Vegan Raspberry Almond Cake – Easy!

This vegan raspberry almond cake is such a delightful treat that’s light, moist, and full of nutty almond flavour with fresh raspberries and a luscious almond buttercream frosting! It’s made with just 12 simple ingredients, perfect for a party or enjoying a quiet afternoon tea.

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Who doesn’t love a soft, moist cake that’s bursting with sweet and tangy goodness and wrapped in a creamy,  dreamy frosting? This vegan raspberry almond cake does just that and more! It’s a two-layer cake that combines the richness of ground almonds, the tang of fresh raspberries, and the perfect amount of sweetness, all topped with a gorgeous vegan almond buttercream frosting. It’s light, fluffy, and as always, it’s completely vegan! I’m certain this cake will quickly become a favourite for your celebrations, tea parties, or just as a treat because you know, you deserve it! 

Must Read: The Ultimate Guide to Perfect Cakes – A complete guide to baking your perfect vegan cakes with an easy and delicious vanilla cake recipe!

Main ingredients and substitutions

*Use room temperature ingredients unless otherwise instructed.

Plain flour: The base of the cake is good old plain flour. You can substitute it with a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend if needed, but it might affect the texture slightly. If you’re gluten-free, be sure to use a good quality gluten-free flour blend for the best results, like the one from King Arthur.

Ground almonds: I love adding ground almonds to my cakes! It adds a lovely nutty flavour and irresistible aroma to baked goods. It’s super easy to make at home, simply add some raw or roasted almond to your food processor and process until they are fine like coarse flour. If you need a nut-free option, use ground sunflower seeds or store-bought almond flour.

Fresh raspberries: Fresh raspberries are perfect for this recipe, but you can substitute them with frozen raspberries(Might alter the texture of the cake). Just make sure you thaw them and pat them dry before adding them to the batter to avoid extra moisture. Feel free to use other berries too!

Caster sugar: Caster sugar is all you need to sweeten this cake, fine sugar that dissolves beautifully in batters in any baking recipe. You can also use granulated sugar instead, or coconut sugar for a more wholesome and caramel-like flavour.

Vegetable oil: Vegetable oil is key to the soft texture, it makes this cake so moist and soft. You can use sunflower oil, light olive oil, or even melted coconut oil, but remember that coconut oil will impart a slight coconut flavour and result in a slightly different texture.

Almond milk: Let’s use almond milk in this recipe to make it extra nutty and delicious, shall we? A dairy-free milk that helps keep this cake light and fluffy. Feel free to swap it with any other plant-based milk you like, such as oat milk, soy milk, or rice milk.

Cornflour: I use cornflour to make the cake nice and soft, this is key to giving the cake a tender crumb. You can substitute other starchy flours like potato starch or rice flour if you don’t have cornflour.

Apple cider vinegar: The secret ingredient that reacts with the baking soda to help the cake rise, apple cider vinegar! If you don’t have apple cider vinegar, white vinegar or lemon juice will work perfectly as substitutes.

Other ingredients: vanilla extract, almond extract, baking powder, and baking soda

Note: Substitution may change the final taste and texture of this recipe.

*I use bone char-free sugars for all of my recipes. I cover the topic in my article Vegan Baking 101. Go to the “Is sugar vegan?” section to learn more!

Recommended equipment for this recipe

Stand mixer or hand mixer: A stand mixer with the paddle attachment will make your life so much easier for this cake. If you don’t have one, a hand mixer will work just as well.

Mixing bowls: You’ll need two mixing bowls – one for the dry ingredients and one for the wet ingredients. Make sure they’re large enough to mix everything without spilling over. I have a few ceramic mixing bowls in different sizes, glass mixing bowls work perfectly too.

Silicone spatula or wooden spoon: Use either a big wooden spoon or silicone spatula, it is essential for mixing the cake batter and folding the raspberries gently. Silicone spatulas are perfect for scraping down the sides of the bowl too.

7-inch round cake tins: The 7-inch cake tin is the perfect size for this two-layer cake. Make sure to grease and line them with baking paper so the cake comes out easily with no mess after baking.

Sifter: Sifting the dry ingredients is key to achieving the best texture. It is an extra step, but trust me, it makes a huge difference! It helps prevent lumps and ensures a light and fluffy cake. If you don’t have a sifter, you can use a fine-mesh strainer.

*The ingredient list and measurement for this recipe can be found in the recipe card at the bottom.

How to make vegan raspberry almond cake

Step 1: Prepare

Start by washing the raspberries thoroughly and drying them gently with kitchen paper. This is very important as any excess moisture will affect the batter. We don’t want a soggy cake after all!

Now let’s make vegan buttermilk. In a small bowl, mix the almond milk and apple cider vinegar together. Let this sit for a few minutes to curdle. It will thicken nicely and voila! Your vegan buttermilk will be ready in any minute. Set it aside.

Grease and line your cake tins as well.

Step 2: Mix the dry ingredients and wet ingredients

Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F). In a large bowl, mix together the sifted plain flour, ground almonds, cornflour, baking powder, and baking soda. Mix thoroughly so that ingredients are evenly distributed.

In another bowl, whisk together the vegetable oil, vegan buttermilk, vanilla extract, and almond extract until fully combined. 

Step 3: Make batter

Slowly pour the dry mixture into the wet mixture and mix gently with a big wooden spoon or silicone spatula until just combined. Be careful not to over-mix – overmixing could make the cake dense and chewy. Add the raspberries and gently fold in. No overmixing here.

Step 4: Bake the cake

Let’s bake! Divide the batter evenly between your prepared cake tins and smooth the tops. Bake for 30-35 minutes, and check the doneness with a toothpick test. If a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean with moist crumbs, it’s done! If it comes out with wet batter, bake for another 5-10 mins and test again.

Step 5: Frost the cake

Once the cake is done, let the cakes cool in the cake tins for 10-15 mins before transferring onto a cooling rack and cool completely before frosting. Follow this recipe and make a full batch of the almond buttercream frosting, and spread it generously between the layers and on top of the cake. Top with extra fresh raspberries and almond slices for a gorgeous finish and enjoy!

Expert tips and tricks

Don’t overmix the batter

It’s tempting to stir everything until the batter is smooth, but overmixing can lead to a dense nd rubbery cake. Mix the dry and wet mixtures until just combined for a light, fluffy texture, always.

Cool completely before frosting

Make sure the cake layers are completely cool on a cooling rack before frosting. If the cake is still warm, the frosting will melt and slide off. If you want to speed up the process, put the cakes in an airtight container and pop them into the fridge to cool faster.

Check your oven temperature

Every oven is different, so be sure to keep an eye on your cake as it bakes. If it’s browning too quickly, lower the temperature by 10°C. I have an oven thermometer, it’s best to use it every time you bake for the best result.

Use a digital scale to weigh ingredients

Always use a digital scale rather than measuring cups when you are baking. It’s so much more accurate and measuring correctly is very important to achieve the best result.

Recipe variations

• Feeling chocolatey? Add some chopped dark chocolate or vegan chocolate chips into the batter for a chocolate raspberry almond cake!
• You can swap the raspberries for other berries like strawberries, blueberries, or blackberries for a different fruity twist.

How to store

• Refrigerator: If you want to keep the cake for longer, store the cake in the fridge for up to 2 days. Be sure to put the cake in an airtight container and you’re good to go! Bring it to room temperature before serving for the best texture.

• Freezer: You can also freeze the unfrosted cake layers for up to 2 months. Wrap them tightly in eco-friendly cling film or put in a freezer-friendly airtight container and store in the freezer. Thaw in the fridge before frosting and serving.

*Although you can store this recipe in the fridge or freezer, it’s always best to consume it fresh and as soon as possible.

Q and A

Want to master the basics of vegan baking?
Check out Vegan Baking 101 – the beginner’s guide to vegan baking for you to become an excellent vegan baker and familiar with the basics of vegan baking, ingredients, and techniques with useful tips!

You will LOVE this vegan almond raspberry cake because it is:

• easy to make
• full of delicious almond flavour and aroma
• sweet and juicy with raspberries
• perfect for home parties

Want more recipes like this?

Try my other delicious cake and dessert recipes you might enjoy!

• Chocolate chip cake
• Salted caramel chocolate cake
• Caramel cake
• Peanut butter cake
• Raspberry muffins
• Vegan Raspberry Coffee Cake

Visit the cakes and cupcakes page and recipe page for more delicious recipes!

Please leave a comment and rate this recipe with 5 stars in the comment section below if you like the recipe! Let me know and tag me @thechestnutbakery on Instagram too. Thank you for making my recipe, friends!

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