Almond Flour Cake Recipe (4 Ingredients!) - The Big Man's World ® (2024)

FAQs

Can I substitute almond flour for regular flour in a cake recipe? ›

Almond flour is a little more moist than wheat flour, and doesn't have quite the same binding qualities. You'll do best to substitute 1:1 to begin with, as many recipes respond well to this direct replacement. But be prepared to add more almond flour as you go to compensate for the wetter batter.

Sometimes tenderness is what you're after, especially in cakes or muffins, and that's where almond flour shines. Used alongside all-purpose or whole grain flours, it can lighten a batter or dough, adding depth and softness without heft.

Almond flour is a low glycemic index food. Compared to wheat flour, almond flour has fewer sugars and carbohydrates. Switching to almond flour can help people with diabetes manage their blood sugar levels more effectively. Almond flour contains a lot of prebiotic dietary fiber.

Almond flour also works best in baked goods with a high egg white content, because the egg white is a binding agent. If your recipe does not have a high egg content, you might need to add a binding agent, like xanthan gum or flax seed.

Almond flour can carry more moisture than traditional flour, therefore, you may need to add more of it to a recipe to prevent watery batter or dough. The extra moisture helps prevent baked goods from drying out quickly.

It requires different measurements and adjustments to achieve the right texture in baked goods. A good rule of thumb is to use 1/2 to 3/4 cup of almond flour for every 1 cup of wheat flour in a recipe. But not all recipes are suitable for almond flour substitution.

Breading: Use almond flour in place of breadcrumbs or flour to make a gluten-free crust for fish or chicken. Use chopped almonds instead of very finely ground ones for a crunchier coating. Meatballs and meat loaf: Substitute almond flour for any bread used in your favorite recipes.

This is because too much batter in one cake tin may result in the weight of the batter being too much for the cake to support, causing the cake to collapse and sink in the middle as it bakes. This is especially true for cake recipes which have a more softer, delicate structure to them, which many of my cake recipes do.

When almond flour is overmixed, its absorbent nature can become a pitfall. The more you mix, the more the fat in the almond flour is released and absorbed, resulting in a dry, crumbly texture in your baked goods.

Almond flour is easy to use. Each baker will have a personal preference, the more practice they have with the flour. Our chef prefers to add a little xanthan gum or cornstarch to the almond flour to help with the texture, though it is not entirely necessary to do so. Almond flour is pretty forgiving in that regard.

What is the downside of almond flour? ›

“So, your daily morning muffin made with almond flour could be 200-250 mg of oxalate. This means that you may not feel as good on your gluten-free diet as you might expect because your digestive tract can be suffering with ongoing inflammation from a new source – oxalate.”

And because almonds have a glycemic index of just 15, this flour is a safe bet for people with diabetes. According to a 2021 study, consuming more almonds could lead to reduced hemoglobin A1C, an important measure of long-term blood sugar levels.

I usually start with one more egg, and then add another closer to the end if the batter seems too heavy and thick. One important thing to note when adapting wheat flour recipes is that your almond flour batter will almost always be thicker.

When you replace some of the all-purpose flour with almond flour in non-yeast recipes, you'll probably notice a difference in how your baked goods either rise, or spread. Cookies and scones may spread more; cake, biscuits, and muffins may rise less.

The Basic Baking Guidelines

Our chef prefers to add a little xanthan gum or cornstarch to the almond flour to help with the texture, though it is not entirely necessary to do so. Almond flour is pretty forgiving in that regard. Some use arrowroot powder to achieve a similar effect in their bread recipes.

Making homemade almond flour is very simple! It requires only 1 ingredient, 1 blender, and 5 minutes. Simply add blanched almonds to a blender and blitz until a fine, powdery flour is achieved. You know you've gone too far if it starts turning to almond butter instead.