Italian Almond Cake with Raspberries

Italian Almond Cake with Raspberries is a decadent treat for a special occasion. On the Mediterranean Diet you really can have your cake and eat it too. Sweets are not a big part of the Mediterranean Diet and only enjoyed as part of a celebration. One should feel free to enjoy traditional desserts if desired. I prefer to eat desserts that are Mediterranean compliant. They are just as delicious and I wake up feeling great, no sugar headache, drop in energy, food cravings, or inflammation.

What makes this recipe work is substituting white sugar with maple syrup. I can already hear my mom, who is an incredible baker, say, “hmmm…I am not sure…”. It works – I promise! The sweetness remains and it does not leave a taste of maple. It actually makes the cake moist and rich.

Mark and I first had Italian Almond Cake at a stunning hotel in Taormina, Sicily. We found Italians typically do not have big American breakfasts. Hotels try to accommodate the tourists by offering a breakfast buffet which consisted heavily of sweets and meats. Fruit and maybe a hard egg was my breakfast of choice in Italy. If I found Italian Almond Cake on the menu, I would partake. An Italian honeymoon is the epitome of a celebration!

This cake was my favorite because it was rich and flavorful without being overly sweet. My version has a delicate nutty flavor with a sweet lemony finish and adding the sweetness and pop of color from the raspberries makes this cake celebration worthy.

Mediterranean Diet Food Hack Tip

If you use this technique of using maple syrup to replace the granulated sugar with other recipes, be sure to only use 3/4 of maple syrup to every 1 cup of sugar. Delete 1/4 of wet ingredients from the recipe to account for the additional liquid. Choose an egg or some of the oil, or milk for if using this hack in your favorite recipe!