Looking for a delicious summer dessert? Try this gluten-free cherry cake also called a buckle. It’s easy to make and perfect for breakfast too!
I generally try to avoid turning on the oven in the summer, but I will make an exception for dessert. It just wouldn’t be summer without a baked fruit dessert like a crumble, crisp or pie on the menu. And while those may be the most obvious choices when faced with an abundance of summer fruit, I also like to make buckle cakes, like this cherry buckle.
What is a Buckle?
A buckle is a charmingly rustic dessert that’s in the same family of fruit-filled desserts as pies and cobblers but more cake-like. It’s like a cross between a southern-style cobbler and a coffee cake; heavy on the fruit like a cobbler, but with a dense crumb more like a coffee cake. A not too sweet or overly fussy kind of dessert that's also thankfully quick and easy to make since it doesn’t require any rolling of dough.
I always love a simple cake that really lets the fruit take center stage, especially this time of year. My favorite to make right now is a cherry cake since cherries are at their peak but towards the end of the season I’ll be making them with plums. And if you’re in the mood for a buckle cake out of season or just don’t have enough fresh fruit on hand, frozen fruit will do the trick. Here’s what you’ll need:
Ingredient Notes:
(Here are a few notes about the ingredients you’ll need for this recipe. As always find the full list of ingredients and directions in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.)
- Cherries – Use either fresh or frozen, halved.
- Maple Syrup – Use a light colored maple syrup.
- Tapioca Flour - Also called tapioca starch, you’ll need tapioca flour to thicken the filling and for the cake batter.
- Lemon – You’ll need both the juice and zest.
- Almond Flour – Use a blanched almond flour not almond meal.
- Baking Powder – Use a grain-free baking powder if necessary.
- Eggs – You’ll need 2 large eggs.
- Oil – Use your favorite light olive oil or substitute melted coconut oil.
- Coconut Milk – You’ll need light coconut milk.
- Vanilla – Use a good quality vanilla extract.
How to Make a Cherry Almond Cake:
- First combine the cherries, maple syrup, tapioca flour and lemon juice to create the topping.
- Then in a large bowl, combine the almond flour, tapioca flour, salt and baking powder and in another bowl, whisk together eggs, oil, coconut milk, vanilla, lemon zest and maple syrup and stir the wet ingredients into dry ingredients.
- Spread the batter out onto the bottom of a baking dish, top with fruit and place in the oven to bake.
As the buckle bakes, the weight of the fruit causes the batter to start to puff up and around the cherries, creating pockets of sweet fruit and tender cake. It’s this rustic, bumpy and “buckled” appearance that gives the cake its name.
Serve it with a little dairy-free ice cream on the side for dessert and save the leftovers for breakfast the next morning with a dollop of dairy-free yogurt. However you choose to serve it, this summery dessert is a keeper.
More Cherry Desserts:
Gluten-Free Cherry Cake (Buckle)
Looking for a delicious summer dessert? Try this gluten-free cherry cake also called a buckle. It’s easy to make and perfect for breakfast too!
Ingredients
For the Cherries:
- 10oz/ 285g pitted cherries (fresh or frozen), halved
- 1 Tablespoon/15ml maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon/2g tapioca flour
- 1 teaspoon/5ml lemon juice
For the Cake:
- 1 cup/112g almond flour
- ¼ cup + 2 Tablespoons/36g tapioca flour
- Pinch of fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon grain-free baking powder
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ½ Tablespoons/22ml olive oil (or coconut oil, melted)
- 3 Tablespoons/45ml light coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- ¼ cup/60ml maple syrup
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease an 8-inch cake pan, casserole or pie dish, set aside.
Make the topping:
- In a medium bowl combine together all the topping ingredients and let sit while you make the cake batter.
Make the cake batter:
- In a large bowl, combine almond flour, tapioca flour, salt and baking powder. In another bowl, whisk together eggs, oil, coconut milk, vanilla, lemon zest and maple syrup. Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients.
- Pour batter into cake pan and smooth top. Spoon cherry topping over the top of batter, and bake for about 30-33 minutes, or until golden around the edges and set in the center.
- Let cool on a wire rack. Serve at room temperature with ice cream or yogurt on the side.
Notes
Diary Info:
Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, Vegetarian, Dairy-Free, Paleo
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 186Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 37mgSodium: 79mgCarbohydrates: 18gFiber: 2gSugar: 10gProtein: 4g
Nutritional information for recipes contained on this website, such as calories, fat, carbs, etc. are only estimates and are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Sylvie Shirazi is the recipe developer and food photographer behind Gourmande in the Kitchen. For the last 10 years she's been making eating more healthfully easy and accessible with gluten-free, grain-free, paleo and vegan recipes that are free from processed ingredients.
Cait says
This recipe was great! I added some extra lemon because I love sourness. Making it again today! 🙂
Sylvie says
Glad you enjoyed it!
A.Rrajani says
SUCH A AMAZING RECIPE!
THANK YOU FOR SHARING...