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

Hi Sue! I am both gluten and almond intolerant so I was wondering if there was any other flour you can recommend on using to try this! I´ll appreciate your comments!
Hi Andrea — this recipe is kind of a traditional recipe built around almond flour, so I’m not sure how to substitute. In other words, I think the texture of a nut meal is what’s required. If you can tolerate another nut, that might work, like hazelnut meal? I know the flavor would be altered, for sure. Trader Joe’s sells it.
I am diabetic so flourless equals less carbs. I have a thin skinned seedless lemon tree not Meyer lemons. The bitterness in citrus comes mostly from the white pith just under the rind. I used 4 lemons, boiled as recipe, then I carefully removed pulp and juice. I then with a spoon scraped the pith off the rinds of 2 lemons and tossed it in the trash. I used those 2 rinds only. I put the lemon in a blender and added the juice of 1 lemon and some water as with pureeing the lemon pulp thickened and needed liquid to get it smooth. I used about 1/3 c xylitol sugar and 2/3 c Splenda as sweetener,(again to cut carbs). Baked it for 55 minutes and it was delicious! Just the right amount of sweet and super lemony and moist. I did not find it bitter at all. Great recipe and now I can have lemon cake without raising my blood sugar.
I’m so happy for you Trudy, and I’m sure this will be helpful to other low carb and diabetic eaters as well, thanks so much for taking the time to write down your method.
Made this last night. I was nervous about bitterness because I didn’t have Meyer lemons, but it came out great! I had about 6 small lemons so after boiling I puréed all of the insides but only used 3 of the peels -trying to cut down on potential bitterness, and it was perfect! Great moist texture, just enough sourness. Lovely recipe !!
Also, the question marks ^ were supposed to be a thumbs up. I guess emojis don’t work! *oops*
I CANNOT believe that this is flourless. This lemon cake looks SINFUL. I need a slice!
🙂
Cann ot find the recipe. Can you email it to me?
Sure, no problem 🙂
Could I use lemon curd if I’m too lazy?
Not for this cake I’m afraid, Brenda, curd is so different in texture and composition from the puree you use for this cake, sorry!
This cake is genius. I can’t wait to make it!
I made this cake tonight with one Meyer lemon and a handful of kumquats. It was delicious. Moist, nice texture and not too sweet. I did not bother with frosting, just a dusting of powdered sugar and some candied kumquat slices for garnish. Lovely recipe, super simple to prepare yet very sophisticated looking. Thank you.
Please share hints on how you achieved your kumquat variation. And how did you candy kumquats? Family has a personal link to kumquats – I would LOVE to duplicate
Please.
Thank you! !
Sounds heavenly. Love anything lemony. Will try for my friend’s birthday! Thanks.
I would love to try this cake for passover this year, but because I am having 23 people I would like to try and make it in advance. Can I freeze it?
I think this will freeze ok, Mari, just frost it before serving.