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 hate to be dumb but if I read correctly besides the seeds – you put the whole lemon, rind and all in the food processor. Not just the pulp?
Right Patty!
thank you for asking! i was wondering the same thing!
I guess I need to be more clear in the recipe Marietta but yes, the whole lemon goes in, except the seeds.
It was amazing!!!!
DH loved it too! Perfect for Passover. Changes made: regular lemons because no Meyer lemons and used kosher for Passover powdered sugar
Thank you!!!! Will be making again.
I made this, and unfortunately neither the flavor or the texture was appealing, and I tossed it. Perhaps using a smaller processor bowl would have helped get the puree finer, but even after scraping down, and processing several times, mine still had tiny bits of unpleasant peel, which combined with almond meal texture, was not pleasant.
I used lovely Meyers from the Lemon Ladies, but I didn’t find the flavor of the cake to be very vibrant. Normally I love a less sweet dessert, but this one, unfortunately, just did not work for me.
Any thoughts on trying this with ruby red grape fruits?
Unfortunately I don’t think it would work Pj because grapefruit peel is so bitter, and much thicker too.
Thanks for your quick reply! I’ll get some meyer lemons today & try it.
Thank you for this recipe. Everyone loved the cake. I did not use Meyer lemons. Just some organic ones I wanted to use up. Turned out great. Can hardly wait to get ahold of some Meyers and try again.
How many lemons did you use?
I used 3 or 4 large Meyer lemons, Nancy, and that is to make 1 cup of puree for the recipe.
Your tangerine cake recipe specifies boiling the tangerines twice, while this lemon cake recipe specifies boiling the lemons once? Should the Meyer lemons be boiled twice to reduce bitterness (as with the tangerines)?
There are various methods for making cakes like this Laura, and I experimented with a few. Meyer lemons aren’t particularly bitter, so the single boiling is good.
I don’t normally leave negative reviews because I know how difficult it is to develop recipes. Unfortunately, this cake was very bitter. I followed the recipe exactly. I was making this cake for a gathering, so I tasted the batter before baking. It was very bitter so I ended up adding more sugar in hopes that the bitterness would lessen once baked. It did not.
I suggest doing what a previous commenter did by substituting applesauce, lemon juice, and lemon zest for the whole lemon puree.
Did you use Meyer lemons Megan, because that makes all the difference…the skins aren’t nearly as bitter as regular lemons. I do think that the bitterness in this cake should be pleasant, and regular lemons just don’t work. That said, maybe the substitutions will work for people who really don’t like bitter tastes at all. Thanks for the feedback!
I had the same experience. Used Meyers and it is bitter. Am the only one willing to eat it.
I live in FL and we have a tree we bought with a tag that says Meyer. However, these lemons have thick skins and my first try at this cake was a fail as well. Apparently there is more than one variety of Meyer lemon and now I only make it when I can find the thin skin Meyer lemons. I also order them from an organic lemon farm in CA. They come via the postal service and I use them for lemonade and this cake! They are usually smaller than thick skinned lemons and they have a distinctive sweeter smell.
Thanks Cindy!
I agree. I thought this would be a nice treat for my gluten free coworkers and I’m really disappointed. I followed the recipe and used Meyer lemons, but it’s not very pleasant. The look of the cake is somewhat rustic and lovely though. Perhaps I will try the applesauce too!
I love this recipe! I’ve never tried boiling the whole lemon and pureeing before, but it worked perfectly. It really adds that intense lemon flavor. I made this in a heavy stoneware large pie dish greased with coconut oil, and it worked well. I have a bunch of Meyer lemons left. I am going to try boiling, pureeing and freezing to use in future recipes. I hope it works!
Hello there. First, thanks for your recipe.
I want to do this cake for my wife, for her birthday, tomorrow… 😀 I’m late. It’s normal, because, she will have a surprise with friends on Saturday.
I don’t have lemon extract, i just essential oil of lemon. Can i use it? If yes, in the same proportions?
Well, i thank you.
Peace.
Also, i can’t get Meyer Lemons. What can i do? I have regular lemons and bergamot orange. 🙂
Thanks again.
If i use normal lemons, what Meyer Lemons were large, what weight of normal lemons should i use? What is the weight of a lemon?
Thank you again.
I love this cake! I used this as a base for a christmas safron cake and it’s just perfect. I’m making it for the second time right now, but a vegan version with flax eggs (last time I made it with regular eggs) I hope it turns out well! I highly recomend you to try add 0,5 or 1 g of safron to this recipe instead of the lemon extract, it is the best cake i ever made!
Well it turned out great. Straight substitute one cup of applesauce plus juice and zest of two lemons for the cooked lemons. The batter was slightly thinner and the texture was slightly lighter, but otherwise very comparable without the bitterness.