Flourless Almond Cake

This naturally gluten-free almond cake is made with little more than almond flour, eggs, sugar and butter, with a splash of Grand Marnier to finish it off (though you can swap in amaretto liqueur or simply vanilla extract if you wish).

The texture of this cake is nothing short of magical, somehow light and substantial at the same time, with a velvety, melt-in-your-mouth crumb that’s soft, tender and ridiculously moist. You’ve simply got to try it for yourself!

Y’all love my flourless pistachio cake, so much so that it’s been one of the top posts (if not THE top post) on the blog every month since it was published.

I wanted to offer a more casual alternative, using more easy-to-come-by (not to mention more affordable) almond flour in place of the pistachio flour. And while the color isn’t quite as distinctive, this almond-ized version is no less delightful than the original.

The magical combination of nut flour, eggs, sugar and butter somehow transforms into a velvety soft texture that almost melts in your mouth. Like fluffy marzipan (if there were such a thing) with a uniform crumb reminiscent of pound cake around the edges, but more like a gooey butter cake or pound cake saturated with liquid marzipan in the middle.

It’s a tighter, coarser crumb than many cakes, but still lusciously soft. Whereas many yellow cakes ‘bounce’, this one ‘gives’, if that helps you imagine the eating experience… trust me, it’s truly a delight to devour and the texture is one of the reasons why.

There are quite a few flourless almond cakes out there, no doubt (and by flourless we mean free of wheat flour, although the main ingredient is almond flour, let’s not get too technical about the name). Compared to the majority of other almond flour cakes, however, this recipe has the distinction of using whole beaten eggs rather than separating out the whites. Not only is the process easier (you’ll only dirty one bowl), but it also results in a very unique, moist and soft crumb that’s simply divine.

This recipe differs slightly from my pistachio cake in that I’ve swapped the order that the ingredients are added, folding the almond flour into the eggs and adding the butter last, in order to preserve more air. The difference in the final cake texture is negligible (it’s maybe a wee bit fluffier?) but I think this method is slightly more stable. That said, the original method, adding the fat and then the flour, results in slightly less shrinkage around the edges and a flatter top (which if you’re going to add the ganache on top is preferable).

Any nut flour (or a mix of nuts) would work in this recipe, for example I think hazelnut flour would be absolutely lovely (and maybe that’s my next recipe, what do you think?)

A Little Something Something

The prominent almond flavor is complimented by a splash of Grand Marnier liqueur at the very end; the hint of boozy orange offsets the almond flavor beautifully.

I also made a version with Amaretto during my initial tests, and while it was a bit more one-note than the Grand Marnier, it’s still a great option!

In lieu of the liqueur, you can use 1 tablespoon vanilla extract instead, maybe rub a little bit of orange or lemon zest into the sugar before you whip it with the eggs to give it that subtle hint of citrus.

Size Matters!

This recipe was written for a 9-inch round cake pan with a removable bottom, but will work in a regular 9-inch cake pan as well as you only really need 2 inches of depth (I recommend crafting a parchment ‘sling’ so you can remove the cake without inverting it). Use a nice thick aluminum pan, not a thin springform pan, which will result in an uneven bake (overdone edges and an underdone center).

You could also use an 8-inch square pan or an 8-inch-round-by-3-inch-deep pan (the latter would need a sightly longer bake time to account for the thicker depth). A 9-inch square would maybe work but the cake will be quite thin (careful not to overbake it!)

The cake is done when the top is lightly golden and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.

Here’s how to make it:

Butter a 9-inch round cake pan (ideally with a removable bottom); line bottom with parchment paper.If your almond flour is at all coarse or clumpy I recommend sifting it first (this will make for a smoother textured cake). Sift together with salt and cornstarch.Beat whole eggs with an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until frothy, then add sugar.Increase speed to medium-high and beat eggs and sugar until very pale in color, about 7 to 10 minutes.The beaten egg mixture should be very pale in color and fall off the whisk in thick ribbons that slowly dissolve into the rest of the mixture.Pour sifted almond flour mixture into mixing bowl with beaten eggs.Use a wide rubber spatula to gently ‘fold’ the almond flour into the egg mixture.Fold in the flour by first swiping the spatula around the side/bottom of the bowl.With the mixer running on low speed, pour in the near-melted butter. You want to incorporate the fat quickly and fully, it shouldn’t mix for more than a few seconds. Finally, add Grand Marnier (if desired) and give it a good fold or two by hand to incorporate.Pour batter into a 9-inch round cake pan (with removable bottom if you have it) butter and with the bottom lined with parchment paper.Sprinkle sliced almonds over top of cake before baking, if desired.

Temperature Matters!

You know when recipes call for room temperature ingredients and you figure things have been sitting out for 15 minutes or so you’re probably fine?

You may want to rethink that assumption because for most cake recipes, and this cake in particular, it’s the difference between an even, fluffy crumb and a dense, holey one with an underbaked center.

For this recipe, your eggs need to be at a warm room temperature, 70-75 degrees F. If your kitchen is on the cool side, simply letting the eggs sit out won’t quite be enough. For that reason I recommend submerging your eggs in warm (85-95 degree F) water for 20 to 30 minutes. This will bring the eggs up to the proper temperature (which will help prevent the batter from curdling when you add the liquid fat).

Additionally, you’ll notice the instructions for the butter are a bit unusual, in that it’s more than softened but not fully melted either. You want your butter soft enough to pour, but still creamy yellow in color (so not separated and clear). I’d describe the ideal consistency of the butter as like ranch dressing.

To achieve this, cut your butter into cubes and place in a microwave save container. Microwave at 50% power in 10-15 second bursts, stirring every time. When the butter is mostly melted but there are still a few small pieces left, stop microwaving and stir until the residual heat finishes the job.

By not overheating the butter, we allow it to stay homogenized rather than separated, which will allow it to emulsify into the batter more quickly and evenly (and the quicker the fat can be incorporated, the more air we can preserve in the batter).

If you happen to overheat your butter and it does separate, that’s ok, just let it cool back down to 90 degrees or so before adding it to the cake batter (adding too hot butter will deflate the whipped eggs and may cause the batter to curdle).

Forecast calls for a dusting of… powdered sugar.

Unlike the pistachio cake, which was finished with a shiny chocolate ganache, I opted to keep this cake a bit more rustic and simple, topping with just a handful of sliced almonds and a dusting of powdered sugar.

Of course you could top it with ganache like the pistachio cake or even a chocolate fudge frosting (almond and chocolate go together beautifully after all), but I think the simplicity of the plain almond cake is perfect as it is.

I also think this cake would be lovely with no toppings at all, or with just a drizzle of orange-scented or Grand Marnier-infused simple syrup.

Serving & Storage

This cake keeps beautifully, making it a great make-ahead recipe! Because of the unique crumb texture, it doesn’t dry out like most cakes, rather it somehow gets even moister the longer it sits (like magic!)

Refrigerated in an airtight container, it’ll keep rather well for 4-5 days, though the top does get a bit gooey over time, especially if it has been sprinkled with powdered sugar (so maybe hold off on the sprinkle until you’re ready to serve it). Otherwise, this cake is just as good after 5 days as the day it was baked (how many cake recipes can truly claim such a thing? Not many!)

While I haven’t personally tried freezing it, I think the texture of this cake would hold up quite well to freezing/thawing. You could freeze it whole and let it thaw in the fridge overnight before serving, or cut into slices, wrap each in plastic to prevent freezer burn, then you can thaw a slice at a time to satisfy your cake cravings at a moment’s notice (ok, maybe like 30-minutes-at-room-temperature notice).