Portuguese Almond Cake (Bolo de Amêndoa)

This gluten free Bolo de Amêndoa – Portuguese Almond Cake is a moist and nutty dessert showcasing almond flavors with a hint of citrus and ground cinnamon. This is a dense snack cake that is ideal for special occasions and everyday.

Ingredients and substitutions for Portuguese Almond Cake

• Butter: Room temperature unsalted butter was used here, but salted is fine as a substitute too. You could try substituting with non dairy butter, but I cannot guarantee the result.
• Sugar: The superfine or caster sugar adds sweetness without additional flavors to our cake batter whilst the light brown sugar helps to create the texture and flavor in our golden topping. You could substitute with a mix of light and dark brown sugar, though the flavors in the cake and topping would likely be different.
• Eggs: Room temperature eggs add structure to the cake and bind everything together so are essential.
• Almond meal: Ground almonds or almond flour might be what you refer to as what is called almond meal here. Finely ground almonds create a beautiful and soft texture to our cake.
• Sliced almonds: The sliced almonds help compliment the light almond flavor in the cake and finish our cake with a beautiful rustic appearance.

See recipe card for quantities.

How to make Portuguese Almond Cake:

Step 1: Whip it: Beat the butter and almond meal until slightly pale and fluffy.

Step 2: Yolks and sugar: Whip most of the sugar and yolks until doubled in volume, in a separate bowl.

Step 3: Flavors: Toss in the three flavor ingredients and fold until combined.

Step 4: Fold: Add ⅓ of the almond butter mixture to the yolks and fold until smooth.

Step 5: Meringue: Whip egg whites in a separate bowl until stiff.

Step 6: Fold: Add ⅓ of the cake batter to the meringue and fold until smooth, repeating until your batter is smooth.

Step 7: Pour and smooth: Pour mixture into your prepared pan and smooth out, topping with the sliced almonds.

Step 8: Bake: Until golden.

Step 9: Slice and serve: Top with a little optional powdered sugar. Slice it up and serve with a dollop or two cream. Enjoy!

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Portuguese Almond Cake (Bolo de Amêndoa)

Sylvie Taylor

This Bolo de Amêndoa – Portuguese Almond Cake is a gluten free moist and nutty dessert showcasing the rich flavors of almond with a hint of lemon and ground cinnamon.

5 from 2 votes

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Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr

Course Dessert

Cuisine Portuguese

Servings 8

Calories 511 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 250 grams / 2 ⅔ cups ground almonds
• 170 grams / 6 ounces butter softened
• 220 grams / 4 large eggs room temperature and separated
• 200 grams / 1 cup caster/superfine sugar
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• 1 gram / ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 10 grams / 1 tablespoon lemon peel finely chopped
• 50 grams / ½ cup flaked almonds

Instructions

 

• Preheat your oven to 170C/340F and line a 20 cm or 8 inch round cake tin with parchment paper.
• Toss the butter and ground almonds into a bowl and beat on low until smooth and slightly pale and fluffy, approximately 2 minutes.
• Place the egg yolks and 150 grams/3/4 cup of the sugar into a bowl and whip until light, fluffy and doubled in volume, approximately 5 minutes.
• Toss the salt, cinnamon and lemon peel and fold to combine.
• Add ⅓ of the almond butter mixture and fold until combined and smooth.
• Repeat with the remaining almond butter mixture until you have a stiff, but smooth batter.
• In a separate clean and dry bowl, whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form, approximately 4 minutes.
• Add the remaining 50 grams / ¼ cup sugar and whisk until slightly glossy and medium peak so they hold to your whisk.
• Add ⅓ of the meringue mixture to your almond batter and fold slowly until smooth.
• Repeat with the remaining meringue mixture until you have a stiff, but smooth batter.
• Pour into your prepared tin and smooth out evenly. Toss over the flaked almonds.
• Bake for 35 minutes until golden and the sides begin to pull away from the sides of the tin.
• Remove and allow to cool completely.
• Sprinkle over powdered sugar, slice and serve.
• Enjoy!

Video

Notes

• Almond meal: Ground almonds or almond flour might be what you refer to as what is called almond meal here. Finely ground almonds create a beautiful and soft texture to our cake.
• Sliced almonds: The sliced almonds help compliment the light almond flavor in the cake and finish our cake with a beautiful rustic appearance.
• Cake tin: A round spring form tin was used, however, a standard cake tin of similar size would also work well.

Adapted from Great British Chefs

Nutrition

Calories: 511kcal

Keyword almond baking, cake, gluten free, snack cake

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