nuts such as cashews, or pecans. Flour – All-purpose flour with little leavening works great for this recipe and adds some needed stability. Fat – I like adding both butter and oil to this recipe. Butter adds a wonderful flavor while the oil helps keep the cake moist. Flavor – Orange zest adds a wonderful flavor along with the classic vanilla extract. Almond extract enhances the flavor of the almond marzipan in the recipe. Eggs – Use large eggs and make sure to incorporate each well into the batter before you add the next one. Sugar – I am using white granulated sugar but you can also use brown sugar for that light caramel-like flavor. However, do note that brown sugar will also change the color of the cake to a light cream. Optional ingredients Almond flour – You can replace 1/2 cup flour with almond meal or ground almonds to enhance the flavor or almonds. Cocoa – Substitute 1/2 cup flour with 1/2 cup cocoa powder to make a chocolate marzipan cake. Orange Marzipan cake – Substitute the milk in the recipe with orange juice to enhance the flavor of oranges.
Step-by-step: How to make the best marzipan cake
Preheat the oven at 325F / 165C / Gas Mark 3. Grease and flour a 12-cup bundt pan (I am using a lotus bundt pan).Pro tip – You can line 2 x 9-inch round cake pans with parchment paper or grease a 9 x 4 x 4-inch loaf pan.
In a medium bowl, crumble the marzipan and add 2 tbsp of water. Heat in the microwave for 30 seconds to a minute until smooth.Pro tip – Melting the marzipan now will prevent a lumpy batter. Set aside to cool. Dry ingredients – In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, spices, and orange zest. In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, on medium speed, cream the marzipan, butter, and sugar until light and fluffy.
Next, add the vanilla extract and almond extract followed by the eggs, one at a time, making sure each egg is well incorporated in the batter. Finally, add the flour mixture with the milk in three batches alternating each other. Combine until smooth but do not overmix.Pro tip – We do not want to activate the gluten in our flour so do not over mix once you add the flour. Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan.Pro tip – I sprinkled the bottom of my bundt pan with a few almond flakes before pouring in the batter. This way the bottom of the cake has some almonds on top.
Bake on the middle rack for 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Then, place a plate over the pan and invert the cake onto a platter and dust with powdered sugar.
Variations
Marzipan layer cake – You can bake this cake batter in 2 x 9-inch cake pans or one 9-inch springform pan. Frost it with buttercream to make a marzipan layer cake. This is perfect to celebrate a special occasion during the holiday season. Marzipan jam cake – Bake in a loaf pan then brush the marzipan sponge cake with apricot or your favorite jam (mine is raspberry). or Marzipan shortcake – Similar to the strawberry shortcake. You can brush this cake with jam. Whip the heavy cream to soft peaks and frost the cake with whipped cream instead of buttercream. Marzipan decorations – You can color some marzipan and mold it into fruits or flowers to add on top of the cake.
Tips and troubleshooting
Make sure all the ingredients are at room temperature. Use fine-grain sugars when preparing cake batters so it dissolves easily. Grease and flour bundt pan well. Nothing is worst than to have a delicious cake stuck in the bundt. Overbaking – Overbaking a cake can make it dry. You must test the cake a few minutes before the cooking time guide because all ovens work differently. Dense cake – Often, this could be the reason for overmixing the cake. When you activate too much gluten in the cake, the cake rises when baking but sinks as soon as it comes out of the oven. The resulting sink causes the cake to be dense. Undercooked bundt cake – Cakes bake from the outside in, so often the cake may appear cooked while still not finished cooking on the inside. That is why we need to test for doneness by inserting a skewer in the center of the cake. If the skewer inserted in the center comes out clean without any batter it means the cake is done. Bundt cake sunk after baking – Usually, too much leavening agent such a baking powder or baking soda.
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Frequently asked questions
Creative ways to serve marzipan cake
Individual Cake Bites: Cut your marzipan cake into small bite-sized cubes or balls and serve them on skewers or lollipop sticks for a fun and portable dessert option. Marzipan Cake Truffles: Crumble the marzipan cake, mix it with cream cheese or frosting, and roll it into truffle-sized balls. Coat them in chocolate or colored candy melts and decorate with sprinkles or chopped nuts. or Marzipan Parfait: Layer marzipan cake cubes with whipped cream, fresh berries, and a drizzle of raspberry or strawberry sauce in parfait glasses for an elegant dessert presentation. Marzipan Ice Cream Sundae: Place a slice of marzipan cake in a bowl, top it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, and drizzle with warm chocolate sauce. Garnish with chopped nuts or a maraschino cherry. Marzipan Cake Milkshake: Blend marzipan cake with vanilla ice cream and milk to create a rich and indulgent milkshake. Top it with whipped cream and crumbled cake for added texture. and Marzipan Cake Sandwich: Slice the marzipan cake and use it as the “bread” for an ice cream sandwich. Add a scoop of your favorite ice cream flavor in the center. Marzipan Fondue: Cut the marzipan cake into bite-sized pieces and serve it with a warm chocolate or caramel fondue for dipping. Marzipan Cake Affogato: Place a slice of marzipan cake in a bowl or glass, and pour a shot of hot espresso or strong coffee over it. Top it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. Easy Marzipan Cheesecake: Create a marzipan cake crust for a cheesecake by crumbling the cake and mixing it with melted butter. Press the mixture into the bottom of a springform pan and pour your favorite cheesecake filling on top. Marzipan Cake Napoleon: Layer marzipan cake slices with pastry cream and fresh fruit to create a beautiful and decadent Napoleon dessert. or Marzipan Cake Roll: Spread a thin layer of whipped cream or fruit preserves over a slice of marzipan cake and roll it into a log shape. Slice it into pinwheels and serve as a dessert roll-up. Marzipan Fruit Pizza: Flatten marzipan cake to create a crust, spread a layer of sweetened cream cheese or yogurt on top, and arrange fresh fruit slices in an attractive pattern. Of course, you can use a marzipan cake instead of fruitcake to serve as your Christmas cake.
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