Aargauer Rüeblitorte, or simply Rüeblitorte, is a light and fluffy Swiss carrot cake made with ground almonds. It's finished with a simple Kirsch and lemon glaze and garnished with adorable marizpan carrots!

A glazed Swiss carrot cake topped with marzipan carrots on a rustic round serving dish.

The classic Swiss carrot cake comes from the Canton of Aargau, sometimes called Rüebliland, or “carrot land,” as it is famed for its carrots (the Swiss-German word for carrot is rüebli). Thus this beloved regional cake is more officially known as the Aargauer Rüeblitorte to reflect this carrot-growing region.

American and British carrot cakes are often dense, filled with chopped nuts and sweet fruits like raisins or pineapple, flavored with spices like cinnamon and ginger, and finished with sweet cream cheese icing. Meanwhile, Swiss carrot cake is quite different.

Rüeblitorte is actually more of a carrot torte rather than a cake because most of the flour is replaced with ground almonds or almond meal. Therefore it's lighter and less sweet, utilizing beaten eggs for both structure and leavening.

Unlike its American cousin which is more spice-forward, Swiss rüeblitorte traditionally features Kirsch and/or lemon which yields a bright and fruity flavor profile. Meanwhile, it's finished with a simple glaze in lieu of thick frosting and garnished with playful marzipan carrots, a hint to the plethora of almonds within.

Ingredient notes

A box grater, carrots, eggs, lemon, almond meal, Kirsch, flour, and sugar.

Almond Meal: Swiss carrot cake uses a generous amount of ground almonds, almond meal, or almond flour. You can easily grind your own almonds in a food processor or purchase almond meal at many grocery stores and online. I like to get my almond meal at Trader Joe’s, although Aldi, Whole Foods, and Bob’s Red Mill brands also are great choices. Store leftover almond flour in a freezer bag in the freezer for longevity.
Carrots: You can't make a carrot cake without carrots! Use a vegetable peeler to peel your carrots before grating them on a box grater for this rüeblitorte recipe.
Kirsch: Kirschwasser is a clear, colorless cherry brandy. If you have trouble finding Kirschwasser (Kirsch for short) ask your local liquor store if they will do a special order for you, since not every liquor store may carry it. You can also make your own Kirsch from cherry brandy essence (20 ml). Pour the contents of the bottle along with 280 grams of granulated sugar into an empty one liter bottle. Add 770 ml of neutral vodka. Then shake very well until the sugar has completely dissolved.
Lemon: Aim to use an organic lemon if possible. If you are using a non-organic lemon, be sure to thoroughly wash and dry it before grating it with a zester.
Flour: This recipe uses a small amount of plain or all-purpose flour in the batter. To make this Swiss carrot cake gluten-free you may substitute this flour with an equal amount of multipurpose gluten-free flour.
Marzipan: Although the marzipan carrots are optional, garnishing your cake with them is going to make the finished rüeblitorte much more stunning and authentic. While ready-made marzipan carrots may be available in some areas, you'll more than likely need to make them yourself using plain marzipan and gel food coloring.

A slice of Swiss carrot cake on a plate with the remaining cake in the background.

How to make the cake

Grease a 9-inch springform pan, line the bottom with parchment paper cut to fit the pan, and grease the paper.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together egg yolks and sugar for about 3 to 5 minutes until pale and thick.

A rubber spatula lifting a creamed mixture of egg yolks and sugar out of a bowl.

Add the almond meal, grated carrots, lemon zest and juice, Kirsch, and salt. Mix until smooth, then add the flour and baking powder and mix again just until combined. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites to stiff peaks.

A metal bowl of carrot cake mixture next to a metal bowl of beaten egg whites.

Gently fold the egg whites into the carrot mixture with a rubber spatula a little at a time (PHOTOS 1-2).

Step-by-step photos of folding beaten egg whites into carrot cake batter.

Spread the batter into the prepared pan (PHOTO 3), and bake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until a cake tester or toothpick comes out clean (PHOTO 4).

Swiss carrot cake in a round pan before and after baking.

Cool briefly in the pan, then carefully run a thin blade around the edges to make sure the sides are loose. Release the sides of the springform pan and transfer the rüeblitorte to a wire rack to cool completely.

Next, make the glaze. Mix powdered sugar and Kirsch and/or lemon juice until smooth and pourable but not too runny. Pour it onto the center of the cooled cake, and carefully tip the cake at different angles to help the glaze flow all over the surface and start to drip down the sides as desired.

Allow the glaze to set. Meanwhile, make your marzipan carrots if you are making them yourself. Garnish the rüeblitorte with the marzipan carrots before slicing and serving.

Please scroll to the bottom of the post for the full recipe (in a printable recipe card) including ingredient amounts and detailed instructions.

Rüeblitorte carrot cake topped with white glaze and marzipan carrots.

How to make the marzipan carrots

Use gel food coloring to color most of the marzipan orange. Use either orange food coloring or a combination of 3 parts yellow and 1 part red food coloring. Then color a small bit of the marzipan green. Next, shape the orange marzipan into little carrot shapes and, if desired, use a toothpick to give it some textural lines. Then shape the green marzipan into carrot tops and attach them to the carrots.

Marzipan is very sticky. I recommend kneading the color into it, shaping, assembling, etc all on a piece of parchment paper for best results.

My marzipan carrots were a bit large so I only put 8 on top of the cake. You can make them any size you like, but smaller ones will allow you to fit more on top. This way you can yield 10 or even 12 slices of rüeblitorte, each with a marzipan garnish, if you desire.

Closeup of a slice of Swiss carrot cake topped with a marzipan carrot on a plate.

Expert tips

This almond-enriched Swiss carrot cake is even better the next day! Cover and store it in a cool place (refrigeration not necessary) for 4 to 5 days.

If you're unable to obtain Kirsch, try substituting dark rum, amaretto (for more almond flavor), or Grand Marnier (for orange flavor). It won't be traditional, but would still be delicious.

The glaze can take quite some time to completely set. It really depends on the temperature and humidity in your home. You can serve the cake even if it's partially set, but it won't yield super clean cuts when you slice the cake.

The glaze may slightly crack if you transfer it to a platter or decorate with the marzipan carrots when it's partially set. This is purely aesthetic, but to avoid this transfer/decorate either when the glaze has not yet set or after it has completely set.

Sliced Swiss carrot cake on plates with remaining cake, lemons, and carrots in the background.

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Aargauer Rüeblitorte (Swiss Carrot Cake)

Ingredient notes

How to make the cake

How to make the marzipan carrots

Expert tips

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