5-Ingredient Almond Cake (Gluten-Free)

This gluten-free cake is the best almond cake recipe ever! It’s so light and uses no oil or butter.

Almond Cake

This easy almond cake with almond flour is made with just five ingredients (not counting the berries and optional powdered sugar). But don’t let its simplicity fool you – it’s delicious (and also happens to be gluten-free)! It’s the perfect dessert. For more desserts with almond flour, try my Cheesecake Brownies, Fudgy Flourless Crinkle Brownie Cookies, and Chocolate Zucchini Brownies.

When my family gets together for holidays, birthdays, or just because, everyone chips in and brings a dish. It’s usually a given that my cousin Nina will bring dessert. My aunt can’t eat gluten, so often, the desserts are gluten-free. At one family party, Nina brought this healthy almond cake, and I loved it. I started asking her questions about it, and when I realized it was fairly light and made with no oil or butter, I got busy testing it in my kitchen.

The original almond cake recipe comes from baking goddess Dorie Greenspan’s cookbook, Baking Chez Moi. If you’re a baker, this book belongs in your kitchen! The only changes I made to Dorie’s recipe were reducing the sugar and egg yolks. The results were fabulous, and this almond cake with almond meal is amazing. It stays moist for days!

Why This Almond Flour Cake Will Be Your New Favorite

• Short Ingredient List: With only five ingredients (plus berries and powdered sugar for topping), you probably already have most of them in your pantry.
• Simple: Don’t let the long list of instructions scare you! This almond cake is very easy to make.
• Moist: Beating the egg whites and gently folding them in ensures a moist almond cake with a light texture.
• Healthy: Since almond flour has more fat than regular flours, there’s no need to add oil or butter. One slice has 179 calories, three grams of fiber, seven grams of protein, and only 17 grams of carbs! Not to mention, it’s gluten-free.
• Perfect Any Time of the Day: This simple almond cake with berries not only makes a great dessert, but it also works for breakfast since it’s not super sweet.

Is almond flour good for baking cakes?

Almond flour or meal is excellent for baking gluten-free desserts. It’s made from ground almonds and is very nutritious, packed with vitamin E and magnesium. Almond flour has more fat than other flours, resulting in a moister cake without adding oil or butter.

How long does it take to bake almond cake?

How long it takes to bake an almond cake depends on the pan size. This almond flour cake recipe bakes in a nine-inch springform pan for about 35 minutes at 350°F.

Almond Cake Ingredients

• Eggs: You’ll need three egg yolks and six egg whites at room temperature.
• Sugar: Measure 2/3 cups of sugar and scoop out two tablespoons. Set aside the two tablespoons of sugar to mix in with the egg whites later.
• Vanilla Extract enhances the flavor.
• Salt: Add just a pinch of sea salt.
• Almond Flour or Almond Meal: Whichever you choose, you’ll need two cups, which weighs 200 grams. I wouldn’t recommend subbing all-purpose flour or any other kind. The almond flour is key here!
• Berries: Use a mix of fresh berries.
• Powdered Sugar: It’s optional, but I love to dust the cake with powdered sugar. It adds a little extra sweetness and looks pretty!

How to Make Almond Cake

1. Get Everything Ready: Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat it to 350°F. Spray a nine-inch springform pan with nonstick spray, line it with parchment paper, and sprinkle it with flour. Use almond meal or gluten-free flour to keep the almond cake gluten-free.
2. Wet Ingredients: Whisk the egg yolks and all but two tablespoons of the sugar. Whisk for about a minute until the yolks become thick and pale in color. Whisk in the vanilla and salt and set aside.
3. Egg Whites: For the egg whites, you’ll need a stand mixer with a whisk attachment or a bowl and hand mixer (A regular whisk really won’t do the job). Beat the six egg whites on medium speed for a minute until they become opaque. You want fluffy egg whites to ensure the cake’s texture is light. Sprinkle with the two tablespoons of sugar and continue to beat until the whites hold medium peaks.
4. Combine Everything: Stir a quarter of the egg whites into the yolk mixture. Scrape the remaining whites and half of the almond flour over the yolks. Gently and partially fold the whites into the yolks. When the mixture still has a few streaks of white, pour in the remaining almond flour and gently fold it in.
5. Bake: Pour the batter into the prepared pan and shimmy the pan until the batter is level. Bake the cake for 35 minutes until the top is golden brown and springy when touched.
6. Remove the Cake from the Pan: Let the cake cool on a wire rack for five minutes. Then run a butter knife along the edges of the pan. Invert the pan onto the rack, remove the sides and bottom, and peel away the parchment. Turn the cake right side up and cool it completely.
7. Serve: Dust the almond cake with powdered sugar, cut it into 12 slices, and serve with fresh berries.

Does almond flour cake need to be refrigerated?

Almond flour cake can sit on the counter without the berries for three days before refrigerating. You can then refrigerate it for a couple more days or freeze it for up to three months. Slice the cake, wrap each piece in foil, and store them in a big zip-locked bag. Thaw the cake in the refrigerator or microwave it straight from frozen to eat.

Variations

• Sweetener: There were many questions in the comments about substituting monk fruit for granulated sugar. I’ve never tried it, so I don’t know how it’ll work but my guess is, it should be fine. If you make the swap, comment below to let me know how it goes! Also, some people said they had luck with Swerve Granular sugar replacement.
• Zest: Change the flavor by adding orange or lemon zest to the batter.
• Cake Pan: A regular nine-inch round cake pan will work if you don’t have a springform pan.
• Fruit: Use whatever kind of berries you have. It can be only one kind or a mix of raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, and blueberries. Fresh peaches and nectarines would also be tasty if they’re in season.

5-Ingredient Almond Cake with Fresh Berries

4.85 from 44 votes 6 Cals:179 Protein:7 Carbs:17 Fat:11 This simple almond cake is made with just five ingredients (not counting the berries), but don't let it's simplicity fool you – it's delicious (and it also happens to be gluten-free)! Course: Dessert Cuisine: American

Prep: 20 minutes minsCook: 40 minutes minsTotal: 1 hour hr Print Rate Pin Save Saved! WW Points Yield: 12 servings Serving Size: 1 /12th 1x2x3x

Ingredients

• 3 large eggs, whites and yolks separated, at room temperature
• 3 large egg whites, at room temperature
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• pinch fine sea salt
• 2 cups almond flour or almond meal, (200 grams)
• 1 cup mixed berries
• powdered sugar, for dusting (optional)

Instructions

• Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.
• Grease a 9-inch spring form pan with nonstick spray, line with parchment paper, and flour (use almond meal or a gluten-free all purpose flour blend to keep the cake gluten-free).
• In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and all but 2 tbsp of the sugar. Whisk until the yolks become thick and pale in color, about 1 minute. Whisk in the vanilla extract and the salt and set aside.
• In the bowl of a standard electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or a bowl with a hand mixer), beat the 6 egg whites on medium speed until they become opaque, about 1 minute.
• Sprinkle in the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar, and continue to beat the egg whites until they hold medium peaks.
• With a flexible rubber spatula, stir in about 1/4 of the egg whites to the egg yolk mixture (no need to be gentle here).  Scrape the remaining egg whites over the yolks, and about half of the almond flour.
• Gently fold them into the yolks, but only partially.
• While the mixture still has a few streaks of white left, add the remaining almond flour and fold in, folding until you have a homogeneous batter.  Be gentle!
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan and shimmy until the batter is level.
• Bake the cake for about 35 minutes, until the top is golden brown and springy to the touch. Let the hot cake cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes, then run a butter knife along the edges of the cake pan.
• Invert the cake pan onto the rack, remove the sides and bottom, and peel away the parchment paper. Turn the cake right side up and allow to cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar, cut into 12 slices and serve with fresh berries.

Video

Notes

Adapted from Baking Chez Moi.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 /12th, Calories: 179 kcal, Carbohydrates: 17 g, Protein: 7 g, Fat: 11 g, Saturated Fat: 2 g, Cholesterol: 47 mg, Sodium: 39 mg, Fiber: 3 g, Sugar: 13 g