Light, airy, and moist, this healthy lemon almond flour cake is the perfect springtime dessert and will surely satisfy your dessert cravings in a healthy way!
Cake baking has always been somewhat of a mystery to me. Sometimes they sink, sometimes they brown, sometimes they're not cooked through. And it can be tricky when you're using gluten-free flours.
But I think we've hit the jackpot here. I mean truly, this cake is incredible!
Today I'm going to show you how to make the best, most delicious, absolutely incredible Lemon Almond Flour Cake that is not only gluten-free but also dairy-free and ultra-moist. And we're topping it with a lemon glaze and blackberry sauce. It's honestly the perfect cake!
How to Use Almond Flour
You've probably noticed that I use almond flour a lot in my recipes. I love it for a couple of reasons:
- it helps baked goods have an amazing texture
- it's nutritious
- it's naturally gluten-free
- it is grain-free
And it's so fabulous in this cake! The one thing to keep in mind with almond flour is the type of almond flour that you're purchasing. You want to make sure that you get blanched almond flour!
See that photo above? The best brand on the market! You can never go wrong with Bob's Red Mill, but their almond flour is awesome. Not only does it come in 2 lb bags now, but it also has the best texture of any that I've tried. It's also at the same price point as others and Bob's Red Mill is just like the best company ever and I love knowing that I'm supporting a truly great team.
Ingredients for Almond Flour Cake
Naturally, when you clicked on this Lemon Almond Flour cake, you're expecting to see almond flour as the base. Yes, we're using it as our primary flour, but we're also adding in some quinoa flour which helps to give it a slightly denser crumb and a bit more height.
In addition to our flours, the recipe is actually quite simple. We're using:
- eggs as our binder and structure
- honey to sweeten
- olive oil to add extra moisture
- lemon juice & zest for our flavor
And then just a few other items to round it all out. In all this almond flour cake has just 11 ingredients and is made in one bowl!
Why Use Olive Oil In Cake?
When you're baking a cake, fat plays and important role, It helps make the cake moist, but it also helps develop a somewhat spongey texture. This cake has both and the secret is olive oil!
Why use olive oil in a cake? Because of the flavor and richness of the oil. And also that gorgeous yellowy color!
This cake has a very slight hint of olive oil underneath the lemon and it is perfection. It cuts down on the sweetness level a bit because it adds an almost savory quality, but it also brings in a little richness which balances out the bright lemon. I've quickly fallen for olive oil in my baked goods!
Best Gluten-Free Lemon Cake
If I had to pick a favorite gluten-free cake it would be this one. It's so tender, it's got an amazing lemon kick and even though we took it a bit over the top with the icing and berries, it's every bit as delicious on its own.
Better yet, this almond flour cake has just 1/3 cup of sweetener in the entire recipe! Isn't that amazing?! It makes an amazing afternoon treat (with tea, anyone?!) and could also be made into a layer cake by doubling the batch and putting the frosting in the middle!
This is definitely going to become my new go-to GF birthday cake! I mean after all…who can say no to this!?
More Healthy Gluten-Free Dessert Recipes:
- Healthy Peach Crisp
- Dark Chocolate Almond Butter Cups
- Flourless Protein Brownies
- Best Quinoa Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars with Chocolate Chips
- Healthy Quinoa Carrot Cake
- Healthy Apple Crumble Bars
Olive Oil & Lemon Almond Flour Cake
Ingredients
- 4 large eggs
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1/4 cup lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups almond flour
- 1/2 cup quinoa flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- Zest of 2 lemons
for the glaze
- 1/4 cup frozen blackberries
- 1/2 cup organic powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350º F and line a 9" springform pan with parchment paper. Cover the bottom with parchment paper, then snap the pan back together and trim the excess. Spray the sides and bottom of the pan with cooking spray and set aside.
- Whisk together the eggs and honey until they are fluffy and have turned a pale yellow. Add the remaining wet ingredients and beat well.
- Add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Fold in the lemon zest.
- Transfer the batter to the greased pan and bake for 20 minutes, then cover with foil, and bake for another 20 minutes until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool the cake before removing the springform pan.
- Add the blackberries into a small saucepan and heat over medium heat. Cook until you can mash them with a fork and then remove from the heat.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and lemon juice. Pour the glaze over the cake and spread it out with the back of a spoon. Place the mashed berries in the center and allow the juices to mix with the glaze.
- Slice and serve with whipped cream, ice cream, fresh berries, a drizzle of honey, etc.
Video
Nutrition
Hi from Greece! The cup you use how many grammars is? Can i use instead of honey dates soaced in water and blended? Finally do you have another glaze more suitable for toddlers? Thank you! I want to make it for my baby’s birthday Cake!
Hi there! 1 cup = 128 grams. I think the dates should work! Unfortunately, I don’t have another glaze. You could try syrup instead of lemon juice maybe!
Thank you for replying!
How about spelt flour with the almond flour?
I haven’t tried that but I think it should work! Let me know if you go it a go!! Would love to hear results
Hey! This cake looks amazing! I was wondering what role does the quinoa flour play? I have just a little bit and wanted to know how it would affect the cake if I were to use less than 1/2 cup?
It helps with the structure and crumb! I think you could reduce it, but you’ll need to adjust with another flour 🙂
I only have the almond flour made from whole almonds right now – is that a no go or will that work? If I do use it, how will it change the result?
Hmmm I’m not sure if that will work because the texture is so different. Maybe if you used a lot more of it, or compensated with the addition of more of another it might work…?
Can I use flax egg or Orgran instead of the eggs? Wiil I get the samd texture?Cause yours lookd absolutely gorgeous!!!
I don’t think so for this one since it uses so many eggs! This one is very reliant on the eggs for the texture and I think the flax eggs would just make it gummy and it wouldn’t bake through… sorry!
I Made this for company the other day, It was a hit! thank you for this recipe!
Woohoo! So awesome 🙂
Can you use coconut or cassava flour instead of the quinoa? Thanks.
I haven’t tested! Casava would definitely be better than coconut though!
Hi Alyssa,
This cake looks amazing.
Being gluten intolerant myself, I’ve had to experiment with almond flour and I love it but I’ve never used millet flour or quinoa flour. Would you recommend using tapioca flour as a substitute for millet/quinoa? Would it have the same effect on the crumb?
Thanks!
I think it would make it a little gummier! If you could replace with another grain-based flour – maybe oat or rice – that would be better!