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This almond flour cake is so light and fluffy that you won’t believe how easy it is to make. With just four ingredients, it’s easy and elegant!
Love almond flour recipes? Try my almond flour brownies, almond flour cookies, and almond flour muffins.
Using almond flour instead of wheat flour for cakes completely transforms the texture. It yields a lighter, crumb, and fluffier texture and doesn’t leave you feeling heavy or bloated afterward. My classic almond flour cake recipe is a dessert staple in my home, and I have no doubt it will be in your home too!
Table of Contents
Why I love this recipe
- It’s made with just 4 key ingredients, making it such an easy dessert to make.
- Everything is mixed in one bowl, so there is virtually no clean up required.
- It’s easily made, low-carb, and/or sugar-free, making it a fabulous keto dessert. No sugar and no grains are needed, but you’d never tell.
- The texture is light, fluffy, and with a gorgeous crumb. It’s sweet and with a slight lemon flavor, without being overpowering.
Ingredients needed
- Almond flour. You must use blanched almond flour. While almond meal can work, it won’t yield a soft and moist crumb.
- Eggs. room temperature and separated.
- Sugar. White or brown sugar works or sugar substitutes, like allulose. If you use brown sugar or coconut sugar, expect your cake to be darker in color.
- Lemon zest. grated from a fresh lemon. Do not use dried or freeze-dried lemon.
- Powdered sugar and sliced almonds. It’s optional, but it makes a fabulous garnish and looks pretty, too!
How to make an almond flour cake
I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1- Make the batter. In a large bowl, beat the egg yolks and sugar until thick and creamy. Add the almond flour and lemon zest and fold through until incorporated. Next, in a separate mixing bowl, beat together the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the egg whites into the batter until combined.
Step 2- Transfer the batter to a greased cake pan. If using almonds, add them on top of the cake.
Step 3- Bake for around 30 minutes or until the top is golden and firm.
Step 4- Cool in the pan for 20 minutes before carefully inverting it onto a large plate. Once cooled to room temperature, sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Do not over-bake the cake, as it continues to cook as it is cooling down.
- Be sure to use flaked/sliced almonds to top the cake, not whole almonds. The latter will sink into the batter while it is cooking.
- Your cake must be cooled completely before flipping it, or else you risk the cake falling apart.
- If you’d like to make a thicker cake (as pictured), use a 7-inch or 8-inch cake pan. If you prefer a thinner cake (like the video in the recipe card), use a 9-inch cake pan.
Dietary swaps and variations
- Make it keto-friendly. Use a sugar substitute, like allulose or brown sugar substitute.
- Add some frosting. Spread a light layer of cream cheese or vanilla frosting.
- Make it without eggs. Instead of egg whites and egg yolks, try one of these egg substitutes.
- Add anise extract. Some traditional almond flour cakes have this in their ingredients, so add 1/2 teaspoon.
- Add some coconut flavor. Add some coconut extract and shredded coconut flakes for some added texture and flavor.
Storage instructions
To store: Leftover cake can be stored at room temperature, covered, for up to 1 week. If you’d like it to keep longer, you can store it in the refrigerator.
To freeze: Place the cake in a shallow container and store it in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Unlike other flours, almond flour is the most similar to cake or wheat flour. You can substitute cake flour with almond flour on a cup-to-cup basis.
Almond flour doesn’t make cakes moist, but it yields a lighter and fluffier texture. The milk, eggs, and/or liquid ingredients, in combination with butter or oil, affect how moist a cake is.
No, you cannot substitute the almond flour with coconut flour. They both have different baking properties. If you’d like a cake with coconut, try making a coconut flour cake.
More baking with almond flour
Almond Flour Cake (4 Ingredients!)
Video
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups almond flour
- 4 large eggs separated
- 1/2 cup sugar * See notes
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1/4 cup sliced almonds optional
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Grease an 8-inch cake pan and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine your almond flour, egg yolks, sugar, and lemon zest, and mix well. In a separate bowl, beat together your egg whites until stiff peaks form.
- Fold through your egg whites until combined. Transfer the cake mixture into the greased cake pan and top with sliced almonds.
- Bake the cake for 30 minutes, or until tender on top. Remove the cake from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes, before carefully invert onto a plate and sprinkling with powdered sugar.
Hello!
Do you think coconut sugar will be alright to substitute for this recipe? I would like to bake this for my mother but she prefers coconut sugar for dietary reasons. Thank you!!
You could try!
Can you use maple syrup as sweetener or does it have to be granulated?
Thanks
I love this cake! I added 1 Tbs lemon juice and used it for strawberry shortcake, with greek yogurt, lemon, vanilla extract and monk fruit sugar for the whipped cream. Delish!
OMG this cake is AMAZING!! so delicious and easy and I cannot believe how incredibly delicious and perfectly fluffy it is.
Very excited to try this recipe! Anxious for your opinion. I have some wonderful top-notch Cook’s extracts on hand. Would you recommend using 1/2 tsp. pure almond and/or pure lemon extract in place of the anise extract flavoring or would it be too much for this recipe?
Sure that would be fine 🙂
Does this cake taste eggy?
Not at all!
I have done this almond cake many times, always with good results. I serve it with berries on the side.
I have made this recipe twice and we love it. It is light and just the perfect amount of sweet. The only issue I have with it is that in a 9 inch cake pan it doesn’t rise as much as shown in the pictures on the blog and on Instagram. It is maybe half the height of that. First time baking this I made a mistake as the instructions say to mix almond flour, egg yolks, sugar and lemon zest in one bowl and that’s what I did. This was despite the fact that I have been successfully baking cakes for various occasions for the past 20 years and I know better plus I watched the video. You’re supposed to mix the sugar and egg yolks and then add the almond flour. Both times it’s this very dense and hard to mix batter and then the beaten egg whites I have added a few tablespoons at a time until the mixture becomes softer and you can fold the rest of the egg whites.
I have rewatched the video countless times and I don’t know what I am doing wrong that the batter won’t rise as much. If anyone has any helpful tips, please share.
Regardless, this cake will be one of my go-to as a celiac that loves to bring desserts to parties.
I’ve made this several times over the past week for various dinner gatherings. Reminder to watch the video before making it. I skipped that part and my first attempt wasn’t so great. I also added the juice from the lemon used for the rind, some dried cranberries and dried black currents. And I made it using Monk sugar.
Thanks for sharing the recipe!
I love this cake! its so simple and versatile… I have made it with lemon and raspberries, and almond extract, lemon and blueberries… the possibilities are endless
Love this recipe. Light and lemony and not too sweet. Baked it in an 8 inch spring form pan. Delicious!
Yummy! I made this twice in a month. Best almond flour cake recipe I’ve tried. Diabetics dream! Thanks for the recipe.
Absolutely delicious! Thanks for the recipe.
The only thing I would change next time is beating the egg yolks and sugar first before adding the almond flour.
Just came to laugh at all the comments from people who clearly didn’t read the recipe and commend you for patiently answering. It’s all there lovelies, everything you need to make this wonderful recipe. 😂😘
Mine seems to have come out much thinner than your picture. Perhaps I overworked it when folding in the egg whites? It took a bit to get them incorporated. Any hints appreciated!
Hi Michael- I don’t think that would be an issue unless the cake was dense?