A one-bowl almond cake that’s both gluten-free and vegan! With dark chocolate, juicy raspberries, and buttery almond flour – perfect for summer berries.
This post was originally published in February 2018. It’s been updated as of July 2020 with improvements to the text and recipe.
This beauty of a cake is definitely a must-make – plus it’s so easy to whip up, it’ll be ready in no time. This lovely recipe comes from Izy Hossack’s recent cookbook The Savvy Cook. You might know Izy from her blog, Top with Cinnamon.
This cake is super moist on the inside, thanks to the ground almonds, with a slightly crumbly texture on the outside. It’s studded with juicy raspberries and chunks of dark chocolate.
Not too sweet, you can eat it as an afternoon snack, or even for breakfast (we’re here for it). For a special dessert, serve it with a dollop of coconut whipped cream.
Ingredients
- Oat flour
- Almond flour
- Soft brown sugar
- Salt
- Baking powder
- One egg (or 4 tablespoons aquafaba)
- Olive oil, canola oil, or melted butter
- Milk (or non-dairy milk)
- Almond extract
- Dark chocolate
- Raspberries (fresh or frozen)
Method
You can make your own oat and almond flour by blending (rolled) oats and almonds in a food processor or high speed blender until flour forms. Don’t go too far with almonds as you’ll end up with almond butter.
Preheat the oven and prep your cake pan. Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl and set aside. If you’re using the aquafaba option, whisk it in a separate bowl until the volume increases slightly and it foams up, about 30 seconds.
Add the egg, oil, milk, and almond extract to the bowl and mix to combine well. Don’t worry about over-mixing, there’s no gluten to overwork here. Pour the batter into your pan and sprinkle the chocolate and raspberries over the top, then give them a bit of a swirl.
Bake about 30 minutes, cool the cake fully in the pan (it’s a bit delicate before it cools down completely) then slice and serve with coconut whipped cream or coconut ice cream.
Tips and Notes
The original recipe suggests using a 9-inch (23cm) cake pan, but the cake can turn out a bit large and slightly flat. A slightly smaller pan will result in a higher cake, but it won’t change the taste.
As this definitely works as a breakfast cake, you might want to serve it with yogurt instead of whipped cream, and it’s great with plain or coconut yogurt. It’s a real all-rounder of a cake.
Substitutions
Like most of Izy’s recipes, this one is easily adaptable to what you have in your kitchen. So use what you have (within reason!) and you’ll still end up with a delicious cake. The base recipe is gluten-free, and Izy provides dairy alternatives.
We have made this already GF almond cake vegan by swapping out the egg for a few tablespoons of aquafaba. If you’re new to vegan baking or have never heard of it, aquafaba is the liquid from a can of chickpeas.
Sounds a bit questionable, maybe, but it’s used a lot in vegan baking as an egg replacement (to make meringue, pavlova, mousse, etc.) and it works really well. It’s become much more common over the past few years. It’s great in cakes (instead of a flax egg or chia egg), as it gives them a really nice texture.
You can use coconut and brown sugar interchangeably, and olive, canola, or melted coconut oil can be used, as can melted butter. Hazelnut flour can take the place of almond if you prefer.
More Gluten Free Desserts
Chocolate Chunk Ginger Cake
Rhubarb Cornmeal Cake
Almond Buckwheat Chocolate Brittle
Chocolate Chip, Hazelnut, and Pomegranate Cake
If you make this recipe, let us know by tagging @baked_theblog + #bakedtheblog on Instagram! We love to feel like we’re in the kitchen with you.
Recipe
Chocolate Chunk, Raspberry & Almond Cake
Description
Equipment
- Measuring cups and spoons or a digital kitchen scale
- 8-inch round cake pan
- 2 Mixing bowls
- Whisk
Ingredients
- ¾ cup + 1 tablespoon oat flour, oat flour (plus extra for dusting)
- ¾ cup + 2 tablespoons almond meal, almond meal (ground almonds)
- ⅓ cup brown sugar, firmly packed
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ cup whole milk, or non-dairy milk
- ⅓ cup olive oil, or canola oil, or melted butter
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- 1 extra large egg, or 4 tablespoons aquafaba
- 50 g 2 oz. dark chocolate (at least 70%), roughly chopped
- ¾ cup 100g frozen or fresh raspberries
To serve:
- Whipped cream or plain yogurt
- Fresh raspberries and/or pomegranate seeds, if in season
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Grease a 8-inch round cake pan with butter or oil and dust with oat flour, tapping out any excess.
- In a large bowl, mix the oat flour, almond meal, sugar, salt, and baking powder.
- If you’re using the aquafaba as an egg replacement, whisk it in a small bowl for about 30 seconds, until foamy.
- Add the milk, oil, almond extract and egg (or aquafaba) to the rest of the ingredients and mix until smooth. Don't worry about over-mixing.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle with the chopped chocolate and raspberries, then gently swirl them into the batter with a spoon.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the centre of the cake springs back when you apply light pressure with your finger.
- Remove from the oven and let the cake cool in the pan.
- Once completely cooled, slice and serve with whipped cream or yogurt and fresh raspberries and pomegranate seeds (if in season), if desired.
Kris Osborne says
This is stunning, Sophie! And I can’t wait to make it. It might be our treat this week, in fact. :)
Sophie says
Thanks Kris! I hope you like it as much as I do :)
Carissa says
Just so you you are aware, the recipe does not state when to add the oil :)
Sophie Bourdon says
Thanks for catching that, Carissa! The recipe has been updated. :)
Nella says
One of my-go recipes when I’m receiving.
Easy, yummy and gorgeous.
Thank you!
Sophie Bourdon says
So happy to hear this, Nella! Thank you!
Pat Newton says
Could you substitute a flax egg for the aquafaba
Sophie Mackenzie says
We haven’t tried but it should work, it might be a touch less fluffy :)
Sheila says
Can I sub the almond flour for something else? Thanks!
Alexandra Daum says
Another nut or seed meal would work great!
Sheila says
Can I use another gluten free flour for the oat flour? The oat flour I have is not certified gluten free. Making it for my neighbour with allergies. Thanks!
Alexandra Daum says
Hi Sheila, it depends on what you have, but buckwheat is probably the best option. I wouldn’t recommend coconut or almond flour.