This easy gluten-free almond cake is fluffy, tender, and buttery. Almond flour and oat flour give it the perfect crumb. Topped with strawberries and toasty sliced almonds, each bite has loads of flavor and texture.
When a cake is really really good, it doesn't need frosting. That's exactly what's going on with this tender and moist gluten-free almond cake and my gluten-free olive oil matcha cake. While my favorite way to make this cake is with sweet strawberries and sliced almonds baked on top and a light dusting of powdered sugar (strictly for appearances), this cake is endlessly versatile.
Made with almond and oat flours, this gluten-free almond cake is both light and airy while also incredibly moist. The tender crumb is subtly sweet with almond flour's toasty nuttiness and a hint of lemon zest.
This gluten-free almond cake has a characteristically crispy golden brown exterior that cracks when sliced, giving way to a super moist and tender buttery almond cake. To get the ultimate airy fluffy lift this cake uses a combination of leaveners and whipped egg whites. Even still, this cake comes together very quickly.
When dotted with strawberries and sliced almonds, the buttery soft crumb pairs beautifully with the sweet roasted berries and crunchy toasted almonds.
Without that pile of sugary frosting, the cake easily enters snack territory, which means, you can eat it any time of day without a second thought. This cake transcends all bounds.
Ingredient notes for Gluten-Free Almond Cake
- Superfine blanched almond flour: Almond flour adds a subtle sweet nuttiness and lots of moisture.
- Gluten-free oat flour: Oat flour adds the softness and structure to create a fluffy crumb that is super moist, but not dense. The flavor complements almond flour, adding warm, slightly nutty, wholesome notes.
- Lemon zest: For a subtle bright lemon note
- Fresh strawberries
- Sliced almonds: Gives each bite a crunch to contrast the fluffy crumb.
Recipe
Buttery Gluten-Free Almond Cake with Strawberries
Ingredients
- 2 cups (224 g) Bob's Red Mill super-fine blanched almond flour
- 1 cup (108 g) Bob's Red Mill gluten-free oat flour
- 1¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup (206 g) granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs, room temperature, whites and yolks divided
- 1 large egg white, room temperature
- 1½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- Zest of ½ lemon
- ¼ cup whole milk
- 1 cup (5 ounces) fresh strawberries, quartered
- ⅓ cup sliced almonds
- Powdered sugar, for serving
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Brush the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with softened butter. If you don't have a springform pan, you can brush the bottom of a 9-inch round pan with butter and line it with a round of parchment paper. Without a springform pan, if you opt for the nuts and strawberries on top, you'll need to serve the cake out of the pan.
- In a medium bowl, sift together almond flour, oat flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- Using a hand mixer, whisk the egg whites in a medium bowl, starting on low speed and increasing to high speed until soft peak form. When the beater is pulled out a peak should rise and the very tip should fall. Set aside. Alternatively, use a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Once whipped, transfer the egg whites to a clean bowl while you prepare the rest of the cake. Wipe the bowl out quickly with a paper towel.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes, scraping down the sides as needed.
- Add the lemon zest and beat until evenly distributed.
- Add the eggs yolks mixing until combined and scraping down the sides after each addition. Beat in the vanilla and almond extracts until just combined.
- With the mixer on low, add the dry ingredients in two additions, alternating with the milk, scraping down the sides after each addition and mixing until just combined.
- Mix in ⅓ of the whipped egg whites to loosen the batter. Using a silicone spatula, fold in the remaining egg whites until just combined.
- Scoop the batter into the prepared baking pan and smooth out the top with an offset spatula or spoon. Top with strawberries, if using, and sliced almonds.
- Bake on the middle rack for 45-50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few crumbs.
- Let cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes before releasing it from the springform. Let cool completely. Once cool, dust lightly with powdered sugar, slice, and serve. Store any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
Gluten-Free Almond Cake Variations
This gluten-free almond cake is easily adaptable depending on the season or your personal taste. Here are a few of my favorite ways to bake it:
Strawberries and Almonds
That's what you see here!
Plain and Classic
Skip the strawberries and even the sliced almonds for a classic almond cake. This cake bakes up beautifully without any toppings or with just sliced almonds. Serve with fresh berries and whipped cream on the side.
Substitute with Seasonal Fruit
With a sturdy buttery cake batter, you can swap out the strawberries for other berries (raspberries, blueberries, or blackberries), or peeled and sliced stone fruit, apples, or pears.
Orange or Lemon Almond Cake
There's just enough lemon zest in this cake to give it a subtle bright pop of lemon. If you want a more pronounced lemon cake flavor, increase the lemon zest to 1 tablespoon. Or use orange zest for an orange almond cake! You can also drizzle it with my glossy 5-minute lemon icing for an extra oomph of flavor!
Dairy-Free Gluten-Free Almond Cake
This cake can easily be made dairy-free! The base for this cake is generously adapted from my gluten-free olive oil cake. To make the cake dairy-free, sub the butter for olive oil and milk for non-dairy milk of your choice (I like oat milk!). Skip the creaming the butter step and just whisk the sugar with olive oil, lemon zest, egg yolks, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Continue from there as written.
Becky -
I made this BUTTERY GLUTEN-FREE ALMOND CAKE to take to a dinner party and it was delicious. Everyone enjoyed it and took home seconds! I had one slice leftover, and it tasted even better the next day heated up and eaten with my coffee.
April -
I just made this almond cake, and the moment it came out of the oven, the entire house was enveloped in the most incredible aroma. The scent alone was a promise of something delicious to come. As we eagerly dug into the warm slices, it became evident that this almond cake exceeded our expectations.
The texture is just perfect—moist and tender with a delightful crumb. The almond flavor shines through, providing a deliciously nutty and slightly sweet taste that lingers on the palate. The balance of sweetness is spot-on, making it a delightful treat without being overly sugary.
What sets this almond cake apart is its ability to deliver not just on the promise of a heavenly aroma but also on the palate. The flavor is rich and satisfying, making it a perfect companion to a cup of coffee or tea. The simplicity of the recipe doesn't compromise the complexity of the taste.
I highly recommend trying this almond cake recipe; it's a delightful experience from the moment you start baking to the last bite. Our entire household is now filled with contentment, and this recipe has undoubtedly earned a permanent spot in our collection. Truly a culinary delight!
Tatiana -
I made it for a birthday tonight and it was a huge hit! The only person that needed GF was my husband but everyone just loved it! I wish I could post a pic here to show you. It was beautiful. I split both cakes and had 2 layers with a thin layer of icing between and the middle layer had black cherry jam.
Tatiana -
Oh sorry. I made two different recipes and was mixing them up. The yoghurt was for a different one. So with this recipe, I did follow the directions and it was very moist but also crumbly. When I went to pick up a piece with a fork, it crumbled instead of staying in the fork. It tasted outstanding though. I felt like it could have been cooked a tiny bit longer but what would account for it being crumbly? I really want to make it again
Sarah Menanix -
Hm - I've made this cake several times and haven't experienced it being crumbly as you describe (I've even made it with pears before, funny enough!:). What brand of superfine blanched almond flour and gluten-free oat flours did you use? Often I find the culprit is different gluten-free flours, which can vary in how finely ground they are, and thus affect the overall moisture and texture of a baked good. For both of these, I use Bob's Red Mill brand, which are both very finely ground.
Sarah @ Snixy Kitchen -
I’m so glad you loved it! Though the cake certainly shouldn’t be crumbly! This recipe doesn’t have Siggi’s in it so I am not sure what 5.3oz you’re referring to - can you clarify?
Tatiana -
I made this and absolutely loved the taste. It was a huge hit at a dinner party. I used pears instead of strawberries. The only thing was that it was extremely crumbly and fell apart when eating. I don’t use Siggis and so I wasn’t sure if the 5.3 oz was a volume measurement or a weight measurement. I may have used too much. I think I will try it with some xanthan gum
Bimala devi -
Very nice & moist cake ! Added cranberry instead of lemon zest. Surprised by the flavour. Thank you
Patty Miller -
Beautiful almond flavour, very moist and light. Easy to prepare. Loved it with the addition of strawberries and slivered almonds.