This light, fluffy Almond Flour Lemon Cake recipe is perfect with fresh berries and whipped coconut cream. It’s gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free, paleo perfection!
I *may* or may not have THREE lemon cake recipes on my blog at this very moment.
I regret nothing.
A bright, sunny lemon cake recipe is exactly what spring and summer call for. You KNOW I love a good, dense chocolate flourless cake, or a rich chocolate tart, or a mind-blowing brownie any time. I’m a chocolate lover forever. But there is nothing like the light, citrusy goodness of a lemon cake. They’re sweet and tangy and feel so light and fresh.
I love that this lemon almond flour cake doesn’t weigh you down. It’s the perfect blend of soft and fluffy while still being substantial enough to hold up to whipped coconut cream and berries. Michael was just one bite in before announcing “I’m pretty sure I want this for my birthday.”
I don’t blame him. This fluffy, super moist almond flour lemon cake is perfection.
Gather Your Ingredients
One of the things that has made this naturally sweetened lemon cake recipe so popular over the years is the simple ingredients list. It’s kind of mind-blowing you can get this kind of fluffy texture and bright lemon flavor with such simple ingredients! Let’s take a look at our key ingredients:
- Eggs. You’ll separate the egg yolks and whites, so you can whip air into the whites before folding them into the cake.
- Cream Of Tartar. This ingredient helps the whipped egg whites hold their shape.
- Honey. This adds sweetness to the cake, and also comes into play in the lemon-honey syrup you brush the fluffy cake with after baking.
- Lemon Zest. Using fresh lemon zest adds the most fresh lemon flavor into the cake, since the peel is where those lemon essential oils are. (Meyer lemons also work, but I usually prefer regular lemons here.)
- Fresh Lemon Juice. We won’t waste any of that lemon goodness! You’ll use the juice in our lemon-honey syrup.
- Vanilla Extract. This makes the cake taste sweeter without any extra sugar.
- Blanched Almond Flour. For the best texture, use finely ground almond flour (not almond meal!) for this cake. It has the lightest texture & works best for a tender, moist crumb. Do not use other gluten-free flours in this recipe, since they won’t work the same.
- Baking Powder. To help the cake puff. If you’re paleo, don’t miss our notes below on paleo baking powder!
- Salt. A little kosher salt helps balance the flavor beautifully.
- A Few Goodies On Top. Then, you’ll finish the cake with whipped coconut cream and some fresh berries. I love a mix of fresh strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries.
How To Make This Almond Flour Cake Recipe, Step By Step
As always, you can find the full recipe with ingredient amounts, detailed instructions & tips in the recipe card below.
Start By Mixing Up The Cake
- Preheat The Oven & Prep The Pan. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line an 8-inch or 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper and spray with nonstick spray.
- Separate egg yolks and whites and place in two separate, VERY clean metal or glass bowls. (Egg whites will not whip if there is any grease in your bowl and they need the friction of metal or glass to whip well).
- Mix Up The Yolks Mixture. To the yolks mixture, add honey, lemon zest, and vanilla. Stir well until smooth. Set aside.
- Combine Dry Ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together almond flour and baking powder. Stir into yolks mixture. (Mixture will be quite thick).
- Whip Egg Whites To Stiff Peaks. Using a hand mixer (or a whisk and a lot of elbow grease!), whip egg whites on medium speed until just frothy. Pause and add a pinch of salt and the cream of tartar. Continue to whip, now on high speed, until they reach the soft peaks stage. There should be no more liquid egg whites on the bottom of the bowl, and when the beaters are lifted out of the egg whites, the peaks should flop over slightly (instead of standing straight up).
- Gradually Fold In The Egg Whites. Working in 3-4 batches, gently fold the whipped egg whites into the cake batter. At first, this will seem like it might not work. Just keep going, gently using a spatula to fold the mixture together (don’t stir quickly or you’ll deflate the batter). Repeat with remaining whipped egg whites until all are incorporated into the batter. Batter will be lighter in color and very fluffy.
- Pour batter into your prepared pan and gently shake to even out the surface.
- Bake at 325 degrees F for 25-30 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
Finish & Decorate The Cake
- Mix Up The Lemon-Honey Syrup. In a small bowl or saucepan, whisk together honey and lemon juice until very smooth and well blended.
- Brush & Cool The Cake. When the cake is done, remove it from the oven and place on a wire rack. Remove the outer ring of the springform cake pan, and while the cake still quite warm, brush the top of the cake with the lemon-honey glaze. Allow cake to completely cool before slicing, or topping with any garnishes.
- Top The Cake. Serve with whipped cream or whipped coconut cream and fresh berries, candied lemon peel, lemon curd, or ice cream!
- Serve & Store. Enjoy the decorated cake right away, or store in an airtight container 2-3 days in the fridge. (Note that the cake will keep best WITHOUT the toppings on top, so if you don’t plan to serve the whole thing, it’s best to decorate individual slices right before serving.)
Tips for The Best Almond Flour Lemon Cake
Tricks For Whipping Egg Whites
Whipping the egg whites is KEY here to creating the structure you’re looking for in the cake. The most common error when making this cake is not whipping the whites carefully.
- Separate The Eggs Properly! In order for the egg whites to whip, you cannot have even a single drop of egg yolk in the whites, or any grease on the bowl or beaters. Make sure to clean everything thoroughly before using and use these techniques for separating egg yolks and whites to make sure you’re ready to go!
- How To Whip Egg Whites. This tutorial walks you through everything you need to know about getting the egg whites to stiff peaks.
- Use Cream Of Tartar. The the original recipe, Elise used vinegar and sugar to help stabilize her egg whites. Since I’m using honey instead of sugar in my version, I used cream of tartar. It’s gluten free, dairy free, grain free, etc. and only contains tartaric acid. It’s excellent for adding stabilization to egg whites, and many paleo bakers use it in tandem with baking soda as a substitute for baking powder.
- Fold Them In Gently. After doing all that hard work to whip the whites, be sure to follow the instructions to GENTLY fold them in, a bit at a time to gently lighten the batter. Don’t whisk or stir quickly, or you’ll deflate all the air out of the whites.
Use The Right Kind Of Almond Flour!
It wouldn’t be almond flour lemon cake without almond flour! I use blanched almond flour for this recipe, which is a finely ground almond flour made from almonds with their skins removed. This is visually and texturally important, so please don’t try to substitute almond meal (which keeps skins on and is coarser).
Different brands vary a bit, but I look for “finely ground, blanched almond flour.” I’ve had good luck with Honeyville, Blue Diamond, Hughson Nut, Bob’s Red Mill, and Kirkland brand, all of which I’ve been able to find at Costco at different times, where it’s 3 pounds for $10-12 instead of 1 pound at the grocery store for $8-9. Use what you like, and what you can find! NOTE: You CANNOT substitute ANY other flours for almond flour in this recipe, especially coconut flour. The ratios aren’t the same.
Toppings For Lemon Cake
Coconut Whipped Cream. If you’re not strictly paleo, I highly recommend buying SoDelicious CocoWhip (I get it at Sprouts or Natural Grocers). It’s basically coconut milk Cool Whip. It’s more stable than anything I’ve made myself, but does have added sweetener. I think it’s so lovely with the subtly-sweet cake. If you can’t find it or don’t want to use it, I recommend using this method or this method for making your own. Follow the directions to the letter, and keep the whipped cream in the fridge until the last possible moment before serving. (And, obviously, if dairy doesn’t hate you, you can totally go with classic dairy-rific whipped cream!)
Not into whipped cream? Try this! Two words: Raspberry Sauce. It makes everything better, from this gluten-free cake to your morning oatmeal. My favorite recipe (seen here) is about as easy as can be: frozen or fresh raspberries + lemon juice + honey or sugar. Puree, strain, and serve. Bam.
p.s. My other two lemon cake recipes are this Lemon Cream Cake (not gluten-free), and this Gluten Free Lemon Cake, made with gluten-free 1:1 flour.
Did You Make This Recipe?
Tell me all about it! Leave a star rating below when you try our Gluten-Free Almond Flour Lemon Cake recipe. I can’t wait to hear how it goes!
Almond Flour Lemon Cake
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 4 eggs yolks and whites separated
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 Tablespoons lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
- pinch salt
- 1 1/2 cups finely ground blanched almond flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder*
For the Lemon-Honey Glaze:
- 1 Tablespoon honey
- 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
To Top (Optional):
- Coconut whipped cream
- Fresh Berries strawberries, blueberries & raspberries
- Fresh mint
- Lemon slices or candied lemon peel
- Edible flowers
Instructions
Start By Making The Cake
- Preheat The Oven & Prep The Pan. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line an 8-inch or 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper and spray with nonstick spray. (An 8-inch pan will give you a thicker cake)
- Separate egg yolks and whites and place in two separate, VERY clean metal or glass bowls. (Egg whites will not whip if there is any grease in your bowl and they need the friction of metal or glass to whip well).
- Mix Up The Yolks Mixture. To the yolks mixture, add honey, lemon zest, and vanilla. Stir well until smooth. Set aside.
- Combine Dry Ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together almond flour and baking powder. Stir into yolks mixture. (Mixture will be quite thick).
- Whip Egg Whites To Stiff Peaks. Using a hand mixer (or a whisk and a lot of elbow grease!), whip egg whites on medium speed until just frothy. Pause and add a pinch of salt and the cream of tartar. Continue to whip, now on high speed, until they reach the soft peaks stage. There should be no more liquid egg whites on the bottom of the bowl, and when the beaters are lifted out of the egg whites, the peaks should flop over slightly (instead of standing straight up).
- Gradually Fold In The Egg Whites. Working in 3-4 batches, gently fold the whipped egg whites into the cake batter. At first, this will seem like it might not work. Just keep going, gently using a spatula to fold the mixture together (don’t stir quickly or you’ll deflate the batter). Repeat with remaining whipped egg whites until all are incorporated into the batter. Batter will be lighter in color and very fluffy.
- Pour batter into your prepared pan and gently shake to even out the surface.
- Bake at 325 degrees F for 22-25 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
WHILE THE CAKE IS BAKING, make your lemon-honey glaze
- Mix Up The Lemon-Honey Syrup. In a small bowl or saucepan, whisk together honey and lemon juice until very smooth and well blended.
- Brush & Cool The Cake. When the cake is done, remove it from the oven and place on a wire rack. Remove the outer ring of the springform cake pan, and while the cake still quite warm, brush with the lemon-honey glaze. Allow cake to completely cool before slicing, or topping with any garnishes.
- Top The Cake. Serve with whipped cream or whipped coconut cream and fresh berries, candied lemon peel, lemon curd, edible flowers, or ice cream!
Notes
- PALEO NOTES. If you are strictly paleo, you can substitute 2/3 tsp cream of tartar and 1/3 tsp baking soda for the 1 tsp of baking powder.
- MAKE AHEAD TIPS. If you’d like to make the cake in advance, follow all the steps until the cake is brushed with the syrup and cooled completely. Wrap with plastic wrap and place in an airtight bag. Freeze up to 1 month and thaw in the refrigerator before topping.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition facts are an estimate only and will vary based on brands and amounts used.
Find it Online:
https://www.onelovelylife.com/almond-flour-lemon-cake/(Adapted from Simply Recipes) Originally shared March 2018. Updated with updated instructions, new video & photos March 2023.
This cake gets so fluffy! I love the lemon taste too. I could eat this all day. And I love how easy it is to decorate with berries.
Love this recipe! I have tried the lemon. version, but the first time I made it I discovered my daughter had stolen all the lemon zest for muffins. I used what I had, which was oranges. it turned out amazing! I made the raspberry sauce which tasted great, but due to an artistic malfunction looked more like a bloodbath over the cake. it tasted amazing, however, and was a huge hit at game night. sliced into 36 skinny pieces. I made it as a two layer cake and put homemade jam, sweetened with honey, between the two layers. As someone who couldn’t find anything to eat for years, with every GF attempt a horrible disaster, this is a simple easy recipe. thank you so much. Oh! I make a homemade Chantilly on the side to keep it DF. I’m also coconut allergic. I would love to make the fruit covered version. Thank you so much!
That sounds DELICIOUS!!! YUM!
Oh my goodness!!!! That’s all I can say! My sister was craving a clean dessert that wasn’t loaded with sugar or bad ingredients and we stumbled upon this recipe! It was divine! So light and delicious! I followed the recipe exactly as written and it turned out to be perfection! I added fruit as well made a honey lavender vanilla whip cream! So good! Thank you so so so much for this recipe! My family loved this cake and I will definitely make it again. Thank you so much!
Oh yum! I’m so glad you loved it!
Works like a charm everytime, but now I leave out the lemon as I found it made the recipe too bitter.
Can you butter and flour the pan instead of using parchment paper?
Hi Aimee! This cake is a bit delicate and almond flour has a tendency to get sticky. Parchment will work best!
Hi!! Thank you so much for this recipe! My friend’s birthday is in a week and she is on a strict gluten and dairy free diet due to health concerns. I was wondering….Can I make cake the night before or could I at least make the cake the night before and then arrange toppings?
Brenda – If you need to bake it in advance, I’d actually recommend our regular gluten-free lemon cake over this almond flour one. It holds up a little better in advance. If the other one won’t work for you, then I recommend freezing it if possible, then pulling it out and decorating the cake the day of.
Hi! Could I use this recipe to make cupcakes?
Thank you!
I haven’t made it as cupcakes, but I’m not sure it’d work well for that.
I love this simple recipe. Went make it again and realized i don’t have any honey.. What can I use in its place and how much?
Adriana – I haven’t made this cake with anything other than honey, but your best bet would be another liquid sweetener, like agave. If you’re using liquid sweetener, you’d use the same amount, though the results will vary slightly texturally and from a flavor perspective. I wish you the best of luck!
Made this but haven’t yet tried it as it is meant to be shared on a birthday. I was careful in following directions and the cake seems flat (3/4″ high). Beat the whites until frothy. Perhaps they needed more whipping? Advice, please?
Garrie – A few tips to keep in mind so you get the height you’re looking for:
1. You want to beat the egg whites all the way until they reach the soft peaks stage. There should be no more liquid egg whites on the bottom of the bowl, and when the beaters are lifted out of the egg whites, the peaks should flop over slightly (instead of standing straight up).
2. Second, when you fold the beaten egg whites in the batter, you want to be as gentle as possible (folding, not stirring or beating), so that you maintain as much of the air as possible in the batter.
3. Lastly, triple check that you use the correct size pan. Some folks have accidentally baked this in a larger pan, which means a thinner cake.
I hope the cake is a winner for the birthday!
Made this for Easter Sunday and it was very tasty! Trying to keep paleo and it really hot the spot. Thank you!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! It’s one of our favorites around holidays and special occasions!
Can you substitute the eggs with something else. My grand daughter is allergic to them
Liz – This cake will unfortunately not work without eggs as they’re the key element to the structure of the cake. (The whipped egg whites hold the cake up). I’m so sorry! You can try using egg substitutes in this Gluten-Free Lemon Cake instead.
Have you tried making it sugar-free?
I haven’t. I don’t use sugar-free substitutes regularly, so I haven’t experimented with that. I’d love to know how it goes if you give it a try!
Mine went billowy and seemed to rise but once out the oven went flat. So made two to sandwhich together. Second one seems like consistency of cloud bread. I whipped the whites more but still sank when cooled. But then i buggered up the buttercream! Hopefully it tastes ok!
Straight up the best gluten free&dairy free cake I have ever made. The cake was gone in seconds. Everyone requested for more!!!! Thank you for this amazing recipe you hit the right spot with everyone in my family.
I’m so glad you liked it!
I only have a 10 inch springform pan. How can I adjust the recipe to make this cake?
You might find this article about adapting cake recipes to different-sized pans. It’s my go-to! Do know your cake WILL be thinner and cook faster if using a larger-sized pan. It will be really important that you whip your egg whites properly so you get enough puff!
YUMMMYY!! This was so popular with my family! I’m used to very “moist” cakes as my Finnish family always moistens cakes with fruit juice. So I doubled the lemon glaze and oh… double yum! I’m going to make it again tomorrow for my mom’s birthday! Thank you!
Heidi – I LOVE hearing this! I’m so glad you enjoyed it. Hopefully it’s the perfect treat for your mom’s birthday!
I love all things lemon. and this looks amazing. Your pictures are beautiful. Can’t wait to try it
Thank you Mary! That’s so nice of you to say. Hope you love it!
I followed to the recipe word by word and used kitchen aid to beat the egg whites, which were beautiful and fluffy but the almond flour batter was hard as a cookie dough as mentioned by quite a few people. Nothing like in your video. I don’t know what went wrong, quite dissatisfied.
Kinjal – I’m so sorry to hear it didn’t work out the way you’d hoped. The most common problem with the cake not rising and achieving that fluffy texture is deflated egg whites. It sounds like you whipped them beautifully, but it sounds like they may have deflated when folding them into the batter. I’ve found folding them in a bit at a time (rather than stirring) can really help. I’m not sure this is what happened in your case (since I wasn’t in the kitchen with you), but if you ever want to try it again, that’s where I’d recommend starting. Again–so sorry it wasn’t what you’d hoped for!
This cake was absolutely PERFECT!! Best lemon cake I’ve ever had, healthy or otherwise!! We are not dairy free so I topped it with fresh whipped cream sweetened with pure maple syrup, raspberries, and blueberries. SO GOOD!
Jessica – I’m SO GLAD to hear that! It’s my all-time fave. I make it for my birthday!
Delicious! My cake didn’t quite rise like the one displayed in the picture, but it came out so moist and flavorful!! The lemon honey glaze on top seemed to really seal in the flavor. I whipped coconut cream and served it with blueberries, strawberries and raspberries.
I’m so glad you liked it! It’s one of my favorite cakes ever. 🙂
Great!!!
So glad you loved it!! 🙂
Hi! If I make this the night before, is it best to leave it on the counter overnight or wrap it and refrigerate it? I don’t want to dry it out, but also don’t want to grow bacteria on the counter. 🤷♀️
Anna – I store it in the fridge so that it stays safe 🙂
Hi
Have just tried making this cake for a gluten free colleague and wanted to put the coconut cream on top but would it have to go in fridge or will it not keep in fridge overnight as i wont have time to top it in morning
Val – I’ve done it overnight and it keeps okay in the refrigerator! If you’re short on time, that’s what I’d recommend. Or, you can whip the topping and store it overnight, then spread it on the cake when you get to work if you’re nervous.
This recipe is EXCELLENT!! I have made it twice, once with the lemon glaze and the second time with the whipped coconut cream and blueberries. Ahhh it was delicious! I added vanilla extract and monk fruit sweetener to the whipped coconut cream, it added an extra layer of heavenly goodness. It was fresh, yet light and complimented the lemon cake well. Thank you for posting this recipe. It is a keeper!
Katrina – What a sweet comment to wake up to this morning! I’m so glad you’ve loved the cake! It’s one of our go-to recipes for holidays and birthdays. 🙂
I made this cake several times and always come out really good! Very spongy, it rise really well. I’m a Paleo lover and always had troubles with the rising in the sponge cakes. No with this one!! It is a perfect cake for birthdays celebration. You can also decorate as a costume cake.
Highly recommend this recipe. Easy to make I get it done everything in less than 30 min, clean up including 🙃🙃🙂🙂
Natalia – THANK YOU so much for sharing this! You absolutely made my day. So glad you love it as much as we do! 🙂
This AF Lemon Cake looks so pretty and yummy! Can I bake this batter in a bundt pan?!? If so, what size bundt pan do you suggest!
Thanks!
It’s our very favorite! It’s a very moist and rather delicate cake, so I’m not sure you’d be able to get it out of a bundt pan without it sticking. I’m sorry!
I made this recipe for my daughter’s first birthday (we don’t give her grains, and I didn’t want refined sugar), and it was delicious!! I did less honey in the cake (two heaping tbls instead of 1/4 cup), and it was delicious. She loved the whipping cream (I used dairy heavy cream with some vanilla extract) and fresh berries on top! Thank you so much for such a lovely healthy recipe!
Oh that’s wonderful! Happy birthday to your daughter!!!
This delicious lemon cake is just the right amount of tangy and sweet a combination that I simply adore. I will be making this for my sister’s birthday since she’s on a diet thank you for sharing!
If I freeze the cake (planning to bake it 2 days before the event), will it taste as nice as freshly baked on the actual day itself or should I bake it on the day? Thanks
Connie – I think it tastes best fresh, but you *can* freeze it ahead of time if needed. (Just wait to top it till after it’s thawed)
Have you ever doubled the recipe and baked it in a 9 x 13? I need to make enough cake for a lot of people and I was trying to figure out an easy way to do that.
Tracy – I haven’t, and I worry that the structure wouldn’t hold up in a 9×13. If you can, I’d recommend doubling the recipe and pouring it into 2 round pans instead. I hope that helps!
Thank you!
This recipe is a winner! I was so happy with it. I used Simple Mills vanilla frosting and fresh blueberries mounded on top. Next time, I am going to split the cake into 2 layers and add a layer of raspberry preserves. Thank you for a really great recipe!!
What a great idea! That sounds fantastic!
Hi Emily! I’m wanting to make this cake for my husbands birthday but I want our infant son to be able to eat it too.
If I sub the honey for sugar should I still use the cream of tartar or something different?
CeCelia – Happy birthday to your husband! I haven’t tested this with granulated sweeteners yet, so the amounts may be different. If possible, you may want to use another liquid sweetened (like agave) here that would be ok for your son to eat.
And as for the cream of tartar – it helps stabilize the egg whites (which give the cake its structure), so you’d still keep it even if you end up trying a powdered sweetener 🙂
I hope it’s a big hit!
This is the best dessert I have ever made for my son who has to be on a paleo diet! The whole family loved it. I really liked that it has no butter in it, which my son can’t tolerate. He was thrilled which made me so happy. I will make it again!
I’m SO HAPPY to hear that! That’s wonderful!
How did you do the lemons on the top of the cake? Just thinly sliced and twisted or did you candy them?
For these photos, I just added thinly sliced, twisted fresh lemon slices right before serving/taking photos. Candied lemon slices work much better if you’re planning to make it well ahead of time, since fresh slices can seep lemon juice. But for 1-2 hours ahead of time, thin slices of fresh lemon work great!
Made this cake yesterday for my sister’s birthday. It was delicious and enjoyed by over 15 people. The first one I made exactly as the recipe follows, then I made a second, doubled the recipe and lined a 9×13 and it was fluffy and wonderful. Our family loves finding recipes that are gluten and dairy free (and sugar…so honey was key here too). Thank you for making my sister’s birthday special with this winner of a recipe.
Sarah, you completely made my day! I’m SO happy to hear this!!!
Hi- Will this still be a really good tasting cake without any whipped cream? The commercial brand has tons of icky ingredients and the homemade stuff still requires a sweeter other than honey so we would like to skip the whip. Don’t want to bother if the whipped topping is what makes the cake great. Thanks and thanks for having a site that has comments from people who actually made the recipe versus people who feel they need to contribute ‘nummy sounding’ to every recipe generated, as we see on many other sites.
Angie – I know what you mean! And YES, this cake will still taste awesome without whipped cream. We like it on its own a lot! I’ve also done it with raspberry puree (just pureed and strained raspberries) and with just fresh berries on top. Hope you love it if you give it a try!
This sounds so yummy!! I am going to make it this weekend for my mom’s bday dinner!
I am allergic to honey, however.
Do you know what I sub for the glaze??
Nickie – You can try agave! 🙂
Great idea!! Thank you!!
My pleasure! 🙂
Hi Emily,
Do you think I could do cupcakes? Also i would like to make them the night before because Im bringing them to work
I’ve never made them as cupcakes. I don’t think they’d get the “dome” effect you typically look for in cupcakes and since it’s such a moist cake, they might stick to the cupcake liners. If you do give it a try, I’d love to know how they turn out!
Hi Emily, the carb count looks high is it all from the honey? Could it be substituted with maple syrup?
Thx 🙂
Daniel – I haven’t tried it with maple syrup yet. I think the flavor would conflict a bit with the lemon and it may not go as golden in the oven. If you give it a go, I’d love to know how it goes!
Hi! This was so good! I really wanted cake tonight and I’m so lucky I found this recipe first. I didn’t have everything on hand so I made 3 substitutions. I used orange zest instead of lemon, 1/4 cup sugar plus 1 Tbsp. water instead of honey, and 1 tsp lemon juice instead of cream of tarter. It didn’t rise as much probably due to the substitutions, but it was moist and delicious. One question: there was a very slight crunch, could it be that my flour wasn’t finely ground? Maybe I can run it through the food processor next time. Thanks for a great GF recipe!
Wanted to add…the cake itself was about 1 inch high but still light and fluffy.
Lisa – I’m so glad you enjoyed the cake! I’m curious what kind of almond flour did you use?
Hi Emily, I would like to try this as a double layer cake with lemon curd center, can this recipe be doubled for 2 9” cakes?
Tracey – That sounds delicious! I haven’t tried doubling it, but I’d think it’d work! Worst case scenario, you could simply make the recipe twice (so you don’t have to over-beat the batter and accidentally deflate the whipped egg whites).
If you give it a try, I’d LOVE to hear how it goes! That lemon curd center sounds like a dream!
I would love to bake this with blueberries within the mixture, though I know ingredient proportions would change. Guess I’ll just have to top with blueberries instead 😁
Thank you much for the recipe 💕
Cassandra – My only concern is that the blueberries will add moisture to the cake and might sink to the bottom since the batter is so light. Otherwise, blueberries on top (and maybe even some blueberry syrup!) might be a delicious way to go!
Hello! Any substitutions for the eggs/whites? We are vegan & typically use flax or chia but not sure if in this cake what you would suggest? Thank you!
Faina – The whipped egg whites provide the entire structure of the cake, so you definitely can’t substitute chia or flax eggs in this recipe. (It’ll be far too dense, chewy, and flat).
I haven’t tested this myself, but the best suggestion I have would be to use aquafaba, since it’ll provide that whipped, light texture. Two great tutorials I’d recommend for aquafaba:This one from Minimalist Baker and this one from America’s Test Kitchen.
I hope that helps!
I just made the cake, and it didn’t rise very much. Will it still taste good? And what did I do wrong?
Tenille – Oh dear! I’m sorry that happened…Hmmm… There are several things I’m wondering about, which might help me see where you ran into trouble:
1. Did you use baking powder or a substitution?
2. Did you use the cream of tartar?
3. Did you whip your egg whites to the soft peak stage?
4. Did you gently fold in the egg whites to the batter, or stir it all in?
Sometimes if you beat in or stir in the egg whites mixture instead of folding it, you can squish out all the air bubbles you create when you whip the egg whites.
I don’t think I whipped the egg whites long enough. I did fold them gently into the batter though. I made it for my mom for her birthday. It is a flatter cake, but do you think it will taste ok? I can’t cut into it try? Thank you for responding!!
I do think it’ll taste just fine! The texture might just be a little less light. 🙂 I hope you all love it!
Hi baked yesterday…unfortunately my cake was like Emily’s too…didn’t rise at all and feels very dense. I thought I followed all your instructions – very careful with the egg white folding, etc., The only thing was that I had to use 1/4 of the flour component (almond) with coconut flour. (I ran out of almond flour). Maybe that was it? Who knows. I’m scared to serve at party so off to the bakery I go.
I’m sure it was just me…hope you don’t mind me posting
Sherri – Not at all! I would definitely think in this case it’s the coconut flour. Coconut flour is NOT a direct substitute for almond flour (or any other kind of flour). It absorbs several times its own volume in liquid, and unless you compensate by reducing the amount of coconut flour and increasing the number of eggs and amount of liquid, the results will not be the same. In this case, it almost certainly absorbed the liquid from the whipped egg whites, etc. and that’s why it ended up dry and dense. Coconut flour cannot be directly substituted for almond flour in any baking recipe without adjusting other ingredients.
If I was to make 4 of these cakes and layer them do you think that would work? Thinking of making it for s Birthday.
Mari – It would be a very, very tall cake. (This one is at least 2-3 inches tall, so quadrupling it would make for a very high, thick cake.) I’ve never tried slicing layers in half or dividing it among different pans to bake thinner individual layers, but if I wanted to make a layer cake out of it, I’d go that route first.
Can you give me (complete novice) some guidance on cooking times and temperatures for thinner layers please.
Rob – I haven’t ever cooked this cake in thinner layers, so I’m afraid I don’t have any tested time estimates for you.
If I were doing my best guess (dividing the batter between two pans), I’d start by preparing two pans as directed (sprayed or greased and lined with parchment paper). Then, if possible, I’d use a measuring cup to measure equal amounts of batter into the pans. If you have a kitchen scale, you can make them exactly equal by weighing them. If not, just do your best to make them equal.
If you’re baking both layers in the oven at the same time, you’ll want to rotate the pans halfway through for even baking. Otherwise, just bake one layer, then repeat with the other layer.
As for timing, I’d estimate roughly half the baking time, since the layers would be half as thick. I always recommend checking a few minutes before you think you’ll need to, to prevent over-baking. So, for this recipe, if you’re making 2 thinner layers, I’d start checking the layers at about the 10-12 minute mark, and would guess they’d be completely done by about 12-15 minutes. Again, those are estimates, and the baking times will vary based on the pans you use, and the accuracy of your oven temperature. I’d recommend staying close to the oven so you can keep an eye on them.
I HOPE that helps! I wish you the best of luck!!!
Where do I get the coconut cream? Is it something special, or just the stuff in the can in the international foods section?
You can buy pre-whipped coconut cream (called CoCoWhip) from places like Sprouts or Whole Foods–find it near you here, or you can use this tutorial to whip your own. To make your own, you use the canned stuff 🙂
CocoWhip is so dang good!! I’m going to make this recipe today for my father-in-law who is gluten intolerant.
YAY! I hope it’s a HUGE hit! (And totally agree about CocoWhip!)
Hi Emily, is there any substitute for the creme of tartar? I dont have it at home.
Paula – it’s primarily just to add stabilization to the egg whites. It’s not strictly required, so you could probably skip it if you don’t want to pick some up. Hope that helps!
Hi Emily,
A friend has asked for a lemon cake for her Birthday only she does not eat sugar. Would you have any tips for substituting stevia for the honey? Thanks, Rhaea
Rhaea – I’m so sorry, I’ve never baked or cooked with stevia before! I’d google a stevia conversion chart. They’re usually pretty helpful!
This cake was amazing! I made it for my Birthday with whipped cream, berries & meringue cookies! I’m excited to make it again! Have you tried making 2 and filling it? I’m thinking an lemon curd mousse and fresh berries.
Thanks for sharing this amazing recepie!
YAY! I’m so glad you loved it! I haven’t made it into a layer cake, but I bet it’d be incredible!!!
This cake was delicious! I made this for my mother’s birthday. She follows more of a Paleo style diet, but she is allergic to coconut. It’s hard to good dessert recipe without coconut flour. Thank you.
I’m SO GLAD you guys loved it! It’s just our favorite!
Hi Emily! Thanks so much for posting this recipe and being so clear about it. I followed all your tips and it turned out to be my best cake ever, so simple and yet soooo yummie! It’s definitely a keep 😉
Marissa – I’m SO GLAD!!! That just made my day. THANK YOU!
Made this for a birthday and was a hit. I made it layered with a lemon curd/coco whip mix and strawberry compote. Then fresh berries on top. My oven must be running hot because I baked at 300 for the second layer and got a better result.
That sounds DELICIOUS!!! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!!!
I am on the SCD diet for Crohn’s and I am not allowed cream of tartar. Is there anything else I could use? I can use baking soda but not powder and no starches.
Thank you
Linda – Great question! The cream of tartar is meant to help stabilize the egg whites. It’s not absolutely critical and I don’t know of any non-starch options you could use as a substitute. I’d probably recommend leaving it out and being sure you get your egg whites to the soft peaks stage. I hope that helps!!
That’s great! Thank you so much for taking the time to answer.
Linda
My pleasure! I hope you love it!
Do you put the coconut cream and berries on just before serving, or can they be done a bit ahead?
Kathy – They can be done a bit ahead! It should work fine 🙂
made this wonderful cake yesterday. It was super soft with a great texture and flavour.
only one issue
it seemed slightly under done in the middle even though I baked it for 30 mins. the sides were nicely browned.
any tips??
thanks
Sharmila – Hmm…did you test the center with a toothpick, by chance? If it comes away mostly clean, then the cake is done. If there are still lots of moist crumbs or batter, it’s not quite done. The lemon glaze will help keep the cake moist, so if the edges get a bit more browned, it’s ok!
Can I put lemon frosting on TOP instead of cream? Will the frosting too “heavy” for the cake? As you mentioned the cake is very fluffy n soft, thanks
Connie – I think you could totally try it! You might like the lemon glaze in this post if you don’t have a paleo one you’re using.
Thanks for the advice but I can’t have powdered sugar, what other substitutes can I use? Thanks
What frosting recipe were you planning to make instead of the whipped cream? Some people like the Swerve powdered sugar sub (made from erythritol).
Could the cake be made a day or 2 in advance and kept in the fridge? Or would freezing be necessary?
Katherine – It can absolutely be made a day ahead and stored in the fridge. I probably wouldn’t make it 2 days ahead unless you put it in the freezer. That will help it stay as fresh as possible!
Thanks, I’m planning to try it for easter, since I’ve had to cut out dairy!
Could you make this in a regular cake pan?
Yep! For easy removal, I spray the pan with nonstick spray, place an “X” of long strips of parchment paper on the bottom (these will act as handles later), then a circle of parchment over those. Then, you can easily lift it out later. (This helps prevent breaking or sticking, though you could probably get away with flipping it out of the pan and onto a baking sheet if you feel confident doing it that way).
I’ve used almond flour before, and my family wasn’t crazy about the flavor. It could have been the recipe, but I’m not sure. Would you recommend using a mix of coconut flour and almond flour, or just sticking with the almond flour?
Jaime – Great question! I’d recommend sticking with the almond flour. In this recipe, the whipped egg whites make a huge difference in texture, and the lemon flavor really shines over any almond flavor from the almond (at least for my family).
Coconut flour is not a direct substitute for almond flour and requires significantly different proportions of ingredients. It absorbs several times its own volume in liquid, so usually coconut flour recipes require more eggs and more liquid ingredients. If you tried to substitute in some coconut flour without adjusting the other ingredients, your cake would likely come out very dry and crumbly. I haven’t tested this recipe using any other flour combination, so I don’t feel comfortable advising you about how you might go about experimenting with it.
I hope that helps! Have a great day!
It must have been the recipie, because even I cannot tell the difference in taste. If anything the almond flour cake has a richer taste, and it bakes to perfection. I was worried before I made it the first time about whether it would be moist and spongy like a successful real cake, which is sometimes hard to acheve in any cake. Using almond flour has made my cakes perfect every time! You should definitely give it another try, and this time use a good recipie like here! Looking forward to doing chocolate next time.
Thanks so much for your feedback Elizabeth! I’m so glad you liked it 🙂
Can you tell me how many servings according to the calories listed for 1 piece?
Sure! It’s 1/8 th of the cake, so 8 servings. They’re nice, big portions! You can cut it into 12ths for smaller servings, if you like!
I want to make this for next weekend. Do you think I could make and bake, cool, and freeze? Then defrost in fridge and frost and top with berries when ready to serve? What’s your input, please. 🙂
I absolutely do! And I think that’s exactly what you should do. Bake, cool, freeze, then thaw in the fridge, frost and add berries! 🙂
This cake is so beautiful! You can never have too many lemon anything recipes. This will be so great to serve at Easter.
I TOTALLY agree. Lemon forever!
Your gluten free lemon cake recipe is the number 1 cake recipe in our house! So excited to see this new recipe! Can’t wait to try it!!
Oh happy day! That makes me SO happy!!!
i just make it was to thick came out like a coocki i dont know what i did wrong? Beatriz
Beatriz – Did you whip the egg whites until they hit the soft peaks stage? If you didn’t, your cake will not rise properly and it will be dense and heavy.
what happeng yolk got into the whites any way i will try it again ,still taste is good like a cookie mix it whit fruit is good,thanks Emily
Oh, I’m sorry. Hopefully it’s even better next time!