This grain-free, gluten-free and low-carb lemon cake is made with coconut flour and simple, wholesome ingredients. It’s moist, light, and full of lemon flavor, with the perfect balance between sweet and tangy. Frost it with my healthy lemon frosting for a beautiful, delicious summer dessert everyone can enjoy.
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Why You’ll Love this Recipe
This lemon cake is the perfect lemon dessert that everyone can enjoy! It’s naturally grain-free, gluten-free, and low-carb, and the recipe can be easily adapted to be dairy-free and paleo-friendly as well. This cake makes a perfect treat if you are on the Primal Diet.
Not only that, this cake is absolutely delicious, especially when frosted with my healthy lemon frosting made with homemade lemon curd and whipped cream! It’s moist, fluffy, and full of lemon flavor, perfectly balancing sweet and tart. It’s a light and refreshing cake that’s perfect for summer.
Decorate it with piped frosting, lemon slices, and edible flowers, and this cake will be the star of your next summer gathering. It’s ideal for birthdays, special occasions, or any time you want a dessert that’s healthy, beautiful, and easy to make.
You can also elevate this recipe by pairing it with other flavors that go well with lemon. For example, add a layer of strawberry jam and fresh strawberries for a delightful strawberry lemonade cake!
A lemon Cake with Coconut Flour
If you’ve been here before, you know that I love making most of my desserts and baked goods with coconut flour. I love coconut flour for many reasons, from being one of the healthiest flours to being incredibly affordable. You can read all about the benefits and baking tips for coconut flour in this post.
Does this lemon cake taste like coconut?
No! Coconut flour doesn’t have a strong coconut flavor, and the bold lemon taste in this recipe completely takes over. The cake tastes like fresh lemon, and you’d never guess it contains coconut. However, if you substitute butter with coconut oil for a dairy-free or paleo version, the cake may develop a subtle coconut flavor.
Is this coconut flour lemon cake dry?
Not at all! While many coconut flour cakes tend to be dry due to the flour’s absorbency, I tested and tweaked this recipe until I found the perfect ratio of wet to dry ingredients. The result is a moist, tender, and satisfying lemon cake that has nothing to envy its wheat counterparts.
Ingredients for this Coconut Flour Lemon Cake
Butter. Adds richness, flavor, and moisture. Use unsalted, softened butter for best results. If you forgot to take out the butter from the fridge in advance (30-60 minutes), you can place the stick of butter in a ziplock bag and submerge it in warm water until soft. For a dairy-free and paleo-friendly cake you can swap with coconut oil.
Sugar. Even though I usually use coconut sugar or honey as natural sweeteners, this recipe turns out best with granulated white sugar, which provides sweetness and helps with texture. You’ll divide the sugar between the creaming and the egg whites. This cake doesn’t have as much sugar as most traditional cakes, I find it perfectly balanced, but if you want a sweeter cake you can increase the sugar to 1 cup or more.
Eggs. Essential for structure, moisture, and lift. This recipe separates the eggs so that the whites can be whipped for a lighter texture and extra lift. Use large pastured eggs when available, and make sure they are at room temperature.
Coconut Flour. I use Bob Red Mill organic coconut flour for all my recipes. Make sure to weight the coconut flour rather than measuring in cups and sift it for best texture.
Lemon juice and zest. This is where all the bright lemon flavor comes from. Use fresh, organic lemons if possible. This recipe uses the zest of about 1 lemon and the juice of 2–3 lemons. Use a microplane or box grater for zesting, and a lemon juicer to make juicing effortless.
Water or Milk. Extra liquid to balance the highly absorbent coconut flour. Use water for a lighter cake, or milk to add some extra fat and moisture. Use room temperature liquid.
Honey. Just one tablespoon of honey add a touch of extra moisture, sweetness, and a gentle floral note.
Vanilla. Enhances flavor and adds depth. Use a good organic vanilla extract made with real vanilla rather than artificial flavors like this one.
Baking Powder and Baking Soda. Help the cake rise and provide structure. Use aluminum-free baking soda (like this one) and powder. I like using this baking powder that is aluminum-free, corn-free, GMO-free, and paleo-friendly.
Sea Salt. Balances the sweetness and enhances overall flavor. I love Redmond Real Salt for it unique flavor and health benefits.
Tools You May Need
Scale and measuring cups.
Large mixing bowls (2 or 3).
Hand or stand mixer.
Silicone spatula.
Sieve for coconut flour.
Two 6-inch or 8-inch baking pans, or one 9×13-inch pan.
How to Make this Coconut Flour Lemon Cake
Make the cake
Step 1: Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C) and grease two 6″ or 8″ pans, or one 9×13″ pan.
Step 2: In a large bowl or stand mixer, cream 1/2 cup of softened butter, about half the sugar (~6 tablespoons), one tablespoon of honey, and one tablespoon of lemon zest until fluffy.
Step 3: Separate the 6 eggs. Place the egg whites in a separate large bowl and set aside. Add the egg yolks into the creamed butter one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add one teaspoon of vanilla and beat on medium until fluffy.
Step 4: Combine 120 grams coconut flour, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon baking soda. Sift them through a fine-mesh sieve into the butter and egg mixture. Beat on low just until combined. Do not overmix.
Step 5: Add 1/2 cup water and 1/ cup lemon juice into the batter and beat on low until just incorporated. Let the batter rest for a few minutes to thicken.
Step 6: Meanwhile, whisk the egg whites and remaining sugar at high speed until soft peaks form and the mixture looks soft and glossy.
Step 7: Gently fold the whipped egg whites into the batter in 2–3 additions. Use a silicone or wooden spatula, cutting through the center and folding over gently while rotating the bowl. Fold just until evenly incorporated.
Step 8: Pour the batter into the prepared pan(s), level the surface gently, and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Approximate baking times:
- 35–40 minutes for two 6″ pans
- 25–30 minutes for two 8″ pans
- 30–35 minutes for one 9×13″ pan
Step 9: Once baked, let the cakes cool on a rack before removing from the pans. Cool completely (you can refrigerate them) before frosting.
Frost the cake (optional)
Step 1: Prepare your frosting of choice. For my healthy lemon frosting with lemon curd and whipped cream, find the full recipe and instructions in this post.
Step 2: Once the cakes are completely cool, frost them using a spatula or piping bag. Decorate with lemon slices, zest, or edible flowers if desired.
Step 3: Serve and enjoy! Store the frosted cake in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes and tips
- Make sure the butter is softened and all ingredients (eggs, lemon juice, water) are at room temperature to help the batter mix smoothly and bake evenly.
- Weight the coconut flour with a kitchen scale rather than using measuring cups.
- Make sure not to overmix the batter once you add the dry ingredients and not to deflate the egg whites when folding them in, or you’ll end up with a dense cake that won’t rise well.
- If you don’t have two round pans, bake in batches. The batter weighs about 1000 grams, so use 500 grams per pan. Don’t refrigerate the batter before baking.
- Add parchment paper to the bottom of your cake pans to help remove the cakes from the pans cleanly.
If you try this recipe and love it, drop me a comment down below and don’t forget to leave me a 5-star review!
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Lemon Cake with Coconut Flour (Grain-Free, Gluten-Free)
Equipment
- Scale and measuring cups.
- Large mixing bowls (2 or 3).
- Hand or stand mixer.
- Silicone spatula
- Sieve for coconut flour.
- Two 6-inch or 8-inch baking pans, or one 9×13-inch pan.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (115 grams) butter softened
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 6 eggs divided
- 120 grams coconut flour (about 1 cup + 1 tbsp)
- 1/2 cup lemon juice
- 1/2 cup water or milk
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
Instructions
Make the lemon cake
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C) and grease two 6" or 8" pans, or one 9×13" pan
- In a large bowl or stand mixer, cream softened butter, about half the sugar, honey, and lemon zest until fluffy.
- Separate the eggs. Place the egg whites in a separate large bowl and set aside. Add the egg yolks into the creamed butter one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla and beat on medium until fluffy.
- Combine coconut flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Sift them through a fine-mesh sieve into the butter and egg mixture. Beat on low just until combined. Do not overmix.
- Add water and lemon juice into the batter and beat on low until just incorporated. Let the batter rest for a few minutes to thicken.
- Meanwhile, whisk the egg whites and remaining sugar at high speed until soft peaks form and the mixture looks glossy.
- Gently fold the whipped egg whites into the batter in 2–3 additions. Use a silicone or wooden spatula, cutting through the center and folding over gently while rotating the bowl. Fold just until evenly incorporated.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan(s), level the surface gently, and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Approximate baking times:35–40 minutes for two 6" pans25–30 minutes for two 8" pans30–35 minutes for one 9×13" pan
- Once baked, let the cakes cool on a rack before removing from the pans. Cool completely (you can refrigerate them) before frosting.
Frost the cake (optional)
- Prepare your frosting of choice. For my healthy lemon frosting with lemon curd and whipped cream, find the full recipe and instructions in this post.
- Once the cakes are completely cool, frost them using a spatula or piping bag. Decorate with lemon slices, zest, or edible flowers if desired.
- Serve and enjoy! Store the frosted cake in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Make sure the butter is softened and all ingredients (eggs, lemon juice, water) are at room temperature to help the batter mix smoothly and bake evenly.
- Weight the coconut flour with a kitchen scale rather than using measuring cups.
- Make sure not to overmix the batter once you add the dry ingredients and not to deflate the egg whites when folding them in, or you’ll end up with a dense cake that won’t rise well.
- If you don’t have two round pans, bake in batches. The batter weighs about 1000 grams, so use 500 grams per pan. Don’t refrigerate the batter before baking.
- Add parchment paper to the bottom of your cake pans to help remove the cakes from the pans cleanly.
Wow, this sounds absolutely fabulous! I’m saving this one for satisfying my lemony cake cravings! Great ingredients, and the frosting looks plain awesome!