Low FODMAP Lemon Almond Cake
This gluten-free, dairy-free Lemon Almond Cake is simple, elegant and quite unusual. You can read the history of the orange almond cake that it was based upon in our Clementine Almond Cake recipe.
The unusual aspect to make note of is that you will be using the whole lemons!
They are poached in water until meltingly soft, then the entire fruit is puréed in the food processor and used in a very simple cake batter comprised of ground almonds, sugar, eggs and a smidgeon of baking powder.
A Few Ingredients Go A Long Way
The result is a very simple but truly intriguing cake. I like it best alongside a cup of hot black tea. It isn’t what you would use for a fancy birthday cake or for children.
It is a cake to make when you want something that true lemon and almond aficionados would appreciate. You should make it when you have to bake a cake a day ahead – even two days ahead – and the cake is even better for it.
Make it for your gluten-free friends, and those that need dairy and lactose-free. This is a versatile cake!
Clementines vs. Lemons
This cake is essentially the same as our Clementine Almond Cake with two differences. I have added 1 additional tablespoon of sugar to this lemon cake, to temper the acidity. Also, this cake really does need to sit.
I actually was disappointed the first time I made it, but I had tasted it right after it had cooled. So I wrapped it up and put it aside. I came back to it the next day and what a difference!
The texture and especially the flavors had melded and changed for the better. The following day it hit its peak, so plan accordingly.
If all that hasn’t convinced you, it is also so easy you can memorize it and bake it on the fly. Ready to try? Let’s dive in.
If you are looking for a flourless chocolate dessert, try our Flourless Chocolate Cake.
And for lemon lovers, be sure to check out our Low FODMAP Lemon Loaf and a basic, lemon curd.
Lemon Almond Cake
This Lemon Almond Cake is very easy to make and is flourless making it a great gluten-free choice - and for the Passover table.
Ingredients:
- 3 to 4 (about 375 g) lemons, preferably organic, scrubbed
- 3 cups (258 g) sliced natural almonds
- 6 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 cup (198 g) plus 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder; use gluten-free if following a gluten-free diet
Preparation:
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Place lemons in a pot and cover with cold water by an inch (2.5 cm). Cover and bring to a boil, adjust heat and simmer for 1 hour. Keep covered, turn off heat and allow to cool for about 30 minutes.
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Position rack in middle of oven. Preheat oven to 375°F/190°C. Coat the inside of a 9-inch (23 cm) springform pan with nonstick spray; set aside.
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Meanwhile, pulverize the almonds in a food processor fitted with a metal blade. I pulse on and off, then let the machine run until you have ground the almonds very fine, but not until they get powdery. They should still have a little texture, but not much. Transfer the ground almonds to a small bowl; carefully wipe out the food processor with a paper towel and reassemble with metal blade.
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Remove the lemons from their poaching liquid (which can be discarded) and transfer to a cutting board. Slice them into quarters and pick out any seeds (see Tips). Place lemons, and any juice that has exuded from the lemons, into re-assembled food processor and pulse on and off, then process until a thick paste/purée forms; set aside.
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Beat eggs and sugar together with an electric mixer on high speed until they are thick and a ribbon forms when you drizzle the mixture back on itself. Fold in the ground almonds and baking powder until almost completely blended, then add puréed lemons and fold in until you get a well-blended batter. Scrape batter into prepared pan.
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Bake for 20 minutes, cover top with foil, turn oven down to 350°F/180°C and continue baking for about 40 minutes more or until a toothpick tests clean when inserted in the center. Cool pan on rack or about 20 minutes, then run an icing spatula between cake and pan, then release springform and remove outer ring. Allow cake to cool completely. Cake can be served the day it is made but we think it truly improves after a day or two. Wrap cooled cake in plastic wrap and store at room temperature until needed. Serve cake as is, or with a dusting of confectioners’ sugar or a few berries on the side.
Notes:
Tips
- In Step 4 I suggest removing the seeds, but truth be told I have pulverized the lemons, seeds and all, more often than not and the cake is fine. If you have a ton of seeds, take the time to remove them, but a seed or two won't make a difference. This is a simple, rustic cake - no need to stress over an errant seed!
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more. For a more detailed explanation, please read our article Understanding The Nutrition Panel Within Our Recipes.
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Hi! I am really excited to make this cake for Easter this year. I have 2 questions. First, when you take the lemons out of their poaching liquid and chop them up for pureeing, when you say juice in that part of the recipe, do you just mean any liquid that has come out of the lemons when chopping or do you mean the poaching liquid. Also, in that same part of the directions it says (see Tips) but I don’t see a tips section in the recipe. Just want to be sure i follow this recipe correctly.
Thanks!
Emily! Thank you for asking your question and pointing out the TIPS omission. I have updated the recipe. You have an eagle eye and we appreciate the time you took to write us. The poaching liquid is discarded. The lemons get chopped and any juice that exudes from the lemons gets added to the food processor. As for the missing Tip, it is about how sometimes I leave a stray seed or two in…with no problems. Go take a look. We think the instructions are clearer and we hope you love the cake as much as we do!
Hi Dede,
Thanks so much for the clarification! I look forward to making this cake. And thanks so much for this site. As a foodie with digestion issues, this site makes me believe that I can still eat food I love with little tweaks and modifications.
Emily
I just made this cake yesterday – and it is SPECTACULAR. While I have no concerns about gluten, I was looking for a recipe that could be low carb and suitable for Passover. Instead of sugar, I used Xylitol (with Passover certification). I used 3 cups of Costco’s superfine blanched almond flour instead of grinding my own almonds. Indeed, I found that it is less bitter the next day, but it wasn’t bad even right out of the oven. I would also like to try this using navel oranges, and separately with limes. Since Clementines work, I imagine limes or oranges would also work. I plan on making this on a regular basis. Thank you so much for developing this recipe.
Hi Gary, Thank you for letting us know we helped enhance your holiday table! FYI, xylitol is high FODMAP, so if you were attempting to create a low FODMAP variation, I am afraid that did not succeed. The good news is that if you tolerated it, then you learned about your reaction to xylitol!
Can I just use 258 gms of Almond Flour instead of grinding the almonds?
Yes you can go by weight.
The lemon cake sounds fabulous. Could I use maple syrup instead of sugar or what about ground up dates? Please advise on quantity of each, if you could. Thanks so much.
Hi Lynn, I wouldn’t make either of those substitutions. While maple syrup is low FODMAP, it would negatively alter this cake’s flavor and texture. Dates have a higher FODMAP content and you would not be able to use enough to provide sweetening for this cake, and again, they would truly change this cake and not for the better. Baking recipes are ratios and should never be tinkered with the first time they are made. Once you know what they are supposed to be like , which you can only assess through making and tasting, you could try adjustments BUT you not only have to take flavor, texture and yield into account by you have to re-calculate FODMAP load yourself.
can i swap hazelnut or walnut flours for almond as I’m allergic to almondns
Hi erika, Making substitutions for any low FODMAP recipe means that you will alter the outcome in terms of flavor, texture, even possibly yield and serving size, how the item cooks or bakes and also the FODMAP load. I cannot vouch for any of these substitutions as I have not tried them. I can tell you that walnuts can be very oily, and I do not think they would work well. Also, while almonds and hazelnuts share GOS as their FODMAP content, FODMAP Friendly tells us that walnuts contain fructans, sorbitol and GOS, so these swaps are not equal from a FODAMP perspective. You could try subbing with these nuts, but I would look at is a baking and FODMAP experiment best tried when you are stable and in your Challenge Phase.
I am very intrigued by this cake! What would be a low-FODMAP serving size? Monash app shows a green light for 10 almonds or 1/4 cup almond meal, which I imagine would translate to only a very tiny, skinny piece of cake. What is your recommendation?
The serving size is next to the Time Prep, near the top of the recipe proper. 1/24th of the cake is a serving.