Bake These Gluten-Free Almond Cakes for Brunch with Your Besties (or Just for Your Fabulous Self)
Made with just seven ingredients, gluten-free almond cakes are simple to prepare — but they do require a bit of planning ahead.
Whole ingredients, including eggs, orange, agave nectar and blanched almond flour, keep the cakes gluten-free and minimally processed.
But while the batter comes together quickly, the finishing touch takes time — one to three weeks to be specific. A fermented yuzu-lemon syrup tops each cake, adding a sweet burst of citrusy goodness to every bite.
The ferment combines the refreshing tartness of lemons with pungent yuzu juice. Sugar balances the citrusy tang, and the fermentation process deepens the flavor, creating a syrup that’s as delicious on toast as it is in desserts and cocktails.
These single-serve almond cakes feel special enough for a celebratory brunch yet simple enough for an afternoon tea.
Gluten-Free Almond Cake Tips
A few simple tricks will ensure your cakes are light, tender and full of flavor.
- Use blanched almond flour (not almond meal) for the best texture. Blanched almond flour is finer and lighter, and will result in an airy, delicate texture in the cake. Almond meal, on the other hand, tends to be coarser and may affect the cake's fluffiness. (If you’re curious about different types of flours or alternative flours, check out the video below.)
- Bring eggs and refrigerated ingredients to room temperature before starting. This helps them incorporate better and creates a smoother, more uniform texture in the cake.
- Monitor baking time. Almond-flour cakes bake faster than traditional cakes. Start checking for doneness after 20 minutes by gently pressing the center of the cake. If it bounces back and feels firm to the touch, it's ready to come out of the oven.
- Add vanilla for extra depth. A teaspoon of pure vanilla extract in the cake complements the orange and yuzu flavors beautifully.
- Serve the cake with a side of fruit compote (such as berries or citrus). The fresh fruit pairs well with the richness of the cake, creating a balanced dessert.
Ingredients
Fermented Yuzu-Lemon Syrup
Yield: 1 quart-sized jar
- 6 lemons, deseeded & diced
- 1 ¾ cups sugar
- 1 cup yuzu juice
Gluten-Free Almond Cakes with Fermented Yuzu-Lemon Syrup
Yield: 12 small cakes
- 1 cup agave nectar
- 6 eggs
- 1 orange, zested & juiced
- 3 cups blanched almond flour
- 2 cups fermented yuzu-lemon syrup
Directions
Fermented Yuzu-Lemon Syrup
- Add lemons and sugar to a bowl.
- Massage and allow mixture to rest a few minutes.
- Pack mixture, along with any residual liquid, into a sterilized, quart-sized glass jar.
- Pour in yuzu juice.
- Add fermentation weight. Fasten lid and attach carboy.
- Ferment at room temperature 1 to 3 weeks, stirring every few days.
Gluten-Free Almond Cakes with Fermented Yuzu-Lemon Syrup
- Preheat oven to 350º F.
- Oil the inside of a silicone cake mold with 12 small cavities.
- Whisk agave, eggs, orange zest and juice in a bowl until combined.
- Slowly fold in almond flour until a uniform batter forms.
- Pour batter into molds and bake 20 to 30 minutes, or until golden and firm to the touch. Allow cakes to cool.
- Top cakes with fermented yuzu-lemon syrup to serve.
