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–+ servings
Flourless Apple Cake with almonds and cardamom on a rustic wooden table

Flourless Apple, Almond & Cardamom Cake

A cozy, gluten-free cake made with ground almonds, fresh apples, and fragrant cardamom, perfect for autumn afternoons.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course Baking, Dessert
Cuisine Autumn, Gluten-Free
Servings 8 servings
Calories 250 kcal

Ingredients
  

Wet Ingredients

  • 3 large large eggs at room temperature Use room temperature for better volume
  • 1 cup caster sugar
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • Zest of 1 lemon (optional) Optional for extra flavor

Dry Ingredients

  • 2 cups ground almonds (almond meal) Measure by weight for consistency
  • 1 tsp baking powder (gluten-free)
  • 1 tsp ground cardamom Or use 6-8 crushed green cardamom pods
  • Pinch of salt

Filling

  • 2 medium apples (about 300g), peeled, cored and grated or finely chopped Use firm, sweet-tart apples like Honeycrisp or Braeburn

For Dusting

  • Icing sugar for dusting (optional) Optional for serving

Instructions
 

Preparation

  • Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease a 9-inch (23cm) springform pan and line the base with parchment paper.
  • In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and caster sugar until the mixture is pale and slightly thickened (about 3–4 minutes by hand or 1–2 minutes with an electric mixer).
  • Stir in the melted butter, vanilla extract, and lemon zest until combined.

Combining Ingredients

  • In a separate bowl, mix the ground almonds, baking powder, salt, and cardamom.
  • Fold the dry ingredients into the egg mixture until just combined, then gently fold in the grated apples. The batter will be thicker than regular cake batter.

Baking

  • Pour into your prepared pan, smooth the top, and bake for 35–45 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs. If the top browns too quickly, loosely tent with foil.
  • Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then release the springform and cool completely on a rack.
  • Dust with icing sugar before serving if desired.

Notes

For best results, use room-temperature eggs and measure almonds by weight. Optional variations include a streusel topping or vegan substitutions for the eggs.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 250kcalCarbohydrates: 30gProtein: 5gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 5gSodium: 50mgFiber: 2gSugar: 18g
Keyword Apple Cake, Cardamom Cake, Cozy Baking, Flourless Cake, gluten-free dessert
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