Raspberry almond cake is the perfect accompaniment to any meal, whether it be breakfast, brunch or afternoon tea. This cake has a coffee-cake vibe to it with the cinnamon scented crumb topping. But the depth of flavor goes further with a bit of sweet tartness from the raspberries and a nutty crunch from the sliced almonds.
I first stumbled on a recipe for this cake while searching for something else entirely and started baking it obsessively afterwards. After tweaking parts of the recipe a bit, I find it to be nothing short of the perfect cake. What I love about this particular raspberry almond cake, besides the fact that it is outrageously delicious, is that it can be dressed up or down. It’s casual enough for coffee after church and elegant enough to be the centerpiece of a birthday celebration. Raspberry and almond is a classic combination and the various textures in the cake really make it memorable.
WHY YOU WILL LOVE MY RASPBERRY ALMOND CAKE
- Flavorful and memorable! The tender, buttery cake paired with slightly tart raspberries, addictive crumb topping and crunchy almonds is absolutely delicious. I can tell you from experience that more than one person will ask you for the recipe – or to make it again!
- Perfect for any event. I bring this cake to potlucks, coffee hours, brunch and even birthdays. It is casual and celebratory at the same time.
- Stores well. This cake can be kept in a sealed container for up to a week in refrigerator. By the end of the week, the raspberries will start to break down, but the flavor of the cake remains excellent.
- Stays tender. What I love about the reverse creaming method employed in this recipe is that it’s much harder to over mix the cake batter. By creaming the butter directly into the dry ingredients, the crumb stays more tender and it makes for an easier cake making process.
- Customizable. I can see other berries working well with this recipe. Blueberries and vanilla, cherries and almond, strawberries and lemon…the possibilities are endless!
A NOTE ON BAKING PANS
I have successfully baked this recipe in two different types of pans. The easiest pan to bake this cake in is a 9″ round springform pan that is often used for cheesecakes and coffee cakes. If baked in a springform pan, the cake will bake for a shorter time and not be as tall and thick as in the photographs I’ve shared here.
I tend to bake this cake in a 8 x 3″ round cake pan. The high walls of this pan allow for a taller cake but does take a bit longer to bake. It is also a bit tricker to remove the cake from this pan once baked since the sides cannot be removed. What I do is run a sharp knife along the inside edge of the cake then cover the top of the pan with a large dinner plate, tip the cake out onto the plate and then invert it again onto a cooling rack.
For other sweet breakfast-friendly items that deliver a good dose of crumb topping, check out my Pumpkin Spice Bread with Crumb Topping or my Banana Bread Muffins. Need a cake to feed a larger crowd? This Triple Apple Cake is sure to do the trick!
Raspberry Almond Cake
Equipment
- 1 kitchen scale
- 1 stand or hand mixer
- 1-2 mixing bowls
- 1 spatula
- 1 set of measuring spoons
- 1 8×3" or 9" round cake pan or springform pan
- parchment paper
Ingredients
For the cake
- 1 1/3 cups (160 grams) all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup (113 grams) salted butter cubed, room temperature
- 3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated sugar
- 2 whole eggs room temperature
- 1/2 cup (115 grams) whole milk yogurt or full fat sour cream room temperature
- 1 tsp almond extract
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
For the crumb topping
- 6 tbsp (45 grams) all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup (23 grams) old fashioned oats
- 6 tbsp (75 grams) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (50 grams) brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 cup (57 grams) salted butter cubed, at room temperature
For topping the cake
- 1 cup (120 grams) fresh raspberries
- 1/2 cup (45 grams) sliced almonds
Instructions
To make the cake
- Begin by preheating a conventional oven to 350 degrees F. Line the bottom of a 8 x 3"cake pan or 9" springform pan with parchment paper and grease the bottom and sides well.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar. Sprinkle the cubed butter over the dry ingredients. If using a stand mixer, fit it with a paddle attachment and begin mixing the ingredients on low speed. If using a hand mixer, do the same. Mix until all of the dry ingredients seem hydrated and the butter starts to incorporate. The butter will break up and look sandy after a couple of minutes. This method is called reverse creaming.
- Stop mixing and scrap the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula. Begin mixing again on low. Add the eggs one at a time, then the yogurt or sour cream and the extracts. Increase the speed a bit and mix for another 30 seconds. The batter may look a bit curdled and that's ok. Scrape the batter into the greased cake pan and level out the top.
- Sprinkle the fresh raspberries on top of the batter and then make the crumb topping.
To make the crumb topping
- In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, oats, granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. Stir to combine. Add the cubed butter and begin kneading with you clean hand until the butter incorporates into the dry ingredients to form a crumble. You can also do this in the bowl of a stand mixer or with a hand mixer.
- Sprinkle the crumb topping evenly over the raspberries and finally top the cake with the sliced almonds.
Bake the cake
- Bake the cake on the center rack of the preheated oven for 30-40 minutes, depending on the size of your cake pan. A smaller 8 x 3" cake pan will bake for a longer time and a larger 9" springform pan will bake for a shorter time. Remove the cake from the oven when a cake tester poked into the center comes out *mostly* clean.
- Let the cake cool for about 15-20 minutes in the pan before removing. If you used a springform pan, simply remove the outer ring and slide the cake off the base onto a cooling rack. If you used a regular cake pan, use a plate to cover the top of the cake, tip it out onto the plate then invert the cake onto a cooling rack.
- Cool the cake to room temperature before slicing and serving. This cake can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.
