Almond Cake

Recipe: Almond Cake

Makes : 6 servings | Desserts Dairy Free , Vegetarian
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With such a straightforward ingredient list, it's hard to imagine running into any gluten, but I'd like you to check the label on the almond extract just to be safe. McCormick makes a pure almond extract that's gluten free. The cake really needs no embellishment other than a simple dusting of powdered sugar, but it's certainly amenable to many pairings. I love it with fruit, particularly strawberries, cherries, or peaches tossed with a touch of agave nectar.

Ingredients

  • 6 ounces blanched slivered almonds (about 1 1/3 cups)
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar, divided
  • 5 large eggs, separated
  • 1 teaspoon pure almond extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • Powdered sugar, for serving

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350°. Oil (or butter) the bottom of an 8-inch springform pan. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper; oil the paper. Oil the inside of the pan well, all the way to the lip.
  • In a food processor, pulse the almonds with 2 tablespoons of the sugar until very finely ground. (Do not over-process or you'll have nut butter.) Put the egg yolks in a large bowl with the remaining sugar. Using a hand-held or standing mixer, beat the yolks until thick and pale yellow, about 3 minutes. Stir in the almond extract and the ground almonds.
  • In another large bowl, combine the egg whites and salt. Using clean, dry beaters, beat the whites until stiff peaks form, about 3 minutes. Using a large rubber spatula, fold a quarter of the egg whites into the almond mixture. Gently fold in remaining whites in 2 or 3 additions.
  • Pour the mixture in the prepared pan. Bake until golden brown and a tester inserted into center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the cake. Remove the pan sides and move the cake (still on the pan bottom) to a rack to cool completely (it will deflate a little as it cools). When the cake is cool, remove it from the springform base and peel off the parchment paper. Sift powdered sugar over the top of the cake. The cake can be made one day ahead and kept well-covered at room temperature.
  1. Lili says:

    This looks delicious!
    I’d like to make this tonight, but have a question for you, can I just use almond flour? I always have that at home. Thank you!

    • laura says:

      You should be able to use almond flour since it’s just finely ground almonds. Since I didn’t measure my post-ground almonds, though, I would recommend measuring the almond flour by weight, which is 6 ounces.

  2. Lili says:

    Thank you Laura!
    I’ll let you know how it turns out!

  3. Lisa says:

    Thanks for the great recipe! I made it exactly as written, although we couldn’t wait for it to completely cool before slicing a couple of pieces and dusting them with powdered sugar. My boyfriend had a hard time believing it contained no flour. YUM! It should be noted that the five eggs provide not only structure but quite a bit of flavor and aroma as well. I’ll be making the Chocolate Espresso Chewies next!

  4. R London says:

    I’m gluten free by way of a low carb diet for epilepsy so I don’t use sugar. Would an artificial sweetener work? I mean I know artificial sweeteners work in baking but do you think the consistency would be the same not using sugar?

    • laura says: (Author)

      I don’t have any experience baking with artificial sweeteners, so I’m not completely comfortable suggesting how it would turn out. Sugar is not only responsible for sweetness, but also contributes to the moisture level and texture of the cake. If you experiment with it please let me know how it turns out.

    • Cari G says:

      I have heard that Swerve granulated sweetener can be used as an even swap in recipes like these! I haven’t tried it myself, but it may be worth a shot.

  5. Heather says:

    Do you think these would turn out as cupcakes or mini cupcakes?

    • laura says: (Author)

      Probably, but I’m not sure how many. Fill the cups about 2/3 full until you run out of batter. They will rise considerably in the oven and then sink after baking, so they may not be the most attractive things, but they’ll taste the same. Check for doneness after 20-25 minutes. I don’t know why, but this made me think of these amazing little Coconut Tarts from David Leite (probably the “sinking”). Check them out: http://leitesculinaria.com/7781/recipes-portuguese-coconut-custard-tarts.html

  6. jess says:

    What is the importance of the spring form cake pan? Can I use a regular glass cake dish?

    • laura says: (Author)

      The springform pan helps you get the cake out in one piece. If you want to cut and serve it straight from the pan a glass dish should work fine.

  7. Sumika says:

    Yummy!

    What do you think about making this in a loaf pan??? Please tell me it will work!!:)

    • laura says: (Author)

      A loaf pan is considerably deeper, so it will definitely change (increase) the cooking time. I haven’t tried it myself, but let me know how it turns out!

    • Donna Vittitoe says:

      I used a loaf pan. Baked for 40 minutes and it came out perfect!!

  8. MPbusyB says:

    This cake turned out so well even people who are not diet-sensitive enjoyed it. I used almond flour instead of grinding up almonds, and I soaked the top in a Triple Sec vanilla that did not make the cake mushy at all. I plan to use this recipe as a substitute for our traditional Christmas pound cake which is studded with cherries and walnuts. And I’m gonna try it this weekend as a grain-free birthday cake complete with buttercream icing. Thanks!

  9. Amy says:

    Can I use almond flour in the place of almond slivers ?

    • laura says: (Author)

      Oh my gosh, I just saw this comment. Not sure where it got lost for three months–I’ve never tried it, but presumably you could use 6 ounces of almond flour. Let me know how it turns out. ~Laura

  10. Anat says:

    It came out so good. I used vanilla extract instead of almond extract, and turned it into vanilla cupcakes with cream cheese frosting. My gluten sensitive 4.5 year old made it with me and was so happy. Thanks much!

  11. Anna Lena says:

    This cake sounds and looks amazing! I can’t wait to try baking it. I will be using almond flour. Will let you know how it turns out.

  12. Judith says:

    Used it for a Bakewell tart, just put ordinary gluten free pastry as base. It was delicious.

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