This paleo lemon cake is sweet, tart, and fresh tasting. It’s nutritious, easy to make, and perfect for dessert, breakfast, or snack time. This cake is also gluten free, dairy free, refined sugar free, and grain free.
What to serve with this paleo lemon cake
If you’re serving this cake at a party and would like another dessert option for your guests to choose from, try these mouthwatering strawberry truffles. They’re easy to make, elegant, and delicious.
Ingredients and substitutions
This cake gets its fresh, lemony flavor from the zest and juice of one lemon. I like to use a microplane zester to remove the lemon zest but any type of grater will work. A trick to getting the most juice out of a lemon is to use the palm of your hand to press down on the lemon firmly before cutting the lemon in half and squeezing out the juice.
I sweetened this cake with maple syrup, but honey works well too if you prefer.
This cake calls for coconut flour, one of my favorite grain-free, paleo diet friendly flours. Coconut flour is high in fiber, nutritious fats, and lower in carbohydrates than most flours. It works well in cakes, cookies, and muffins. Coconut flour is much more absorbent than most other flours, so I don’t recommend substituting other flours in this recipe.
Extra virgin olive oil gives this cake a rich, soft texture. You can substitute melted coconut oil or avocado oil if you prefer.
How to make it
Start by preheating the oven, then grab a mixing bowl and add the eggs, maple syrup, lemon juice and zest, extra virgin olive oil, vanilla extract, and salt. Use a whisk to mix well.
Next you’ll add the coconut flour and baking soda and whisk to combine. The batter should be quite thick at this point.
Grease a 9 inch baking pan with 1 teaspoon of olive oil, then line it with parchment paper before transferring the cake batter to the baking pan. Then use a spatula or the back of a spoon to smooth the thick cake batter into an even layer.
Bake the cake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 42 minutes or until the top looks golden and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake looks clean upon removal.
Allow the cake to cool to room temperature before serving.
Storage and freezing
Store this paleo lemon cake in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days or freeze it for up to six months.
More paleo recipes to try
- These vegan banana cookies taste like banana bread in cookie form.
- These maple walnut cookies are soft, chewy, and delicious.
- These paleo banana pancakes made with coconut flour are thick, filling, and flavorful.
- These paleo sweet potato muffins are tasty and easy to make.
Paleo Lemon Cake
Equipment
- 9 inch baking pan
- Parchment paper
Ingredients
- 5 eggs
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1/2 cup maple syrup (or substitute honey)
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil (plus 1 extra teaspoon to grease the pan)
- 1/2 cup coconut flour
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Add the eggs, lemon juice, lemon zest, maple syrup, extra virgin olive oil, vanilla extract, and salt to a mixing bowl and use a whisk to mix well.
- Add the coconut flour and baking soda and whisk again to combine.
- Grease a 9 inch baking pan with 1 teaspoon of olive oil, then line the pan with parchment paper.
- Transfer the batter to the cake pan, then use a spatula or the back of a spoon to spread the thick batter into an even layer.
- Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 42 minutes or until the top of the cake looks golden and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake looks clean upon removal.
- Allow the cake to cool to room temperature before serving.
Notes
- Store this paleo lemon cake in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days or freeze it for up to six months.
Nutrition
You might also like
- These spelt muffins are easy to make and delicious.
- These maple syrup sweetened cookies are perfect when you’re craving a nutritious treat.