There is something about the combination of lemon and almonds that has always appealed to me. I’ve dabbled with these ingredients in scones and other breakfast breads, but this gluten free lemon almond cake takes the proverbial, you know, cake.
It’s not too sweet, so it wouldn’t be hard to justify it for breakfast or a between meals treat, but served with whipped cream and berries, it’s hard to beat as the delicious finale to nearly any meal.
The texture is perfect — made with my light gfJules™ Flour and ground almonds, it’s airy, with a nutty chew for substance. And the flavor … well, I’ve already told you how divine this combination is.
Trust me, this gorgeous lemon almond cake will be a new go-to recipe to make, share and impress.
I recommend making your own almond meal because it’s much less expensive and it’s sure to be fresh if you grind it yourself. Just look for raw almonds not processed in a facility that handles wheat.
Pictured below: egg white meringue ready to fold into cake batter.
As for eggs, this recipe relies on 6 of them, so I wouldn’t recommend substituting unless you opt for aquafaba, which actually works really well as a sub for whipped egg whites!*
I have lots of other great cake recipes on my site which either don’t require eggs or for which I’ve suggested a worthy egg substitute, so don’t despair!
One final note: this cake is a wonderful one to consider adding to your Passover traditions. Since there already is no wheat, barley, rye, spelt or oats in this gluten free recipe, if it fits with your religious beliefs to eat corn and rice during Passover, the eggs, almonds and absence of any leavening makes this delicious cake a great way to celebrate.
One final final note: this recipe complies with the restrictions of most Low FODMAP diets. Another reason to celebrate!
Gluten Free Lemon Almond Cake Recipe
The heavenly combination of lemon and almonds come together perfectly in this gorgeous gluten free lemon almond cake. Perfect for Passover, too!
Ingredients
Cake
- 6 large eggs (for vegan, use 3/4 cup aquafaba + 3/4 tsp. cream of tartar whipped until stiff but not dry)*
- 1/2 tsp. sea salt
- 1 cup granulated cane sugar, divided into 1/3 cup measurements
- 6 Tbs. mild oil (like safflower, sunflower, or light olive oil)
- 2 ½ Tbs. fresh squeezed lemon juice
- ½ Tbs. ginger juice (optional or use lemon juice)
- 2 tsp. finely grated lemon peel
- ½ cup + 2 Tbs. gfJules Gluten Free All Purpose Flour (85 gr)
- 1 1/2 cups almond flour or almond meal (179 gr)
- 1/2 cup sliced almonds
Berry Sauce
- 5 cups sliced stemmed strawberries (about 2 pounds) or other berries
- 1 Tbs. (or more) sugar
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 1 tsp. fresh squeezed lemon juice
Instructions
Gluten Free Lemon Almond Cake
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Prepare 10-inch springform pan by oiling lightly and lining with a circle of parchment paper.
Separate eggs, reserving whites only (no yolks at all) in a large metal mixing bowl and placing the egg yolks in a separate bowl. Add salt and beat whites on high speed of an electric mixer with whisk attachment or beaters for 2-3 minutes, or until soft peaks form. Slowly beat in 1/3 cup sugar, continuing to whisk with mixer until stiff peaks form. Do not over-beat; the mixture should not be dry. Scoop beaten whites out into a separate bowl.
Add yolks and 1/3 cup sugar to the large mixing bowl just used to mix the whites. Beat together for 2-3 minutes on high speed, or until the yolk mixture is pale yellow in color and thicker in consistency. Mix in oil, lemon and ginger juice and lemon peel.
In a separate bowl, whisk together gfJules™ Flour, almond meal and 1/3 cup sugar.
Stir these dry ingredients into the egg yolk mixture until thick, but fully integrated.
Add 1/3 of the stiff egg white mixture to the mixing bowl, folding over using a rubber spatula, integrating it into the egg yolk-flour mixture. Repeat with 1/3 more of the egg whites, then add final 1/3 of the egg whites, folding until no large pockets of egg whites remain separate.
Spoon or pour batter into prepared pan. Distribute shaved almonds over the top.
Bake for 40 minutes or until the top of the tart is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove pan to cool on a wire rack.
Berry Sauce
Wash and hull berries, then add to a large sauce pan. Add sugar, vanilla and lemon juice. Stir over medium-high heat.
Once the berries get hot enough, they'll begin releasing juices. Stir to keep from sticking or burning in the pot. Continue to cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the berries are getting juicy, then mash with a potato masher or process with a food processor if you prefer a smoother consistency.
Serve warm with cake by spooning onto plates and topping with a slice of cake. Alternatively, cover and chill until serving with whipped cream (So Delicious® vegan CocoWhip pictured here).
Notes
* If making this cake for Passover and using the vegan option, be sure to check with your particular faith leaders about whether using chickpeas is considered Kosher for Passover.
Nutrition Information
Yield 8 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 511Total Fat 38gSaturated Fat 4gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 32gCholesterol 186mgSodium 267mgCarbohydrates 33gFiber 9gSugar 20gProtein 15g
Please keep in mind that nutrition information provided is per serving, which may vary. While we have taken care to provide you with the most accurate nutritional values possible, please note that this information may differ significantly depending on the exact ingredients and brands that you choose to use to make this recipe. Additionally, where options are given for ingredients, the resulting calculation may include all ingredient options instead of only one per line, skewing the totals significantly.
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do!
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ahhh, I can almost taste it now!
I too wish it did not require 6 eggs… although I still am tempted to try it with aquafaba… 😉
Oh goodness, if you make this with aquafaba, I NEED TO KNOW!!!
~jules
This cake looks beautiful! I can’t wait to make it myself! Almond Cakes are some of my favorites!
Then you’re going to love this one, Madison!!!
~jules
My mom would love this cake. I am thinking it would be a great Mother’s Days. I wonder if it could use honey instead in the recipe of the sugar?
I love the lemon – almond combo. What a great way to celebrate spring!
Thanks Kelly! It sure worked out well in this cake!
~jules
I love almond cake, and this one looks so good!
Thanks Celeste, I hope you get to try the recipe one day soon!
~jules
This cake reminds me of something that would be on the dessert menu of a fancy restaurant. It sounds and looks delicious.
Aw, thanks Nicole. It looks fancy but is really quite easy to make. I hope you try it! You have my flour, so you have the power!
~jules
I love springtime! All the yummy lemon recipes begin appearing. The ginger juice is a surprise. I can’t wait to try it. It should add a whole different kind of zing to the cake.
Glad it sounds appealing to you, Amanda. It’s a yummy combo!
~jules
I have just passed an oral challenge to almonds and am so excited by all the new things I can try! This cake is sooooo going on my ‘to bake’ list 😀
So glad, Kortney! Congrats on passing your test and adding to your “I can have it – yay!” list!!! Enjoy this recipe!
~jules
Well now…..what on earth took me so long to make this for the first time!!!!! Mine turned out very “fluffy” in texture but I suspect it’s because I used extra large eggs and there might have been too much egg white mixture? But it tastes great!!! Next time I make this….and there WILL be a next time, I’ll make sure to have large eggs on hand and see if it makes it more like the photos. The bonus is….my husband isn’t a big dessert guy but he loves this because it isn’t overly sweet. I used blueberries I had in the freezer but next time I’m going the raspberry route!
So funny, Deb, because I almost made this recipe yesterday with blueberries because I didn’t have raspberries. Good to know it was still good with that switch. The larger eggs can bring in more “fluff,” but hopefully it was totally yummy as a fluffier cake, too. So glad even your hubby loved it!
~jules
Jules, Do you have nutrition information for the recipes? My grandson, has Celiac and Type 1. You have been a wonderful resource for us. Your flour is hands down the best out there.
Thank you for all you do.
Marian
Hi Marian, I’m so happy that I’ve been able to help you and your grandson. That’s what I’m here for, and it thrills me to know end when I hear from folks that I’ve been able to help! Regarding the nutritional information, unfortunately I don’t have the time to run them for all my recipes. One day I hope to be able to have someone add those to all my recipes for people like you who truly need it! In the meantime, though, you can find free nutritional calculators on line. Just add the nutritional information from my flour which you can find on the product page, and the rest of the ingredients are pretty standard. I really hope that helps! Happy baking!
~jules
Thank you for this recipe! It looks good but most Eastern European Jews can’t have rice at Passover, so that is my biggest challenge. I would have to use tapioca or potato starch to sub for the flour… would that work? The gluten free flour replacements aren’t very good. Thank you 🙂
Hopefully with The Rabbinical Assembly’s recent vote and declaration that kitniyot including rice, corn and legumes ARE Kosher for Passover, it will open up more options for you!
~jules
Thank you so much for this amazing recipe!! Made it tonight and I can not express how delisious it is!! I was the only GF person in the crowd, but everyone loved it. The flavor and texture are amazing. One friend is allergic to strawberries, so I made a blackberry sauce, which paired nicely with it. Thank you!!!
Oh Sheri that’s so wonderful to hear! It’s the best when everyone else loves your gluten free recipes as much as you do — when they have a choice and still choose to eat your GF goodies, you know you’ve made a great recipe! Congratulations! (and the blackberry sauce sounds devine!)
~jules
My cake has only been in the oven for 20 minutes and the top is already holen brown..I put a toothpick in it and it came out glean…only problem the center still giggles..what to do!
Hi Phylis, what size pan are you using? Did you substitute for any ingredients? Are you baking on a high rack that’s close to the heating element? If it’s still very jiggly in the center, you can cover the cake with foil to prevent it from overcooking. The fact that the toothpick came out clean is a good sign, though!
~jules
I used a 91/2″ pan…light olive oil, no other subs. The sides were separating from the edge so I took it out at 23 minutes. It has been sitting out for a few minutes and it fell in the center and now the toothpick doesn’t come out clean. So I am putting it back in the oven. Hope for the best
Fingers crossed! Cover it with foil when you put it back in the oven to prevent the top from over-cooking.
Best of luck!
~jules
This is so beautiful! Love the berry sauce to go with it.
Thanks Emily! I hope you get to try it soon!
~jules
Oh man, this cake looks divine! I would love a slice for breakfast right about now 🙂
We’ve already polished ours off, Celeste! Time to make another!
~jules
Lemons are in season, so I can’t wait to try this cake. Your presentation is beautiful! Good Job!!!
Thanks Debbie – so glad you’ll be putting this recipe to good use with fresh lemons! It makes such a difference!
~jules
Looks delicious, Jules. I love the lemon/almond combo as well. 🙂
Thanks Raia! It was truly delicious!!!
~jules
I’m wondering if the cake is thick enough
to slice in half with a long piece of strong thread …removing top & spreading a layer
of almond past on the bottom half, then replacing top half. Maybe redundant… But I love the idea of the paste filling! ?
How creative, Dawn! You could certainly bake it in a smaller pan which would make it thicker. Mine was a 10-inch springform, for reference. Let me know what you do – I’m intrigued!
~jules
How about making two 10″ spring form pan cakes, as that size and type of pan has tested well for Jules, it bakes thoroughly in center without burning outsides.
I’m just sorry I wont be able to enjoy this, I’m allergic to eggs and since there are over 2 or 3, it wouldn’t turn out well with the egg substitutes. 6 eggs is a lot!
Though I wonder, if I used a GF and corn free leaving agent, pulse baking soda and vinegar and Seltzer Water in place of the fluid from not using the eggs, it may work.
Jules, my kitchen is a Hungry Chemist’s Laboratory and I waist a lot of money in ingredients with a poor out come!
In addition to a severe gluten problem, I am allergic to all beans, eggs, corn / potato / tapioca – the starches in your & other GF Flours, all night shades, milk protein along with many other food allergies hinder that my food selection and make airborne food allergies a very real thing for me, but I am inventive!
It sounds like you are extremely creative, Hungry Chemist! And like you have a great attitude! Check my article referenced in the intro of this recipe for egg substitutes and also this article on making your own gluten free flour blend to meet your restrictions. I hope that helps!
~jules
Thanks, Jules….
I just might dive into this with my grands this weekend….and use an 8 or 9 inch round. I will let you know.
Hi Dawn, yes, do let me know how it goes! Sounds like a fun (and rewarding!) project with your grandkids!
~jules