This simple raspberry almond crumb cake is soft, buttery, and layered with juicy raspberries, crunchy sliced almonds, and a sweet cinnamon crumb topping. Finished with a light dusting of confectioners’ sugar, it’s perfect for breakfast, brunch, or any time you’re craving a simple yet special homemade cake. This is a popular one!
If you love cake for breakfast, a perfectly moist yet crumbly coffee cake is the answer. And today’s raspberry almond crumb cake absolutely belongs on your radar. Each bite is soft, juicy, crunchy, sweet, and buttery, with hints of cinnamon, almonds, and raspberries. All of these textures and flavors come together beautifully. It’s a delicious Mother’s Day recipe, and perfect for any morning that calls for something a little special.
But don’t limit this cake to the morning; it’s the perfect 1 layer cake for nearly any time of day.
One reader, Francie, commented: “This is one of the best cakes I’ve ever made. The base cake is gorgeous, light and fluffy, and excellent flavor from the extracts and sour cream. But the delicious topping is what really makes this cake special. Its crunchy texture, bursts of raspberry, and flavorful crumbs make the cake unique and special enough to serve to guests. ★★★★★“
Another reader, Laura, commented: “I’m eating a bonus piece right now, but I made it for dessert last night and it was delicious. Just the right amounts of sweetness, crunch, and tartness, and my goodness, what a treat cold the next morning! ★★★★★“
Like my New York-style crumb cake, there’s only 2 parts: cake and toppings. This is a must make recipe so let’s get started!
This Raspberry Almond Crumb Cake Is
- Soft, buttery, and moist
- Relatively easy to make
- Loaded with a cinnamon crumb topping
- Topped with raspberries and almonds
- A true anytime cake—serve for breakfast, with afternoon coffee or tea, or for dessert with whipped cream or ice cream
- Loved by bakers around the world
Here’s Why This Raspberry Almond Crumb Cake Recipe Works
This batter is similar to my go-to coffee cake base and this cranberry breakfast cake—reliable, sturdy, and easy to make with just 1 bowl for dry ingredients and 1 bowl for wet.
Creaming the butter and sugar is key here. This step incorporates air into the batter, giving the cake lift and a soft, tender crumb. Don’t rush this process; you’ll notice the mixture turn lighter and fluffier when it’s ready. If you’re a beginner baker, or if you need a refresher, here’s how to cream butter and sugar.
Once you combine the wet and dry ingredients, the batter will be thick and pale. That’s exactly what you want. A thicker batter acts as a sturdy base, keeping the raspberries, crumb topping, and sliced almonds evenly layered instead of sinking.
Best Pan to Use
This cake rises pretty tall, so I recommend using a 9-inch springform pan. A 9×9-inch square pan works too, or a deep 9-inch round cake pan (2–3 inches deep). The springform pan is my top choice because the removable sides make slicing especially easy.
Crumb Cake Toppings
Before baking, we’ll top our crumb cake with fresh raspberries, sliced almonds, and a buttery crumb topping—each adds something special!
Raspberries: I love raspberries and crumb cake together. The berries require zero prep, which I know you’ll appreciate first thing in the morning. Just dot them right on top of the cake batter. No sugar added, no pre-cooking, no extra steps. They pair wonderfully with the toasted almonds.
- Not into raspberries? A strawberry and rhubarb combination would be fantastic. Or even blueberries! Peeled and chopped apples or peaches would be equally delicious.
Sliced Almonds: These add a welcome crunch to each bite. Try toasting them for even more flavor.
Crumb Topping: The crumb topping comes together with flour, brown sugar, a little cinnamon, and butter. We’ll use melted butter, so there’s no cutting the butter into the dry ingredients with a pastry cutter. It’s so easy!
After baking, finish with a light dusting of confectioners’ sugar. It’s optional, but adds a simple, bakery-style touch. And if you’re serving this for dessert, don’t forget some fresh whipped cream!
If cake for breakfast is your thing, you’ll love trying my crumb coffee cake or crumb cake muffins next. Or if you can’t get enough of raspberries, my raspberry sweet rolls are calling your name!
Raspberry Almond Crumb Cake
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: serves 8
- Category: Cake
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
This raspberry almond crumb cake is soft, buttery, and layered with juicy raspberries, crunchy sliced almonds, and a sweet cinnamon crumb topping. Finished with a light dusting of confectioners’ sugar, it’s perfect for breakfast, brunch, or any time you’re craving a simple yet special homemade cake.
Ingredients
- 1 and 1/3 cups (166g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup (120ml) full-fat sour cream, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3/4 teaspoon almond extract
Topping
- 1/4 cup (31g) all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup (50g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 Tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 heaping cup (170g) fresh or frozen raspberries (do not thaw)
- 3/4 cup (65g) sliced almonds
- optional: confectioners’ sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease and lightly flour a 9-inch springform pan.
- Make the cake: Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside.
- In a large bowl using a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the butter and granulated sugar together on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Add the eggs, sour cream, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Beat on medium-high speed until combined. The mixture may look curdled; that’s ok. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as needed. With the mixer on low speed, mix in the dry ingredients until smooth. Do not overmix. The batter will be thick. Spread into prepared pan. Set aside.
- Make the crumb topping: With a fork, mix the flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon together. Stir in the melted butter until crumbs form.
- Dot raspberries all over the top of the cake batter. Sprinkle the crumbs and sliced almonds on top.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes. Baking times vary, so keep an eye on yours. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If you find the top of the cake is browning too quickly in the oven, loosely cover it with aluminum foil.
- Remove the cake from the oven and set on a wire rack. Allow to slightly cool for a few minutes before slicing. I suggest serving with a dusting of confectioners’ sugar!
- Cover leftover cake tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Because of the fresh fruit, this cake is best within the first couple days.
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions: Freeze baked and cooled cake for up to 3 months. Bring to room temperature and dust with confectioners’ sugar, if desired, before serving.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 9-inch Springform Pan | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Cooling Rack | Fine Mesh Sieve
- Sour Cream: Sour cream is a key ingredient in this cake. I don’t suggest subbing the sour cream with a liquid—plain full-fat yogurt would work though. But don’t remove the fat from this cake by using a lower fat yogurt or sour cream alternative. Fat = flavor! We don’t want to skimp there!
- Why Room Temperature? All refrigerated items should be at room temperature so the batter mixes together easily and evenly. Here’s a post I wrote all about the importance of room temperature ingredients.
Reader Comments and Reviews
I saw this recipe and I love raspberries and almonds. I also saw the reviews, which were glowing! Although it looks more like a coffee cake, I made it for dessert for Sunday dinner. It was just amazing and our dinner guests raved about it.
I made the cake as directed. I was a little worried when I added the melted butter to the dry ingredients for the crumb topping. It looked like a pancake. But as the butter cooled, I kept working it with my fork and it eventually broke into small crumbs that I could sprinkle on top of the cake. The outside was crusty and crunchy. The inside was soft and delicious. I left off the Confectioners’ sugar and served it with vanilla ice cream. Then this morning, I had leftover cake for breakfast. I’d call this a win-win.
OMG !!! I made this yesterday and it is amazing ! So moist and delicious. I did substitute pecans for the almonds and it was perfect! I think I might try this batter with blueberries and mix it like a muffin. What do you think ?
Love all of your recipes. You are my go to.
Hi Carol, we’re so glad it was a hit! You could definitely try that here, just be careful not to over-mix the batter when folding in the blueberries. You could also dot them on top like we do with the raspberries. Let us know if you try it!
So delicious! This is a keeper. Only thing I would do different next is press the berries down into the batter so they are more dispersed. Perfect combination of ingredients!
Raspberries were buy one get one free at the store today, so I figured it was a sign to make this cake, which I have been meaning to make, lol.
Followed the recipe exactly. I had an issue with the edges of the cake getting over-baked before the center was done. It took about 43 minutes total to be done in the center. I did use a springform pan.
It’s delicious. Next time I might use more crumb topping. But I will make it again, it’s good and quite easy.
This cake was a hit! I recently made a raspberry dessert for the same group so I switched up this recipe with strawberries and a few blueberries. What a great tasting, moist treat! I baked this cake 2 hours before our party. It was still a bit warm when served – it was DELICIOUS! I had to extend the baking time 10 minutes, but I think that’s my oven.
Hi! This almond cake looks scrumptious! I’m wondering if it can be adapted to be gluten & dairy free?
Hi Tracy, we haven’t tested a gluten free or dairy free version of this recipe, but let us know if you do any experimenting.
Can this be made into cupcakes?
Hi Peggy! You can bake the cake as cupcakes/muffins! We’re unsure of the exact bake time needed but same oven temperature and use a toothpick to check for doneness. Enjoy!
What are your thoughts about using King Arthur Measure-for-Measure GF flour for this? Want to make it for my MiL for Mother’s Day but she’s GF. Any suggestions or adjustments you’d recommend? Sounds delicious!
Hi Mark, we haven’t tested it, but you might have success experimenting with a gluten-free all-purpose flour like Bob’s Red Mill or Cup4Cup. If you give anything a try, we’d love to know how it goes for you!
Top of the list – it is a lovely combination of flavors!
I made this for a tea and it was a hit! Everyone loved it and enjoyed more then one piece. Wasn’t a hard recipe but looked like it was.
I made this incredible cake recently and when it was almost gone my husband asked me to make another! The cake is so light and airy and the combination of raspberries and almonds is perfection. And it’s such a pretty cake without needing any special skills. This is my new go-to dessert. You need to make it now!
Can this cake be made in advance and frozen?
Hi Jill! Yes, see Notes after the recipe: Freeze baked and cooled cake for up to 3 months. Bring to room temperature and dust with confectioners’ sugar, if desired, before serving.
Could I use a 10″ springform pan instead of a 9″ one? How would that affect the bake time?
Hi Mary, that should work in a pinch. The cake will be a bit thinner, so bake time may be slightly shorter. Keep a close eye on it and use a toothpick to test for doneness. Enjoy!
Hi,Can I combine blueberries /strawberries ?
Absolutely!
Hello,
Your raspberry almond cake looks amazing! I can’t wait to try it. Have you ever used raspberry jam instead of the berries or will this be too wet? Also, can I use cherries or peaches? Thanks, Roni
Hi Roni, we have only tested this cake using whole fruit—it may take some tweaking to add jam in order to ensure the batter isn’t too wet. You can absolutely use chopped cherries or peaches instead. Enjoy!
Love your recipes. What would you recommend instead of eggs please?
Hi Vidya, we haven’t tested this recipe with any egg substitutes, but let us know if you try anything.
This coffee cake is one of mine and my husband’s all time favorites! I make this a lot as soon as raspberries start popping up in the grocery store. I also make it with blueberries. Such a versatile recipe that I also love about it. Oh and that crumb topping is fabulous
Can blueberries or strawberries be substituted? Unfortunately, I’m allergic to raspberries.
Hi Dee Dee, you can swap strawberries or blueberries instead. Enjoy!
Can this be baked in any other type pan?
Hi Janet, A 9×9-inch square pan works too, or a deep 9-inch round cake pan (2–3 inches deep). The springform pan is our top choice because the removable sides make slicing especially easy.
Can I use Almond Flour instead? Perhaps a mix of almond and all purpose?
Hi Mari, almond flour is not a 1:1 swap and we don’t recommend adding it here.
I LOVE that you give your recipes in both cups and grams. Though I am American, I cook using metric. There can be variation (eg. flour 1 cup=120 to 140 grams), which can affect the outcome. I find working in metric is not only more precise, but easier with less cleanup. You don’t have tons of utensils you have to use to measure. Dry goes on wax paper or parchment, and all the wet uses the same cup. Thank you.
OH, and the cake was good, too.