This gluten free lemon cake recipe couldn’t be easier to make! Plus, this healthier lemon cake is made completely with natural ingredients like almond flour, olive oil, and honey.

WHY I MADE THIS GLUTEN FREE LEMON CAKE

Lemon olive oil cake is such a perfect dessert for spring. When I’m not munching on Vegan Carrot Cake Cookies or Lemon Zest Strawberry Shortcakes, I’m indulging in a lemon cake. This one, to be exact.

I made this healthier lemon cake recipe because I love dessert but I don’t love how “blah” I feel after eating most cakes. So, I wanted to bake a spring cake that I could eat without the getting the “blahs” after, you know what I mean? I’m happy to report that this gluten free cake recipe avoids just that.

I enjoyed eating this healthier lemon cake with an easy homemade lemon whipped cream (recipe below) and a sprinkle of rose petals. I find that it just elevates the whole thing up, and tastes delicious too!

MY HEALTHIER LEMON CAKE RECIPE

The full recipe for this healthy olive oil lemon cake is below, but here’s an overview:

• Prepare the cake: In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, honey, lemon juice, lemon zest, vanilla, and eggs until smooth. Add in the almond flour, tapioca flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix until a thick batter forms.
• Bake the cake: Transfer the cake batter to the prepared pan, spreading it in an even layer. Bake until the cake is golden brown and set in the middle.
• Cool the cake: Carefully remove the cake from the cake pan and cool completely on a wire rack.
• Prepare the lemon cream: Add all ingredients to the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk for about 3-5 minutes, until soft peaks form. Add more honey to taste.

HONEY LEMON CAKE KEY INGREDIENTS

• Olive oil: provides moisture for our cake
• Honey: the source of natural sweetness
• Lemons: for flavor and additional moisture
• Vanilla: for flavor!
• Eggs: richness, texture, and structure
• Almond flour: the base of our gluten free cake
• Tapioca flour: adds a delicate crumb and texture to the cake, making it better than using just almond flour alone

HOW LONG DOES CAKE TAKE TO MAKE?

The full recipe is below, but this cake takes just 40 minutes to make! That’s right, you can enjoy this tasty gluten free lemon cake less than hour after you start making it.

• Prep time: 10 minutes
• Bake time: 30 minutes

You can also prepare the optional lemon whipped cream while the cake it baking (or cooling). It takes just about 5 minutes to make, so you’ll get to enjoy this delicious cake and lemon cream in no time.

HOW TO STORE THIS LEMON CAKE?

You can store any leftover cake in an airtight container, out of direct sunlight, at room temperature for up to 3 days.

For longer term storage, you can store the cake in the fridge (in an airtight container) for up to a week. You can also slice the cake and freeze it for even longer storage! Just thaw the frozen cake slices in the fridge overnight or at room temperature for a few hours.

You can also store the homemade lemon cream in the fridge for a few days, and add a dollop of fresh cream to your cake whenever you want it! Whip it up again briefly again if it deflates too much while sitting in the fridge, though.

GLUTEN FREE LEMON CAKE FAQ

1. Can I substitute the almond flour with another flour?
Not directly. Almond flour behaves differently than wheat or coconut flour. Substituting it will change the texture and moisture level significantly, so I recommend sticking with almond flour for this recipe.

2. What can I use instead of tapioca flour?
Arrowroot starch or cornstarch are the best substitutes in a 1:1 ratio. They help bind the cake and add a lighter, more tender crumb than using just almond flour alone.

3. How lemony is the cake? Can I add more lemon?
This cake has a great lemon flavor. For even more punch, add extra zest or use lemon olive oil instead of regular olive oil for this cake.

4. Can I make this into cupcakes or muffins?
I haven’t tried it yet, but I don’t see why not! You can scoop the cake batter into cupcake liners and try baking for about 18–22 minutes. Adjust time and test for doneness as needed. Let me know how it turns out!

5. Can I make this cake ahead of time?
Yes! You can bake the cake a day in advance and store tightly wrapped at room temperature.

You can also store the homemade lemon cream in the fridge for a few days, and add a dollop of fresh cream to your cake whenever you want it! Whip it up again briefly again if it deflates too much while sitting in the fridge, though.

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If you love this recipe be sure to leave a review! And feel free to reach out to me with any questions or comments via my Contact page. You’ll hear back from me soon!

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Healthier Lemon Cake

This gluten free lemon cake is make with natural ingredients like olive oil, almond flour, and honey to create a moist and light lemon cake that's perfect for parties. Serve with refined sugar free lemon cream for the ultimate spring treat.

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes minutes

Servings: 8 servings

Equipment

• Cake Pans
• Hand Mixer

Ingredients

Lemon Cake

• 1/4 c olive oil
• 1/2 c honey or maple syrup
• Juice of 1 large lemon
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 eggs room temperature
• 2 1/4 c almond flour
• 1/4 c tapioca flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• Pinch of salt
• Extra lemon zest for topping

Lemon Cream

• 1 c heavy whipping cream or, cold coconut cream
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 2 tbsp honey or maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 F. Line the bottom of an 8″ cake pan with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, honey (or maple syrup), lemon juice, lemon zest, vanilla, and eggs until smooth.
• Add in the almond flour, tapioca flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix until a thick batter forms.
• Transfer the cake batter to the prepared cake pan, spreading it into an even layer.
• Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the cake is golden brown and set in the middle. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean.
• Cool the cake on a wire rack for 30 minutes, or until cool to the touch. Carefully remove the cake from the cake pan and cool completely on a wire rack.

Lemon Cream

• As the cake cools, prepare the lemon cream. Add all ingredients to the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk for about 3-5 minutes, until soft peaks form. The whisk attachment should leave streaks in the whipped cream, but it should not be fully whipped. (You can also do this step with a hand mixer).
• Taste the lemon cream, and add more honey (or maple syrup) to taste.
• Serve slices of the lemon cake with a dollop of the lemon cream, and sprinkle of lemon zest.