Vegan Raspberry Almond Cake

This deliciously irresistible raspberry almond cake has two moist vegan almond sponges and is filled and topped with a beautiful naturally pink raspberry buttercream. Add extra berries and flaked almonds to the top of the cake and enjoy a slice of this heavenly bake!

Summer is coming!

And with this beautiful season comes the fabulous abundance of fresh berries we all love! From strawberries and cream to blueberry muffins and scones, I will gladly have it all!

For me however, raspberries have to be the ultimate summertime fruit! I love their vibrant colour, the soft juicy texture and the sharp and sweet flavour. Absolutely one of my all time summer favourites! So naturally, this beautiful fruit just HAS to be put in some baking, and what better to showcase the beautiful berry than a cake!

What ingredients do I need to make this vegan raspberry almond cake?

• Flour: I use plain flour for this cake as it allows me to have control of the amount rising agent used in my bake.
• Ground almonds: adds to the almondy, nutty flavour of this almond raspberry cake.
• Baking powder/bicarbonate of soda: for a little bit of help with rising for this vegan almond cake.
• Salt: to enhance the flavours in this bake. Don’t worry, you won’t taste it!
• Sugar: I used caster sugar to sweeten the cake and icing (powdered) sugar in the raspberry frosting.
• Milk: makes up the liquid part of the cake batter. I used almond milk, since I am making an almond vegan cake.
• Yogurt: keeps the cake moist and tender. I use a Greek coconut yogurt, and again no worries as you cannot taste the yogurt.
• Oil: the fat in the cake, using oil rather than melted dairy free butter helps to keep the cake moist and tender.
• Almond extract: gives a little extra almond flavour to enhance the flavour of the cake and balance the overall flavours of this almond cake with raspberry filling.
• Raspberries: I use frozen raspberries when making the buttercream filling for the almond and raspberry cake, and fresh raspberries to decorate the top. However, you could just use fresh raspberries all through if you wish too.
• Vegan butter: a plant based butter is needed for this recipe. Make sure to use the block butter found wrapped in foil, not the spreadable sort in a tub. For best results, use butter at room temperature.
• Flaked almonds: used on top of the cake for decoration.

What equipment do I need to make this raspberry and almond cake?

• Cake tins*: to bake the almond flour vegan cakes in. I use two tins to make this cake rather than one and cutting in half.
• Digital kitchen scales*: I provide all my measurements in cups too, however I would encourage all bakers to weigh out ingredients using weighing scales when baking. A set of digital kitchen scales is so useful and totally an essential baking tool for me.
• Measuring spoons*: a set of measuring spoons is essential for any baker. This is because these are more accurate than using everyday teaspoons and tablespoons, which can vary greatly in size.
• Sieve*: to remove lumps from the dry ingredients, ensuring everything mixes together evenly.
• Mixing bowl*: used to mix the almond cake vegan in before baking.
• Jug*: to mix together the wet ingredients before combining with the dry when making the almond layer cake.
• Spatula*: for mixing and smoothing the cake batter, plus scraping down the bowls during mixing. Ensures all ingredients are combined when making both cake and raspberry filling recipes for cakes.
• Saucepan*: for cooking and reducing the raspberries in before using to make the raspberry frosting for cake.
• Electric hand mixer*: I would highly recommend investing in a good electric mixer. This tool is really useful to give you a wonderfully light raspberry buttercream, I would highly recommend it!
• Offset spatula*: to help spread the icing over the vegan raspberry bakewell cake smoothly and evenly.

How to make vegan almond cake

This cake is really simple to make! For the almond cake layers, you mix the wet and dry ingredients together separately before folding together and baking. And the buttercream is made with a wonderfully thick jammy reduction of sieved raspberries beaten into a light buttercream frosting. Yum!

For the vegan almond sponge cake

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Lightly oil both cake tins and line the bases with a circle of parchment paper, then set aside whilst making the cake.

Step 2: In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, ground almonds, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) and salt. Stir together to distribute ingredients evenly then set aside.

Step 3: In a large jug or separate mixing bowl, tip in the caster sugar, milk, yogurt, oil and almond extract. I also added in the almond pulp from making my almond milk at home, but this is an optional extra, and a nice way to use up any pulp from milk making. Mix everything together until combined.

Step 4: Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Use a spatula to gently fold everything together until it is just combined. The mixture will be fairly thick, as cake mixture goes. Divide the mixture between the two cake tins and level the tops.

Step 5: Bake the cakes! Place the two tins in the hot oven and bake for 25-30 minutes until shrinking from the sides and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tins for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

For the raspberry buttercream and decoration

Step 1: First, make the raspberry goo. Push the raspberries through a sieve into a small saucepan to get all the juice. Discard the seeds/pulp. Cook the raspberry juice over a medium-low head until it has thickened and reduced by half. This takes me about ten minutes or so. Transfer to a bowl and pop in the fridge to speed up the chilling time.

Step 2: In a mixing bowl, beat the butter until soft and fluffy, about four minutes. Add in half the sugar and beat to combine. Scrape in the cooled raspberry goo and beat to combine, then add in the rest of the sugar and beat again to mix. Turn the speed up for a minute or two to make the buttercream wonderfully light and fluffy.

Step 3: Place one of the cooled cakes (level if necessary) on a cake stand or plate, then spread over half the raspberry buttercream. Sprinkle with some flaked almonds, if you wish (optional), then repeat with the second cake layer and the rest of the raspberry frosting. Decorate the top of the cake with fresh raspberries and some flaked almonds. Enjoy!

How do I line my cake tins?

Place the cake tin on some parchment paper and trace around the base of the tin. Cut out this shape (two times, for two cake layers) and set aside. Brush inside the base of the cake tins with some oil. Place the cut out circle of parchment paper on the oiled base and use the brush to flatten and ease it into the corners. Brush a little more oil over the parchment circle and up the sides of the cake tin. The tins are now ready to be used.

Ground almond vs almond flour

Here in the UK, most bakers (including myself!) will use ground almonds in recipes that call for almond flour. Should you require almond flour for a recipe (such as in macarons), simply grind the ground almonds further using a food processor or blender. However, in this particular vegan almond cake recipe, ground almonds work perfectly well.

How can I tell when my cakes are baked?

You will know when the vegan almond sponge cakes are done as they will be firm to touch and will have shrunk away from the sides of the pan slightly. Additionally, a toothpick or wooden skewer inserted into the cake will come out clean or with one or two crumbs only.

Why is my vegan cake rubbery?

Vegan cakes require very little handling in order to keep a cake like texture. For this reason, when combining the wet and dry ingredients together it is really important to mix with a spatula and ONLY until the mixture is combined.

How long does this raspberry almond cake last? How do I store vegan raspberry almond cake?

This cake is best eaten within 3-4 days of being made. It can be stored at cool room temperature, but I find it lasts longer if stored in the fridge. Should you store the vegan raspberry cake in the fridge, leave it out for about 20-30 minutes before serving. This raspberry almond cake is best enjoyed at room temperature.

Can I make this vegan cake ahead of time?

This raspberry almond cake cake be made a day before it is decorated, however I would recommend serving and enjoying it soon after this to ensure it does not dry out. If you need a longer amount of time before serving the cake, you could try freezing it for a later date. Keep reading to find out how to freeze this vegan almond cake.

How to freeze cake

If you wish to make this cake ahead of time and freeze it, this is not a problem. I would recommend not freezing the assembled raspberry almond cake, but the individual cake layers instead. Then, when you are ready, you can defrost the layers, whip up the buttercream, and decorate the cake.

To freeze the cake layers, first make sure they are completely cool. Wrap each layer of cake tightly and securely in cling film, then a layer of tin foil and another tight layer of cling film. You do not want any moisture getting to the cakes, or they will turn out a soggy mess or risk freezer burn, hence thoroughness. Freeze the cakes on a flat surface until frozen before stacking in the freezer.

How to defrost your frozen cake layers

When you are ready to defrost and decorate the vegan raspberry cake, simply remove the cake layers from the freezer and unwrap them. Place each cake in a single layer on a cooling rack, brushing off any remaining ice crystals, and leave to come to room temperature. The cakes are ready to be decorated once defrosted.

Additional tips for making the best vegan raspberry cake recipe

• Use ingredients at room temperature when making the cake. The reason for this is simple: ingredients at room temperature will combine better and make for a better bake!
• When combining the wet and dry ingredients together to make the cake, make sure to only use a spatula and to fold the ingredients together. Mixing the wet and dry together too vigorously will lead to a tough, rubbery baked cake and not a lovely fluffy one.
• Level the cake mixture in the tins before baking. This cake does not rise too much, and so levelling the cake mean less need to level the cakes before stacking once baked.
• When making the raspberry goo, make sure to push the raspberries through a sieve before cooking the juice, to get ride of any seeds. The raspberry liquid will bubble at first and gradually thicken, reducing as it does so, into an almost jam like consistency. This will leave you with a thick red liquid that will give a rich strong raspberry flavour to the buttercream icing. Heavenly!
• Make sure the cakes are completely cool before decorating. This is important to ensure the buttercream does not melt when put on the cake. I make my cakes the evening before, so they cool completely overnight before being decorated.
• I like this cake as a bit of a semi naked cake. If you wanted to make enough buttercream to cover the sides of the cake too, and pipe additional decoration on top, simply double the amount of buttercream you make to give you plenty to work with.

Troubleshooting

If you have any questions about this raspberry almond cake, please comment below and I will do my best to help. And do remember: if you enjoy this recipe for vegan almond sponge cake, please leave a rating and review below. You could even post a picture on Instagram and tag me when you share it with the world. You already know I would love to see!

More recipes from my blog for you to enjoy

Vegan lemon drizzle loaf cake: This cake is totally and utterly delightful! It is all the things you want in a good lemon cake! It’s light, it’s fluffy, it’s packed with plenty of lemon flavour. Lemon heaven!

Rose pistachio and cardamom loaf cake (eggless): this cake was inspired by the stunning smells and flavours of India. Earthy pistachio, fragrant cardamom, and floral rose come together in this eggless bake to create an incredible stunning cake that is truly out of this world. This cake is not fully vegan, but is eggless so can easily be adapted to being vegan too.

Raspberry chocolate macaroons: My delicious raspberry dark chocolate macaroons are so easy and need just four ingredients to make! With a chewy middle and a crisp exterior, this wonderful recipe uses fresh raspberries and is drizzled in deep dark chocolate. A wonderful bake to get little hands helping in the kitchen!

Thanks for joining me today, my friends. Hope you enjoy this gorgeous vegan raspberry almond cake as much as I have, and happy baking! x

Recommended equipment I used *

Cake tins	Digital kitchen scales
Measuring spoons	Sieve
Mixing bowl	Jug
Spatula	Saucepan
Electric hand mixer	Offset spatula