This Berry Almond Cake with Greek Yogurt Frosting is made with almond flour and Greek yogurt for a dessert that is gluten-free and grain-free. When paired with the delicious yogurt frosting, it’s a lightened up cake recipe you can feel good about eating. Serve it at parties, or as a satisfying dessert!
Berry Delicious Almond Cake
Do you ever get moments of baking inspiration? For me, they happen about once or twice a year. This year, the result was this beautiful and bright almond cake! In all honesty, I am not much of a baker. Instead, I’m more of a no-baker or maybe a bowl maker? However, once in a while I get an itch to make or should I say bake something pretty like my Naked Almond Flour Chocolate Cake, this Earl Grey Tea Loaf Cake, and a Chocolate Christmas Cake, but I don’t just follow the traditional recipes! Instead, I do my darndest to make my sweets healthy(ish) and, of course, always gluten-free.
While it’s fun once in a while, let me tell you, this kind of baking is not easy! Maybe that’s why I only attempt it a few times a year? No matter how you’re trying to alter a recipe whether it’s gluten-free, paleo, vegan, or all of the above, these sweets all require multiple tests and ingredient alterations before you find the “perfect” recipe. Lucky for me, the inspiration for this almond cake recipe came at 6 am on a Monday morning. Thus, making the layers for this gluten-free cake recipe began!
After 3 rounds and lots of decision making, I finally decided the first version was the best. Go figure, huh. Made with a berry Greek yogurt frosting, think of this recipe as Strawberries n’ Cream meets shortcake. I’ve tossed around a few different names including almond cake, yogurt cake, and gluten-free cake. I don’t know which one to choose, but what I do know is that no matter what you want to call this recipe, it’s completely delicious!
So, ready to get baking?
Main Ingredients & Why They’re Important for a Gluten-Free Cake
Given that we’re making an almond flour cake from scratch, the ingredient list is really pretty small, but each item is crucial to the success of this recipe! Take a look below to double-check that you’ve got all the core ingredients you need before you get started in the kitchen.
Eggs – It wouldn’t be a cake recipe without eggs! Full of protein and healthy fats, they help hold the ingredients together while also adding structure, flavor, and leavening.
Sugar – Without sugar, your cake would taste a whole lot like you just mashed up some almonds and mixed it with berries. I used raw sugar or coconut sugar for this recipe, but baking Stevia or monk fruit sugar can be substituted as well. Just note that the texture of the cake will slightly change.
Greek Yogurt – The crucial component of the berry frosting, Greek yogurt can also be added to your almond cake in order to keep it moist.
Did you know? Greek yogurt is high in protein and rich in probiotics that help to feed the good bacteria in your gut and regulate your digestion!
Berries – The use of berries adds a sweet taste to your cake without the need for excessive amounts of sugar. It’s also the reason for the fun bright pink color. Plus, berries of all kinds are loaded with fiber and antioxidants that help improve your gut-health.
Blanched Almond Flour – Almond flour is the perfect gluten-free alternative for all your baking needs. Made from healthy fats, it adds a creaminess to the taste and helps provide the cake’s structure. Be sure to use blanched almond flour! It’s much lighter in texture and perfect for grain free cakes! More on that below.
Greek Yogurt Frosting
Sure, regular frosting is good, but have you ever had yogurt frosting? Trust me, it’s so much better! Not only is it full of protein, it also provides a great sweet and tangy flavor for a low carb alternative full of flavor. Plus, it’s super simple to make and uses only 5 ingredients.
Pro-Tip: strain the yogurt before making the frosting! This will remove any remaining whey and make whipping the butter and sugar a breeze. Also, be sure to use a 2% or whole milk Greek yogurt, not fat free as it can become too watery.
Tips for natural food coloring! Whip in a smidge of strawberry jam or even cherry juice! It creates a beautiful pink! For this almond cake, I blended a few strawberries into the frosting, but any berry you prefer would work just as well If you’re looking for a natural food dye, I recommend this brand.
The Best Baking Tips for Gluten-Free Yogurt Cake
To make sure you get an incredibly moist and super fluffy almond cake with a sweet Greek yogurt frosting, I’m going to give you a few of my top-secret baking tips!
If you live in a dry climate or altitude, add a tablespoon (or two) of Greek yogurt to the cake batter to prevent it from drying out.
Do you have trouble getting your cake out of the pan once it’s done baking? Gently scrape a knife around the edges of the almond cake to help release it, and remove it from the springform pan with ease!
Almond Flour vs. All-Purpose or Gluten-Free Flour…What’s the Difference?
While all flour types can be used to achieve similar results, there are pretty stark differences between them and how they are used.
For example, almond flour is made out of ground almonds. They are blanched, boiled, and their skins are removed before they are ground and sifted into a flour.
Note: Almond meal is made from grinding almonds with their skin still intact and has a coarser texture than almond flour. They are not interchangeable in most recipes.
Meanwhile, all-purpose flour is milled from either hard wheat or a blend of hard and soft wheats. It is suitable for making nearly any baked good, but isn’t always gut-friendly as it does contain gluten.
Similar to all-purpose flour, gluten-free flour is made out of grains. However, as the name suggests, it does not contain gluten and does not contain wheat. Instead, gluten-free flour is made out of a variety of ingredients including rice flour, tapioca starch, potato starch, and sorghum flour just to name a few.
Due to the different consistencies, the amount of flour needed for a specific recipe will vary from flour to flour. To make conversions easy, take a look here.
How to Separate Eggs with Ease
Often, it seems like everyone has their own special tip or trick to separate eggs from their egg whites. Today, I’m going to teach you how to do it with ease! No more struggling to pick out the bright yellow yolk or wasting whole eggs.
First, make sure you crack your egg on a flat surface like a tabletop or cutting board instead of on the rim of the bowl. This will prevent any tiny shell pieces from falling into your cake.
Second, gently pull the egg apart without separating the shell completely, and let the yolk naturally fall to one side.
Then, pull apart the shell, and slowly transfer the yolk from one side of the shell to the other letting the egg whites fall to a bowl below.
Pro-Tip: For even more peace of mind, separate your eggs while they’re cold and do so one at a time using a separate, smaller bowl. Once separated, add the egg yolks and egg whites to two separate bowls, and start again. Once all the egg yolks have been separated from the whites, let them sit until they reach room temperature before you continue baking.
Tools You’ll Need
This almond cake recipe is a breeze as long as you have the right tools! Take a look to see what you’ll need.
- Large bowl
- 8-inch or 9 Springform cake tin (9 inch will create a thinner cake but equally delicious)
- Mixer (stand or handheld)
- Spatula
Common Questions
Is flourless cake gluten-free?
Yes! Thanks to the use of almond flour (blanched ground almonds) in place of all-purpose flour, flourless almond yogurt cake is gluten-free.
How long does almond cake stay fresh?
When stored in an airtight container, almond cake will stay fresh 2-3 days at room temperature or last up to a week when stored in the fridge.
Can you freeze flourless cake?
Flourless almond cake freezes very well! To do so, simply slice it into pieces, and make sure to wrap them individually before placing them in an airtight container in the freezer.
More flourless recipes you’ll love
- Flourless Carrot Cake Yogurt Pancakes
- Flourless Peanut Butter Churro Cupcakes with Coconut Frosting
- Flourless Peanut Butter Waffles
Almond Cake with Greek Yogurt Frosting
- Author: Lindsay Cotter
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25-35 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 8 slices
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
This Almond Cake with Greek Yogurt Frosting is incredibly light and fluffy. A gluten-free cake made simply from eggs, almond flour, and berries. When paired with the delicious berry Greek yogurt frosting, it’s a lightened up cake recipe you can feel good about eating.
Ingredients
For the Almond Cake
- 5 eggs, separated and room temperature (see tips below)
- 3/4 cup raw sugar, divided (see notes for other sugar options)
- 2 –3 Tablespoons mashed berries (ex: raspberry, strawberries, or blackberries)
- Optional 1 Tablespoon Greek yogurt (see notes)
- 1–1/2 cup blanched almond flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon of kosher salt
For the Yogurt Frosting
- 1 cup plain 2% or 5% Greek yogurt
- 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter or refined coconut oil (softened)
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar or sugar free powdered sugar
- 2 Tablespoons strawberry preserves or a 1/2 teaspoon of natural food coloring to help boost color.
- Sliced strawberries and raspberries and/or blackberries (any other fruit of choice) to top.
- Powdered sugar or sugar substitute to sprinkle
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Grease a 8-inch springform cake tin and line the bottom with parchment. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat together the egg yolks, 1/3 cup sugar, and berries until smooth.
- In small bowl, whisk or sift together the almond flour, and baking powder together in a small bowl. Gently combine with egg yolk mixture until a thick batter is formed. Set aside.
- In a mixing bowl (or bowl of a stand mixer), add the egg whites. Whisk on medium high speed until stiff peaks form. About 2-3 minutes.
- Gradually add the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar, 1 Tablespoon at a time, letting the batter combine together with the sugar for 15- 20 seconds before adding more. Repeat until all the sugar has been added. They should look stiff and glossy by the end.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add the vinegar, vanilla and salt. Place back on medium to medium-high speed for 1- 2 minutes or until glossy and combined.
- Gently fold your almond flour mix into the egg whites.
- Pour into lined cake tin.
- Bake at 350F on the center rack for 20 minutes. Rotate the pan and continue to bake for 8 -12 minutes or until center comes out clean with a toothpick. If center is still not done after 30 minutes, cover with foil and continue to bake for 5 more minutes.
- Remove pan from oven and cool on cooling rack.
- While cooling, make your Greek yogurt frosting. *Note: Double the frosting recipe if you want to cover cake or place frosting between the layers*
- Place the yogurt and butter in a bowl. Beat together.
- Slowly add in powdered sugar, coloring, preserves, and extract. Beat until fluffy and place in fridge until ready to use.
- Once cake has cooled, gently scrape a knife around the edges of the cake to help release the cooked cake batter. Then release cake from springform pan.
- Spread the icing on top, evenly. Garnish with sliced berries/fruit, and optional powdered sugar.
Notes
Egg white TIP – It’s best to separate the eggs while cold, then let them sit to come to room temperature
Altitude baking TIP – If you live in a dry climate or at altitude, mix an additional 1 Tablespoon Greek yogurt or sour cream in with the egg yolk mixture.
Sugar Substitutes – Baking stevia or monk fruit sugar may be substituted for raw sugar. Texture will vary. Nutrition below is calculated with sugar free powdered sugar in the frosting.
- Category: dessert
- Method: bake
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: flourless cake, yogurt frosting, gluten free desserts, gluten free layer cake, almond flour cake
That’s it, ya’ll! Let me know how your cake baking process goes in the comments below.
Cheers,
LC