This strawberry almond cake is a gluten free cake that is perfect for Spring and Summer. It's made with local fresh strawberries that pair perfectly with almond flour and almond extract. It has a sweet yet tart flavor and comes together in under 40 minutes!
This strawberry almond cake is a light, fresh treat perfect for Spring and Summer. It's moist, dense, and gluten free thanks to almond flour! It also has no leaveners, making it a delicious Passover dessert too.
Tart and fruity strawberries are sprinkled on top with sliced almonds for a little crunch. Dust the cake with some powdered or turbinado sugar or a dollop of whipped cream for an extra special touch.
Another flourless gluten free cake you can try is this mini flourless chocolate cake.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Almond flour- Using almond flour instead of all purpose flour makes the almond cake tender and incredibly moist.
- Fresh strawberries- Local organic greenhouse grown strawberries add a bright, springy flavor that goes perfectly with the almond flour.
- Gluten free- This cake is a flourless almond cake made with almond flour. It's perfect for those with gluten sensitivities. It is also made without leaveners (no baking powder or baking soda!).
For more strawberry recipes, try strawberry cheesecake muffins, strawberry Prosecco cupcakes, and strawberry red velvet cake.
Ingredient Notes
Here are notes about some of the ingredients used. For quantities and full instructions, see the recipe card below.
- Large eggs- You need 6 whole eggs with the whites and yolks separated into different bowls (6 egg whites and 6 egg yolks). Make sure the eggs are room temperature! The whites are whipped to make a meringue that creates the cake's structure and helps it rise. The yolks add fat and gives the cake a rich, dense texture.
- Almond flour- Use finely milled almond flour for the best texture. I typically use Bob's Red Mill super-fine almond flour for all my baking because it's truly super fine! There's no big chunks of ground almonds in it that can mess up your baked goods.
- Granulated sugar- Sugar provides sweetness and moisture.
- Salt- Finely ground salt enhances the flavors of the other ingredients.
- Vanilla & almond extract- Pure vanilla and almond extract add so much flavor and a delicious aroma.
- Fresh strawberries- I love using fresh local strawberries for the best tart and sweet flavor. Strawberries really help to balance the sweet almond cake.
- Sliced almonds- Sprinkling sliced almonds over the cake adds a nice crunchy texture. They also get slightly toasted in the oven.
- Powdered sugar (not pictured)- Dust this fine sugar on top of the cake. It's optional but highly recommended!
Substitutions and Variations
- I haven't tested this cake with other fruit, but I think sliced apricots, nectarines, or peaches would work best. Blackberries and blueberries are also worth a try!
- You can also omit the berries completely for a classic almond flour cake.
- Double the recipe and make 2 cake layers for a birthday cake! Serve them frosted with faux Swiss meringue buttercream or strawberry cream cheese frosting.
Helpful Equipment and Tools
Bake the cake in a 9-inch springform pan lined with parchment paper. This pan has latched sides that separate from the bottom so the cake is easy to remove. You can also use a regular round cake pan if needed, but be careful flipping it over to release the cake since some of the almonds and strawberries can fall off.
Step by Step Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius) and line a springform pan with parchment paper.
Wash, hull, and slice your strawberries into quarters and separate your egg whites and yolks. Detailed instructions for how to separate eggs are in the Frequently Asked Questions section below.
Step 1: In a clean mixing bowl, beat the egg whites on medium-high speed with an electric hand mixer until soft peaks form. These are like stiff peaks but have tips that slightly droop. Set the bowl aside.
Step 2: In a separate large mixing bowl, beat the egg yolks, almond flour, sugar, salt, vanilla, and almond extract together on medium-low speed. The batter will be stiff, almost like cookie dough.
Step 3: Beat in the whipped egg whites on low speed in 3 additions. The batter will be stiff but will soften to a pourable consistency as the egg whites are mixed in.
During the third addition, switch to a rubber or silicone spatula and gently fold the batter until the white streaks of meringue disappear.
Step 4: Carefully pour the almond cake batter into the springform pan. Smooth out the top with an offset icing spatula if needed.
Step 5: Arrange the sliced strawberries on top of the batter in a single layer. Then sprinkle the sliced almonds over them and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean with a few moist crumbs clinging to it.
Step 6: Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Run a butter knife around the edges of the pan to loosen it from the cake. Pop off the springform pan's ring and let the cake cool completely before serving.
Once it's cool, dust with powdered sugar, slice, and serve! It's also delicious garnished with more sliced strawberries and whipped cream.
Expert Baking Tips
- Use room temperature ingredients. The eggs need to be room temperature (68ยฐF/20ยฐC) to incorporate properly, so pull them out of the refrigerator 1-2 hours before baking. If you store your almond flour in the fridge, let it come to room temperature too.
- Carefully separate the egg whites and egg yolks. Be careful to not break the yolks. It's ok if one breaks, just try not to get it in the egg whites. If yolk gets in the whites, the meringue won't stiffen up properly.
- Toast the almonds. If the almonds look a bit pale when the cake is mostly done, set the oven to broil for a couple minutes. If you do this, keep a close eye on the cake so it doesn't burn!
- Let the cake cool completely. Make sure the cake is room temperature before dusting it with powdered sugar or adding whipped cream or frosting. Your toppings will melt if the cake is hot.
Storage and Freezing
Store the almond flour cake with strawberries in a large airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. I recommend letting it sit on the counter for 30 minutes or so before eating the leftovers.
Freezing
This cake freezes super well! Slice the cake and wrap each individual piece in plastic wrap. Place the wrapped pieces in a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
Let the slices thaw in the refrigerator overnight or on the counter for a few hours before you eat them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Firmly crack your egg on the rim of a large bowl. Then, while holding the egg over the bowl, gently push into the crack with your thumbs, dividing the shell into two equal parts. Let the whites drip into the bowl below, letting the yolk settle in one half of the shell.
Next, gingerly transfer the yolk back and forth between the two shell halves. As you do this, more whites will drip into the bowl. Be gentle and try not to break the yolk!
Eventually, only the yolk will be left in the shell. Transfer it to a separate bowl and repeat with the remaining eggs.
Almond flour and all purpose flour have different ways of interacting with the rest of the ingredients and very different textures, mostly because all purpose flour is drier than almond flour and contains gluten. I do not recommend substituting anything for the almond flour.
You can bake the cake in a round 8-inch cake pan or split the batter between two 6-inch round cake pans. I recommend springform pans for easy removal, but regular cake pans work too.
More Cakes to Try
๐ Recipe
Strawberry Almond Cake
Equipment
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Ingredients
- 6 egg whites room temperature
- 6 egg yolks room temperature
- 230 grams almond flour blanched super-fine
- 150 grams granulated sugar
- ยฝ teaspoon salt
- ยฝ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoon almond extract
- 140 grams strawberries washed, hulled, and cut in quarters
- 40 grams sliced almonds
- 2 teaspoon powdered sugar optional for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ยฐF/180ยฐC and line a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a clean mixing bowl, beat the egg whites on medium-high speed until soft peaks form. Set aside.6 egg whites
- In a separate large mixing bowl, beat the egg yolks, almond flour, sugar, salt, vanilla, and almond extract together on medium-low speed. The batter will be stiff.6 egg yolks, 230 grams almond flour, 150 grams granulated sugar, ยฝ teaspoon salt, ยฝ teaspoon vanilla extract, 2 teaspoon almond extract
- Beat in the whipped egg whites on low speed in 3 additions. When a few white streaks are left, switch to a rubber spatula and fold until the streaks disappear.
- Pour the cake batter into your prepared pan. Place the strawberries on top of the batter and sprinkle with sliced almonds.140 grams strawberries, 40 grams sliced almonds
- Bake the cake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean with a few moist crumbs attached.
- Remove the cake from the oven. Let cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then run a knife or offset spatula around the edges to loosen the sides of the pan. Remove the ring of the springform pan and let the cake cool completely before serving.
- Once cool, dust the cake with powdered sugar, slice, and enjoy!2 teaspoon powdered sugar
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