Gluten-Free Vegan Almond Cake

This Gluten-Free Vegan Almond Cake has a moist and fluffy sponge topped with crunchy flaked almonds, and tastes like frangipane or marzipan! It's easy to make, elegantly simple and is a versatile dessert. It comes together in one bowl and is refined sugar free too.

How to make this recipe

Scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full recipe.

• Mix together all the ingredients in a mixing bowl.

Tip: Make sure to use a measuring jug to measure out the exact amount of plant-based milk!

• Transfer the batter into a 18cm / 7 inch springform baking tin lined with greased baking paper.

Tip: To prevent the sides of the cake from getting burnt, make sure that the baking paper is covering the bottom and the sides of the tin.  

• Evenly sprinkle the flaked almonds over the top of the batter.

• Bake in the oven for 30 minutes, until an inserted skewer comes out clean.

• Leave to cool before slicing.

Tips for making this recipe

• Make sure to use the right amount of baking powder - 2 heaped teaspoons! Use too little baking powder and your sponge won't be fluffy, too much and it'll have a bitter taste.
• Make sure to use an all-purpose shop-bought gluten-free flour blend (or a homemade gluten-free flour blend), as opposed to just using any type of gluten-free flour you can find (such as almond flour, coconut flour, buckwheat flour etc).
• To prevent the sides of the cake from getting burnt, make sure that the baking paper is covering the bottom and the sides of the tin.  
• If you prefer to make a loaf cake instead of a round cake, use my Almond Loaf Cake recipe!

Basic substitutions you can make to this recipe

• You can use any type of oil: coconut oil, olive oil or vegetable oil.
• You can use any type of plant-based milk: almond milk, rice milk, soy milk, cashew milk, oat milk etc.
• You can use any type of liquid sweetener: maple syrup, agave syrup, brown rice syrup etc.
• You can use plain flour, wholemeal (whole wheat) flour or spelt flour instead of the gluten-free flour if you're not gluten-free.

Flavour substitutions you can make

• You can add some almond extract for extra almond flavour.
• You can also add some orange zest or orange blossom water.

Ingredients you can add

• Fresh or frozen blueberries, raspberries, cherries or blackberries.
• Dried cranberries, raisins or sultanas.

How long does this keep for?

Best eaten on the day it's made, but keeps covered in the fridge for up to a couple of days. 

More gluten-free vegan cake recipes

• Tropical Carrot Cake
• Lemon Blueberry Cake
• Cherry Bakewell Cake
• Matcha Strawberry Cake
• Chocolate Cake
• Orange Cake
• Strawberry Cake
• Black Forest Cake
• Red Velvet Cake
• Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake
• Lemon Pound Cake
• Olive Oil Cake
• Lemon Drizzle Loaf Cake
• Yogurt Cake
• Lemon Yogurt Cake
• Ginger Cake
• Raspberry Cake
• Almond Loaf Cake
• Lemon Olive Oil Cake

If you try out this recipe or anything else from my blog, I'd really love to hear any feedback! Please give it a rating, leave a comment, or tag a photo @rhiansrecipes #rhiansrecipes on Instagram! Thank you.

Gluten-Free Vegan Almond Cake

This Gluten-Free Vegan Almond Cake has a moist and fluffy sponge topped with crunchy flaked almonds, and tastes like frangipane or marzipan! It's easy to make, elegantly simple and is a versatile dessert.

4.20 from 26 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: gluten-free almond cake, gluten-free vegan almond cake, vegan almond cake

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes minutes

Servings: 8

Calories: 320kcal

Author: Rhian Williams

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Ingredients

• ▢ 60 g (¼ cup) coconut oil (or sub olive or vegetable oil)
• ▢ 200 ml (⅘ cup) unsweetened almond milk (or any other plant-based milk)
• ▢ 2 tablespoons lemon juice *
• ▢ 8 tablespoons maple syrup (or sub any other sweetener)
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ 150 g (1 ¼ cup) ground almonds (almond meal) **
• ▢ 150 g (1 ¼ cup) gluten-free flour blend (or sub plain flour if not gluten-free)
• ▢ 2 heaped teaspoons baking powder (ensure gluten-free if necessary)
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
• ▢ 5 tablespoons flaked almonds

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit).
• Place the coconut oil in a large bowl and melt over a saucepan of boiling water or in the microwave (skip this step if using any other oil).
• Once melted, add the milk to the same bowl with the lemon juice, maple syrup, vanilla and ground almonds.
• Sift in the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda.
• Mix well, adding a tiny splash more milk if it's looking too dry.
• Transfer mixture into a greased baking tin lined with baking paper (I used a 7inch/18cm springform baking tin) - make sure that the baking paper is covering the bottom and the sides of the tin, to prevent the sides of the cake from getting burnt.
• Evenly sprinkle the flaked almonds over the top of the batter.
• Bake in the oven for around 30 minutes until risen and golden brown and an inserted skewer comes out clean.
• Leave to cool before slicing.
• Best eaten on the day it's made, but keeps covered in the fridge for up to a couple of days.

Notes

*The lemon juice is crucial as its acidity needs to react with the alkali bicarbonate of soda to make the sponge fluffy. If you don't want to use lemon juice, replace with 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar instead.

**You can alternatively use almond flour.

You can add some almond extract for extra almond flavour.

Nutrition Facts

Gluten-Free Vegan Almond Cake

Amount Per Serving

Calories 320 Calories from Fat 189

% Daily Value*

Fat 21g32%

Saturated Fat 7g35%

Trans Fat 0.001g

Polyunsaturated Fat 1g

Monounsaturated Fat 3g

Sodium 71mg3%

Potassium 121mg3%

Carbohydrates 31g10%

Fiber 5g20%

Sugar 14g16%

Protein 7g14%

Vitamin A 0.3IU0%

Vitamin C 1mg1%

Calcium 132mg13%

Iron 2mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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