This is the easiest almond cake with just 4 main ingredients. This cake has a soft, moist crumb and is lightly sweet with a pop of lemon flavor. You won’t believe it is a grain free and gluten free cake recipe!

Almond Cake Recipe over the top view garnished with almond slices and lemons with slice cut out

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This almond cake comes together quickly and is perfect for unexpected company or satisfying the evening sweet tooth. My mother particularly loved this recipe and no matter how old you are, when your Mom is impressed, it’s a big deal :).

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One of my readers, Yana P. wrote in and shared this Calabrian Walnut Cake with us and since there is a Walnut allergy in the family, we made it (even simpler) into an almond flour cake and changed the proportions. I made it 3 times in 1 week and it disappeared fast every single time. Its a keeper!

Watch How to Make Almond Cake:

The texture of this almond cake is so soft and fluffy, you would never guess it is made with finely ground almonds.You can also make a double batch 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!!

Piece of cake on a fork showing texture of soft almond flour cake

Ingredients for Easy Almond Cake:

Literally all you need to make this cake are 4 main ingredients: almond flour, eggs, sugar and lemon zest. I have tested this recipe with and without the sliced almonds over the top and it works both ways. (See exact measurements and print the recipe below)

Ingredients for almond flour cake with almond flour, sliced almonds, eggs, sugar and lemon zest

How to Measure Almond Flour Correctly:

Spoon almond flour into a dry ingredients measuring cup and level off the top with the flat edge of a knife. Do not compress the almond meal into the cup or you may end up with up to 50% more flour! Read all of our tips and tricks for how to measure accurately for baking.

How to Separate Eggs and Bring to Room Temperature:

To separate eggs, you can either use an egg separator or the shells of your egg if you get a clean break on the shell. It is easier to separate eggs while they are cold. To do that, separate eggs then cover and leave at room temperature no more than 30-60 minutes. You could also separate them and place into separate small bowls and set the egg whites over a larger bowl with warm water so the bowl with the egg white warms up within 5-10 minutes.

Angle of slice of cake being cut from the almond cake for serving

Almond Cake Recipe Printable:

Almond Cake Recipe

4.98 from 604 votes
Author: Natasha of NatashasKitchen.com
Almond cake recipe with lemon and a slice removed
This is the easiest almond cake with just 4 main ingredients. This cake has a soft, moist crumb and is lightly sweet with a pop of lemon flavor. You won't believe it is a grain free and gluten free cake recipe!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients 

Servings: 8 slices

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" cake pan or 9" springform pan. Line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper. Preheat oven to 350˚F.

Almond Cake Recipe Instructions:

  • 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. 
  • 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 batter has an even consistency.
  • Once all the egg whites are incorporated and batter is even in consistency (do not over-mix), transfer 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.
  • Let cake rest in the pan 15 minutes then run a thin spatula around the sides and invert it onto your hand 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

*To Measure Almond Flour: Spoon almond flour into a dry ingredients measuring cup and level off the top with the flat edge of a knife. Do not compress the almond meal into the cup or you may end up with up to 50% more flour! Read all of our tips and tricks for how to measure accurately for baking.

Nutrition Per Serving

218kcal Calories17g Carbs7g Protein14g Fat1g Saturated Fat81mg Cholesterol31mg Sodium54mg Potassium2g Fiber13g Sugar120IU Vitamin A1mg Vitamin C65mg Calcium1.3mg Iron
Nutrition Facts
Almond Cake Recipe
Amount per Serving
Calories
218
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
14
g
22
%
Saturated Fat
 
1
g
6
%
Cholesterol
 
81
mg
27
%
Sodium
 
31
mg
1
%
Potassium
 
54
mg
2
%
Carbohydrates
 
17
g
6
%
Fiber
 
2
g
8
%
Sugar
 
13
g
14
%
Protein
 
7
g
14
%
Vitamin A
 
120
IU
2
%
Vitamin C
 
1
mg
1
%
Calcium
 
65
mg
7
%
Iron
 
1.3
mg
7
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: French
Keyword: almond cake
Skill Level: Easy
Cost to Make: $
Calories: 218
Natasha's Kitchen Cookbook

If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen

Almond Flour Recipes you will LOVE:

Q: What are your very favorite almond flour recipes or gluten free recipes? I’d love to hear from you in a comment below! We are always looking for new ideas.

 

4.98 from 604 votes (390 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




Comments

  • Maryum
    January 29, 2021

    You are the best Natasha. All your recipes are amazing. I have tried this cake recipe many times and it always comes soooo delicious. Many many thanks beautiful.

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      January 30, 2021

      Thank you for that wonderful compliment! I’m so happy you’re enjoying our recipes!

      Reply

  • Shafaq mayet
    January 24, 2021

    This cake turned out well. Followed the directions exactly. It was less than an inch high and I used a 9″ springform.

    Can this recipe be doubled and baked in one pan or would you suggest to make two layers?

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      January 24, 2021

      Good to hear that! Someone else shared this comment “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 hope that helps.

      Reply

  • Erin
    January 22, 2021

    Just made this today with help from my 4 year old son – and we both really enjoyed it! I forgot the almonds on top, and i’m sure that kicks it up even more but it was great and very simple to make. Moist, just sweet enough and 4 year old approved . We will definitely be making this again! 🙂

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      January 22, 2021

      Aww, that’s the best! Thank you so much for sharing that with me. I’m all smiles

      Reply

  • Deborah Chapman
    January 21, 2021

    I made it. Taste and texture are great but it’s only about 1/2 inch high! Not a great visual for a birthday or a company dessert. So I surrounded it with strawberries cut in half.

    It would help to have the almond flour given as a weight.

    Reply

    • Natasha
      January 21, 2021

      Hi Deborah, it should be taller than 1″. I would suggest watching the video tutorial in the post to see where things started to look different. Click on Metric in the recipe card and you will see the weight measurement. It may be too much almond flour.

      Reply

    • Deb
      February 1, 2021

      Or maybe the pan was to big?

      Reply

      • Arvs
        February 27, 2021

        Hello,

        I made this thrice already. Thank you so much. What are your tips to make it more moist instead of dry. Mine’s turning out dry but delicious. Should I add another egg?

        Reply

        • Natasha's Kitchen
          February 28, 2021

          Hi Arvs, a dry cake is usually due to over-baking which can dry out the crumb in the cake.

          Reply

  • Apellon
    January 14, 2021

    I made it, came out really good, i know this is a repeat 👍

    Reply

  • BA
    January 13, 2021

    Hi, I have two questions. 1. Can this be made with a stand mixer?
    2. Is it important to do the egg yolk and egg white separately? Can all be combined together in one go in a stand mixer?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      January 13, 2021

      Hi, I would highly recommend making the recipe as written and you can use a stand mixer instead of an electric mixer.

      Reply

  • Lora Ruscica
    January 11, 2021

    Not sure what I did wrong, but mine turned out very flat like a thick cookie. The taste was good, however but not super moist.

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      January 11, 2021

      Hi Lora, are you possibly using a larger pan to make your cake very flat and cause that to bake faster. Was anything else possibly altered in the recipe?

      Reply

  • Arielle
    January 9, 2021

    And does this cake rise while baking? If so, how much, approximately?
    Thank you!

    Reply

  • Arielle
    January 9, 2021

    Hi, I was reading through the comments, and this cake seems pretty awesome and highly recommended. This morning I made an almond cake using a different recipe, but the instructions weren’t as clear, resulting in different results.
    I would like to try the recipe, but I was wondering if it needed a simple syrup kind of thing to keep it moist? The batch I made this morning was a bit dry, so I’m more cautious of that now. 🙂
    Thank you!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      January 11, 2021

      Hi Arielle, we don’t normally add anything besides what is in the recipe. Be sure not to over-bake the cake.

      Reply

  • Rebecca
    January 2, 2021

    Delicious! Made this for my husband’s birthday. Lightly sweet, moist with a very light marzipan flavor. We will make it again.

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      January 2, 2021

      Thank you for sharing that wonderful review with me, Rebecca! I’m glad you enjoyed that.

      Reply

  • Cass McEntee
    January 1, 2021

    Natasha, I made your almond flour cake today for New Years. It was so easy and came out so tender and moist. I followed your recipe exactly but for one thing, I did not have a lemon, so I used an orange instead. Boy was it good, thank you for a great gluten free recipe.

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      January 2, 2021

      Happy New Year, Cass! Thank you for sharing that wonderful review with me!

      Reply

  • Ana
    December 23, 2020

    Very good, one of the best cakes I tried making…

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      December 23, 2020

      That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review!

      Reply

  • Jennifer Apon
    December 13, 2020

    Hi there, Natasha!

    I love all of your recipes! Have you tried the Almond Cake recipe with a sugar substitute? And if so, could you please give me some recommendations?

    Thank you!

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      December 13, 2020

      Thank you, Jennifer but I honestly haven’t tried any other substitute to advise. I recommend checking the comments section below the recipe if someone else has tried it.

      Reply

  • Samina
    December 10, 2020

    Hi Natasha,
    I was searching for a gluten free cake recipe and am so happy I found one.Looks simple and amazing with just 4 ingredients.I want to try it ASAP. I am out of lemon but I have lemon essence. Can I substitute the 1tbsp lemon zest with lemon essence? If yes how much?

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      December 10, 2020

      Hi Samina, I imagine that should work too but I have not personally tried it to advise. But I imagine that will work.

      Reply

      • Samina
        December 12, 2020

        Hi Natasha,
        I tried the almond cake today and it turned out awesome. I added 1tsp of lemon extract and 3 Tbsp of lemon juice as I did not have lemon zest and the flavor was perfect. So moist and delicious and easy to make .
        Gluten and dairy free unbelievable!!!. The sweetness is so balanced with lemon flavor and the almond crunch..over all it’s amazing!!!.Thank you so much for coming up with a gluten free yumilicious recipe!

        I would greatly appreciate if you can share more gluten free recpies of cookies and cakes .

        Reply

        • Natashas Kitchen
          December 12, 2020

          Thank you so much for that suggestion Samina! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe!

          Reply

  • Gillian
    December 7, 2020

    Just enjoyed this cake for dessert following your Chicken and Broccoli stir fry! Both recipes were great and we will definitely be making them both again. Thank you for your delicious recipes!

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      December 7, 2020

      Hi Gillian, I’m glad you’re enjoying my recipes. I hope that you will love every recipe that you will try!

      Reply

      • Martica Andrews
        August 22, 2023

        This cake is awesome. It’s like marzipan in cake form. It was super easy to make. The first time I made it, I had it with homemade cream cheese ice cream. The second time I made it, I had it for breakfast!! Delish.

        Reply

        • NatashasKitchen.com
          August 22, 2023

          Hi Martica! I’m glad you loved the recipe. Thank you for sharing.

          Reply

  • Sophie
    December 6, 2020

    Hello Natasha! First of all, let me say, I absolutely LOVE your recipes! They always turn out to be fantastic. By the way, I love your enthusiasm on your show,! I have tried many of your recipes including your Chocolate chip cookies, peanut butter cookies, and your banana bread. I tried this almond cake, and it came out exactly like it looked in the picture! It wasn’t too sweet, and the lemon zest was an amazing touch to the cake. Thank you so much for your recipes, and I am looking forward to trying many more of them!

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      December 7, 2020

      Hello Sophie, great to read your comments and feedback. Thank you for an awesome review, I hope that you will love every recipe that you will try!

      Reply

  • Jean
    December 6, 2020

    When I cooked mine is more like brownish and not yellow? what is that?

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      December 6, 2020

      It’s supposed to be a golden brown type of color and not exactly yellowish.

      Reply

  • Janna Andrews
    November 17, 2020

    Natasha, question – it says 218 calories per serving it but doesn’t state the portion size. How do I cut the cake to get 218 cal per slice? 6? 8? 12? It looks delicious and 17g carbs works with my diabetes plan but only if I know how to cut the cake in order to get one serving.
    Thanks! Can’t wait to try this.

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      November 17, 2020

      Servings: 8 slices. You may base the nutritional info on the servings stated in the recipe card. I hope that helps.

      Reply

  • Rose
    November 16, 2020

    I made this yesterday and it was delicious! I would have taken a picture, but my family ate it all so quickly! Thank you for this receipe.

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      November 16, 2020

      That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite!

      Reply

  • Mari
    November 8, 2020

    Just perfect! Thank you for recipe!

    Reply

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