This Gluten Free Lemon Cake is moist, soft and full of bright lemon flavors. This recipe is easy to make with almond flour and a dairy-free cream cheese frosting that can easily be made paleo is the perfect healthy dessert for spring and summer!
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Healthy Lemon Cake Recipe
Looking for a bright and healthy cake for spring and summer? This Gluten Free Lemon Cake is not only delicious, it’s the perfect healthy dessert for Mother’s Day, Father’s day, spring and summer birthdays, barbecues and picnics.
If you are a lemon lover like me, this healthier lemon cake is for you! It’s bursting with bright lemon flavors and has all those amazing flavors we love in a classic lemon cake.
Plus, it’s made with simple pantry ingredients that you most likely already have, especially if you’re already following a gluten-free diet.
Why we love this easy lemon cake
The cake recipe comes together easily with simple ingredients and nobody will be able to tell that it’s gluten-free, grain-free and can easily be made dairy-free and paleo with the substitutions I’ve included below.
Not only is this the best tasting paleo lemon cake we’ve made, but it’s it’s the perfect simple but elegant dessert.
Ingredients you need
Many homemade lemon cake recipes are typically made with butter, all purpose flour, eggs and granulated sugar.
Since we wanted to keep this lemon cake recipe gluten-free and paleo-friendly, our healthy lemon cake is made with the following ingredients:
Almond Flour: Be sure to use superfine blanched almond flour and not almond meal. Almond flour is the main nut flour providing most of the bulk. Measure properly using the spoon and level method.
Coconut flour: This gluten-free flour provides structure to the cake and absorbs moisture so be sure to measure properly. When combined with almond flour, it balances out the flavor of gluten free cakes to mimic classic flour cakes.
Baking Powder and Baking Soda: leavening powders that work together to help the cake rise.
Vanilla extract, lemon extract, lemon juice, lemon zest and salt: makes the cake delicious and ensures that it’s full of luscious lemon flavors
Granulated maple sugar: Maple sugar is just the granulated version of maple syrup and lighter and finer than coconut sugar. It works great for lighter color cakes like vanilla and lemon. If you don’t have maple sugar you can swap with coconut sugar but the color will be much darker.
Melted coconut oil: makes the cake tender and moist and adds a light coconut flavor. You can also use any other neutral flavored oil or melted butter if you are not dairy-free.
Eggs: help to give the cake structure and bind everything together.
Almond milk: or any other milk (dairy-free or not) of your choice
Vinegar: combine with the almond milk and let it sit for 5 minutes until curdled = homemade vegan low carb buttermilk to make the cake soft and ultra moist.
How to make Gluten Free Lemon CAke:
PREHEAT THE OVEN AND PREP THE CAKE PANS: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat three 6-inch round cake pans or two 8-inch cake pans with nonstick baking spray and line the bottom with parchment paper rounds. Set-aside.
MAKE THE CAKE BATTER:
MIX THE DRY INGREDIENTS: In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the almond flour, coconut flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside.
COMBINE THE WET INGREDIENTS: Combine almond milk and vinegar together in a measuring cup and allow to sit for at least 5 minutes, until curdled. Meanwhile, in a separate large bowl, whisk together the eggs, maple sugar, coconut oil, lemon extract, lemon juice and lemon zest until smooth. Add the curdled almond milk and mix until combined.
ADD DRY INGREDIENTS TO THE WET INGREDIENTS: Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Stir with a wooden spoon until well combined. Add chopped nuts, if using.
TRANSFER THE CAKE BATTER TO THE PANS: Evenly divide the batter between the baking pans and smooth out the tops with a spatula.
BAKE THE CAKE: Bake for 21-24 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
COOL THE CAKE LAYERS: Allow paleo lemon cake layers to cool in the cake pans for at least 30 minutes, then carefully remove from cake pans. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely to room temp before frosting.
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How to make the cream cheese frosting
This moist lemon cake calls for an easy cream cheese frosting. For this creamy frosting recipe, you’re only going to need 4 simple ingredients:
- unsalted butter (use grass-fed butter or coconut butter (manna) for a paleo / dairy-free cream cheese frosting
- cream cheese (for dairy free, Kite Hill is a great brand)
- vanilla extract
- powdered monk fruit sweetener (or powdered maple sugar for paleo)
- heavy cream – use coconut milk for dairy free
Vegan frosting alternative
To make a dairy free cream cheese frosting:
Beat together coconut butter (coconut manna) and Kite Hill dairy free plain cream cheese until smooth. Add the powdered sweetener and vanilla extract until smooth. Add a little bit of coconut milk to reach desired consistency.
How to assemble this Gluten Free Lemon Cake
When it comes to frosting and assembling a paleo layer cake, it’s just like any other classic layer cake and couldn’t be easier .
- Once the healthy lemon cake layers are completely cool, invert the bottom cake layer onto a cake stand or cake platter and add a layer of frosting, smoothing with a spatula.
- Repeat with second and third layer (for 6″ inch cake) then decorate the top layer (and sides of the cake, if desired) with remaining frosting.
- Garnish with lemon slices and chill in the fridge for an hour or two before slicing.
Storage
To store lemon cake leftovers, store in an airtight container for up to 5 days or cover with plastic wrap and store in a resealable freezer bag in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Cream cheese frosting can be left at room temperature for up to 8 hours. After 8 hours, stored cream cheese frosting in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 4 days or 3 months in the freezer.
Tips for success
To ensure you get the best almond flour lemon cake every single time, here are some tips to help you along:
- Measure your flours properly by using the spoon and sweep method
- Do not overmix once you combine the wet and dry ingredients
- Allow the cake layers to cool completely before frosting
Other gluten free cake recipes you might like:
Healthy Pumpkin Cake
More healthy lemon desserts we love:
Easy Lemon Mug Cake
Lemon Protein Balls | Vegan | Paleo | Low Carb
This Gluten Free Lemon Cake is moist, soft and full of bright lemon flavors. This recipe is easy to make with almond flour and a dairy-free cream cheese frosting that can easily be made paleo is the perfect healthy dessert for spring and summer!
- 2 cups superfine blanched almond flour
- 1/3 cup coconut flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/2 tablespoon vinegar
- 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk , room temperature (can also use any milk of your choice)
- 4 large eggs , room temperature
- 2/3 cup granulated maple sugar , if you don't have maple sugar, you can sub with coconut sugar but the color will be much darker
- 2/3 cup melted and cooled coconut oil or neutral flavored oil
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon pure lemon extract
- 3 tablespoons pure lemon juice
- 1/2 tablespoon lemon zest
- FOR THE FROSTING:
- 1/3 cup unsalted grass-fed butter , softened (OR softened coconut butter / manna for dairy free)
- 8 ounces cream cheese , softened (or dairy free cream cheese)
- 2 - 2.5 cups powdered coconut sugar , or other confectioners' low carb / paleo sweetener of your choice
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon pure lemon extract
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 2 teaspoons almond milk or any other milk of your choice
- FOR GARNISH:
- Lemon slices
- FOR THE LEMON CAKE:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Lightly coat three 6-inch round cake pans or two 8-inch cake pans with nonstick baking spray and line the bottom with parchment paper rounds. Set-aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the almond flour, coconut flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together. Set aside.
- In a measuring cup, measure out the almond milk and add the vinegar. Allow to sit and curdle for about 5 minutes while you mix the other ingredients.
In another separate large bowl, whisk together the eggs, maple sugar, coconut oil, vanilla extract, lemon extract, lemon juice and lemon zest. Pour in the curdled milk and mix until combined.
- Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Stir until well combined.
- Evenly divide the batter between the baking pans and smooth out the tops with a spatula. Bake for 19-24 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Allow cakes to cool in the cake pans for at least 30 minutes, then carefully remove from cake pans. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely to room temp before frosting.
- FOR THE FROSTING:
- Using a hand mixer or in the bowl of an electric stand mixer, add the softened butter and beat on high for 2 minutes until light and fluffy. Add the cream cheese and continue beating for an additional 3 minutes until combined. Slowly add the powdered sweetener, vanilla extract, lemon extract and lemon zest and almond milk and beat for 2-3 minutes until creamy and smooth. Cover and chill in the fridge until ready to frost.
- FROST AND ASSEMBLE THE CAKE:
Once the cake layers are completely cool, invert the bottom cake layer onto a cake stand or cake platter and add a layer of frosting, smoothing with a spatula. Repeat with remaining layers (and sides of the cake, if desired with remaining frosting). Decorate with lemon slices and chill in the fridge for an hour or two before slicing.
- Store cake covered in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Did you try this recipe?
Noreen -
wow made this last night and it was so delicious and my kids couldn’t tell it was gluten free. thank you!