Honey Almond Cake with Raspberries, Orange and Pistachios
Super simple, moist and delicious almond meal and honey cake with no refined sugar! Feel free to change up the flavors—I added raspberries and orange zest.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on August 29, 2024
My friends and I are going glamping this weekend. That is to say, glam camping. The guys initially wanted to rough it in the woods, but us ladies slowly turned it into a comfortable cabin-at-the-lake-with-a-full-kitchen-and-a-clean-toilet situation.
We almost cancelled yesterday due to a rainy weather forecast, but concluded a silly seven-person conference call (iPhones can do that?!) by deciding to go for it. I could care less if we sit inside while it rains tomorrow. I’m giddy at the prospect of leaving all work-related materials behind and goofing around with friends all weekend long.
On my list to pack: sunscreen, swimsuit, Scrabble, magazines, at least three bottles of Champagne (bubbly is the new beer, you heard it here first) and this glorious, gluten-free almond meal and honey cake. The cake is made with almond meal, a few eggs and olive oil. It’s sweetened with honey and topped with an optional, light sprinkle of powdered sugar. Add to that a few additional layers of fragrant flavors: heavenly orange zest, a hint of floral cardamom, ripe raspberries and raw pistachios. Three of my friends are gluten-free eaters and this is a cake that we can all share.
The cake comes from my friend Kimberley’s gorgeous new cookbook, Vibrant Food. If you’ve visited Kimberley’s blog, The Year in Food, you may already be familiar with her produce-focused recipes. Kimberley treated me to a review copy, which sent me into an inspired tizzy when I flipped through the first few pages. The seasonal organization is brilliant and the vibrant photos capture the essence of each dish. I’m not gushing about this book because Kimberley is a blogger pal—this book is truly stunning.
Let’s see, what should you know about this cookbook? The recipes are simple, elegant and clean. Every recipe has a photo. Kimberley doesn’t mention it much, but she avoids gluten herself. As a result, there isn’t much flour in the recipes and when there is, she provides a gluten-free alternative. Several recipes contain meat and fish, but produce is always the focus.
A few of the recipes call for more unusual types of produce—like this cake is topped with quince, which I’ve never seen around here but never looked for, either—but those recipes feature an adaptable base. It’s my new favorite cookbook. If you’d like a copy, you can get it on Amazon here. Signing off to glamp!
Gluten-Free Honey Almond Cake with Raspberries, Orange and Pistachios
Super simple, moist and delicious almond meal and honey cake! This cake is gluten free and paleo friendly. Feel free to change up the flavors (see notes on how to do so). I think a lemon blueberry version would be delicious.
Ingredients
- 2 cups (8 ounces) almond flour or almond meal, firmly packed into measuring cups
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
- 4 eggs, beaten*
- â…” cup + 1 teaspoon honey, divided
- ÂĽ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- One orange, preferably organic
- 6 ounces raspberries, preferably organic
Garnish
- Sprinkle of powdered sugar (optional)
- ½ cup chopped raw pistachios
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 9-inch pan (I used a springform pan) with butter and dust with almond flour/meal.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the almond meal, baking powder, baking soda, cardamom, ginger and sea salt.
- In another bowl, combine the beaten eggs, honey, olive oil and the zest of your orange. Use a whisk to mix well. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry. Stir just until there are a few clumps remaining, then gently fold in the raspberries. Pour the mixture into your prepared pan.
- Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the cake is golden brown and the center is firm to the touch. Place the cake on a wire rack to cool to room temperature.
- Once the cake is out of the oven, slice your orange in half and squeeze out ÂĽ cup juice. Combine the juice with 1 teaspoon honey in a small saucepan. Warm over medium heat, while stirring, just until the honey is blended into the juice. Brush the orange-honey glaze over the warm cake. It should soak right in.
- Once the cake is cool, use a sharp knife to slice into 8 pieces. Transfer each piece to a plate, sprinkle with powdered sugar (optional) and finish with a sprinkle of chopped pistachios.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Vibrant Food: Celebrating the Ingredients, Recipes, and Colors of Each Season by Kimberly Hasselbrink. Orange-honey glaze adapted from Tessa’s gluten-free lemon pound cake.
*Egg update:Â The original recipe called for 3 eggs. After more experience baking almond flour-based cakes with this formula, I recommend using 4 eggs for a more consistent rise through the center, and an easier time slicing the cake.
Why buy organic? Conventionally grown raspberries and the zest of conventionally grown oranges are typically pretty high in pesticides.
Storage suggestions: Store this cake in the refrigerator, covered, for longevity. Those juicy berries make this cake more quick to spoil at room temperature.
Change it up: Substitute an equal amount of other berries or fresh fruit for the raspberries and/or trade lemon or lime zest for the orange zest and/or garnish with fruit instead of powdered sugar and pistachios. If you omit the fruit completely, the cake will be done somewhere around 35-40 minutes. If you add additional fruit, you’ll need to bake longer.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
GLAMPING WITH CAKE AND CHAMPAGNE?! i want to come!!!!!!!! this cake looks amazing!!! kimberley totally nailed it with her book.
Glamping is the best! My fiance and I make it a point to take off to a cabin in the woods at least once a year — getting away from Internet and cel phone service is just the best. Enjoy!
I only glanced at my phone twice a day while I was at the lake! It was so nice to take a break from the incessant beeps and notifications.
Love the flavors in this cake, so great! Such great pics too:) Have fun!
enjoy glamping..this cake sounds marvelous!
Almond meal cakes always are so wonderfully creamy and fragrant. No need to be gluten-free to appreciate this cake, I think. Also have never seen or bought a quince in my life! But I’ve seen the paste before, they usually serve it with cheese?
That glamping life with cake and champagne! Get it, girl. I’m loving Kimberley’s book big time too. Have so much fun!
xoxo
Ok… I’m calling up my friends right now and telling them that we can go camping with champagne and cake. It’s going to happen.
Glamping sounds just perfect, especially when there’s cake and champagne involved! Have a wonderful weekend!
I’m obsessed with the book – the recipes, the photos, everything. And now I’m obsessed with this cake. Love, love, love!
this cake looks AWESOME! it’s my birthday this weekend so this might be THE cake! i’m thinking of topping it off with some whipped coconut cream and more fresh berries :)
have fun glamping!
Hope you had a wonderful birthday weekend, Emily!
Looks phenomenal, Kate! Have a great weekend glamping!!
Wow, what a beautiful book – and cake too!! Considering my diet consists of about 70% fruits and vegetables, this one might just have to be the next addition to my collection. Have a fabulous time glamping this weekend. If you ask me, glamping > regular camping, hands down!
Gorgeous cake, and your glamping weekend sounds fab – almost good enough to make me consider camping again! ;)
Back in the day we used to hike and camp in our sleeping bags, now a days I only glam camp. This cake is gorgeous, love the flavors!
Glam camping is the only way to go!
GLAMPING!! That sounds amazing! Wishing I was doing the same! :)
On this cake? SO amazing! Kimberly did and incredible job!
I saw this post today and made the cake tonight. I just enjoyed a piece and the flavors all come together in one bite. It is perfect! Now I have to figure out what I can take to tomorrow’s dinner party for dessert. This was it, but I could not resist.
Flor, thank you! I’m delighted to hear that you enjoyed the cake. It’s a winner! I brought it to the lake with me and my friend made homemade vanilla ice cream to go with it.
5 Stars.
The combination of ingredients sounds so good! Must try cake :)
This looks awesome! I want to try baking with more almond meal and this looks like a great place to start. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks, Quinn! This cake is really easy to make and you could easily change up the fruits. Enjoy!
Such beautiful flavours in such a gorgeous looking cake!
Wow that looks amazing! Love all the flavors in here, I’m sure the honey almond is enough in the cake but raspberry + orange + pistachio has to put it over the top! :)
Totally jealous of your glamping adventure. I looooove the idea!! And this cake is such a fab flavour!
Thank you, this looks amazing! Have been trying to expand my almond-meal based baked goods. Look forward to checking out the rest of her recipes in the book. Hope glamping was a blast.
This almond meal cake is a treat! Her book is just gorgeous, I highly recommend it.
I made quince marmalade last year. We found it for an unreasonable price at Whole Foods and the (after a whole day of searching) at a Middle East store. Such an interesting fruit!
Now I know where to look! There’s a Middle Eastern store near the farmers’ market. I’ll keep an eye out. Thanks, Morgan!
Haha I always pack champagne when we camp, too! YAY! However, I am unable to talk my husband/friends into glamping. We always go the tent route, MAYBE with toilets but maybe just portajohns, and MAYBE with running water, but maybe haul in our own. Ah! Oh well :) I hope you had a wonderful time! One drawback is that I always end up snacking on too much junk food…. this is a perfect and smart treat :) Beautiful!
Oh my, you are a brave camper. I insist on running water and fully functional toilets. I definitely overdid it on the chips last weekend, but this cake was a welcome treat! My friend Alissa made homemade ice cream to serve with it.
This looks INSANELY good!
I hope your glamping expedition went well :) Sounds like a wonderful way to spend an early summer weekend indeed.
I’m sure your friends were glad they invited you with your delicious cake and bottles of bubbles.
By the way, if you ever want to come glamping here in Australia then you are welcome to stay with us! (just bring cake…)
Thanks, Amy. The trip was so fun! Glamping in Australia, now that’s an excellent idea. I will bring cake and bubblies.
Loooooved this cake! Wishing we were still at the cabin!
Me too!!! Let’s go back next year.
Whoaaaaa Glamping sounds soooo cool, it should TOTALLY be a thing!!!!!! Have an AHHH-MAYY-ZING weekend!!!! I know mine’s going to be awesome because I’ll be baking this delicious stunner. I’m loving the flavors and textures going on in the cake! Can’t wait to try!
I highly recommend glamping! Although really, we just crammed seven people and a baby into a lake house. It was so fun. Hope you love the cake!
OMGGG… this.cake. And the book! I saw it the other day, I think I’m totally gonna get it now. drool.
This was super good, and I loved the hint of citrus! It was the perfect way to end our day on the water.
So I made this for a friends party on Saturday, and everyone was all “where’s the flour?” and “god that’s a lot of honey!” Until I took it out of the oven and it was devoured in a matter of minutes. Absolutely love!
Haha! Yes! So glad you and your friends loved the cake. :)
GLamping is the only kind of camping I would dare do. Let’s be honest – I’m a city girl. I’m not made for real camping.
I love that you’re bringing cake for your weekend in the wilderness. I so would also. And this is just stunning!
Your glamping trip sounds pretty perfect to me. I attend my friend’s bachelorette party last weekend, and we, meaning 10 girls and multiple bottles of sparkling wine, spent our night in the other bridemaid’s summer cottage in the woods. It probably wasn’t as glamorous as your trip as we had only cold running water and no flush toilet but it was totally fun.
This cake sounds luscious! Can’t wait to get my hands on Kimberley’s book as everyone is raving about it. It must be quite a sensational one.
Your bachelorette party sounds like a great time to me! I totally brought a big bottle of mimosa onto the boat with me. Kimberley’s book is just stunning!
Pass me a glass of bubbly and a slice of this!!! Yum
This cake is so beautiful! Gorgeous summer flavours, too. Hope you enjoyed the glamping!
Looks absolutely tempting and delicious.. awesome clicks! :D
This recipe looks amazing! I love all things pistachio! I stumbled across this site and I love it! Keep up the great work!
i love your ingredients. it looks great!
Kate,
Possible to make it egg free by substituting avocado for the eggs? Wondering how much loft the eggs provide.
Thanks,
Grace
Hey Grace, the eggs provide the structure in this gluten-free cake so I would be hesitant to substitute avocados here! I don’t have any experience substituting avocados for eggs so I’m afraid I can’t be of more help.
Hi there! I just made this cake, and it is scrumptious! I found it super simple to put together, but I had to make a few adjustments. We use the extra large eggs in our house, so that made this mix very moist indeed. I suspect using frozen and then thawed raspberries might also have added extra moisture. I added a little extra almond flour until I was satisfied with the texture, and then popped it in the oven. It also took me about 50-55 mins to cook. But I suspect that this is because, as I mentioned above, the mix was very moist. But once baked, glazed and cooled, my father and I split a slice and it was delicious! He called it a classic afternoon tea cake! Yum! I’ll be posting about this cake later this week on my blog, that’s how pleased we were with it!
P.S I like to collect recipes without refined sugar or dairy, as I have a friend who is allergic to them as well as being gluten intolerant like me. This cake fits the bill. Thank you!
Awesome cake! I made your original recipe with the orange zest and raspberry, which is just wonderful and I have also made it with lemon and blueberry – just fabulous :) Great desert for gluten free and gluten eaters alike! Seriously, there is no need to tell anyone it is gluten free; it’s that good.
Thanks, Lisa! I want to try the lemon and blueberry version!
What a nice recipe!
I’ve baked this twice in the last two weeks. The first time, I got it out of the oven too early – the skewer came out clean, but it should have stayed in for the full 45 minutes. The flavour was great, but it was not a very robust cake, and crumbled a bit on the plate.
The second time, I left it in for 45 minutes and reduced the number of raspberries a little to make it more robust. It was perfect.
Thank you!
Thanks, Susi! I’m sorry you had trouble with the baking time the first go around. I had the same problem at first. It’s tricky to tell when this cake is really done in the middle. Glad you’re enjoying the recipe, though!
Hi Kate!
This looks fantastic. I’m going to attempt making this for Rosh Hashanah, so I’m thinking of substituting apples for the raspberries.
I saw your notes on making changes. I’m a bit of a novice, though. Would you recommend still doing a citrus zest with the apples? I’d love to hear any suggestions you might have.
Thanks a ton!
Hey Shea! That’s a great question. I think some lemon zest would be lovely with the apples!
Thanks so much, Kate! I’ll let you know how it turns out. :]
Shea – how did it turn out? I’m also thinking of making it for Rosh Hashanah, but I have to make it a day ahead. Do you think it will hold well? I work at the shul, so have to make it Saturday, for Sunday night. L’shana tova!
I made it for a party and everyone loved it!
Yay! Thanks, Elena!
I didn’t have enough almond meal or raspberries but reeeaaally wanted to make this cake! So I used a cup each of almond meal and plain flour and arranged halved strawberries on top. I didn’t add any extra leavening and it still rose a treat in the oven. I expected this cake to taste more like the honey I had used, but with the glaze the level of sweetness was perfect. Thanks for this recipe! :)
Thanks, Penelope! I’m glad the cake turned out well for you, even with those substitutions!
This was EXACTLY what I was hoping to find. I love that it’s so adaptable. I used what I had on hand: lemon instead of orange, wild blueberries and just a few raspberries for the fruit, and wildflower honey from the local farmers market. DELICIOUS! Can’t wait to try it with orange. It’s already on our Favorite Dessert List. Now…time to check out some of your other recipes. Thanks so much!
Hi Kate, would coconut oil work as a substitute for this?
Hey Lia! I’m sorry I didn’t get back to you sooner. I think it might, but I’m not entirely sure. Please let me know if you give it a go!
Thank you for this recipe, Kate; I’ll be trying it today. I try to get my clients off the refined sugar as much as possible while still letting them enjoy desserts every now and then. This one looks like a great addition to the treat bank.
UPDATE: I made the cake and it was wonderful. Thank you! I did add a bit of almond extract (I can never get enough almond) to the cake. Also, I added mixed berries and a little water to the glaze, then cooked it down to a thick syrup before applying. 5 stars on this and your site has been bookmarked! Thanks, again.
Hooray! Thanks, Mike. So glad the cake turned out well for you. Your version sounds amazing.
Made this in the UK as a birthday cake for my friend who is gluten free! Added a teaspoon of orange blossom water for extra citrus! It was delish! Making it again for friends as a guilt free post christmas afternoon treat! Look forward to trying out your other recipes!
Hooray, so glad the cake turned out well!