This paleo Lemon Almond Cake Recipe has a dense, but moist and tender crumb, and is sweetly aromatic with vanilla and lemon.
When I was younger, I hated any and all lemon-flavored desserts with a passion. Lemon bars, lemon meltaway cookies, and even lemon meringue pie were all on my “avoid at all costs list”.
(But oddly enough, I was a big fan of super sour lemon-flavored WarHeads candy – does anyone else remember those? Incidentally, I consider this proof positive that there is no rhyme or reason to kids’ tastes.)
These days, however, lemony treats are something I thoroughly enjoy. (I can’t say that my tastes have done a complete 180 though, because I haven’t had Warheads in years…so who knows, I might still like them, lol! Although for some reason I doubt it.)
The lemon + vanilla pairing in this cake is a sublime combo, made even more so by the addition of sweet-scented almond.
Lemon Almond Cake Recipe
This cake is lovely; dense but not heavy, moist with a tender crumb, aromatic, and flavorful.
I’d say it’s rustic (which I know is a term frequently used to cover up the fact that a dish is a bit of a mess to behold), but only because it’s quite moreish in a humble way.
It’s the sort of cake that’s perfect to serve to friends over coffee during a leisurely afternoon chat about nothing and everything. But be careful because before you know it, the afternoon will have passed and the cake and a couple pots of coffee vanished along with it.
Is Almond Meal the Same as Almond Flour?
No, almond meal and almond flour are different. However, they’re both made of ground almonds.
The difference is, almond flour is made of blanched ground almonds and almond meal is made of ground almonds that have their skin on.
In baking, almond meal will yield a darker colored result, similar to a “whole wheat” look. Alternatively, almond flour will yield a lighter colored result.
More Paleo Cake Recipes to Try:
- Healthy Chocolate Mug Cake
- Carrot Cake Snack Cake
- Chocolate Cake
- Strawberry Shortcake for One
- Fudgy Blueberry Orange Chocolate Cake with Dark Chocolate Avocado Ganache
- Classic Yellow Cake
- Eggnog Cupcakes with Maple Buttercream
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Lemon Almond Cake Recipe (Paleo)
Ingredients
Cake:
- 4 large eggs separated into yolks and whites
- 1 cup coconut sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 8 ounces almond meal or almond flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
Other:
- Butter ghee, or coconut oil, for the pan
- Almond meal or almond flour for the pan
- Coconut “whipped cream” or regular whipped cream for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter an 8-inch springform pan and add a sprinkling of almond meal; rotate the pan around to coat the inside and tap out any excess.
- Use a handheld electric mixer to beat the egg whites in a large bowl until they form stiff peaks; set aside for now.
- In a separate large bowl, beat the egg yolks, sugar, vanilla bean paste, almond extract, and lemon zest about 3 minutes, or until it’s pale-colored and falls off the beats in thick ribbons.
- Add the almond meal, salt, and baking powder to the wet ingredients all at once and stir to combine (the batter will be very thick at this point).
- Add 1/4 of the egg whites and stir to fully incorporate them. Add the remaining egg whites 1/4 at a time, stirring the batter with a rubber spatula only in 1 direction and being careful not to over-mix. (Seeing some streaks of egg whites is better than over-mixing.)
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until it’s golden and feels springy to the touch, about 15 to 20 minutes. Do not over-bake.
- Cool completely; serve with a dollop of coconut “whipped cream” or regular whipped cream if desired.
Faith's Tips
- You can use almond flour instead of almond meal in this recipe. If you do, your cake will be lighter in color.
- Nutrition information was calculated without the optional dollop of coconut “whipped cream” or regular whipped cream.
Nutrition
This post was first published on An Edible Mosaic on May 2, 2014. I updated it with more information on April 14, 2020.
Disclosure: This post contains Amazon affiliate links to products I believe in, which means that even though it doesn’t cost you anything extra, I will receive a small amount of money from the sale of these items, which helps me keep this site alive – thank you for helping to support An Edible Mosaic!
I’m Faith Gorsky, the writer, cook, and photographer behind An Edible Mosaic. My goal is to inspire you to get in the kitchen and try something new! Feel free to 
This lemon vanilla cake looks delicious! I found it from Food Faith Fitness’s roundup of lemon desserts! I have to try out this cake!
Thank you, Faith! I love all things lemon,but paired with easy is a double blessing!
hehe. I know kids food choices are crazy! Having a two year old solidifies this for me. One day she will hate something, the next…love it! Your pictures are so pretty. Do you ever feel silly creating the shots? Like you’re having a cake party…but you’re not :) I
Erica, Lol, I definitely felt that way at first! Now it’s my favorite part of what I do…I’m like a kid in a candy shop every time I open my prop closet! :)
Deliciously healthy! A great recipe.
Cheers,
Rosa