Gluten-Free Almond Cake Recipe | Foodal (2024)

Moist. Very few people seem to like that word.

Some people shudder in clear discomfort when hearing it muttered in conversation. Many do whatever it takes to completely avoid using it to describe food.

But I’ll gladly sing it from the mountaintops Sound-of-Music-style every time I talk about this gluten-free almond cake!

That hilariously cringeworthy word is by far the best descriptor for my latest sweet creation. You won’t believe how light and moist the crumb is, despite being completely free of any wheat flour or other grains.

With a combination of almond flour and coconut flour mixed with sugar, milk, butter, and eggs, the final baked goodie is a delectable way to end a meal.

While optional, I like to include a lovely layer of sliced almonds sprinkled over the top of the batter after transferring it to the pan. As the cake bakes, the almond slices are gently toasted on top.

They add a perfect textural contrast to the base – with every beautiful bite, you’ll enjoy both the melt-in-your-mouth cake and the delicately thin and crunchy almonds.

I love to serve the whole cake on a platter with a light dusting of powdered sugar. The final presentation looks so effortlessly elegant!

And if you want to introduce some other gluten-free favorites like homemade ice cream or freshly whipped cream, they would feel right at home served with a slice.

You could even eliminate the sliced almonds completely and choose to cover the baked cake with your favorite frosting, like American-style or Swiss meringue buttercream.

With this recipe, along with all the different options you have for serving it, making the perfect *moist* gluten-free dessert course couldn’t be easier!

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Cooking by the Numbers…

Step 1 – Prep Pan and Ingredients

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper and spray the paper and sides with cooking spray.

Measure out all of the ingredients, making sure all of the refrigerated ingredients like the milk, eggs, and butter are at room temperature.

Step 2 – Make the Batter

In a medium bowl, whisk together the almond flour, coconut flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

Not sure what type of almond flour to use? You can use blanched or unblanched almond flour or meal for this recipe. Any of these choices will yield close to the same results.

If your almond flour or coconut flour has a lot of clumps, you can sift the dry ingredients together instead of whisking.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar at high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, combining after each addition at medium speed.

Add the milk and vanilla, mixing at medium speed until completely combined. It may look a little curdled, but the mixture will be fine once you add the dry ingredients.

Add the dry ingredients, mixing at medium speed until completely combined. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl with a spatula, and briefly mix again.

The batter will be very thick, and will look grainy from the alternative flours.

Step 3 – Transfer to Pan

Pour the batter into your prepared pan.

Because the batter is thick, you will need a spatula to remove all of the batter from the bowl and to spread it evenly in the pan.

Step 4 – Add Almonds (Optional)

If using, evenly scatter the sliced almonds on the top of the batter.

There should still be some spots of exposed batter visible in between the topping.

Step 5 – Bake

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for 30 minutes. Gently remove the cake from the springform pan and let it cool completely on a cooling rack.

Step 6 – Cool and Serve

Once it’s completely cool, carefully transfer to a serving platter and dust with powdered sugar. Serve and enjoy!

This would also be the time to frost it instead, if you choose to go that route.