Almond

Flourless Almond & Coconut Cake

May 31, 2021
5
11 Ratings
Photo by Julia Gartland
  • Makes one 9-inch cake
Author Notes

I almost over-baked this cake. I was sitting on the couch with the scent of almonds and coconut and sugar wafting around me and got distracted imagining a cake-scented perfume. I’d buy this one. I’d wear it every single day and I wager that I’d give Chanel a run for its money.

Lest you worry that one cake couldn’t smell insanely good and taste insanely good too, it does.

I found the recipe in an unlikely place: the organic grains and bulk foods section of the grocery store. I was looking for quinoa and contemplating a nice healthy tabbouleh salad and there—amidst the virtuous bags of teff and flax meal—I found a stellar cake recipe on the back of an almond meal bag.

This recipe plays off the idea of a classic flourless almond cake, but a touch of coconut flour gives it a depth of flavor that I loved. Coconut and almonds are a perfect match: Both are nutty and dense and pair well with sugar.

Something to keep in mind: This cake is very, very moist and you must chill it before slicing into it. Between you and me, forcing someone to wait and chill a cake before eating it is a unique form of torture, and I wouldn’t ask you to do it if it weren’t absolutely necessary.

It’s worth it! This cake is perfect. Eat it plain or sift confectioners' sugar over the top. I made a quick strawberry sauce by cooking frozen strawberries in a saucepan until they thickened and spooned it over my first slice. Vanilla ice cream would not be a bad move, and you also won’t go wrong if you split a slice in half, toast it, and pour heavy cream over top.

It's perfect for a dinner party and even better for breakfast the next morning. It's adapted from the back of the Bob's Red Mill almond meal bag. —Posie (Harwood) Brien

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 3/4 cup butter
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 1/2 cups almond meal
  • 1/2 cup coconut flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
Directions
  1. Preheat your oven to 350° F. Grease a 9-inch round cake pan and line the bottom with parchment.
  2. Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs (one at a time), mixing until incorporated. Add milk and vanilla and beat until incorporated.
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the almond meal, coconut flour, and baking powder. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix thoroughly.
  4. Pour the batter into your prepared pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes. The cake should be golden brown and starting to pull away from the sides.
  5. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes or so. Once cool (in the pan or out of the pan, either works), chill the cake in the refrigerator. It is VERY moist and needs to chill slightly to firm up.

See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • okmosa
    okmosa
  • Chloe Hurley
    Chloe Hurley
  • Saima Sandhu
    Saima Sandhu
  • Jessy Li
    Jessy Li
  • Diana Zahuranec
    Diana Zahuranec

74 Reviews

RM March 23, 2024
Absolutely delicious! Better than I expected and I expected quite a lot given all the raving reviews. I made this on a whim as I had all the Ingredients except for milk, which I substituted with buttermilk (and therefore added 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda in addition to the baking powder). I also routinely use coconut sugar instead of regular white sugar in baking and prefer it. The batter looked a bit off - slightly grainy rather than light and fluffy - but the resultant cake was light with a great crumb and even better crust, which is my favorite part. Will definitely be making this again and again!
 
Lori R. November 27, 2022
Your recipe shows the cake topped with frosting
and sliced peaches - what type of frosting did you use?
 
okmosa April 7, 2021
I bought a bag of almond flour on sale and my 19yo saw the recipe on the back of the bag. So then I picked up some coconut flour and am glad I did instead of sub AP flour. This is like a coconut macaroon (one of my faves) in cake form. I used the bag recipe, and however tasty this is, I will try reducing the eggs to 3 like this recipe and reducing the butter somewhat. I feel it was definitely too moist and a little greasy. And I will keep the salt in; it needs it.
 
Chloe H. March 16, 2021
Hi, I've made this recipe 3 times now and it's delicious! I've doubled it for a birthday party as the gluten free option and everyone loved it. I cooked it for about 50 minutes because it was double and then turned the oven off and let the residual heat do a little drying so it wouldn't burn.
 
eileen February 6, 2021
Made this cake and wow!!! I had no coconut flour so I used a bit less AP, added thick shred coconut and almond extract instead of vanilla. Next time will make it with listed ingredients. Thank you for my new night tea cake!
 
AgnesP123 January 28, 2021
I tried this recipe of yours. This cake is simply delicious. Thank you for your generosity sharing the recipe with so many. I do have a few questions. Just checking - the eggs would that be medium sized eggs preferred? and as for the butter, this is room temperature butter? Thank you for the explanation about how differently the almond flour and coconut flour are and the buffer time of leaving the batter some 15 mins before baking. My cake had a dip in the middle. Not sure what might have caused it. Any advice is helpful. By the way I am in Asia time zone.
 
Chloe H. March 16, 2021
When I make this I put in an extra 1/4 or half teaspoon of baking powder and it works very nicely. The almond meal and coconut flours are heavier than normal flour so I usually add a little more baking powder than recommended on most GF recipes.
 
Fatima March 23, 2020
Just made this with 1/2 the amount of sweetener (I used monk fruit) and it is delicious). Wondering if the cake freezes well. Has anyone tried?
 
DonnaOP December 25, 2019
This has become a family favorite! Not only is it gf for those of us who must, it is easy, delicious, and amazingly (forgivably!) modifiable. Today it will be served with a lemon-blueberry compote and whipped cream after our Christmas dinner. Thank you for such a great recipe!
 
Anne-Marie July 21, 2019
This is our new go-to recipe for a keto diet sweet snack with no sugar - with modifications. I make them as muffins, as they freeze well and you can just pop one out and thaw whenever. Modifications: use 1/4 c. ricotta or sour cream in place of 1/4 c. of the butter, substitute 1/2 c. powdered monkfruit sweetener for the sugar (the brand we use is Lankato), use almond flour instead of almond meal, reduce cooking time to 20 minutes. Makes 12 muffins.
 
Saima S. March 13, 2019
Hi; I just tried this recipe... and my cake dipped in the middle. It just sank s it was baking. Any ideas to remedy this. Tia
 
Jessy L. December 5, 2018
I made this recipe with slight modification.it turned out fab! I followed one of the recommendations in the comments. Put some yoghurt in place of butter but not all. The only thing that failed was the cake didnot rise enough perhaps something to do with egg size or should have been mixed for longer. But I am happy it is my first cake recipe to do since i started on Keto diet.
 
Lilla May 2, 2018
aren't almond meal and almond flour 2 different things? Almond meal is coarser and has skins on the almonds.
 
Chloe H. March 16, 2021
Here in Australia almond meal is quite soft and has no skins and I've never been able to find 'almond flour' in any supermarkets. Perhaps it's different elsewhere? I make this with almond meal and it works beautifully. Once I was made it with half ground almonds with my food processor because I didn't have enough shop bought almond meal left and that worked great too so I don't think it really makes much difference as long as you put enough baking soda in.
 
Diana Z. May 24, 2016
I added 3/4 C grated coconut, and used a 10 inch springform pan (wrapped with tin foil in case of leaks), baked at 375 for 50 minutes, covered with foil for all but 15 minutes to keep it from burning. Turned out well. Very tasty, definitely better in the fridge. I'd experiment on this recipe in the future--adding more coconut, or flour, or maybe less butter? Substitute part of the butter for ricotta or Greek yogurt? Because rather than moist, it felt heavy/fatty/buttery, to me.
 
ellen July 13, 2016
you had me at heavy/fatty/buttery… :)
this cake is amazing! the 1st time i made it, i subbed coconut milk for the milk & coconut extract for the vanilla- plus i added a 1/2 tsp. kosher salt. it was super moist & yummy & you can taste the coconut & the almond. tonight i made it sans coconut by subbing all-purpose flour for the coconut flour & almond extract for the vanilla, plus the 1/2 tsp. kosher salt again. i like the all almond version better! this is a very simple, delicious cake. i also made it in a 9-inch square cake pan, so i could cut it into small squares. i cut about a 1/4 inch in from all the sides (to avoid the curved, dark edge pieces plus, hello, cake scraps) & cut the middle into 36 small squares. you don't even need frosting- just set them on a pretty platter & give them a dusting of powdered sugar for a lovely finish!
 
Lauren's P. April 21, 2016
Since Passover and my niece have a birthday the same night, this will be her Birthday Cake. I might add some toasted coconut and perhaps a basil strawberry compote? Or another suggestion to make it more festive??
 
Posie (. April 21, 2016
Oh I love the basil strawberry compote idea! I really love serving this cake with lemon curd and ice cream, but any sort of fruit compote or curd would be absolutely excellent. I'd probably leave the batter as is, because it's so lovely, but you could also make a quick coconutty frosting. A seven minute frosting (I have a recipe for that on this site) with shredded coconut would be delicious too.
 
jenny April 20, 2016
Made this today, following the original recipe aside from using almond milk instead of the regular milk. It had a nice texture, moist and golden on top, but the taste was very bland. Would go with others suggestions of adding flavours such as coconut or lemon.. Could also do with a pinch of salt. Has anyone else had any real successes? I fancy adding fine espresso grounds and cardamom for something much more memorable!
 
jenny April 21, 2016
I tried this again - I made a coffee syrup, and used a 1/4 cup of that in the batter (along with 1/4 cup yoghurt instead of the milk, reducing the sugar in the original recipe accordingly), and then put in 2 tsp ground cardamon. I put chopped walnuts on top of the cake as it went into the oven, and poured the rest of the coffee syrup over the top when it came out. Oh My God! OK, it is nothing like the cake the original recipe had in mind, but it is one of the best cakes i've ever made :-)
 
Posie (. April 21, 2016
Haha love it, way to get creative!!
 
Jenny April 2, 2016
Do you think it will be okay to use entirely Almond meal? I don't have coconut flour but I do have shredded coconut...
 
jenny April 21, 2016
I often sub shredded coconut for coconut flour in cake recipes, and aside from giving a more pronounced coconut flavour, it doesn't seem to have any adverse affect on the cake itself so go for it :-)
 
Luz March 12, 2016
Just made a dozen cupcakes using this recipe and it turned out lovely. Rose quite high, but with a nice golden crust. Also added some gingerbread spices to it as well. Baked for about 20-25 minutes and topped with cold unsweetened coconut cream. Yum!
 
Sue January 30, 2016
I make it with honey always. When using honey you just use baking soda (due to the acidity in the honey) and I lower the temperature slightly and watch it quite closely since honey makes things darken more quickly. It's worked out very well each time.
 
Sara B. November 17, 2016
Wonderful suggestion for honey in lieu of sugar. I am going to try this!
 
Ghazzzit January 7, 2019
Hi Sue, how much honey do you use in place of the sugar? Do you modify any other proportions so it isn't too wet?
 
Suzy January 29, 2016
has anyone tried reducing the sugar and/or swapping for something (slightly) healthier than white sugar? if so, how did it go?
 
Stacy G. April 7, 2019
I replaced the sugar with 1/4 cup of stevia and it tasted great.
 
Amanda I. January 8, 2016
Is anyone else having a problem with this not staying whole- it looks beautiful out of the oven ( smooth, brown and golden on top)and after it cools and chills and you go to cut slices or remove from the pan-the bottom always separates from the top and it turns into a crumbly, though delicious, mess. ideas? Thoughts?
 
lynn September 13, 2015
What can i substitute for the coconut flour? I can't do coconut. Thanks so much!
 
SophieL August 18, 2015
This cake turned out great! Thanks to tips from other reviewers, I added 1 tsp coconut extract and 1/4 c. coconut. And I put my baking pan on a cookie sheet, in case it overflowed, which it didn't (my 9" round pan has 2" sides). I did chill the cake for about 15 minutes, but no longer because I was anxious to take a bite. It was very good and I look forward to another slice tomorrow with my morning coffee.
 
Maggie July 28, 2015
Hi there ctgal,

Thank you for replying ....yes I saw them, but they are not comprehensive ..... Eg 1 cup of sugar will weigh heavier than I cup of icing sugar for example. But it was very kind of you to help. Xx
 
Maggie July 28, 2015
Me again, please please could I have the recipe in imperial or metric if you have time. I from the UK and there are several conversion sites for American cups but they are all different, and I know that a cup of flour would be different to a cup of sugar for example !!!, thank you , hopefully maggie
 
ctgal July 28, 2015
Scroll down, Maggie. Someone provided them.
 
Melanie July 2, 2015
This is amazing! The crumb is delicate and flavorful - especially warm from the oven. Here are the adaptations I made: Added 1 tsp of coconut extract and 1/4 c. of unsweetened desiccated coconut. The batter did not sit before baking, nor did it overflow the 9" round cake pan, as noted by other posters. Will definitely make this again. Yum.
 
Lorraine F. June 27, 2015
Almond flour and coconut flour do not behave like regular flour. So when baking you have to understand how much hydration the recipe will need. Coconut flour absorbs a lot of moisture in a recipe. I would let the cake batter sit for 15 minutes before baking it to give the coconut and almond flour a chance to absorb the milk and eggs. I would make jumbo muffins from this recipe as it will bake a shorter time and you will not have an overflow in the cake pan. Nice GF recipe!
 
Lorraine F. June 27, 2015
King Arthur Flour makes great almond flour and coconut flour and is now available in most supermarkets. Both are a lot less expensive than Bob's Red Mill brand.
 
ctgal June 27, 2015
Has anyone made it with the 4 eggs, and why did you change it to 3, please. Newly gluten-free after many many issues, and I am making it today! Thanks!
 
ctgal July 28, 2015
I made this last week, and it was divine! I made no changes in the original recipe. We've been keeping it in the refrigerator after the first day. My husband really liked it, and he is not gluten free. I was told no to make it again as he couldn't stop eating it! Now, there's an endorsement!
 
Lan June 27, 2015
This recipe is very similar to the one on the back of Bob's Red Mill Almond meal package. The writer should reference the source.
 
Posie (. June 28, 2015
Yes should have noted that -- will add it in! This recipe comes from our Back of the Box column where we credit Bob's Red Mill!
 
Lucis L. May 20, 2015
Mine is not cooking! It's been in the oven at 350 degrees for 40 minutes already and it's still too moist. Like you could pick it up with a spoon.
 
Caren May 4, 2015
I love this simple recipe, even though I wasn't looking for a flour-less cake. I added some lemon zest and a bit of juice, I also used buttermilk. I served it with strawberry+rhubarb topping. This cake burns quickly so keep an eye on it. Wonderful crumbly with a soft flavorful texture!
 
Sue April 27, 2015
Made this this weekend and it was wonderful. Often gluten free baking leaves a bit to be desired, but this was fantastic. Subbed mild honey for the sugar for a friend who is not eating sugar and it remained delicious. Thanks!
 
creamtea April 26, 2015
I followed the original recipe from the back of the bag: 13 x 9" pan, no refrigeration, and served it with strawberries and whipped cream. It is fluffy and moist at the same time--delicious.
 
jennifer April 25, 2015
Oh yum! I'm going to try this cake this weekend. This looks like a basic cake that you can dress up in so many ways. I used to make an Basque Almond cake that had a layer of tart cherry jam in the center, but it was made with flour. I'd love to be able to get a similar effect without using flour - I may have to try baking it with a layer of fruit jam in the center. I appreciate reading all the advice from people who've already tried the recipe and its variations.
 
Alissa C. April 25, 2015
What is 3/4 cup of butter? I've never come across that unit of measurement for a solid. Is that a melted consistency or chopped? Or...?

Is it possible to have that in a more accurate measurement like grams?
 
mhgoblue April 25, 2015
3/4 cup of butter is 12 tablespoons, or a stick and a half.
 
beejay45 April 30, 2015
If you look on the wrappers for the cubes (US made, anyway) it shows Tablespoon and cup equivalents.
 
Victor May 1, 2015
Alissa...
Please accept my apology for others who are so parochial as to think the rest of the world does things the same as here in the US.
1 pound of butter = 2 cups = 453.59 grams
1 stick of butter = 1/2 cup = 8 Tablespoons
Only melt the butter if the recipe calls for it.
Keep in mind that the butter here in the US contains more water than most found in Europe.
Hope this helps.
Regards.
 
Victor May 1, 2015
Oh...
To ensure your success with recipes written here in the US, I also think I should also share with you:
1 cup = 236.59 ml
1 teaspoon (t or tsp) = 5 ml
1 tablespoon (T or Tsp or Tblsp) = 3 teaspoons = 15 ml

Wishing you much success in your cooking endeavors.
 
Cynthia D. April 24, 2015
This was delicious! I used salted butter, since the recipe doesn't specify and doesn't call for any other salt. I also added 1/2 tsp. coconut flavoring. Otherwise I followed the recipe exactly. Warning: The batter slightly overflowed my 9" cake pan, so next time I will either use a slightly bigger pan or place a cookie sheet underneath to avoid oven messes.
 
Bec April 22, 2015
Hi guys - honestly I wouldn't worry about subbing in other products for butter. The research is telling us we had saturated fat so wrong - and butter is actually a really healthy source of anti-inflammatory fats called butyrate. So long as its grass fed, good quality butter, enjoy it!

www.cultivatebeauty.com.au
 
lori B. April 21, 2015
BTW, the original recipe calls for 4 eggs,not 3 as listed above.
 
lori B. April 21, 2015
The batter should be quite thick, but definitely easy enough to pour into your cake pan, with the help of a rubber spatula. I've baked this cake several times, using the original recipe on the bag of almond meal/flour and used a 9" round cake pan and also a 9x12" pan ~ using the 9x12 pan, I like the finished cake much better ~ moist, but not so moist that you have to refrigerate to chill it....I didn't care for it chilled.
 
Tim April 21, 2015
Could+you+possibly+comment+on+how+the+batter+is+supposed+to+look?++I+just+made+this+and+my+batter+was+almost+a+cookie+dough+consistency+rather+than+a+thick+pourable+batter.
 
Tim April 21, 2015
Wow that's weird.
 
Nicole W. April 25, 2015
LOL
 
creamtea April 21, 2015
I wonder if coconut oil would work instead of butter, (in addition to the coconut-milk-in-place-of-milk sub) ?
 
Sophia H. April 20, 2015
I have bags of pistachio flour in the freezer, I think I will use that instead of the almond, since it is on hand.
 
AY April 20, 2015
Has+this+been+tried+dairy+free?+Using+coconut+milk+instead+and+earth+balance?
 
AY April 20, 2015
That was weird!^^^ I didn't type it that way!
 
Posie (. April 20, 2015
Haha, I think it's something about the site, maybe if you typed from your phone? I would think Earth Balance would be a fine stand-in for butter, and I think you could use coconut or almond milk with no issues but I haven't tried it myself (of course, make sure to use the thin coconut milk from a carton not the thick coconut milk from a can).
 
Windischgirl January 3, 2016
Thanks for this! I was considering making this for a friom who is GF and dairy-free as well. I have almond creamer in he fridge and it's quite sweet...I'd probably cut the sugar amount in the recipe by 1/3.
 
mhgoblue April 20, 2015
I made this today with my three year old for my coconut-loving husband. I took care of the measuring and she did all the pouring and stirring. It smells wonderful!
 
Posie (. April 20, 2015
Aw adorable, that made my day!
 
Nicole W. April 20, 2015
OMG this was so good... I had to make 2 cakes. Even the kids loved it! It comes out kindof like a very moist cornbread. I followed the recipe to a T, but didn't have parchment paper so I lined the cake pan with aluminum foil. I timed it for 35 minutes and it worked perfectly. Thank you for the recipe.
 
Posie (. April 19, 2015
Lori -- I tweaked it very slightly by reducing the eggs to 3. I baked it both ways and preferred the texture with 3 eggs, but it was delicious either way! Agree that leaving it to cool should be fine as well, I liked the texture after it firmed up in the refrigerator even more though but again -- it's so good that it'll be delicious no matter what, I just found it to be quite soft and moist in the middle if I didn't chill it.
 
lori B. April 19, 2015
OH, forgot to mention, when baking this cake, I have never refrigerated it to chill. The original recipe does not include these instructions to chill. I sprinkle a little powder sugar when it comes out of the oven, then wait until it cools, then we eat and enjoy...best cake ever!!
 
lori B. April 19, 2015
Good Sunday morning! I've baked this cake numerous times ~ from the recipe on the back of the almond meal/flour bag ~ however, this recipe lists 4 eggs, where your recipe is lisitng only 3 ~ also lists "unsalted" butter....Did the original recipe change (just purchased another Almond meal/flour bag & it still lists 4 eggs) or did you change the recipe after trying it. Thanks for your advice/suggestions.
 
sydney April 19, 2015
I'm interested to try this, but before I buy coconut flour (have never used it) can you say what you changed from the original recipe and why? Thanks!
 
Posie (. April 20, 2015
Zelda, I reduced the eggs from 4 to 3. I tried it both ways and preferred it with 3 -- I felt like 4 eggs made it slightly too moist and hard to slice in the center.
 
emzse78 April 17, 2015
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