Moist, light, and packed with flavor Almond Flour Cake is oil free, refined sugar free, and naturally gluten free! With a tender crumb, hint of lemon and delicate almond flavor, this dessert can optionally be topped with a dairy free frosting.
Almond flour cake recipes like almond flour carrot cake, almond flour chocolate cake, and healthy birthday cake have quickly become new flourless family favorites!
Table of contents
This healthy almond flour cake is the almond equivalent of a vanilla sponge cake; it’s simple, with a slight citrus twist through the addition of lemon or orange zest. You can enjoy it lightly dusted with powdered sugar or prepare a simple whipped coconut cream icing and top with berries.
Unlike traditional cakes made with all purpose flour, almond flour is packed with healthy fats and is naturally gluten free and low carb.
Baking with almond flour has become a favorite of mine due to its’ ability to yield soft, fluffy baked goods without an overwhelming almond taste.
I love to use it year round, including in the spring in healthy carrot cake bars and the summer in healthy strawberry bars!
Why Make Almond Flour Cake Recipe?
- Simple and quick to make: One bowl and 15 minutes prep is all you need to make the cake portion of the recipe!
- Nutrient dense: Almond flour contains several vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants alongside monounsaturated fats, which boost heart health by reducing cholesterol levels. Magnesium within the flour helps regulate blood sugar levels, and the fact that it’s a low glycemic index food is great for those with diabetes.
- No ’empty calories’: Whole food ingredients with no white sugar, no processed/bleached white flour and no oil.
- Anytime of the day: Due to the healthy nature of this almond cake, it can be eaten as a dessert or even enjoyed for breakfast (alongside Instant Pot yogurt and/or healthy granola, perhaps?).
- ‘Diet’ suitable: Gluten free, low carb, grain free, paleo and even dairy free when you use coconut oil for greasing the pan.
From my first almond flour recipe of berry almond muffins, followed by healthy pumpkin cake, fudgy almond flour brownies, and crispy almond flour waffles (and many more), the light texture and slight nutty flavor are some of the main reasons I love baking with almond flour!
Ingredients for Almond Cake with Almond Flour
- Eggs: You’ll need 4 large eggs at room temperature. I have not tried flax eggs or chia seed egg, but you could try. Cake will be more dense.
- Citrus Zest: Use the zest of either a lemon or orange. Make sure not to include the white pith, which is bitter. You may also love these healthy lemon poppy seed muffins or healthy lemon cookies!
- Sweetener: You can use maple syrup or honey. Other liquid sweeteners may also work, but the flavor will vary.
- Baking Soda: To provide lift and texture.
- Almond flour: Use superfine blanched almond flour for this cake recipe. I usually buy ‘bulk sized’ Kirkland (Costco brand), then I have enough to make Instant Pot peach cobbler, chocolate chip cookies and healthy cookie dough.
- Butter: Or coconut oil (best for dairy free), this is for greasing the cake tin.
Cooking spray is not enough to prevent sticking. However, I’ve found butter or coconut oil to be a good option.
- Salt: Just a pinch for flavor.
- Vanilla extract: Or vanilla paste will work. Alternatively, you could use real vanilla seeds.
Optional Gluten Free Almond Cake Toppings
- Coconut milk: Use a can of full fat coconut milk chilled in the fridge overnight. Certain brands work better than others (read FAQs).
- Powdered sugar: Or a powdered sugar alternative like erythritol/monkfruit like I do in healthy sugar cookie icing!
- Fresh berries: I used a combination of fresh strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries. You could even make a compote like I do in Greek yogurt cheesecake!
- Lemon glaze: Try this easy one from healthy lemon poppy seed bread.
- (Optional) Vanilla extract: For a vanilla dairy free icing.
Alternatively, you can sprinkle the top of the cake with flaked almonds and a light dusting of powdered sugar.
How to Make Healthy Almond Flour Cake
If you plan on making the coconut whipped cream topping for almond flour lemon cake, then place the can in the fridge overnight, ready to prepare later.
Bake Almond Flour Cake
- Preheat the oven: To 350F/125C and prepare the cake pan with either a pre-cut parchment round.
Easily create your own parchment round for a round cake pan! Trace around the base of the cake tin over parchment paper then cut it out (I do this for healthy chocolate cake recipe, too!). Grease the bottom and sides of the pan well with butter, or coconut oil, then add the parchment round and grease the top of that too. Note: unless doubling the recipe, you will need only 1 round cake pan.
- Mix the cake batter: In a large bowl, beat the eggs well, then add the maple syrup, vanilla extract, baking soda, and salt – whisking well to combine. Add the lemon zest and whisk well until there are no lumps. Finally, add the almond flour and gently fold it into the batter until well incorporated.
- Bake the almond cake: Pour almond flour cake recipe batter into the previously prepared cake pan and bake on the middle rack for 23-25 minutes.
How to know when almond flour cake is done baking? A toothpick inserted in the center will come out clean (or with a few crumbs) and your cake will be light and springy.
- Allow the cake to cool: Allow the cake to cool for around an hour in the pan, then use a flat spatula or knife to run around the pans’ edges and flip upside down to release the cake onto a cooling rack. Remove the parchment paper from the bottom of the cake and then allow it to cool completely before frosting.
Make Coconut Whipped Cream
- Drain the coconut milk can: Turn the chilled coconut milk can upside down and open. Drain the liquid from the top of the can and then transfer the cream to a large bowl. The drained liquid from the can is usable within green smoothies in place of water.
- Beat to whipped cream: Add the powdered sugar and then beat with a mixer until fluffy, like whipped cream.
If your frosting is too thin to use for your almond flour cake recipe, then you can refrigerate it for around an hour and/or add a little additional powdered sugar. This trick always works to make Greek yogurt frosting thicker!
Assemble Almond Cake
- Frost the cake: Top the cake with the whipped coconut cream and berries, optionally with some mint leaves to garnish. Serve the cake immediately, or chill until you’re ready to serve.
It’s essential to chill the almond cake with almond flour if you’ve topped it with coconut whipped cream as the cream will soften as it sits at room temperature.
Optional Add-In’s and Variations
- For a ‘Cherry Bakewell’ cake: Bake the almond cake sprinkled with almond flakes. Once baked, slice this cake in half and slather a layer of cherry jam in the middle. Then drizzle the cake with a bit of icing (a simple combination of confectioners’ sugar and milk).
- Extract: Swap the vanilla extract for almond extract for even more ‘nutty’ taste.
- Cinnamon: Or even pumpkin pie spice would lend a warm taste during the fall or winter.
- Dried lavender: Tastes lovely with the lemon zest.
- Lemon thyme: Would add a savory, herby taste! One tablespoon of minced fresh thyme would be suitable.
Tips for Best Results
- To provide more lift in the cake: You could separate the egg white and yolks. Whip the egg whites to soft peak consistency. Mix the egg yolks into the batter and normal. Then fold in the egg whites as the final ingredient into the batter – folding them in carefully, so you don’t knock out too much of the air from the whites.
- Room temperature eggs: Will beat into a fluffier volume than cold eggs. Leave out for a few hours or fill a medium sized bowl with warm water (bathwater temp) and let sit for 5-10 minutes.
- Do not use a springform pan: I highly recommend avoiding this. In my experience, this tends to deform the cake shape and makes it very thin looking.
- If you don’t have powdered sugar: You can actually make some at home with your granulated sugar (or sugar alternative of choice) and a high speed blender or electric coffee or spice grinder.
- Make sure to use the spoon and level method: When measuring the almond flour (rather than scooping the cup directly into the flour bag). If you use too much flour, the almond cake will end up dense.
FAQs
This almond flour cake is specifically designed to be used with almond flour. However, you may be able to get similar results with cashew flour – which is similar in terms of fat content.
If you use almond meal, then the texture will be quite different – though it will work. Superfine almond flour works best if you can find it!
The keto diet has given rise to grain free baking in the past few years, if this applies to you, you could swap the liquid sweetener for a sugar free liquid sweetener (like liquid monkfruit/erythritol), taste might change. Do not use a granulated sugar free replacement, though for the cake batter. Powdered erythritol icing sugar (like Swerve) could be used in the coconut whipped cream.
This isn’t something I’ve tried with this recipe, though I do have a healthy vanilla cupcakes recipe with almond flour. I also have several almond flour muffin recipes, including almond flour banana muffins, almond flour muffins, and almond flour blueberry muffins.
If you want to experiment with this almond cake with almond flour recipe, I’d bake the muffins/cupcakes for between 15-25 minutes (this will vary on the size of your pan and oven, so keep an eye after 15 minutes.
It’s best to use brands that don’t contain additives and stabilizers, which can affect how the contents of the tin separate and whip. I’ve had positive and negative experiences with options that include guar gum – and have found it best to chill these in the refrigerator for longer to guarantee separation ( 2 days in advance, if possible).
Several brands work well for whipping including full fat Thai Kitchen, Compliments, and 365 Organic, I use those brands for healthy chocolate frosting and healthy banana cream pie, too.
If you have a batch that won’t whip up thick enough then don’t worry, you can still spread it over the cake as a softer ‘icing’.
A pound cake is essentially a dense cake made with a pound of each main ingredient – flour, butter, sugar and eggs. So while cake with almond flour might be similar to pound cake in that it also has a denser texture than a traditional yellow cake, this recipe does not use a pound of each ingredient. It is much healthier with a small amount of unrefined sugar and no oil (or butter – except what is minimally used for greasing).
Serving Suggestions
- Snack: This gluten free almond cake is not overly sweet making it a great choice for healthy snacks.
- Layered dessert: Unfrosted healthy almond flour cake will also work well as a good base for healthy trifle dishes or layer it with strawberry yogurt then top with sliced almonds!
- Healthy birthday cake: Make two cakes and layer them with healthy buttercream frosting, top with sprinkles or fresh berries.
- Drizzle with chocolate: Make my shortbread cookies chocolate drizzle, and after plating cake drizzle with chocolate.
- Holidays: This almond flour lemon cake would be lovely served on Mother’s Day with healthy no bake cheesecake or healthy lemon bars.
How else can I top this almond flour cake? Along with the options already mentioned, you could also make this almond cake more of a decadent treat by using healthy buttercream frosting, Greek yogurt or healthy cream cheese frosting (plain, strawberry, coffee, or chocolate flavored frosting will all work well) – optionally swirled with a bit of your favorite berry jam or compote.
How to Store Leftovers?
Storing: Refrigerate leftover almond flour cake, covered, for between 3-4 days. Allow it to come to room temperature before serving.
Freeze: You can freeze the unfrosted cake tightly wrapped in a few layers of plastic wrap for up to 3 months. Thaw on a counter for a few hours.
Can I make this cake ahead of time? You can prepare the almond cake in advance (unfrosted) and wrap it in plastic wrap. Store in a cool, dry place for a day in advance or within the fridge for a couple of days. Then assemble the cake before serving. Coconut whipped cream can be stored in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 1 week. You will likely need to whip it again immediately after removing it from the fridge to achieve the fluffy texture.
More Healthy Dessert Recipes
- Healthy chocolate cake
- Healthy coffee cake
- Healthy carrot cake
- Healthy vanilla cupcakes
- Healthy coffee cake
You might also enjoy this list of best almond flour recipes!
Almond Flour Cake
Ingredients
- 4 large eggs
- 1/2 cup maple syrup or honey
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 lemon or orange zest of
- 1 3/4 cups almond flour 6 oz
- Butter or coconut oil for greasing
Optional Garnishes
- 14 oz can coconut milk full fat
- 3 tbsp icing sugar
- Berries like strawberries, raspberries and blueberries
Instructions
- Place can of coconut milk in the fridge overnight if making "whipped cream".
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place cake pan on parchment paper, circle with a pen and cut out the round. Grease bottom and sides of the pan with butter or coconut oil really well. Place round inside the cake pan and grease it too.
- In a large bowl, add eggs and whisk well. Add maple syrup, vanilla extract, baking soda, and salt; whisk until well combined. Add lemon zest and whisk.
- Add almond flour and mix with spatula until well incorporated.
- Pour batter into previously prepared cake pan and bake on the middle rack for 23-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and let cool in a pan for an hour or so. Using a flat spatula carefully separate edges of the cake from a pan and transfer to a cooling rack. If you are decorating with coconut cream cake has to cool off completely. If not, sprinkle with icing sugar or not, cut into 10 slices and enjoy.
To Make Coconut "Whipped Cream"
- Flip can of coconut milk upside down and open. Drain the liquid on top and transfer cream into a large bowl. Add powdered sugar and beat with a mixer until fluffy. If it's too thin, refrigerate for another hour.
- To assemble the cake, top it with whipped coconut cream and berries. Also mint leaves garnish looks pretty.
Store: Refrigerate covered for up to 3-4 days.
Freeze: You can freeze cake tightly wrapped in a few layers of plastic wrap for up to 3 months. Thaw on a counter for a few hours.
Video
Notes
- Do not use springform pan: I highly recommend no to do it because it deforms the shape of cake and makes it very thin looking.
- Almond flour: Use superfine blanched almond flour for this cake recipe. If you use almond meal, then the texture will be quite different – though it will work.
- Can I use different flour? You may be able to get similar results with cashew flour – which is similar in terms of fat content.
- What brand of coconut milk is best for whipped cream? It’s best to use brands that don’t contain additives and stabilizers. Also more powdered sugar, more whip. If you have a batch that won’t whip up thick enough then don’t worry, you can still spread it over the cake as a softer ‘icing’.
- Room temperature eggs: Will beat into a fluffier volume than cold eggs. Leave out for a few hours or fill a medium sized bowl with warm water (bathwater temp) and let sit for 5-10 minutes.
Nutrition
Recipes and images are a copyright of ifoodreal.com. It is against the law to republish recipes without permission. Nutritional info is approximate.
Can I add cocoa powder to make it chocolate almond flour cake?
I have this almond flour chocolate cake recipe Almond Flour Chocolate Cake
Made it today. Was delicious. I added lemon juice from lemon I zested. It was moist and flavorful in spite of no additional fats. Plan on dusting with powdered sugar. Will make it again and perhaps experiment with other flavors.
So glad you enjoyed it Theresa!
What size pan?
Either 8 or 9 inch standard cake pan works.
Sometimes simple is best and with the coconut cream and berries this is simply beautiful!
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite!
This cake is so simple & beautiful! The berries & the cream make it extra special 🙂
So happy to read this! My pleasure.
I have never baked a cake with almond flour before. This looks uncomplicated and so pretty, and healthier too!!
Enjoy!
Such a yummy dessert and the colors make it perfect for Memorial day coming up!
Yay, so happy you like it!