Raspberry Almond Cake

Why this Recipe Works

Top Reasons You’ll Love this Cake:

• Doesn’t require any fancy decorating
• Perfect for tea, coffee, dessert, or brunch
• Takes less than an hour to make and bake

When I set out to make this raspberry and almond cake I thought I had it all figured out. I planned on using a version of my Italian Almond Cake as the base. It was a disaster. The cake batter was too thin and not strong enough to support the frangipane, jam, and fresh raspberries. So I scratched that and set to work on a more stable cake batter that could support all the tasty additions.

I ended up going with a cake that uses butter, sour cream, and almond flour for a cake that is nutty, flavorful, with a moist and soft, tender crumb. I almost want to call this a raspberry Bakewell cake because of the raspberry jam and almond frangipane are reminiscent of the classic English Bakewell Tart.

The flavors of this cake are to die for. The almond and raspberry come through in multiple ways and really shine. The almond flavor comes from the almond flour, almond extract, almond frangipane, and the sliced almonds on top. We use fresh raspberries and raspberry jam. The sweet tanginess of raspberries contrasts nicely with while simultaneously blending with the richness of almonds.

Ingredient Notes

• Almond Flour. Use finely ground almond flour. Almond flour helps retain moisture, but also gives the cake a dense, moist texture. Almond flour is used in the almond cake and frangipane.
• Flour. We use all-purpose flour, to keep this cake from being too dense.
• Baking Powder. Baking powder is one of our leavening agents.
• Baking Soda. Baking soda is our second leavening agent, helping the cake rise.
• Salt. A little bit of salt enhances the flavors.
• Butter. You can use salted or unsalted butter. Butter adds the best flavor and keeps the cake moist and flavorful.
• Sugar. White, granulated sugar is used to sweeten the raspberry almond cake base and the frangipane.
• Eggs. Large eggs are used in the cake base and a large egg white is used in the frangipane. Eggs work as a binder.
• Sour Cream. Sour cream adds moisture and keeps the raspberry almond cake dense. You could substitute full fat, plain Greek yogurt instead.
• Vanilla. Vanilla extract is used in the cake and frangipane.
• Almond Extract. Almond extract adds the classic almond flavoring to the almond cake and frangipane.
• Raspberry Jam. Raspberry jam is swirled into the almond cake.
• Fresh Raspberries. Fresh raspberries top off the almond cake batter adding that fresh raspberry flavor.
• Sliced Almonds. The cake is topped with sliced almonds before baking.

How to Make this Recipe

1. Make Frangipane. Create the frangipane mixture by combining all the ingredients in a small mixing bowl. Beat the mixture on high speed for 1-2 minutes until it becomes smooth. If you are using a hand mixer, there is no need to clean it before using it with the cake batter.

2. Whisk Dry Ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients, including flour, almond flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set this mixture aside.
3. Cream Butter and Sugar. Using either a hand mixer or a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until they become light and fluffy. This process should take around 2-3 minutes.

4. Mix Wet Ingredients. Incorporate the eggs, sour cream, vanilla, and almond extract into the mixture from the previous step. Mix these ingredients on low speed until the mixture becomes smooth.
5. Mix Wet and Dry. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet batter and mix on low speed until the mixture becomes completely smooth. It is important not to overmix. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl and ensure there are no pockets of flour.

6. Swirl Jam and Frangipane. (Picture 6a) Pour the almond cake batter into the greased  9-inch springform pan and use a spatula to smooth it out evenly. (Picture 6b) Place the frangipane mixture in a piping bag or a sandwich bag. (Picture 6c) Cut off one corner of the bag and pipe a large, thick swirl of frangipane on top of the cake batter. Repeat this step with the raspberry jam, piping it just inside the frangipane swirl. (Picture 6d) Use a knife or toothpick to gently swirl the frangipane and jam into the cake batter.

7. Top off Cake. Thoroughly wash and dry the fresh raspberries. Arrange the raspberries all over the top of the cake batter, as they will sink into the batter while baking. Sprinkle sliced almonds over the cake.
8. Bake. Bake the cake for 40-45 minutes until it is set. The frangipane might still have a slight wobble. Allow the almond raspberry cake to cool completely. Run a knife along the edge of the pan to loosen it before removing the outer edge of the springform pan. If desired, dust the cake with powdered sugar. Serve it as is or with whipped cream and fresh raspberries.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Expert Tips

• Weigh Your Ingredients. It’s too easy to overmeasure ingredients like flour and almond flour which like to compact. A cup is not always a cup, but a gram is always a gram. So if you have a food scale, pull it out! Plus, it means less dishes to wash.
• Use Fresh Raspberries. As we discussed above, fresh raspberries work much better in this recipe than frozen! Frozen raspberries have extra water and release more juices which can make your cake a little soggy.
• Swap the Berries. Try switching up the flavors of jam and berries you use! You can easily swap the fresh raspberries for another kind of fruit—blueberries, blackberries, cherries (pitted and sliced in half), or even apricots. I’m not a huge fan strawberries in this cake, I find that the strawberries release a lot of juice and become mushy, but this is a personal preference, you can use them if you like!
• Don’t Overbake. If your raspberry almond cake turns out dry and crumbly it’s usually a sign the cake was overbaked. This cake can be a little tricky to tell when It’s done because the frangipane may give the cake a slight wobble, even if the cake is fully baked.

Storage Tips

Room Temperature. This almond cake with raspberry filling will keep at room temperature for 4-5 days. Once it is cool keep it tightly covered with plastic wrap to keep it from drying out.

Freezer. This cake can either be frozen in slices or whole. Cool the cake completely and wrap it in a double layer of plastic wrap to prevent freezer burn. I recommend placing in a hard plastic container to prevent it from being squished in the freezer.

If you’d like to freeze individual slices, cool the cake, cut slices, and wrap each slice individually in plastic wrap. Then place in a food storage container in the freezer. Use within three months of freezing. Before eating, let the cake come to room temperature on the counter.

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