A tender Passover chiffon layer cake made with almond flour and potato starch for a naturally flourless crumb. Light, moist, and delicately nutty, this cake bakes up soft with a gentle structure and subtle sweetness.
I’m not a fan of typical Passover cakes — they’re often dense, dry, or carry a strong egg or potato starch aftertaste. I wanted a cake that didn’t taste like “Passover”: no heavy egg flavor, no dry crumb, and no noticeable potato note. The goal was a celebratory layer cake that could work for birthdays and other occasions.
After several attempts, I discovered the right balance of dry ingredients. Too much potato starch makes the cake dry and potato-forward. Too little and the cake collapses. The solution is almond flour for flavor and volume, paired with potato starch and tapioca flour for structure. Tapioca swells strongly when heated, helping the cake hold its shape without drying out, while almond flour lightens the texture and adds a gentle nutty taste.
Key Ingredients
The complete recipe follows below. Here’s a quick overview of the main ingredients, what they do, and some flavor options.
- Eggs. Eggs give volume and structure, and the yolks add richness. Note: very fresh eggs can taste more “eggy”; if that concerns you, use flavorings (see suggestions) to balance the profile.
- Potato starch. I use potato starch to create a tender crumb. It is not interchangeable with cornstarch — potato starch produces a lighter, less chewy texture.
- Tapioca flour. Tapioca swells with heat and helps retain moisture, acting almost like a spring inside the crumb so the cake remains light and slightly bouncy.
- Almond flour. Any nut flour will work (pistachio, hazelnut, walnut, etc.). Almond flour adds volume and offsets the density of the starches, contributing flavor and lift.
Flavor Variations
Customize the cake to match your taste. I like almond extract, but here are other options:
- Orange – Replace water with freshly squeezed orange juice. Rub 150g sugar with the zest of one medium orange and add that to the egg yolk mixture. Do not add zest to the sugar used for the meringue (citrus oil can interfere with meringue formation). Lemon works the same way.
- Funfetti – Use 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste instead of almond extract and fold 3/4 cup sprinkles into the batter just after incorporating the meringue.
- Strawberry shortcake – Use 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste instead of almond extract. Fill and frost with whipped cream and sliced strawberries.
- Chocolate – Replace 25g of the potato starch with natural cocoa powder (so you’ll have 155g total: about 1/4 cup potato starch and 25g cocoa).
Tips for Success
This recipe is chiffon-style and depends on proper mixing and technique. Important tips:
- Weigh ingredients with a kitchen scale whenever possible, especially potato starch since it clumps. If you don’t have a scale, sift the starch and spoon it into the measuring cup without packing.
- Separate eggs while still cold to avoid getting yolk in the whites; even a trace of yolk will prevent the meringue from whipping properly.
- Mix the egg yolk mixture with a hand whisk to avoid over-aeration. Excess air can cause the cake to deflate while baking.
- Whip the egg whites to medium peaks — stable but still elastic, with tips that curl slightly. Overwhipping or underwhipping will hurt the final texture.
- Do not open the oven door while the cake bakes; temperature changes can cause it to sink.
- Syrup is optional. If you use it, make sure the cake and syrup are at opposite temperatures (for example: warm cake and cool syrup) so the syrup absorbs properly.
Storage
The cake keeps at room temperature for up to three days if unfrosted or if frosted with stable chocolate ganache. If you fill or frost the cake with perishable fillings like whipped cream, refrigerate within two hours. To freeze layers: wrap each cooled layer tightly in plastic wrap, place on a baking pan, wrap the pan in foil, and freeze for up to two weeks. Thaw at room temperature before assembling.
Tender Passover Layered Cake | No Matzah Meal
Ingredients
- 9 large eggs, separated and at room temperature
- 1 cup (240 ml) neutral oil (canola)
- 1 1/2 cups (300 g) sugar, divided
- 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon (135 ml) room temperature water or milk
- 1 1/2 cups (180 g) sifted potato starch
- 3 tablespoons (21 g) tapioca flour
- 3 cups (360 g) almond flour
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
Chocolate Ganache
- 2 cups chocolate chips (approx. 340 g)
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
Simple Syrup
- 1 1/2 cups (300 g) sugar
- 1 1/2 cups (300 ml) water
- 1/2 tsp almond extract (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 320°F (160°C). Line the bottoms of three 8-inch pans with parchment paper; do not grease the sides.
- Sift 180 g potato starch and combine with 360 g almond flour, 3 tablespoons tapioca flour, and 3 teaspoons baking powder until no white lumps remain.
- Separate the eggs: place yolks in one large bowl and whites in another.
- Whisk 240 ml oil into the egg yolks until smooth. Add 135 ml water and 1 1/4 cups (250 g) of the sugar and mix until combined.
- Stir in vanilla and almond extract (if using). Fold in the dry ingredient mixture and set aside.
- Using a stand or electric mixer, whip the egg whites until foamy, about 30 seconds.
- Gradually add the remaining sugar (about 50 g, 4 tablespoons) one tablespoon at a time, waiting about 10 seconds between additions.
- Whip to medium peaks: the peaks should stand but gently curl at the tip. The meringue should be stable yet elastic.
- Fold about 1/4 of the meringue into the yolk mixture to loosen it.
- Gently fold in the remaining meringue with a rubber spatula until just combined.
- Divide the batter evenly between the three pans (about 500 g per pan) and bake on the middle rack for about 45 minutes, until the tops are lightly golden and set. Do not open the oven during baking.
- Remove from oven, cover each pan loosely with a kitchen towel, and let cool completely in the pans before inverting and assembling.
To make the ganache
- Place heavy cream and brown sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Heat until the sugar dissolves and small bubbles form at the edges.
- Place chopped chocolate or chocolate chips in a large bowl.
- Pour the hot cream mixture over the chocolate and cover for a few minutes.
- Remove the cover and whisk slowly from the center out until smooth. Let cool until spreadable.
To make the simple syrup
- Combine sugar and water in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir occasionally and bring to a gentle boil until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and cool. Add almond extract if desired.
To assemble
- Place the first cake layer on a cake board or serving plate. Brush with one-third of the simple syrup.
- Spread about 1/4 cup of chocolate ganache over the layer. Repeat with the remaining layers, brushing with syrup and spreading ganache.
- Cover the entire cake with the remaining ganache and decorate with toasted almonds, if desired.
Notes
- Separate eggs while cold to reduce the chance of yolk contamination in the whites.
- Ensure no trace of yolk gets into the whites, or the meringue will not whip properly.
- If using perishable fillings like whipped cream, refrigerate the cake within two hours.
- Store unfrosted or ganache-frosted cake at room temperature up to 3 days. To freeze layers: wrap each layer in plastic wrap, place on a pan, wrap in foil, and freeze up to two weeks. Thaw at room temperature before assembling.