This blueberry almond cake is bursting with fresh blueberries and topped with a crunchy and sweet brown sugar and flaked almond crumb. This light and moist cake is perfect with your morning cup of tea or coffee and works for any occasion! Plus it’s made both dairy free and gluten free.
This cake is the perfect recipe to have in your back pocket as a go-to for friends and family gatherings. Bake it for breakfast, brunch or morning tea as it pairs so well with tea or coffee plus you can either make it the day before or serve it warm straight from the oven.
I love this cake as it’s still a sweet treat but it’s also light and fresh thanks to the classic combination of sweet and tart blueberries and sugary, crunchy almonds.
While gluten-free cakes often gain a reputation for being dense, this cake is light and airy thanks to the addition of eggs which are separated and the whites whipped creating a light and soft textured cake.
This blueberry almond cake really celebrates beautiful fresh blueberries and is quick and easy to make while being quite an impressive cake for any occasion, especially when dressed up with a light dusting of icing sugar.
Key Ingredients
This blueberry almond cake has two components, the cake itself and the crumb topping. To make it, you’ll need a few baking staple ingredients.
Note all ingredients and their quantities are laid out in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Almond meal – also sometimes labelled as almond flour, almond meal is finely ground almonds and is used in place of flour in this recipe to keep the cake gluten-free.
- Sugar – we’re using brown sugar in the crumb topping for that sweet crunch and white sugar in the cake itself.
- Dairy-free butter – just a little in the crumble topping. You could also substitute with coconut oil.
- Cinnamon – a small amount in the topping just adds that little extra flavour and is so good without being overpowering.
- Flaked almonds – added to the top of the cake for the essential textural crunch.
- Blueberries – fresh blueberries work best in this recipe as frozen blueberries contain extra moisture however you may substitute if necessary by defrosting the frozen blueberries first.
- Eggs – The eggs are first separated with the yolks adding richness and binding everything together while the egg whites are whipped before being added to the batter which adds air to the batter creating a light and soft cake texture.
- Extracts – for the cake, I like a combination of both vanilla extract and almond extract. I know almond extract can be polarising as it has quite a strong flavour so you can leave it out but honestly I think the extra flavour it gives to this cake is what actually makes it taste so delicious.
- Baking powder – while the eggs are doing a lot of the heavy lifting when it comes to the texture of the cake, we still need baking powder to help ensure the cake rises.
Step-By-Step Instructions
To make this cake, you will need an electric mixer and a 8 or 9 inch springform pan. Start by lining the base of your springform pan and greasing the bottom and sides with cooking spray.
By using a springform pan you will ensure you can easily remove the cake from the pan without damaging the delicate crumb topping.
In a small bowl, make the brown sugar crumb topping first as we want to give it a little bit of time in the fridge to chill as having the crumb cold when sprinkled on the cake is going to help prevent it from sinking to the bottom of your cake.
Mix almond meal, brown sugar and cinnamon with melted dairy free butter until combined and set aside in the fridge while you prepare the cake batter.
Grab two mixing bowls and separate the eggs. Using an electric mixer, whip the eggs whites until stiff peaks start to form.
In your other bowl with the egg yolks, add the white sugar, vanilla extract and almond extract and mix until combined. Sift the almond meal and baking powder into the bowl and continue to mix.
Using a spatula, add the whipped egg whites and fold through until a light batter forms. You want to keep mixing it gently until the batter is combined but you don’t want to beat out all the air you gained from whipping the egg whites so just go slowly and fold, pulling the bottom of the batter to the top using your spatula.
Once the batter is ready, pour it into your prepared cake tin. Dot the fresh blueberries evenly over the top of the cake batter. They will start to sink in, that’s ok. Sprinkle the chilled crumb topping over the cake evening, followed by the flaked almonds.
Bake the cake in a preheated oven for about 30 minutes or until the cake is slightly springy to touch and cooked through in the centre. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes, before releasing the cake from the pan. Serve with a light dusting of icing sugar to make it extra pretty.
Recipe FAQs
This is quite a moist cake so is best enjoyed within the first 2-3 days of making. You can also store it in the fridge to extend its life a little longer or freeze it for up to 2 months in an airtight container. Let it come to room temperature on the kitchen counter before serving.
Yes! Feel free to substitute a different berry for the blueberries. Raspberries would be amazing!
More cakes for morning tea:
Pistachio Cardamom and Lemon Loaf Cake
Vegan Lemon Poppy Seed Cake
Coffee and Walnut Loaf Cake
Easy Cinnamon Tea Cake
Vegan Coffee Cake
Blueberry Almond Cake
Ingredients
Topping:
- ¼ cup almond meal
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon dairy-free butter melted
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ cup flaked almonds
- 1 cup fresh blueberries
Cake:
- 4 eggs separated
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract optional
- 1 ½ cups almond meal
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180°C, and line a round 8 inch / 20 cm springform pan with baking paper and cooking oil spray to ensure an easy release from the pan.
- Make the crumb topping. Mix together almond meal, brown sugar and cinnamon with the melted dairy-free butter in a small bowl and place in the fridge to chill.
- Place the egg whites in a clean, dry bowl and beat with an electric mixer just until stiff peaks begin to form. Be careful not to over whip the egg whites.
- In a separate bowl, mix together egg yolks, sugar, vanilla and almond extract (if using).
- Slowly sift the almond meal and baking powder into the egg yolk mixture, mixing well until completely combined. Using a spatula, add the egg whites to the batter and fold through until mixture is light and creamy.
- Pour cake batter into the prepared pan. Dot blueberries evenly over the top of the cake batter. Sprinkle over the chilled crumb topping ensuring it is evenly spread. Finally, sprinkle over the flaked almonds.
- Bake cake for 30-35 minutes. Top will be golden and springy when done. Allow cake to cool for at least 10 minutes in the pan before releasing the side. Cake may sink a little while cooling – that is normal. Top with a dusting of icing sugar and serve warm if desired. Once cool, store cake in an airtight container at room temperature. Best consumed within 3 days.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a guide only and is calculated using automated online tools, therefore we cannot guarantee the accuracy. We encourage you to make your own calculations based on the actual ingredients used in your recipe.
Joanna says
Absolutely delicious! Will be making this again for sure, family favourite ❤️ Thanks 🙏
Sally says
Thanks Joanna, so glad you loved this one!
Jenny Champness says
Hi, haven’t made this yet but I plan to. Am wondering though, if the temperature of the oven is convection or fan forced. Also plan to make your date and nut bars. Have only just seen your website and you have a lot of great recipes. Thanks.
Sally says
Thanks so much Jenny! Generally the temperature stated will be convection however all ovens are different and sometimes temperatures and cooking times may vary. If you’re unsure, just keep an eye on it while you bake and keep it in until it’s cooked through. Hope you enjoy this one as much as I do 🙂