A high altitude flourless almond cake that’s rich, moist, full of almond flavor and naturally gluten free. This cake looks beautiful drizzled with sweet almond icing and sprinkled with crunchy almonds, but a simple dusting of powdered sugar is also delicious. This gluten free dessert is easy to make, and perfect for anyone who loves almond pastries and baked goods.
You might also love these high altitude gluten free recipes for amaretti cookies, almond flour chocolate torte, and flourless chocolate cake.
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What is a Flourless Cake?
A flourless almond cake is a one-layer cake that uses almond flour (finely ground almonds) instead of wheat flour. Since it doesn’t contain any gluten to give it more strength and structure, the cake is incredibly soft, moist and tender.
My family is from Denmark, and I grew up eating a Danish pastry called almond kringle. I’m not sure if it was that butter-layered, almond-scented dough or my own Danish heritage, but to this day, I have a weakness for almond pastry. While the making of Danish kringle is more labor intensive, with rolling thin layers of butter between yeast dough, this flourless almond cake is very simple to make, but has all the almond flavor of that familiar dessert.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Made Without Almond Paste. My original recipe for this cake used a box of sweet almond paste. However, it’s an ingredient that’s become increasingly harder to find, since my local grocery stores no longer seem to carry it. Outside of buying it online, it seemed simpler to just adjust the recipe and omit the almond paste. Since almond paste is mainly ground almonds, sugar and almond extract, it wasn’t hard to adjust these ingredients in today’s recipe.
High Altitude Tested. I develop all the recipes on my site for Denver’s altitude of 5,280 feet. If you’re at a lower or higher elevation, please see my FAQs for guidance on adjusting recipes for your altitude. Today’s recipe should work at lower altitudes, too, though.
See the recipe card at the end of the post for the full ingredients list and instructions.
Ingredients
- Cream Cheese + Butter. The cream cheese and butter adds richness, flavor and moisture to this cake.
- Granulated Sugar. Adds sweetness.
- Coarse Kosher Salt. Balances the sweetness.
- Vanilla + Almond Extract. Flavor.
- Eggs. Eggs add structure to this cake, as well as leaven it, making it puff up while it bakes.
- Almond Flour. The almond flour thickens the batter and adds structure. And since there’s no wheat in almond flour, the cake is gluten free.
- Springform Pan. While not an ingredient, a springform pan is an essential tool for a flourless almond cake. A springform pan is a type of bakeware that features sides that can be removed from the base. It’s commonly used for baking cheesecakes, tortes and other delicate desserts that can’t be easily turned out of a standard cake pan.
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat the oven to 325 F, and position a rack in the center of the oven. Lightly spray an 8 or 9 inch spring-form pan with non-stick baking spray. Line the bottom of the pan with a circle of baking parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, use an electric mixer (handheld or stand) to beat the cream cheese, butter, sugar, salt, vanilla and almond extract for about 3 minutes, until light and fluffy.
- Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Scrape the bowl down, then mix in the almond flour on low speed for about 30 seconds, until well combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake on the center oven rack for about 50-55 minutes, until puffed and golden brown, and the top springs back when gently touched.
- Set the cake on a cooling rack and cool for 30 minutes, then remove the sides of the pan. Cool completely before removing the cake from the base of the pan. Set the cake on a serving plate before adding the icing.
Baker’s Note: This cake gets its leavening from eggs, which puff up while baking. As the cake cools, the center will settle back down and won’t look nearly as puffed as it does when you first take it out of the oven. If you prefer, you can use a sharp knife to trim the raised edge around the cake, so that it’s level with the center.
Icing
- In a saucepan, combine the granulated sugar, corn syrup and water. Over medium heat, bring the sugar to a simmer, and cook just until the sugar is dissolved. Turn off the heat, and stir in the butter until melted.
- Remove from the heat, then whisk in the almond extract and the powdered sugar until thick and smooth. Immediately pour the icing on top of the cake, spreading it out with an offset icing spatula so it drips over the edges.
- Sprinkle with the chopped almonds quickly, before the icing sets and crusts over.
Be sure to read all of my BAKING FAQs where I discuss ingredients, substitutions and common baking questions, so that you can be successful in your own baking!
Frequently Asked Questions
Leftover cake should be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Yes, you really do. This is a delicate cake, and I don’t recommend trying to turn it out of a regular cake pan. The removable base and sides of a spring form pan make it easy to remove the cake from the pan.
Since this recipe is made with almond flour and contains no wheat flour, it’s naturally gluten free. However, I always recommend that everyone do their own research on EVERY ingredient you use, to ensure it is certified gluten free and not contaminated with gluten.
You can try, but it’s difficult to finely grind almond flour at home without turning it into almond butter. My favorite almond flour is Blue Diamond Finely Sifted Almond Flour.
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High Altitude Flourless Almond Cake (GF)
All recipes on Curly Girl Kitchen are developed for high altitude at 5,280 feet. See FAQs for adjusting to higher or lower elevations.
Equipment
- 8 or 9 inch springform pan
- Electric Mixer (Stand or Hand-Held)
Ingredients
Cake
- 8 oz block cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 4 oz (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp almond extract
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 ½ cups finely ground almond flour
Icing
- 3 tbsp granulated sugar
- 2 tsp light corn syrup
- 1 ½ tbsp water
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- ¼ tsp almond extract
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- ¼ cup sliced or chopped almonds
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat the oven to 325 F, and position a rack in the center of the oven. Lightly spray an 8 or 9 inch spring-form pan with non-stick baking spray. Line the bottom of the pan with a circle of baking parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, use an electric mixer (handheld or stand) to beat the cream cheese, butter, sugar, salt, vanilla and almond extract for about 3 minutes, until light and fluffy.
- Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Scrape the bowl down, then mix in the almond flour on low speed for about 30 seconds, until well combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake on the center oven rack for about 50-55 minutes, until puffed and golden brown, and the top springs back when gently touched.
- Set the cake on a cooling rack and cool for 30 minutes, then remove the sides of the pan. Cool completely before removing the cake from the base of the pan. Set the cake on a serving plate before adding the icing.
- Note that this cake gets its leavening from eggs, which puff up while baking. As the cake cools, the center will settle back down and won't look nearly as puffed as it does when you first take it out of the oven. If you prefer, you can use a sharp knife to trim the raised edge around the cake, so that it's level with the center.
Icing
- In a saucepan, combine the granulated sugar, corn syrup and water. Over medium heat, bring the sugar to a simmer, and cook just until the sugar is dissolved. Turn off the heat, and stir in the butter until melted.
- Remove from the heat, then whisk in the almond extract and the powdered sugar until thick and smooth. Immediately pour the icing on top of the cake, spreading it out with an offset icing spatula so it drips over the edges.
- Sprinkle with the chopped almonds quickly, before the icing sets and crusts over.
Is there Any way to make this recipe if you are not at a high altitude? It looks delicious! Thanks so much!
Angie
Angie, since this cake doesn’t contain any leavening, it should work at sea level, too, without any adjustments. I have some helpful info on this topic in my FAQs, as well: https://curlygirlkitchen.com/baking-faqs/
This cake was so good! Made it at altitude and it worked perfectly. Skipped the frosting and did a dusting of powdered sugar and served with strawberries. Only adjustment I had to make was to bake for 55 minutes. Everyone had seconds and asked me to make it again!
This almond cake was delicious! I made the 1st one following your recipe. The 2nd one I made , I used lemon juice, zest & lemon paste & by far my favorite!! Thank you for posting the recipe!
That sound delicious with the lemon. 🙂
Could you share details on the lemon you added? How much, when, etc? Also, what is lemon paste?
Thanks so much; it sounds like a delicious addition!
Worked great at 7,000 ft. I skipped the almond extract, added 1 tsp apricot “juice” (liquid that appears in a bowl of apricots above the water in a pressure cooker). Then put apricot halves on top of cake before baking like in Austria. Used maple sugar (I avoid cane sugar and can’t find beet sugar here lately). Did not taste the maple.
I’m so glad you loved it, and that’s great it worked with the maple sugar substitute.
This looks lovely! Any options for something other than corn syrup in the frosting?
You can just make a simple powdered sugar glaze with powdered sugar, milk and vanilla, then sprinkle the icing with the almonds before it crusts over.
Hi Heather!
Just tried this past weekend and OMG! To die for thank you for giving it to us ❤️❤️❤️ One question, have you ever tried this with a sugar sub? Thanks in advance! Will try more recipes soon!
I’m so glad you loved it! No, I have not used a sugar substitute for this recipe.
I made this for Valentine’s Day with only 1 substitution- I didn’t have corn syrup so I used agave. I needed a GF dessert, and this one was met with rave reviews. The flavor, texture, ease of using a springform and the final presentation were perfect. I put a scoop of Jenni’s cherry chip ice cream on the side for a pink element and it paired well with almond flavor. Thank you for this great recipe, Heather!