This raspberry and almond cake is inspired by the kind of simple, flavorful baking you might get served for breakfast at an agriturismo or a cozy B&B in Italy. The tartness of fresh raspberries pairs beautifully with the soft, nutty texture of ground almonds. It’s moist, gently sweet, and perfect for any time of day—even breakfast. Whether you’re serving it with coffee in the morning or as a light dessert, it’s a lovely way to enjoy a taste of Italy at home. No fuss— just good, honest baking.

Fresh raspberries can be expensive, but you can easily substitute them with frozen ones—and you won’t notice the difference, especially if you still use fresh raspberries for garnish. When using frozen raspberries, it’s best to add them while still frozen. They hold their shape better, and adding them frozen helps prevent the batter from turning pink or becoming too wet in spots.

Ingredients

For a 24 cm (10″) springform pan, serves 8

• 300 grams fresh or frozen raspberries
• 110 grams pastry flour + more for the pan
• 70 grams almond meal
• 3 eggs
• 80 grams butter + more for the pan
• 120 grams sugar
• 1/2 Tbsp baking powder
• 1 tsp natural almond essence
• grated zest of 1 untreated lemon
• icing sugar, for garnish
• more fresh raspberries, for garnish

Instructions

Melt 80 grams of butter over medium-low heat until just melted, then allow to cool.

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F (not fan forced).

Place 3 eggs and 120 grams of sugar in a bowl.

Beat with a whisk until foamy, either by hand or by using a machine. In my stand mixer fitted with a balloon whisk, this took 3 minutes at full speed.

Add the grated zest of one lemon, 1 teaspoon of almond essence, and the melted butter, and stir to incorporate.

Add 70 grams of sifted almond meal…

…110 grams of sifted pastry flour, and 1/2 tablespoon baking powder.

Stir gently with a wooden spoon until the batter is just combined, trying to keep as much air in it as possible.

Grease a 24 cm (10″) springform pan with butter and dust with flour. Then pour in the batter and flatten the top with a spatula (if needed).

Evenly distribute about 300 grams of raspberries over the batter in a single layer.

Bake at 180C/350F (not fan forced) for about 30 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Allow the cake to cool to room temperature before removing the springform, then dust with icing sugar.

Serve with fresh raspberries for garnish.

Wine pairing

This cake pairs beautifully with a sweet yet fresh dessert wine. A Moscato d’Asti is a good choice, but even better would be a not-too-sweet Italian white dessert wine made from dried grapes (passito), such as Verduzzo Friulano or Recioto di Soave. The slightly nutty character of a passito complements the almonds in the cake particularly well. You might be tempted to choose a red dessert wine because raspberries are red, but options like Recioto della Valpolicella tend to be too powerful for this delicate cake.