This easy Almond Cake has just 4 main ingredients and a soft, moist crumb. It’s lightly sweet with a pop of lemon flavor, and it has so many rave reviews you won’t believe it is a grain-free and gluten-free cake recipe!
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Helpful Reader Review
“A couple days ago, I found this recipe, I wanted to impress some expected guests though. WOW! I followed the prep and baking as instructed, it was a totally success, so our guests loved it, they asked for extra piece…” – Laura ★★★★★
Almond Cake Video
See this almond cake recipe come together quickly. My mother particularly loved this recipe, and no matter how old you are, when your Mom is impressed, it’s a big deal :).
Easy Almond Cake Recipe
A reader, Yana, shared this Calabrian Walnut Cake with me, and since there is a Walnut allergy in the family, I made it into this easy, gluten-free almond-flour cake. It’s a keeper!
The texture of this almond cake is so soft and fluffy, you would never guess it is made with finely ground almonds or that it’s gluten-free! It gets rave reviews when served plain, but it can also pair with Lemon Curd, Strawberry Sauce, Blueberry Compote, citrus, or chocolate shavings.
You can also double the almond cake recipe and create a stunning two-layer cake since it bakes up level and is sturdy enough to stack. This would make an amazing gluten-free birthday cake!!
Almond Cake Ingredients
Grab these 4 main ingredients to make the best almond cake in under an hour!
- Almond Flour – also called almond meal, it can be found by the flour in the baking aisle, and be sure to measure correctly!
- Eggs – separated egg and yolks. Since eggs provide the rise, it’s important to start at room temperature so the eggs capture as much air as possible. To bring to room temperature quickly, place them in a bowl of warm water for 5-10 minutes.
- Sugar – regular granulated sugar works with the eggs to create lift and sweeten the almond cake
- Lemon zest – grate one large lemon, or swap 1-to-1 with orange zest
- Optional – slivered almonds, confectioners’ sugar, and lemon slices to garnish
How to Make Almond Cake
Prep time for this Almond Cake takes just 10 minutes, so I find it easiest to use an electric hand mixer to make the batter.
- Prep – Grease and line a 9″ round cake pan (or use a springform pan, if you have one) and preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Beat the egg yolks and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer for 3 minutes until thick, and then add the almond flour and zest. Clean and dry the beaters.
- Whip the egg whites into stiff peaks (2 minutes), and then fold them into the almond flour mixture. Careful not to deflate the whites.
- Bake – pour batter into prepared pan and top with slivered almonds, if using, and then bake at 350°F for 30 minutes.
- Rest – cool the cake in the pan for 15 minutes and then remove and cool to room temperature. Garnish, if desired.
Toppings
This almond cake is beautiful on its own or dusted with powdered sugar. Or see as a blank slate for toppings:
- Fruit – Garnish with sliced citrus, berries, or slices of pear, peach, or fig.
- Drizzle – Chocolate Ganache, Caramel Sauce, or Dulce de Leche
- Dollop – Whipped Cream, ice cream, or Greek yogurt
- Stack – Make two batches, top one with Vanilla Buttercream, Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting, Apricot Jam, or Country Peach Preserves, and then stack the second on top
Make-Ahead
This cake keeps well for 3-4 days on the counter in an airtight container, or in the fridge/freezer. Cool it completely and then store, but it keeps best without garnish.
- To Refrigerate: Wrap in plastic wrap or place in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Freezing: Wrap in plastic wrap in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months in the freezer. Thaw in the fridge or on the counter overnight.
Helpful Reader Review
“I make 2 small cakes with this recipe, and then one I freeze. I always have a dessert for 5-6 people ready. Delicious with fresh berries a a little whip cream. I have celiac and I have probably made this cake 50 times in the last year….maybe more! Always turns out great!” – Erin ★★★★★
My easy almond cake recipe is a classic and versatile dessert everyone will love. They won’t even know it’s gluten-free, so keep this recipe for a quick, crowd-pleasing dessert.
Almond Cake
Ingredients
Almond Cake Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups almond flour, measured correctly*
- 4 eggs, separated, room temperature
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 Tbsp lemon zest, grated from 1 large lemon
- 1/4 cup sliced almonds
- Confectioners sugar and lemon slices for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Prep – Grease/butter a 9" round cake pan or 9" springform pan. Line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper. Preheat oven to 350˚F.
- Beat – In a large mixing bowl, combine 4 egg yolks and 1/2 cup sugar. Beat with an electric hand mixer on high speed 3 minutes or until thick, creamy, and lightened in color. Add 1 1/2 cups almond flour and 1 Tbsp lemon zest, and use a spatula to fold and stir together until incorporated. Wash and dry attachments from the mixer.
- Whip – In a second large mixing bowl, add 4 egg whites and beat together until stiff peaks form (about 2 minutes). Fold the egg whites 1 heaping spoonful at a time into the almond batter, folding with each addition just until incorporated and scraping from the bottom of the bowl to ensure the batter has an even consistency.
- Bake – Once all the egg whites are incorporated and the batter is even in consistency (do not over-mix), transfer the batter to the prepared baking pan and sprinkle the top with 1/4 cup sliced almonds. Bake at 350˚F for 30 minutes or until top is firm.
- Rest – Let the cake rest in the pan for 15 minutes. Then run a thin spatula around the sides and invert it onto your hand, and then place it right side up on the rack. Let cool to room temperature and garnish with powdered sugar and lemon slices if desired.
Notes
- Refrigerate – keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Freeze – store in the freezer for up to 3 month, and then thaw in the fridge or on the counter overnight.
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
More Gluten-Free Dessert Recipes
This almond cake is proof that gluten-free desserts are tasty and perfect for every occasion, so try these other delicious gluten-free dessert recipes:
- Lemon Posset
- Flan
- Hard Boiled Egg Chocolate Pudding
- Date Snickers Bars
- Panna Cotta
- Mini Cheesecakes (with GF crusts)
- Creme Brulee
Amazing!! I made the almond cake recipe as muffins and they were incredible!! Light and tasty. Thank you!
You’re welcome, Jane! Thank you for sharing that great review with me!
This recipe was NOT easy, it was NOT quick, and it was NOT what I could bring to the in-laws as planned. All the ingredients were wasted as it was simply inedible. Don’t tease with these pictures and false catch phrases like “comes together easily” !
Hi Janet, sorry to hear you had a bad experience. I am always happy to troubleshoot since this is a very popular recipe among our readers. Did you change anything in the process or the order of ingredients added? I highly recommend watching the video tutorial to see where things went wrong.
Hi Natasha! Oh my, this cake was such a fun surprise! I honestly didn’t expect much out of a gluten free cake, and this was just the bomb! I made 2 cakes, and stacked them on top of each other as a birthday cake. I made a cream for this cake from the recipe Layered Strawberry Cake on your blog, which included heavy wipping cream, philadelphia cheese and sugar. I cut the cream recipe by third, and it was just a little more than I needed ( I guess enough, since kids wanted to sample the cream and lick the bowl, haha :). Here is the link to strawberry cake https://natashaskitchen.com/strawberry-cake-recipe/. I wasn’t sure if the layers will be moist enough from just the cream, so I soaked the cake with a mix from juice from 1 lemon, 2 tablespoonfuls of water and a couple of tsp sugar. I refrigerated the cake for 16 hours before we sampled it, I could’ve eaten a half of it if I didn’t have to share :). It had such a nice lemon flavor, was moist enough, but not wet; honestly, just perfect! Will definitely make this cake again for this Sunday, just because I am craving it again! Thank you!
Thank you for sharing your wonderful review!
Hi Natasha, I made this recipe with my mom last night, and our family finished it by breakfast. We made another one today! It is so delicious and simple to follow. Thank you so much!
That’s just awesome Jen! It sounds like you found a new family favorite!
Hi could we substitute lemon juice with almond essence?
Hi Abroo, I haven’t personally tried that yet to advise. If you do an experiment, please let us know how you liked that version.
My moms birthday is tomorrow and she loves all things almond. I am going to make this cake but will substitute almond essence for the lemon. I will report back.
Sounds great! Happy Birthday to your mom, I hope this cake will become a hit!
I just made this- so quick and easy! Haven’t tasted yet but it looks like it will be good. I wanted to ask whether it should be stored in the refrigerator or at room temp. Thank you!
Thanks, I hope you love this recipe! It will keep for a day or two at room temperature. If it is going to be in a warm area, I would cover and refrigerate to be safe. Before serving, bring to room temperature then dust with powdered sugar just before serving,
This Almond cake is a moist, spongy yet melt in the mouth. Not overly sweet and has a more than a hint of the lemon zest (though I’m not a fan of cake that smells of washing up liquid and would experiment with almond essence instead). It also has an eggy flavour to it.
The slivered nuts on top give it a good crunch, otherwise it would go down too quick. It is a small cake and two of them would work well with a filling between them – I’m thinking cherry jam (having the nut slivers on both). As it is, an eighth sized portion is never going to satisfy but a quarter is getting there.
Quick and relatively painless to make, though folding in the whisked egg white, one heaped tablespoon at a time, is overly tedious so after you’ve done a few (as the batter starts out very thick), you can make the dollops you fold into to the mix much bigger.
For the metric measurements, I found that 1 1/2 cups of almond flour (ground almonds in the UK) weighed 135g and not 150g. And cooking at 160 C in a fan oven meant it was done in 30 minutes
Overall, a good little cake and promises to make a great base for something grander.
Hi Natasha
would love to try it. I didnt notice you add butter and baking powder. whats the difference? Thanks
Hi Rasha, I suggest following the recipe as written. It relies on the volume of the eggs to rise.
Hi, I was wondering if this this would bake properly in a bundt pan? I had a request for an almond cake but since its for a party I wanted something I could jazz up a bit, visually.
Hi Emily, I haven’t tested this in a bundt cake to advise but I worry it won’t work.
OMG, this cake is amazing. I almost didn’t make it as I had never tried separating eggs or whipped egg whites before. I am so glad I didn’t. The cake is so light and had the right amount of sweetness. I skipped the sliced almonds and had to give it an extra 10 mins. Thanks for the recipe!
You are most welcome! So happy to know that you loved this almond cake!
Hi Natasha, Can I add peaches to this cake?
Hi Michelle, I have not tested this with peach to advise. If you happen to experiment I would love to know how you like that!
Looking at the nutritional info – what is the serving size?
Hi Nc, this recipe makes 8 slices. A serving is one slice. I hope that is helpful.
Made this for company today and everyone had a second piece! I hardly have any cake left! Moist and light. I omitted the sliced almonds and once the cake was baked I drizzled it with a lemon and icing sugar glaze. Really good quality gluten free cake. I am definitely going to try the almond nuttela cake next!
That’s so great Paige!! You know its good when everyone is grabbing a second slice.
I made this last night. I picked this almond cake recipe because it takes 4 ingredients that I have most of the time! I made the recipe as called for but swapped the lemon zest for orange zest (out of lemons), and added a quarter teaspoon each of almond extract and vanilla extract. The cake smelled so wonderful coming out of the oven. I frosted the top with a cream cheese (2 ounces), heavy cream (1/3 c), and sugar (2 tbsp) topping (all measurements eye balled). This made a fairly small cake, and though my husband and I could have cut it into 8 slices, we cut it into 4… with each slice only have about 2 tbsp and 1.3 tsp sugar, I can’t say I felt guilty eating my slice; nor will I feel guilty eaten the other slice tonight.
This is a great base recipe to add to and experiment. Maybe a chocolate chip addition next time, or molasses!
Thank you so much for sharing that with me Ilona! I’m happy you enjoyed this recipe!
Thank you for this recipe
I made a double recipe for a baby shower today. I layered it (2 9inch cakes sliced in half – so 4 layers) and put almond flavoured whipped cream and blueberries+blackberries between the layers. It was a perfect light cake for a summer party
I’m so happy you enjoyed that Charlotte! Thank you for that wonderful review!
How did you make the almond flavored whipped cream in was that in the middle of the cake or on top?
Make sure that you have enough egg yolk volume or you might end up having lumps in the batter like I did.
Hi Kiran! Thank you for that feedback and that’s right – this recipe relies on the eggs for its volume.
Could I add poppy seeds to this? My husband loves poppy seed cake but isn’t a huge fan of frostings, so I thought I might try it.
Hi Donna, I haven’t tried adding poppy seeds but I think it would work to add some to the batter, folding it in at the very end before baking.
I made a vanilla cake, it was the best cake I ever made. It was so moist and tasty. Thank you Natasha.
You’re welcome, Marina! It sounds like you found a new favorite!
i dont have an egg beater, how important id it to get the eggs to be white and creamy
Hi Arti, You’d want to get it as close as possible. This recipe relies on the eggs for its volume.
Have you used this recipe to bake cupcakes?
Hello Sarah, I haven’t tried that yet to advise. If you do an experiment, please share with us how it goes!
I didn’t have any lemons or limes but I had one of those lemon juice things and added more than a tablespoon and didn’t taste any lemon 🙁 Other than that, I really like the cake! I’ll have to get an actual lemon next time.
Thanks for sharing and I’m still glad you liked it!
Fantastic cake. Super easy and delish! I added a 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla paste and served with fresh strawberries! Will make again and again! Thank you
So awesome, I am so glad you loved it!