A gluten free Meyer lemon cake made in the rich Sicilian tradition using the whole fruit and sweet almond flour for a fabulously bold lemon dessert.
When life gives you Meyer lemons…
My Meyer lemon cake is an ingredient driven recipe, meaning you keep it in the back of your mind so that when you happen upon gorgeous Meyer lemons, you know exactly what to do. The Sicilians have been making this type of cake with whole lemons (peel and all) and almond flour for centuries so you can trust the method, even if it seems a bit unconventional!
My Flourless Tangerine Cake was the inspiration here. There is no wheat flour in the recipe, just almond flour, so it has a moist dense texture and is naturally gluten free. And the flavor? It’s the essence of ‘lemony-ness’.
Table of contents
What you’ll need for a Meyer lemon cake
- Meyer lemons, preferably organic
- Meyer lemons are a hybrid citrus fruit thought to be a cross between a citron and a mandarin/pomelo. They have thinner skin, are less acidic, and have a sweeter more floral flavor than regular lemons. Because we are using the whole fruit, peel and all, it makes sense to buy organic.
- almond flour
- almond flour comes in several different forms, I like fine almond flour for baking.
- large eggs
- sugar
- baking powder
- lemon paste or extract
- I use lemon paste by Neisen-Massey. It’s a thick flavoring paste made from lemon oil. Look for labels that specify “pure” or “natural” flavor extracts for authentic citrus taste. I find that a good quality lemon extract or paste does make a difference in this cake, but you can leave it out if you like.
Why do you need Meyer lemons for this recipe?
This recipe uses the whole fruit, peel and all, in the cake batter. Meyer lemons have thin peels, are sweeter in flavor and less acidic than regular lemons, so you can use the whole thing without ending up without any bitterness in your cake.
Where to buy Meyer lemons
Meyer lemons are in peak season from December to March, so look for them in larger supermarkets, Whole Foods, Costco, and Trader Joe’s, for starters. If you don’t see them, ask your friendly produce manager!
You can always order them online, too.
Whole lemon cake method
- Wash, cut and de-seed your Meyer lemons.
- Puree in a blender or food processor until smooth.
- Beat eggs and sugar until pale and creamy.
- Blend in lemon puree, extract, and baking powder.
- Fold in almond flour.
- Bake.
Meyer lemon cake FAQs
Why do I need to buy organic lemons for this cake?
- We’re using the whole fruit, peel and all, so choosing organic lemons minimizes your exposure to potentially harmful chemicals.
What’s the point of using whole lemons in this cake?
- Using the whole Meyer lemons gives a different, more intense lemon flavor to this cake. The thick fruit puree also creates a very moist dense texture that’s super appealing.
Why can’t I just use regular lemons for this cake?
- You could, especially if you choose thin skinned fruit and trim off the ends to reduce some of the excess peel. Regular lemons will give a more bitter flavor to this cake, so it depends on your preference. Bottom line: Meyer lemons make the best tasting cake.
How else can I garnish this cake?
- You can drizzle or frost with a simple lemon juice/powdered sugar glaze.
- You can also serve with whipped cream.
- It would be lovely topped with raspberries, blueberries, or blackberries.
- Use my easy lace stencil technique, here, to decorate the surface for a beautiful presentation.
What to expect from this cake
This moist and super lemony whole lemon cake is a tried and true recipe rooted in an Italian baking tradition that goes back generations. The lemon puree + almond flour give the cake a loose crumb texture that I love.
Using whole lemons with their peel gives the cake a slightly different flavor than you might be used to. If you’ve had marmalade you know the pleasant bitterness that citrus peel imparts.
Using sweet mellow Meyer lemons makes this cake bright and delicious, I highly recommend!
Featured comment:
“I made this and brought it to a dinner party and it was a huge hit! This will be my go to recipe when I want to impress people from now on. So delicious and pretty!” ~Meg
Meyer Lemon Cake
Equipment
- 9 inch springform pan
Ingredients
- 3-4 Meyer lemons, or approximately 12 oz, to yield 1 cup of whole lemon puree
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 cups almond flour. I use fine almond flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp lemon paste
topping
- confectioner's sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Butter your 9 inch springform pan and dust with almond flour.
- Wash and cut the lemons into quarters. Remove any seeds and discard.
- Once you have removed all the seeds, put everything into a high speed blender or food processor. Process until finely pureed. You may need to pulse the machine at first, and scrape down the sides as necessary to get everything smooth. Measure out 1 cup of puree for this recipe.
- Beat the eggs and the sugar until pale in color. Blend in the lemon puree, the lemon extract and the baking powder.
- Fold in the almond meal and mix until well combined.
- Turn the batter into your prepared pan. Smooth out the surface so it is even.
- Bake for about 45-50 minutes, just until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool on a rack for 10 minutes, then gently release the sides of the pan and remove the cake.
- Dust with powdered sugar and serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- 3 Tbsp unsalted butter
- juice of 1 lemon
- 1 1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar
Nutrition
I want to make thjis recipe as cupcakes. Is there a substitution for lemon paste?
You can use a bit of lemon extract, but be careful, a little goes a long way with some brands.
I live in SoCal and I have a Meyer lemon tree. So I’m always wondering what to do with all those lemons. This recipe is a keeper. I already made it twice. I used a square 9 x 9 pan lined with parchment paper and it was perfect. The lemony flavor is the best that I have tasted in a cake And I love that it’s gluten-free ! Thanks again for another great recipe Sue. Keep them coming! You’re the best!
I’m SO glad you loved this one Darlene, it’s a fave of mine. I used to live in SoCal and treasured those citrus trees. I’m happy I could help you make the most of them 🙂
I’ve only nibbled at the edges so far, but this is a fabulous cake! Very moist and incredibly lemony. And so simple to make. I ended up making it in mini-loaf pans instead of a springform pan and it seems to have worked out beautifully. A bit crumbly as to be expected with almond flour, but that just meant I got a bit to snack on before everyone else.
Can you use regular lemons if you can’t find Meyer lemons?
If you can find small thin skinned lemons it should work, but I wouldn’t use thick skinned lemons.
I made this to take to a women’s group meeting, one member is celiac. Everyone raved! I copied this a while ago I guess because the recipe said to boil the lemon and I followed that recipe.
There were 10 women in the group and there was a bit of cake left. One woman was taking a bite of her cake to her husband to let him taste,, I told her to take the remaining.
I’ve never met her husband, he had her call me so he could tell me that the cake was spectacular.
It is.
Wow Carlin, thanks! Yes, this recipe was updated recently, you might want to try the new revised recipe as well!
In your previous version of this recipe I think the lemons were supposed to be boiled first. I’m curious why this newer recipe omits that part. Was boiling a way to reduce bitterness? If not boiled will the cake be more bitter? I’m just curious. Cake is in the oven & lemons were not boiled first.
Thanks!
Boiling is meant to reduce bitterness, but it does blunt the fresh lemon flavor, in my opinion. Meyer lemons are sweeter and mellower than regular lemons, so the boiling isn’t an important step in their case.
I can’t wait to try this recipe. Having said that, would you please send the old recipe too? I’m actually going to try both of them. Thanks!
Sure!