This healthy little coffee cake is made with whole wheat and almond flour, naturally sweetened with maple syrup, and loaded with healthy fats from coconut oil and almonds. A thick layer of almond streusel makes for a satisfyingly crunchy topper on this tender, moist cake.
Hey hey! Today I’m sharing the most perfect weekend brunch cake of all time (Mother’s Day say whaaaat?). It’s a whole wheat + almond cake perfumed with cardamom, filled with blueberries, and topped with a delightfully thick layer of almond streusel.
Paired with a cup of coffee or tea and some good company?
Best. Breakfast. Ever.
It also makes for a fun afternoon snack or even dessert, with a big dollop of whipped cream on top. But to me, if cake is an option at breakfast, I’m choosing the cake option. It’s just too fun to resist.
Do you ever love something so much you find it hard to put your feelings into words? That’s how I feel about this coffee cake.
I’m struggling to find a way to communicate to you just how wonderful it is.
The cake batter is flavored with cardamom, one of my favorite baking spices, as well as both vanilla and almond extract (which is a new-to-me pantry item that takes almond flavored baking to a whole new level). If you don’t have almond extract lying around, don’t worry- this cake is still great without it, particularly because it’s infused with almonds in the form of almond flour AND slivered almonds on top; you’ll still get the almond flavor without it. But if you’re an almond fan, trust me, almond extract is going to be a game changer for you. Just a tiny bit adds such a special something extra to this cake.
To be sure this cake stays extra moist and juicy, frozen wild blueberries get layered in the middle and on top of the batter, enveloping the cake in berry goodness and creating jammy little pockets of blueberries in each slice of cake.
Finally, an ultra thick layer of streusel goes on top, because if we’re doing this thing, let’s really do it right.
No wan, thin layers of streusel for me, please.
The struesel on this cake is a little different from the norm, in that it’s a thick, almost cookie dough-like mixture that’s studded with slivered almonds and more cardamom for the most beautiful, sweet, crispy addition to the cake. Crumbled in your fingers atop the cake batter, it takes on a shortbread cookie-like quality, adding little nubs of cookie-streusel in every bite.
I’m getting hungry just thinking about it.
Whether you’re spending the weekend celebrating all the moms in your life, or just rolling out of bed on Sunday in need of something sweet and satisfying, I think you’re going to FREAK over this Blueberry Almond Cardamom Coffee Cake. It’s so moist, perfectly sweet, and that crunchy almond topping just kills me, every time.
If you’re making brunch, this coffee cake would be great with my DIY Cold Brew, Granola and Homemade Yogurt + fresh fruit, or Sweet Potato and Kale Fritatta. I also wouldn’t say no to it for dessert with a scoop of homemade Coconut Vanilla Bean Ice Cream on the side, either.
If you make this recipe, let me know how it turns out! Leave a comment below or take a picture and share it with me on Instagram. I love seeing my recipes in your kitchen!
- 1/2 cup whole milk (or canned coconut milk)
- 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar (or lemon juice)
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 2 Tablespoons virgin coconut oil, melted
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract (optional- can use extra vanilla instead)
- 1 cup white whole wheat flour
- 1 cup blanched almond flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cardamom
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup frozen wild blueberries*
- 3 Tablespoons virgin coconut oil (solid, at room temperature)
- 3 Tablespoons maple syrup
- 1/2 cup white whole wheat flour
- 1/2 cup slivered almonds
- 1/2 teaspoon cardamom
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line an 8-inch round cake pan with parchment paper OR grease an 8-inch springform pan (aka a cheesecake pan). Set pan aside.
- 2. Measure milk and apple cider vinegar into a mixing bowl, and let sit for a minute while you gather the rest of your ingredients. This creates a sort of 'buttermilk' or sour milk mixture. Add maple syrup, melted coconut oil, egg, vanilla and almond extracts, and whisk to combine. Then, add all remaining cake ingredients EXCEPT blueberries and stir well to fully combine.
- 3. Scoop half the batter into your prepared pan, spread it out into a thin layer, then sprinkle on half of the blueberries. Top with remaining batter and sprinkle the rest of the blueberries on top.
- 4. In the same bowl you made the cake batter in, make the streusel. Put all ingredients into the bowl and stir well to combine. The batter will be thick and sticky.
- 5. Use your hands to crumble the streusel batter over the cake batter. Then, bake the cake for 45 minutes, or until deeply golden. When pushed down in the center, the cake should spring back.
- 6. Allow cake to cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then either lift the parchment paper to pull it out of a cake pan, or remove the outer ring from the springform pan. This cake is wonderful when eaten still slightly warm, but is also great at room temperature, too. Leftovers keep well in an airtight container at room temp for up to 5 days.
- *I prefer wild blueberries for their tiny size and high nutrient content. I find the best price for them at Trader Joe's. Cultivated blueberries, either frozen or fresh, can be used in place of the frozen wild ones here. It goes without saying that if you have access to fresh wild blueberries, use them!