Grain-Free White Chocolate Spiced Almond Cake! A healthier holiday twist on the classic almond cake! Cinnamon Spiced almond cake with melted white chocolate and a cinnamon cream cheese topping. Taste so decadent but is actually pretty healthy and easy to make. A perfect moist cake recipe for those looking to enjoy gluten free desserts. Really! Go ahead, enjoy!
Hey hey! It’s day two of Friendsgiving! If you missed the first post with Taylor and my side dishes (plus the Better Body Foods giveaway) click here!
Mmm K. Let’s get to the real focus here. Dessert! Cake! White Chocolate! Um, now all together please.
White Chocolate Spiced Almond Cake! And you guessed it, grain free!
Now, I will admit, my specialty when it comes to gluten free or grain free sweets are usually in the form on no bake ball (aka Healthy Bites). Learning to bake and make gluten free, let alone grain free, desserts and cakes have taken some time. It’s truly a trial and error process. More error than I’d like to admit, but hey, that’s why I do what I do. I like creating, tweaking, and making sure I can deliver healthy (or healthier) gluten free recipes that don’t taste like cardboard. Because, let’s face it, um, many gluten free and grain free recipes can turn out that way, am I right? And being that it is Friendsgiving week and only 8 days to go till the real Thanksgiving, I figured I better up my game. Hence the white chocolate and almond cake combo. Holidays are supposed to be enjoyed, including food. So why not make the food you can eat extra special. Or dare I say it?
…. … A little indulgent.
Okay, stop rolling your eyes at me because can I let you in on a little secret? I have a trick. More of a nutrition trick than anything.
When it comes to making grain free or gluten free desserts taste indulgent, you really just need to stick with REAL FOOD. I mean, try not to go all fake sugar/low fats/etc. Ya, those kind of things. Yes they can cut calories but in the end, REAL FOOD ingredients can turn out to be pretty satiating and semi – healthy. A small slice can deliver big taste! Didn’t see that coming now did you?
Real food ingredients that are full of flavor and healthy fats can definitely “take the cake” when it comes to gluten free desserts. Haha, pun intended.
So after 3 rounds of recipes testing. I found the perfect almond cake to share today. Almond cake as in.. that soft moist middle that looks like flour is really just ground almonds! Well that and a few other key ingredients that help enhance it.
Like Better Body Foods Extra Virgin Coconut oil, Organic Madagascar Vanilla, and Organic Coconut flour.
Side note –-> if you’ve never tried madagascar vanilla, you must. LIKE NOW! It’s amazing!
Oh and did I mention the icing? Yep, that’s just cream cheese, honey, cinnamon, and white chocolate. But it should come with a warning, because the frosting is addicting by itself. Just sayin…
But if you are looking for a dairy free frosting, have no fear.. I got you covered –> cashew cream cheese frosting. And it’s VEGAN!
Let’s not forget the topping on the topping. I grounded up a bit of maple grain free granola then sprinkled it on top of the frosting with a little powdered sugar. It’s all about the texture, ya know?
So you see, simple ingredients can really take a plain dessert and turn into a super moist decadent dessert/cake. And no one would ever know it’s grain free or semi-healthy! GASP!
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Grain-Free White Chocolate Spiced Almond Cake
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 8 1x
Description
A healthy holiday twist on the classic almond cake! Cinnamon Spiced almond cake with melted white chocolate and a cinnamon cream cheese topping.
Ingredients
- 2 cups almond meal
- ½ cup coconut flour
- ½ c coconut sugar
- 3 eggs at room temperature
- ¼ cup egg white
- ½ cup pumpkin puree
- ½ cup almond or coconut milk
- 4 oz (½ stick) butter (softened)
- ⅓ cup melted white chocolate
- ½ cup crushed almonds (just grind a little in processor)
- 1 tsp madagascar vanilla (or pure vanilla)
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- FROSTING
- 4 oz organic cream cheese
- ½ cup melted white chocolate
- ½ tbsp coconut oil
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp vanilla
- 2 tsp honey or agave nectar
- Chopped toasted nuts (optional)
- Powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350F.
- First combine all your dry ingredients for the cake in a bowl. Sift coconut flour if it’s too thick. You want it fine and smooth.
- Next blend your pumpkin, eggs, and milk in blender. Set aside.
- If you haven’t already melted your white chocolate, do that as well. Make sure it comes out to ⅓ cup after melted.
- Fold in your pumpkin egg batter with the almond meal (dry ingredients bowls).
- Then add in your separate ½ c melted white chocolate and melted or softened butter.
- Mix together
- Add in your nuts and extracts, baking soda, plus cinnamon, salt.
- Mix or beat with electric blender until smooth.
- Pour into a 9 in round baking dish and bake for 45 minutes or until center is done.
- Remove from oven and let cool for 15 minutes.
- While cake is cooling, make icing.
- Softened the cream cheese and white chocolate.
- Mix together in a small bowl and then add in your extracts, cinnamon, coconut oil, honey.
- Spread evenly over cake.
- Top with optional nuts and sprinkle powdered sugar on top.
Notes
I used better body foods coconut flour, coconut oil, and vanilla.
To make dairy free, feel free to use chocolate instead with enjoy life dairy free chocolate. Then use vegan cream cheese.
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 45 min
I’m a little confused what makes this cake healthy…? It still has eggs, butter, oil and added sugar.
The added sugar is natural sugar from coconut palm and maple. The cake is not so much “healthy” as it is “healthier” without grains and no processed ingredients. I should have specified that. Sorry.
How are maple and coconut palm sugar unprocessed?
Maple syrup? It’s natural. The coconut sugar I use is not refined. Hope that makes sense
Either way, it’s better than flour and white sugar. Which is what I was trying to convey. For people trying to gradually move away from those ingredients. I totally understand your view point though
You know I saw this recipe many times, and I wonder why I didn’t check it yet! Pinned!
yea! so glad. Let me know if you try it Farida!
You know I’m all about real food ingredients! Amen, give it up for whole foods, and this cake because it looks ah-mazing. I love the texture on top too.
Killing me with this recipe O_O And those paleo pecan bars are looking rulllll good right now.
oh girl, i know you’d love! so delish
This looks magical. I think I may even overlook the “white” part of chocolate just so I can try it out!
yes, please do! xxoo
A recipe I am going to try and figure out how to make in the near future = white chocolate!
This cake looks crazy good! I can hardly believe it is grain free!! LOVING the white chocolate and almonds in here! And that cinnamon cream cheese frosting?! GAHH! Give me that! SO YUM! Cheers!
This looks soooo good! I am a terrible baker. I always prefer grain free baked goods for some reason!
So much respect for ya, for nailing this after three tries!! I’d like to take a spoon (or just my face) to the frosting. And cake.
Looks amazing, and yes, I would have to control myself with the icing. Let’s face it, cake is simply a vehicle to get the icing in your mouth without being a weirdo.
If you need me, I’ll be the one sitting in the corner dipping slices of almond cake into a bowl of white chocolate cream cheese frosting. Holy.snap, this looks amazing, Lindsay! I’m just starting to dabble in grain-free baking, but I do love how much creativity and experimentation comes with it. My mom is always telling me that baking without flour wasn’t even a feasible thought “back in her day,” so… us kids and our crazy ideas 😉
we are such crazy kids! haha agreed. <3 you
Yum!This looks amazing! I’ve never made almond cake but I think I’m going to have to whip this up soon!
I’m all about anything with frosting! I need to figure out how to make sunflower seed flour – I’m guessing it’s not too tough. Dave having a nut allergy really limits me in my fun paleo style baking!!
have you tried the pumpkin seed flour by nuts.com? It’s amazing!!! ot tigernut flour?
OMG – lady – you have outdone yourself! For one – this cake – this cake I’d eat without cutlery all by itself – but when you iced it with that decadent white chocolate cinnamon cream cheese frosting and then you topped it with that powdered sugar and granola topping – well – now I want to eat this cake all by MYSELF! NO Sharing!
Ohhhh my goodness that frosting! The whole cake looks phenomenal. I agree so much that real foods are best for any type of baking – a lesson I learned the hard way when I used too much splenda in baking in college (ick). I’m looking forward to the Hot Toddy!
The fact that this has frosting makes me drool! You don’t know how obsessed i am with white chocolate, i’ve been putting it in my oatmeal every morning! Your’s and Taylor’s desserts look to die for!
Your recipes are always soooooo freaking delicious looking!!! I want to eat this entire cake! now. please….
you are too good to me Natalie! haha thank you
Bro, your balls will ALWAYS take the cake for me. But I’d eat this too. Pass the Hot Toddy to wash it down. 😉
For Friendsgiving one year I went to a bar. It was called bargiving. They poured drinks and the patrons all brought a dish. I brought pumpkin rum bread pudding.
This looks AMAZING!! Seriously just want to take a bite of it!
I will send you meatballs if you send me this cake…Or maybe you should hand deliver it and get some R&R on Nantucket with me! I think you’d fit right in here, despite maybe freezing your booty off! 😉
I’m drooling over my breakfast haha! I want this cake!!! 🙂 Def. putting it on the holiday list to make! <3 just thought I'd let you know how much I appreciate you & the blog.
And you have no idea how much i appreciate you !!! Xxoo
Cinnamon Cream Cheese topping. Yum, yum yum!
Looking forward to the Hot Toddy (medicinal purposes naturally 😉 )
Bring your whisky and let’s cheers to the holidays! Medicinal reasons
Oh goodness–I could eat this entire thing by myself, I’m quite sure! It sounds amazing!
It’s allowed! Go for it
I’m drooling at the sound of ALMOND CAKE aaaaand cream cheese frosting. Do you think this would be an acceptable breakfast? <<real question.
I LOVE this cake!!! and love the almond + coconut combo!!! Beautiful!
Yes! Me too friend. ❤️
I pinned it, I tweeted it, the only thing left to do with this recipe is MAKE it! 🙂
YAY! I love this and am so excited for your success! I bet this is phenomenal. And I totally agree about not cutting out too much when it comes to healthier baking. You must have a balance, or more often than not it just doesn’t taste good, now matter how much you try to convince yourself (or, your husband…) that it is. 😉
Oh my gaaaah that frosting! Cream cheese frostings have always been my fave cake topping, and I’m obsessed with this almond flour//coconut four cake recipe you’ve got going on. This would be an amazing addition to any Friendsgiving, fo sho!
Cinnamon cream cheese topping… UM HELLO! I must have you beautiful dessert, now! This is perfect to go along with a nice warm cup of coffee. I can see myself doing it now 🙂 Lovely photos girl!
now bring your bars over and let’s party!
I would bring my cranberry cupcakes, but the only problem is that no one really would be able to eat them. I’m working on new things 😀 Oh, I could bring my chai apple cider scones!
I love anything with white chocolate. I know you made this for me! I have not attempted making a cake but this may need to happen next week!
Yes, yes, yes! 🙂 That cinnamon cream cheese topping is calling my name…and the rest of the cake sounds pretty darn good, too. Love this combination of flavors!
This really looks perfect! I’ve found grain free baking really can be delicious with lots of healthy fats – I wouldn’t attempt it any other way 🙂