My Almond Flour Cake (Torta di Mandorle) is the recipe that you have been waiting for. This delicious cake does not contain wheat, it is made completely with almond flour, making it naturally gluten-free. The cake has a delicate lemon flavour and is slightly dense and deliciously moist. It is certain to become a favourite.
I recently tried your Almond Flour Cake recipe, and it was absolutely fantastic! The combination of almond flour gave the cake a wonderfully nutty flavor, and following your instructions made the process a breeze.
- Sophie
Why You'll Love This Recipe:
- This Almond Flour Cake is a must-try for those who want to enjoy an easy, delicious gluten-free cake.
- You can also confidently serve it to people who don’t need to avoid gluten; they will never know as we do not sacrifice flavour and texture to make this cake gluten-free.
- It is made with simple ingredients.
- It does not contain any wheat flour. Instead, we use almond flour which adds flavour and a moist texture to the cake.
- This is an easily made cake, which is extremely versatile, suitable for morning tea, any family gathering or celebration.
- You can happily make it a day ahead. In fact, making the cake a day ahead allows the lemon flavour to develop.
- This is an elegant cake that requires no more than a dusting of icing/powdered sugar. However, if you prefer to dress it up a little, serve it with a dollop of whipped cream and berries.
- There is nothing quite like the bright, citrus tang of a tender, beautifully textured lemon-infused cake.
Recipe Inspiration: My Torta Caprese is one of my all time favourite cake recipes. I adapted that recipe to offer a lemon based alternative.
Ingredients and Substitutions:
Please see the recipe card further along in the post for exact quantities of ingredients and the full method.
- Eggs – we use large, free-range eggs at room temperature.
- Unsalted butter – we use unsalted butter so we can control the amount of salt in the cake.
- Blanched almond flour – this has a finer texture than almond meal which is made from finely ground almonds with the skins on.
- Caster/superfine sugar – has a finer texture but you can use granulated if you prefer.
- Lemon – finely grated lemon zest and freshly squeezed lemon juice adds a bright flavour.
- Vanilla extract – for the best flavour, use vanilla naturally extracted from the vanilla bean and not one which is artificially flavoured.
- Sea salt – a small amount of salt heightens the flavour in the cake.
- Baking powder – together with the egg whites, this is a leavening agent in the cake. It is not the same as baking soda.
- Icing/powdered sugar – generously dust the cake for serving.
Variations:
Lemon zest – you could use orange zest if you prefer.
Almond flakes – sprinkle some on top of the cake before baking.
Almond meal – if you prefer to use finely ground almond meal made with almonds with the skin on, the cake will have a coarser texture.
How To Make an Almond Flour Cake:
Please see the recipe card further along in the post for exact quantities of ingredients and the full method.
1 – Combine your dry ingredients:
To prepare your tin, grease and line the base and sides with baking paper.
Melt the butter and set aside to cool slightly.
Add the sugar, almond flour, lemon zest, salt and baking powder to a large bowl and stir to combine.
2 – Add in the wet ingredients:
Add the egg yolks, cooled butter, lemon juice and vanilla and mix again.
3 – Fold through the egg whites:
In a separate, clean bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form.
Add the egg whites into your batter in three batches - gently folding each time. You want the mixture to be just combined.
4 – Add the cake batter to your prepared tin:
Pour the mixture into your prepared cake tin and bake until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Cool in the tin for 10 minutes, before carefully removing the sides of the springform tin. Allow it to cool completely on the base before carefully removing it.
Dust with icing sugar before serving.
Hint: we strongly recommend weighing your ingredients for the best accuracy and results when baking.
Tips for Success, Storage and FAQs:
You certainly can. In fact, making it a day ahead allows the flavour to develop. See storage suggestions below.
Wrap with cling wrap or place in an airtight container and store in a cool, dry location for up to 3 days. If the weather is hot, store it in the fridge but return to room temperature for serving.
Yes, it freezes well. Wrap slices of the cold cake individually in cling wrap and then in foil, or place in an airtight container, to help avoid freezer burn. Freeze for up to 2 months.
They are different. Almond flour is finely ground using blanched almonds whilst almond meal is made using whole almonds. To maintain the fine texture of the cake be sure to use blanched almond flour. If you use almond meal, made from almonds with the skin on, the cake will have a coarser texture.
Top Tip:
For the best result, always bake with room temperature ingredients. Cold ingredients do not incorporate and emulsify properly. If you forget to take your eggs out of the fridge, fill a small bowl with slightly warm water and add the eggs, leaving them there for about 5-7 minutes. This will help to bring them to room temperature. Do not use hot water – you may partially cook the eggs!
For accuracy in baking, always weigh your ingredients using a kitchen scale.
Serving Suggestions:
Our Lemon Almond Flour Cake (Torta di Mandorle) is easy to make and always enjoyed. You will find many ways to enjoy it. Some ways are:
- For morning or afternoon tea, served with coffee or tea. It is perfect with just a simple dusting of icing/powdered sugar.
- With whipped cream and our Strawberry or Blueberry Sauce, or berries of any kind. It is an elegant dessert.
- Take the cake to a picnic or a potluck.
- Gift one to a friend. It is the ultimate edible gift which will be very welcome and gratefully received.
I am certain that you will enjoy my Flourless Almond Cake, it is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. Please let me know in the comments below if you try it.
Alex xx
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Almond Flour Cake (Torta di Mandorle)
Please note:
For accuracy, when weights are provided, we recommend weighing your ingredients. This will produce the best results. All oven temperatures listed are for fan forced.
Ingredients
- 4 large eggs – separated, at room temperature See Note 1
- 80 g (⅓ cup) unsalted butter – melted and cooled
- 200 g (2 cups) blanched almond flour See Note 2
- 160 g (⅔ cup) caster/superfine sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest - finely grated See Note 3
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 60 ml (¼ cup) lemon juice - freshly squeezed
For Serving (optional)
- dusting of icing/powdered sugar
- whipped cream
- fresh blueberries
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 170 degrees C (340 F).Prepare your tin – we use an 8-inch (20 cm) springform tin with a removable base.Grease and line the base and sides with baking paper.
- Melt the butter and set aside to cool slightly.
- Add the sugar, almond flour, lemon zest, salt and baking powder to a large bowl and stir to combine.
- Add the egg yolks, cooled butter, lemon juice and vanilla and mix again.
- In a separate, clean bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form.
- Add one third of the egg whites to the almond mixture and fold in.Repeat with another third and then the final third, folding gently until just combined, being careful to not knock out the air.
- Pour the mixture into your prepared cake tin. Bake for 45-47 minutes, or until there is no raw batter on the toothpick when testing.
- Allow the Almond Flour Cake to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, before carefully removing the sides of the springform tin. Allow it to cool completely on the base before carefully removing it.Dust with icing sugar before serving.
Notes
- Eggs: separate the eggs carefully. It is essential to not get any egg yolk in with the whites or it will not be possible to whisk them to stiff peaks and the cake will not rise, it will be dense and flat. Also, a clean bowl is essential for whipping the whites.
- Measurements: for the most accurate measurements when baking, we suggest you weigh your ingredients.
- Tablespoon: we use a standard Australian tablespoon which is 20 ml (4 teaspoons).
- Storage: should there happen to be any leftovers, store them at cool room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days. But if the climate is hot, store the container in the fridge.
- Freezing: wrap in cling wrap and then in foil or place in an airtight container for up to 2 months. You may find it more convenient to freeze and wrap individual slices. Make sure they are well wrapped to prevent freezer burn and bring to room temperature for serving.
Nutrition Estimate:
Nutritional Disclaimer:
The nutritional information is an estimate only, and is derived from online calculators. For accurate results, we recommend calculating the nutritional information based on the ingredients and brands you use.
mmalc says
Superb, thank you.
It came out perfectly first time; delectably moist with a delicious tang.
Alexandra Cook says
Thank you so much for giving the recipe a try! 🙂
I am so happy you enjoyed it! Alex xo
T says
Made this today and replaced butter with coconut oil and lemon juice with peach syrup (had some leftover from my Costco slided peaches jars!). I added dried cranberries into the dry mix prior to adding all the wet and kept the lemon zest. Holy cow this was bananas! No one even cared there wasn’t flour! It was a tropical take on your recipe and oh so good! Thank you for posting!
Alexandra Cook says
Thank you, T 🙂
Your tropical take sounds absolutely delicious and I appreciate you sharing!
Alex xo
Maria Kon says
Really great and simple recipe. I wanted it Diabetes friendly so i replaced the sugar with Xylitol 1:1 ratio. It was superb and everyone devoured it. Didn’t change anything else apart from adding some flaked almonds on top before baking.
Alexandra Cook says
Hello Maria,
Thank you so much for sharing your substitutions and I am so happy that they were successful, and you enjoyed the cake.
Appreciate you taking the time to comment 🙂
Alex xo
Monica says
What a lovely cake! This is a beautiful gluten-free dessert!
Alexandra Cook says
Thank you so much, Monica! xo
sophie says
I recently tried your Almond Flour Cake recipe, and it was absolutely fantastic! The combination of almond flour gave the cake a wonderfully nutty flavor, and following your instructions made the process a breeze.
Alexandra Cook says
Thank you, Sophie.
I am so pleased you enjoyed this cake - it is one of my favourites.
Thanks for sharing, Alex xo