There’s nothing like a delicious cake to have with a cup of tea or coffee. Now that the climate is changing into winter we start to have hot drinks in the evening and this almond cake is perfect for that occasion. This almond cake (gluten-free) has a delicious almond flavour and we only use 6 ingredients to make it! It’s honestly one of my favourite sweets on the blog so far.
Inspiration for the recipe
This almond cake is based on a French recipe called Amandier. What sets it apart is that it’s extremely moist. It’s really the perfect pair for a cup of tea. So if you like to drink tea, now you know! Traditionally, this recipe does not have sliced almonds on top but rather a lemon and icing sugar glaze like the one you would use on a lemon loaf. However, almonds are so lovely and delicate that I think it’s a lot better without the glaze. This recipe only uses almond flour, so it’s naturally gluten-free.
Variations to this almond cake
If you feel like making variations to the flavour of this cake, you can add the zest from 2 lemons or zest from 1 orange and it turns out really good. You can also add spices like cinnamon, cardamom or cloves. Also, if you can’t get sliced almonds, finely chopped almonds also look beautiful. If you like chocolate, you have to try my almond and chocolate cake. It’s decadent, gluten-free and topped with whipped chocolate ganache.
How to make this almond cake
The key to this gluten-free almond cake is to beat the eggs nicely. By beating the eggs with the sugar, we add a lot of air to the batter and it makes it fluffy instead of dense like a pancake. After beating the eggs, everything we add after will be done slowly so as not to remove any of the air we inserted. First, we add the soft butter on low speed on the mixer. Then, when that’s incorporated, the almond flour is added using a spatula and folding motions. When the batter is ready, we pour it into a springform pan and bake for 30-40min or until we have a golden surface.
How to remove the cake from the pan
When making this gluten-free almond cake, we use a springform pan. To prepare it, butter the sides and place baking paper at the bottom. I also like to butter slightly the baking paper just to be on the safe side. When it comes out of the oven, we wait for it to cool down completely before opening the pan. Immediately, the sides should get released easily. Then, to remove it from the base, I like to flip it onto my open hand and use the other hand to remove the paper. The cake is pretty steady once cold, so then I just place it onto the serving dish.
Almond Cake (Amandier) – Gluten-Free Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 eggs at room temperature (IMPORTANT)
- 1 tsp salt
- 250 g icing sugar
- 150 g unsalted butter very soft at room temperature
- 300 g almond flour
- 40 g sliced almonds to garnish
Instructions
- Beat the eggs, salt and icing sugar in a handheld or stand mixer until they go light and fluffy and you can make a drawing on top by drizzling it and it takes a bit to go back into the mix. For further reference watch the video above.
- Add the butter one tablespoon at a time with the mixer on low speed and mix until fully incorporated.
- Take the bowl off the mixer and add the almond flour little by little, mixing in folding motions with a spatula, careful to not knock out the air we put into the eggs.
- Pour into a buttered springform pan that has been fitted with baking paper at the base. You should also butter the sides and on top of the paper as well.
- Decorate with sliced almonds on top or finely chopped. Don't toast them beforehand because the oven will do that for you.
- Take it to a preheated oven at 170°C/340℉ for 30-40min or until it's golden on top. You should also be able to insert a skewer of a fine knife at the centre and it should come out clean.
- Garnish with a bit of icing sugar once cold.