If you love almond croissants, this cake was made for you. Gluten free almond croissant cake captures everything wonderful about an almond croissant, the buttery almond flavor, the rich frangipane, and the toasty flaked almonds on top, in an easy, sliceable cake form. It layers a soft, tender almond cake with a thick, gooey almond frangipane piped over the top, then scatters flaked almonds across the surface so they turn golden and crunchy in the oven. Finished with a generous dusting of powdered sugar, it really does taste like an almond croissant transformed into cake. Best of all, it’s completely gluten-free and surprisingly simple to put together.
The clever trick here is piping the frangipane on top of the cake batter rather than dolloping it. That keeps it in a perfectly even layer that bakes on top of the cake instead of sinking to the bottom, so every slice has that distinct cake-and-frangipane structure. The almond cake stays soft and moist, the frangipane stays luxuriously gooey, and the flaked almonds add crunch and that signature toasted-almond flavor. It’s an impressive bake that’s deceptively easy, no special technique required beyond mixing two batters.
Why this works
A few thoughtful steps are what give this cake its texture and flavor, and they’re worth understanding.
The two-layer structure is the heart of it. You make a soft almond cake batter and a rich almond frangipane separately, then pipe the frangipane in an even layer over the batter before baking. As it bakes, the cake rises underneath while the frangipane stays put on top, giving you that almond-croissant-like contrast of tender cake and gooey almond filling in every bite.
Piping (not spooning) the frangipane is the key technique, and it’s worth doing right. Using a piping bag to lay the frangipane down in even lines gives you consistent coverage that stays on top of the cake. Dolloping it on with a spoon tends to push the cake batter around and creates thick spots that sink as the cake bakes, so the piping step is what guarantees a clean, even layer. It’s easy: pipe parallel lines one way, then fill any gaps with lines in the other direction.
Almond flour does a lot of work in both layers. It gives the cake and frangipane their rich, nutty almond flavor and a moist, tender texture, and it’s naturally gluten-free. Combined with a good gluten-free flour blend in the cake (with a little xanthan gum for structure, unless your blend already has it), you get a cake that holds together beautifully without any wheat.
What goes in
The ingredients split into the almond cake, the frangipane, and the topping.
For the almond cake, you’ll need caster or granulated sugar, melted butter, neutral oil, eggs, whole milk, plain yogurt, vanilla, a gluten-free plain flour blend, almond flour, baking powder, xanthan gum, and salt.
For the almond frangipane, it’s caster or granulated sugar, melted butter, eggs, vanilla, almond extract, almond flour, and salt.
You’ll also need flaked almonds and powdered sugar for finishing.
A few notes. Use a good gluten-free plain flour blend, and add the xanthan gum only if your blend doesn’t already contain it (many do, in which case omit it). Because this is a baking recipe, weighing your ingredients with a digital scale gives the most reliable results, especially for the flours. Use almond flour, almond meal, or finely ground almonds, all work. And bring your eggs, milk, and yogurt to room temperature so everything mixes smoothly. Both the butter portions should be melted and cooled until just warm.
How to make it
Make the almond cake batter. Position the oven rack in the lower-middle and preheat to 350°F (180°C). Lightly butter a 9-inch (23cm) springform pan and line it with parchment. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, melted butter, oil, eggs, milk, yogurt, and vanilla until well combined. In a separate bowl, whisk together the gluten-free flour blend, almond flour, baking powder, xanthan gum, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and whisk into a smooth, fairly loose batter with no clumps. Set aside.
Make the frangipane. In a large bowl, mix the sugar, melted butter, eggs, vanilla, and almond extract until smooth. Add the almond flour and salt, and mix well until smooth. Transfer the frangipane to a piping bag with the end cut off (or fitted with a large round tip).
Assemble and bake. Pour the cake batter into the lined pan and smooth the top. Pipe the frangipane in an even layer over the batter, piping parallel lines one way, then filling gaps with lines in the perpendicular direction for even coverage. Sprinkle evenly with the flaked almonds.
Bake at 350°F (180°C) for about 60 to 70 minutes. If the almonds on top brown too quickly, loosely cover the cake with foil (shiny side up) and continue baking until done.
Because of the frangipane, doneness can be tricky to judge: a toothpick inserted in the center will always have some gooey frangipane on it, but you shouldn’t see any raw cake batter. The cake should be slightly domed and fully set (not wobbly when you shake the pan). If it dips in the center or wobbles, it needs more time.
Let the cake cool in the pan for about 15 minutes, then remove it onto a wire rack. Dust generously with powdered sugar before slicing. Serve it warm or at room temperature.
Tips, serving, and storing
A few things help. Pipe the frangipane rather than spooning it, for an even layer that won’t sink. Weigh your ingredients for the most reliable gluten-free bake. Watch the almonds toward the end and tent with foil if they’re browning too fast. And use the doneness cues above (set top, no raw batter) rather than expecting a clean toothpick, since the frangipane stays gooey by design.
A couple more. Let the cake set up as directed before removing it from the pan, since it’s delicate while warm. And the powdered sugar is best dusted on close to serving, as it can melt into the cake over time.
This cake is wonderful on its own with coffee or tea, the perfect treat for brunch, an afternoon pick-me-up, or dessert. It’s lovely served slightly warm, when the frangipane is at its gooiest, and equally good at room temperature. A dollop of whipped cream or a few fresh berries on the side dresses it up nicely for dessert.
For storing, the cake keeps well in a closed container in a cool, dry place for about 3 to 4 days. It stays moist thanks to all the almond flour. Warm a slice briefly to bring back that fresh-baked, gooey-frangipane quality, and re-dust with powdered sugar before serving if needed.
This makes one 9-inch cake, about 12 slices. Buttery, almond-rich, gooey, and crunchy with toasted almonds, this gluten free almond croissant cake delivers everything you love about an almond croissant in an easy, shareable cake, and no one will guess it’s gluten-free.
WP Tasty (Tasty Recipes Premium) field values
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French (French-inspired)
- Diet: Gluten Free, Vegetarian (naturally gluten-free as written; contains dairy, egg, and almonds (tree nuts), so not vegan or nut-free.)
- Keywords: gluten free almond croissant cake, almond croissant cake, gluten free almond cake, frangipane cake, gluten free cake
- Serving Size: 1 slice (recipe makes about 12)
- Calories: (leave blank. No nutrition data was provided. Generate values with Nutrifox before publishing rather than estimating.)
- Equipment: 9-inch springform pan, mixing bowls, whisk, piping bag, wire rack, digital scale (recommended)
Gluten Free Almond Croissant Cake
Equipment
- 9-inch Springform Pan
- Mixing Bowls
- Whisk
- Piping Bag
- Wire rack
- Digital scale (recommended)
Ingredients
Almond Cake
- 150 g caster or granulated sugar 3/4 cup
- 55 g unsalted butter 1/2 stick; melted and cooled until warm
- 50 g sunflower or vegetable oil 3 1/2 tbsp; or other neutral oil
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 60 g whole milk 1/4 cup; room temperature
- 30 g full-fat plain or Greek-style yoghurt 2 tbsp; room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 150 g plain gluten free flour blend 1 1/4 cups
- 135 g almond flour 1 1/3 cups; or almond meal or finely ground almonds
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp xanthan gum omit if your flour blend already contains it
- 1/4 tsp salt
Almond Frangipane
- 200 g caster or granulated sugar 1 cup
- 140 g unsalted butter 1 1/4 sticks; melted and cooled until warm
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp almond extract
- 300 g almond flour 3 cups; or almond meal or finely ground almonds
- 1/4 tsp salt
You’ll Also Need
- 90 g flaked almonds 1 cup
- powdered/icing sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Make the Cake Batter: Position the oven rack in the lower-middle and preheat to 350°F (180°C). Butter and line a 9-inch springform pan. Whisk together the sugar, melted butter, oil, eggs, milk, yoghurt, and vanilla until combined. In a separate bowl, whisk the gluten free flour blend, almond flour, baking powder, xanthan gum, and salt. Add the dry to the wet and whisk into a smooth, loose batter. Set aside.
- Make the Frangipane: In a large bowl, mix the sugar, melted butter, eggs, vanilla, and almond extract until smooth. Add the almond flour and salt and mix until smooth. Transfer to a piping bag with the end cut off (or a large round tip).
- Assemble: Pour the cake batter into the pan and smooth the top. Pipe the frangipane in an even layer over the batter, parallel lines one way then perpendicular lines to fill gaps. Sprinkle evenly with the flaked almonds.
- Bake: Bake at 350°F (180°C) for about 60 to 70 minutes. If the almonds brown too fast, cover loosely with foil (shiny side up) and continue baking.
- Check Doneness: A toothpick in the center will always have some gooey frangipane on it, but no raw cake batter. The cake should be slightly domed and fully set (not wobbly). If it dips or wobbles, it needs longer.
- Cool and Serve: Cool in the pan about 15 minutes, then remove onto a wire rack. Dust generously with powdered sugar before slicing. Serve warm or at room temperature.
