Description
This flourless almond cake is amazingly tender and moist. Made with almond meal instead of flour and flavored with lemon zest, it’s also topped with sliced almonds and sprinkled with powdered sugar for just the right amount of sweet. Perfect for breakfast, an afternoon snack or a light dessert during Thanksgiving, Christmas, Valentine’s or Easter. Naturally gluten-free, dairy-free and low carb too.
Ingredients
- 3 cups almond meal
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 5 eggs, beaten
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup sliced almonds
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar, for dusting (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat and Line: Preheat the oven to 350F and line the base of an 8-inch round cake pan or a springform pan with parchment paper.
- Beat Sugar and Eggs: In a large mixing bowl, beat the sugar and eggs together until you get a pale yellow mixture.
- Grate Lemon Zest: Grate the zest of a fresh lemon.
- Add Almond Meal, Zest and Cinnamon: Add the almond meal, lemon zest, and ground cinnamon into the bowl with the sugar-egg mixture. Mix well until you get a homogenous batter.
- Transfer Batter to Pan: Pour the flourless almond cake batter into the parchment-lined round cake pan and sprinkle the top of the batter with sliced almonds.
- Bake Until Golden: Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the top of the cake is golden brown.
- Let Cool Before Removing: Allow the cake to cool completely before removing it from the pan.
- Sprinkle with Powdered Sugar: Sprinkle the top of the cake with a dusting of powdered sugar before serving.
Notes
Almond Meal: You can either buy store-bought pre-ground almond meal, or make your own homemade almond meal! Alternatively, you may also use blanched almond flour instead.
Granulated Sugar: I used white granulated sugar, but you may also use cane sugar, light brown sugar, dark brown sugar or coconut sugar if you like. If you are diabetic or insulin resistant, I strongly recommend using granulated monkfruit sweetener (a 1:1 sugar substitute that is zero glycemic index and will not raise your blood sugar).
Eggs: In this flourless almond cake recipe, eggs are essential in binding the ingredients together and helping the batter to rise, and I do NOT recommend substituting the eggs with an egg-substitute.
Lemon Zest: I recommend using freshly grated lemon zest for the best flavor. Alternatively, you may also use freshly grated orange zest or grapefruit zest.
Cinnamon: I like adding a touch of ground cinnamon for flavor, and you can add more or less depending depending on how much you enjoy it. Alternatively, if you don’t like cinnamon, feel free to leave it out completely instead.
Sliced Almonds: I used sliced blanched almonds, but you may also use sliced whole almonds, slivered almonds or chopped almonds if that’s what you have.
Powdered Sugar: I feel that a sprinkle of powdered sugar (also known as confectioner’s sugar or icing sugar) really helps to elevate the appearance of this flourless almond cake to one that’s worthy of a special occasion, and that you can place on the holiday table. If you are diabetic or insulin resistant, I strongly recommend using powdered monkfruit sweetener (a 1:1 powdered sugar substitute that is zero glycemic index and will not raise your blood sugar).
Storing/Freezing: To store, place the flourless almond cake in an airtight container or wrap it in various layers of plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. To freeze, wrap the gluten-free almond cake in various layers of plastic wrap and freeze for up to 2 months. Let cake thaw overnight in the refrigerator before slicing or serving.
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Category: Cake
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Western
