This Easy Almond Macaroon Cake is a one-bowl gluten free cake made with lots of almonds, and sweetened coconut ~ it’s elegant, simple, and delicious!
This cake is for macaroon lovers, coconut lovers, almond lovers, gluten free dessert lovers, and all the rest of you, for that matter. It couldn’t be easier to throw together and the result is a beautiful cake for brunch, afternoon snacking, or dessert. If you’re celebrating Passover this week, this cake would be perfect.
The cake is delicate, so I like to make it in a 10 inch tart pan with a removable bottom. That way I can lift it out and serve it on a platter for neat cutting. The pan is great for all kinds of tarts and quiches. If you don’t have a tart pan you can use a well prepped cake pan, but you’ll have to serve your cake from the pan.
Macaroon cake is all about the moist texture ~ and the flavor!
For a simple cake this one has a lot going on. An incredible texture, for instance. All that coconut and the almond flour makes for a super moist chewy bite, just what we love about macaroons. If you like your cakes super moist like I do, you’ll love it.
Other flourless desserts on the blog
- Flourless Walnut Cake
- 5 Mouthwatering Flourless Desserts
- Flourless Belgian Chocolate Cake
- Gluten Free Tangerine Cake
- Raspberry Pavlova
3 Simple steps to making a one bowl gluten free macaroon cake
- Beat eggs and sugar together until pale and glossy
- Fold in almond extract, coconut, and almond flour.
- Top with sliced almonds and bake.
This cake is a great candidate for making a day ahead because it’s so moist.
- Bake the cake and let it cool completely.
- Wrap in plastic or foil and keep on the counter.
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Easy Almond Macaroon Cake
Ingredients
- 3 extra large eggs
- 1 cup granulated sugar (plus more for dusting the cake)
- 1 tsp almond extract
- 1 1/2 cups almond flour, packed
- 1 1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut, packed
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup sliced almonds
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 10" inch tart pan with removable bottom.
- Put the sugar and eggs in a stand mixer fitted with the balloon whisk and beat on high for 4 to 5 minutes until pale and glossy. Don't skip this step. You can use electric beaters if you need to.
- Beat in the extract, then gently fold in the almond flour and coconut, and salt. Note: check your almond flour and coconut for lumps, and remove before adding. Mix just until thoroughly combined and no dry spots remain, but don't over mix!
- Spread evenly in your pan. Sprinkle the almonds over the surface, then dust with a little granulated sugar. Bake for 25-30 minutes until firm on top and lightly golden. A toothpick inserted in the center should not come out wet.
- Let the cake cool for 10 minutes, then run a thin offset spatula around the edges to loosen the cake. Let cool another 10 minutes, and gently remove the outer ring of the tart pan. Let the cake cool completely before slicing.
Notes
Nutrition
Hi Sue – getting ready to make this soon, looks like a great recipe.
I wonder if it makes sense to toast the coconut first – although I will make it in the tart pan
as you suggest and that will provide plenty of surface area for a toasty texture?
Thank you!
Hi Sue – it’s almond not vanilla – right? Instructions say vanilla … making now!
Yes, almond…I’m so used to typing vanilla 😉
Wow! This is beautiful simple and oh so delicious!
Look very good but I have only unsweetened coconut? can I use unsweetened coconut? i
You could, if it’s the moist type of coconut. If it’s super dry it might not work as well.
If I do this in an 8 by 8 what changes???
It will be thicker and take longer to cook. You may want to cover loosely with foil to make sure it doesn’t brown too much while the center is cooking through.
What brand name coconut do you use and where do you find it? What shredded style is it.?
You’ll find shredded sweetened coconut in bags in the baking aisle. I usually find Baker’s Angel Flake Sweetened Coconut in my store.
Looking to make this for Easter but I have no coconut. Will the recipe work without it?
The coconut is key to this cake, I’m afraid. If you want to try an all-almond flour cake, you might use my Flourless Walnut Cake as a base, and sub in almond flour, I think it would be delicious.
Printing this to use in a few days–fun to bake these days. It looks marvelous and I’ll soon have coconut as I ordered it for my Easter carrot cake cupcakes. Thanks!!
I hope you love it as much as we did Alyce ~ happy Easter 🙂
Can I use a spring firm pan?
Yes, you could.
Hi Sue could this be done with ordinary flour do you think? Looks lovely
Love your recipes,
Thanks Jennie
To be honest I don’t think you’ll get the same result, Jennie, but you could try. I imagine the cake would be drier…but I haven’t tried so I don’t know for sure. Keep in mind you can easily make almond flour (or meal) by processing almonds in a Vitamix type blender or food processor…if you’ve got almonds!
Thanks sue yes I have and will try that
Keep safe
Jennie