Honey Soaked Gluten Free Almond Cake

This honey soaked gluten free almond cake is tender with a light texture and delicious almond flavor. It’s not overly sweet and is so easy to make. Perfect for a small dinner party dessert!

gluten free almond cake with a fork taking a bite

I’ve been very into smaller, single layer cakes lately if you haven’t noticed. My orange olive oil cake has been such a hit, but this gluten free almond cake is a total classic that needed to have its moment.

While this recipe definitely does have almond flour, it’s very different than my vanilla almond flour cake. We’re also adding in almond extract which really gives that classic flavor, but also some gluten free all purpose baking flour to give the cake a more classic cake texture. It’s super moist thanks to the fat content in the almond flour, plus the eggs, butter and just a touch of olive oil to add a richness of flavor.

It’s so easy to make and topped with a honey simple syrup that soaks into the cake as it cools and adds even more moisture and flavor! If you love this recipe, try my almond flour chocolate chip cookies next.

Tips before we get started!

Be sure to use a fine, blanched almond flour and not almond meal. Almond meal is made from whole almonds, whereas almond flour is made from peeled and blanched almonds and has a finer, softer texture.
You need an 8 inch springform pan for this recipe. A 9 inch will also work since that is more common in most households, but the cake will be thinner and the bake time will be about 10 minutes shorter.

How to make gluten free almond cake

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line an 8 inch springform pan with parchment paper (I like these parchment rounds) and set aside. In a mixing bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, add the melted butter and sugar.

Beat together for about 30 seconds, then add in the remaining wet ingredients and beat until combined and all ingredients are mixed together.

Add in the almond flour, all purpose flour, baking powder and salt. Beat until combined and a smooth batter forms.

two images of the wet ingredients mixing together

Transfer to the prepared springform pan. Top with the almonds and 1 tablespoon of sugar. Add to the center rack in the oven and bake for 43-48 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Meanwhile, add the honey and water to a small pot on the stove and heat over medium heat until well combined. Remove from the heat and transfer to a jar or cup with a pour spout.

When the cake is done, remove from the oven and pour the honey syrup on top, covering the whole cake. Let the cake cool in the pan while the honey soaks in. Serve warm or at room temperature either as is or with a dusting of powdered sugar.

two images showing how to make the recipe

Variations

Add orange! I love adding some orange zest to the cake and topping with a bit extra when it comes out of the oven. It adds a really subtle flavor, but it pairs so well with the almonds!

Omit the honey soaking. The honey soak is totally optional, but the honey flavors pairs really well with the almonds. Instead, you can just add a dusting of powdered sugar if you prefer.

How to store and freeze

Once prepared, this gluten free almond cake will keep for about 3-5 days at room temperature. You can store it in the fridge, but the texture will firm up a bit as it sits.

You can definitely prep this cake ahead of time and freeze it before slicing and serving. To do so, allow it to cool completely, then wrap tightly in plastic wrap (several layers) and place in the freezer until you’re ready to frost and serve. Let it thaw at room temperature, then frost and serve as usual. The texture and flavor should hold up beautifully.

gluten free almond cake on a wood board with honey

Ingredient swaps

Butter. You can use a regular dairy butter or a dairy free butter here. Using dairy free butter will make the whole cake dairy free, no other subs are needed! I like Earth Balance here.

Eggs. Unfortunately, there is no sub for the eggs here. We need four large eggs which is just too many to safely swap for a vegan alternative without compromising on the taste and texture.

Flour. You need both almond flour and gluten free all purpose flour here and I don’t recommend any swaps. I use Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 baking flour for the all purpose, which I recommend! Another blend woll work, but make sure it has xanthan gum.

slice of gluten free almond cake with honey drizzled on top

More cake recipes you’ll love!

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