Flourless Whole Lemon Almond Cake.
Here’s a rustic cake that doesn’t require any icing or frosting. I like to think of this lemon almond cake as a dark horse in that it looks unassuming but is far lighter and flavorful than you’d think. What sets this cake apart is that it is gluten-free and calls for just a few ingredients — almond flour, sugar, eggs, and whole lemons.
In fact, the whole lemons are essential, pureeing them peel and all to extract every bit of flavor and essential oil from the citrus. The result is an incredibly fragrant almond cake flecked with lemon peel and bursting with flavor. It’s pleasantly bitter and reminds me of something you could find in the south of Italy.
At home, I make this cake all summer long and switch up the fruit and herbs with whatever looks best. I have an affinity for the combination of lemon, almond, and basil. Still, strawberries, peaches, thyme, and mint would work equally. Serve a big slice of this whole lemon almond cake in the morning with a coffee or a cold glass of limoncello after dinner.
When life gives you lemons…make a whole lemon almond cake.
At home, I make this cake all summer long and switch up the fruit and herbs with whatever looks best. I have an affinity for the combination of lemon, almond, and basil. Still, strawberries, peaches, thyme, and mint would work equally. Serve a big slice of this whole lemon almond cake in the morning with a coffee or a cold glass of limoncello after dinner.
Almond flour is not almond meal. Are they the same thing?
Almond flour and almond meal. Coarse, fine, and super-fine? Are these the same thing? No, Almond flour is made from finely ground, blanched almonds. On the other hand, almond meal is typically coarser than almond flour, so it has more texture (and fiber). It can not be substituted for almond flour in this recipe but will add additional grittiness to the overall texture. And that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Your call. Just avoid super-fine almond flour. Because the flour is so fine, the cake can take on a gummy or pasty quality.
Serve the cake with the parchment it was baked on for an informal, rustic quality.
Kitchen Notes
More of my recipes
- Pan Seared Yellow Tuna
- Summer Corn Soup
- Blackberry Jam and Crème Fraîche Croissant Bread Pudding
- Japanese Iced Coffee v60 Pour Over
Flourless Whole Lemon Almond Cake
Ingredients
Lemon Almond Cake
- 2 whole organic lemons, preferably Meyer lemons
- 2 Tbsp orange zest, finely grated
- 2 tsp 10 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 Tbsp 30 ml honey
- 5 large eggs, yolks and whites separated
- 1 cup 200 g granulated sugar
- 3 cups 300 g almond flour, NOT superfine
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 pinch kosher salt
- ¼ cup 30 g untoasted sliced almonds
- Confectioner's sugar, for dusting
Macerated Blackberries with Mint
- 12 oz 340 g blackberries
- 2 Tbsp 1 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 2 Tbsp 30 ml limoncello
- 2 sprigs fresh basil leaves
Instructions
- Wash and trim 2 lemons and then boil in a saucepan with enough water to cover until very soft and deflated, 1 hour. Discard the liquid and break open the lemons to remove the seeds. Pulse the whole lemons in a food processor until chunky like marmalade. Add 2 Tbsp orange zest, 2 tsp vanilla extract, and 2 Tbsp honey and pulse until combined.
- Preheat the oven to 350℉. Line a 9-inch cake pan or springform pan with a piece of wet crumpled-up parchment paper. This helps line the pan and prevents the cake from burning.
- In a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, whip 5 egg whites on high with a pinch of salt until stiff. Transfer to a clean bowl and set aside. In the same stand mixing bowl, beat 5 egg yolks and 1 cup [200 g] sugar on high speed until pale and thick, about 3 minutes. Fold in 3 cups [300 g] almond flour and 1 tsp baking powder using a rubber spatula. Add the lemon puree and continue to fold until completely combined.
- Fold ⅓ of the whipped egg whites into the almond mixture using a rubber spatula to loosen the batter. Add the remaining egg whites and gently fold scraping the bottom and sides until fully incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle with ¼ cup [30 g] sliced almonds.
- Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 50 to 60 minutes. Watch the cake in the last 10 minutes as it can brown quickly. Cover the top with foil if it begins to burn. Allow the cake to cool fully in the pan before unmolding.
- While the cake cools, make the macerated blackberries. Add 12 oz [340 g] blackberries to a medium-sized bowl with 2 Tbsp sugar and 2 Tbsp limoncello and then toss to coat. Set aside until ready to serve the cake. Just before serving, fold in 1 to 2 sprigs of finely chopped basil leaves.
- Dust lightly with confectioner's sugar and serve with the macerated blackberries. The cake will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Notes
- The day before: Boil and process the lemons and make the macerated blackberries. Store in airtight containers in the refrigerator.
- The day of: Bake the cake and store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Jennifer says
What a delicious cake! Dense and moist and perfect with morning coffee! Also great to learn some new techniques. Can’t wait to try one of your other recipes. Thank you!
Evan Kalman says
SO glad you liked it! It’s such a good breakfast cake and fills the whole house will the smell of lemons!
lily says
If anyone else decides to make this on the fly with leftover matzah: I put ~2 cups of whole almonds in a blender and then just added matzah ’til I got to three cups. I didn’t have baking powder, so used 1/4 tsp baking soda. (I only had 4 eggs, rather than 5, so I added 1 Tb chia seed and to 3 Tb water, let ’em bloat a little, and mixed it into the yolk mixture.) Took it out at 50 min. So good. New Passover recipe for the ages!
Miranda says
It is weirdly difficult to find almond flour that is *not* superfine. Any recommended brand? I have almond meal – would that work?
Evan Kalman says
Hmm, I usually can find it in my regular grocery store. Bobs Red Mill is always super fine but other brands are usually good. I haven’t tested with almond meal but I think it would be just fine. Let me know how it turns out!
Miranda says
Almond meal is so much coarser I’m a little nervous but will give it a go. The other brands at the grocery store of almond flour say “finely ground”, wasn’t sure if that was the same as super-fine. Sorry to be so OCD!
Miranda says
It came out great! Delicious and the flavor was quite complex. Super tasty – thanks!
Evan Kalman says
Ah! So happy to hear that! It’s a little different and not too sweet – but that’s why I love it. Thanks again for making the cake. It makes my day hearing that it turned out well. If you you could – would you please give the recipe a rating? Thanks!✌️
Deb Neumann says
Thank you so much for this delicious gluten free recipe. I was afraid it would be dry, I don’t think I’ve ever made a cake w/o oil or butter, but I followed your directions and I had fun making it. I had some hazelnut meal (ca. 1/2-3/4 cup) and the rest I used a combo of almond meal and flour. This turned out awesome and it is absolutely not dry. Yes I ate this for breakfast and I love that it’s a heavy, not overly sweet cake and you can taste the delicious lemons.