Gluten Free Cranberry Almond Cake
When I was a brand spankin' new Air Force wife, we were stationed in a little town in Florida. Another AF spouse and I bonded quickly, and we used to get together at the local bookstore and share recipes over coffee. You know, back when we were young, didn't have kiddos, and actually looked for things to occupy our time. Which is HILARIOUS to me now. Twenty years later, I would give anything to have that kind of free time again! Amy and I shared some of the sweetest times together back then AND I scored a ton of delicious recipes.
But there was this one recipe ... the one that became my ALL. TIME. FAVORITE. Just a ton of butter and flour and sugar and almond extract and cranberries. I had given up on ever having this again until I was working on a cookie recipe and BAM. Instant time travel back to Panama City in 2001. So back to the kitchen I went, and this beauty is now a reality.
And it's kinda perfect for Valentine's Day.
Grain free and gluten free, this cake is the perfect blend of tart and sweet. Since the base of this is a cookie recipe, just know that the batter will be thick! But the moisture from the berries gives it the texture of cake or muffins.
This can be baked in a variety of ways, but my favorite is in a cast-iron skillet. Pull it out of the oven, top it with a big ole scoop of vanilla ice cream, and plunk it on the table. Hand out some spoons and encourage everyone to dig in. Then wait for the moaning to begin. Because yes, it is THAT GOOD.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup butter room temp
- 1/2 cup organic sugar depending on preference
- 1 egg
- 1/2 tsp almond extract
- 1 1/2 cups almond flour
- 2 tablespoons coconut flour
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 - 1 cup frozen cranberries thawed in water
Instructions
- Place frozen cranberries in warm water for a few minutes to thaw. Then lay out and dry on paper towels.
- Combine butter and sugar in a bowl. Use mixer to cream together. Add egg and almond extract and mix until smooth.
- Mix in almond flour, coconut flour, salt, and baking soda. Mix together until smooth batter forms.
- Gently fold cranberries into dough. Don’t be concerned with bleeding of cranberry juice into dough — it actually makes the finished product even prettier!
- Grease your pan of choice, and grease it well! Or use parchment paper. I personally have used a 9” round springform pan, a 8x8 square pan, and a cast iron skillet. You could also use a round cake pan! Just make sure the size is comparable and adjust baking time accordingly.
- Press dough into pan. Since the dough is thick, this will take some effort. Just use a spatula to spread it out and press as evenly into pan as possible. It will spread some once it gets in the oven.
- Bake at 350 degrees for about 25-35 minutes. Top will be golden and edges will pull slightly away from sides. Toothpick inserted in center should come out clean. Remove from oven and let cool on cooling rack.
Notes
*Just a note to remember, this cake is a bit crumbly! So if you want pretty slices, make sure to let it cool completely before cutting AND use a super sharp serrated knife. But once you take a bite you won't care what it looks like… because your taste buds will be in heaven.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!