Lower Sugar and Healthier Honey-Almond Coffee Cake

This Lower Sugar and Healthier Honey-Almond Cake is worthy of that claim because the entire cake has 23 grams of sugar, instead of 45 grams. The balance of cinnamon, vanilla and a very subtle flavor of almond was the perfect symphony of flavor. The honey-almond topping was gently sweet and absolutely perfect!

I am super excited to share this cake recipe for you. I’ve been avoiding posting baked treats for the last few weeks– especially since January becomes the annual detox month for those of us who are feeling our waistlines have expanded a bit from the holiday aftermath. I deem this cake to be worthy of “healthier” because the entire cake has 23 grams of sugar, instead of 45 grams. Win!

Baking is one of my creative outlets, in the kitchen, but it’s also my weakness when it comes to limiting my carbs and sugar intake. Thanks to America’s Test Kitchen’s cookbook, “Naturally Sweet” (published August 2016), I chose this recipe as my first test run. To say that this cake is moist, and has just the right balance of sweet is an understatement!

I’ve never been a fan of using artificial sweeteners in my bakes. This recipe uses 1/2 cup of honey for the entire cake.

The dry ingredients include all-purpose flour, ground cinnamon and leaveners. For the wet ingredients, there is sour cream, honey, eggs and some melted unsalted butter. In a separate pan, I heated some honey, some melted butter and a pinch of salt. Once it came to simmering, I added sliced almonds.

Add the wet ingredients with the dry, and gave it all a good stir– the batter is pretty thick. In a prepared 9″ pan, I added a round of parchment paper (best insurance to prevent sticking).

The topping is made with honey, a little butter and a pinch of salt until simmering. Last, but not least, sliced almonds are added. (This topping sort of reminds me of the Bee Sting Cake that I posted on this blog– in a very good way.)

The cake is baked at 350F for 22-27 minutes (mine took 22 minutes), until an inserted toothpick in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached. Now, for the wait– like, 30 minutes of smelling the aroma of vanilla and cinnamon.

To remove the cake, I ran a knife around the edge a few times. I placed a round cooling rack on top (or a plate, if you wish), and flipped it upside down. I peeled off the parchment paper and placed my cake plate on top– and flipped it again. Success!

I could immediately tell that the cake was really moist and tender. I give sour cream kudos for that. In case you are wondering– no, you can’t taste the sour cream.

So, here’s my slice of cake– a freshly brewed cup of dark roast coffee was at the ready.

TASTING NOTES: I admit that I have a wicked sweet tooth, so I was a little nervous that this cake would be bland. I had no need to worry! The balance of cinnamon, vanilla and a very subtle flavor of almond was the perfect symphony of flavor. The honey-almond topping was gently sweet and absolutely perfect! My husband went back for a second sliver… and then a generous third slice. He really, really liked it. So did I! I would definitely make this cake again– and I’d consider adding some diced fresh pear into the batter. I think it would be a nice addition.

I am really looking forward to making more recipes from the “Naturally Sweet” cookbook. I’ve been a fan of America’s Test Kitchen for many years and I trust that their recipes are going to turn out great. This one delivered exactly as I had hoped.