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
Is there a difference between almond flour and almond meal? If so, what is it?
They’re similar, almond flour is just ground a little finer, and often from blanched almonds (without skins) ~ while meal is a little coarser, and sometimes contains almond skins. You can use either, but almond flour yields a finer texture.
There have been a lot of questions about whether or not coconut flour can be used. Yes, it can–but it cannot replace ALL the almond flour. You can replace 1 cup of almond flour with 1/2 cup of coconut flour plus 1 extra egg. Both texture and flavor were good!
You can also bake this in a 9″ round metal cake pan. Grease the pan, cut a strip of parchment as wide as the interior, and make sure it overlaps on either side. Then grease the parchment. Let the cake rest for the 10 min after baking, loosen the sides of the cake from the pan and use the parchment overhang to carefully lift it out and place it on the rack for the rest of the cooling period.
One of your users mentioned using 1 cup applesauce plus the juice and zest of 2 regular lemons. I did exactly that (i had no Meyer lemons, sadly) and it worked great.
Finally, if you use Swerve, be aware that it’s not really a 1-for-1 substitute. You’ll need more like 1-1/3 cups of Swerve or the cake will be less sweet.
Great info Sue, thanks!
Could this be done in a regular 9″ round cake pan, Pyrex specifically? I don’t have a springform or tart pan with removable bottom.
thanks!
The issue is that it’s a delicate cake. If you lined it with parchment on the bottom you might be able to remove it, but not sure. You could also just serve it in the pan. Be aware that glass tends to cook hotter than other types of pans so watch that when baking.
Can you use regular lemons instead of Meyer ? Thanks for your help
You can try, but regular lemons have thicker, more bitter rinds.
This has become one of my all time favorite recipes and I’ve made in a good 8-10 times. But my icing always looked less appealing than your photo’s for some reason. The lemon seemed to ‘separate’ a bit. Tasted amazing but didn’t look pretty. So I’ve come up with this slight modification and it still tastes great but now looks smooth and attractive. I think the big trick is the Cream Cheese which when mixed well with butter, prior to adding sugar makes a really smooth icing (or is it a frosting whatever the difference is). The zest gives it a great flavor and allows a slight reduction in lemon juice so it’s not too watery. :
NEW lemon icing
2 oz full-fat cream cheese, a little softer than room temperature
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, a little softer than room temperature
180 grams confectioners’ sugar, more if needed
2 teaspoons fresh lemon zest
lemon juice from 1 med lemons, Add as necessary to keep thick correct consistency
1/4 teaspoon Pure lemon extract
Pinch salt
In a large bowl using a handheld electric mixer (or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment) beat the cream cheese and butter on medium-speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Reduce the speed to low and gradually add in the confectioners sugar. Add in lemon zest, lemon juice, lemon extract, and salt; beat until combined. Increase the speed back to medium and mix until creamy, about 2 minutes until very light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. If the frosting seems too thin, add a little more confectioners’ sugar, starting with one tablespoon at a time; if the frosting seems to thick, add in a little cream cheese, starting one tablespoon at a time.
Just lovely, I’m going to try your frosting next time, thanks SO much for the detailed feedback!
I made this for a Passover Seder last night and everyone loved it! Thank you so much for the wonderful recipe!
Thanks for taking the time to come back and comment Michelle ~ have a wonderful Passover 🙂
Any reason I couldn’t double the recipe and make a layer cake with the lemon icing between layers?
This cake has a different kind of texture from a regular cake, Lynda, very dense and moist. I guess you could do it as a layer cake, it would just be very rich.
Can you substitute low carb sugar for regular sugar?
I think if you use the granulated form, in equal amounts, it should be fine.
I made the cake and it sunk in the center. Any thoughts?
It sounds like it wasn’t cooked long enough, Marlene. Ovens vary so much, and your batter could have been a little more liquid. Check your oven temperature with a thermometer to make sure it’s on point.
From Nika Hazelton’s Kitchen
Dessert Orange Cake
She says it is Sephardic and uses 6 eggs
I will try Meyer Lemon. Sounds great.