Many people have tried this now and no one thinks of it as a gluten free cake. It’s just a delicious cake! Love the coconut + lemon + almond meal combination, and the springy, moist crumb. BONUS: Just about the fastest, easiest cake recipe I know.
Lemon coconut almond cake
This is a cake that is as delightfully easy to make as it is delicious to eat. Just put everything in a bowl and mix! There’s no need to whip softened butter or pull out your electric beater.
It’s been likened to the fan favourite orange cake in texture – springy yet with an appealing moistness about it. And the flavour! Adore, adore, adore the coconut lemon combination. Idea swiped from my local coffee shop where I’ve been eyeing lemon coconut cake bars for years. This is my copycat.
I don’t actually know if theirs is gluten-free. Mine is, because I’ve never come across a flour-based cake recipe with a crumb as moist as you can make using almond meal.
What you need for this lemon coconut almond cake
Here’s what you need to make this lovely cake:
Almond meal (aka ground almonds) – This is raw almonds that are blitzed into a fine powder. Easily found nowadays, sold in the dried fruit & nut section and health food section of grocery stores. Or make your own by blitzing raw, unpeeled, unsalted almonds in a powerful blender (I use a Vitamix) until it becomes a fine powder.
Almond flour can also be used (not as common here in Australia). It’s finer so gives the cake a slightly fluffier texture and less almond flavour. Hazelnut meal can also be substituted though you’ll have lovely hazelnut flavour instead of almond.
Butter – The fat in this recipe, gives it a beautiful buttery flavour.
Baking powder – This is what makes the cake rise.
Eggs – Make sure they are at room temperature so they incorporate more easily into the batter.
Coconut – Desiccated coconut which is finely shredded, unsweetened coconut. Standard shredded coconut (which is like fine strands) will work but you’ll get more coconut texture in the cake. I don’t think coconut flakes (shavings) will work in this cake, it’s not absorbent enough.
Sugar – Use caster / superfine sugar if you can because it is finer so it will dissolve easier. Otherwise, regular / granulated sugar can be used.
Vanilla extract – For flavour. Not to be confused with artificial vanilla essence which is…well, artificial. So not as nice!
Lemon – We are only using the zest in this cake, for beautiful lemon flavour. Because the zest is where all the lemon flavour is – the juice is mostly just sour.
Flaked almonds – for sprinkling on the surface. Adds lovely texture to the cake, looks good and protects the surface from browning too much. But you can skip it you don’t have it!
Salt – Standard inclusion in most of my sweet recipes these days. Just a touch, to bring out the flavours in this cake. Doesn’t make it salty!
How to make lemon coconut cake
Put everything in a bowl and MIX! How good would life be if all baking recipes were this easy??? (Though, my waistline begs to differ).
Melt the butter in a bowl using your microwave.
Wet ingredients – Whisk in all the other wet ingredients (eggs, vanilla, sugar – yes, sugar is considered a wet ingredient in baking because it liquifies when mixed with other wet ingredients).
Dry ingredients – Whisk in the almond meal, coconut, baking powder, salt and zest.
Pour it into a 20cm/8″ lined round cake pan. DO NOT skip lining the pan! Even greasing very generously is not enough to stop it from sticking to the pan, no matter how non-stick you think your pan is. (As you might have guessed, I’m speaking from first hand experience here).
Bake 40 minutes – Sprinkle the surface with almonds then bake for 40 minutes at 180°C/350°F (160°C fan) or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.
Cool for 1 hour before cutting to serve. I was a bit impatient in early versions and found that because the cake is quite moist, it can appear undercooked if you cut it while still warm. (But it’s not undercooked, it just looks that way if you cut while still hot!).
Serve it plain!
While some cakes I recommend serving with a dollop of cream, ice cream or other such accompaniment, this is a cake that definitely stands on its own two feet. Great flavour (lemon + coconut with a hint of almond) with a very moist crumb which is virtually impossible to replicate with flour-based cakes.
So it’s a great cake for taking places – such as for a work morning tea, book club, school bake sale. Just cut and serve. And those who are gluten-intolerant can enjoy it too. Though honestly, don’t just make this because you need a gluten-free cake. Make it because it’s just a really great cake that happens to be just about one of the easiest, quickest cake recipes I know. – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
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Easy Lemon Coconut Almond Cake
Ingredients
- 150g / 10 tbsp unsalted butter
- 4 large eggs (55-60g/2oz each), at room temp
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup caster sugar (superfine sugar, Note 2)
- 1 1/2 cups almond meal (ground almond, Note 1)
- 1/4 tsp cooking/kosher salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 cup desiccated coconut (US: finely shredded unsweetened coconut)
- 1 1/2 tsp lemon zest (1 large lemon)
- 1/4 cup flaked almonds , optional (Note 3)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C fan). Grease a 20cm/8” round cake pan (or springform pan) with butter then line with paper.
- Melt butter – Place the butter in a large microwavable bowl and melt in the microwave. Let cool for a couple of minutes.
- Wet ingredients – Add egg, vanilla and sugar and whisk until combined.
- Dry ingredients – Add almond meal, salt, baking powder, coconut and lemon zest. Whisk until combined.
- Bake 40 minutes – Pour into pan. Sprinkle over almonds. Bake 40 minutes. Cool 15 minutes in pan then carefully turn out onto cooling rack.
- Cool at least 1 hour before cutting slices to serve. Moist enough to serve plain – doesn't need cream or anything!
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Life of Dozer
Eyeing end of day remnants in a glass cabinet like it’s a big juicy steak.
I’m not a baker at all but this is a definitely a keeper! Super easy and delicious. Thank you
Hi. Can this cake be frozen if I make a few for a party.
Made this. Super easy. Super delicious. Cake got inhaled within minutes! 🤣 Need to double the recipe next time. Thanks for the recipe
What could you use instead of egg
Made this cake 3 times since my family and friends love it, it’s that good! Nice moist crumb and right amount of sweetness. I adjusted the butter to 120g as I found the cake a bit too buttery at 150g and it was perfect!
EXACTLY! 10 tablespoons of butter doesn’t equal 150g. It is closer to 142g.
Can make this cake with oil instead of butter?
Yes you totally can! The traditional recipe of torta caprese al limone calls for olive oil, and it’s divine! 75-100ml should be enough for the quantities in this recipe.
Doubled this and made it as a four layered version with Nagi’s coconut butter cream icing and cut a hole in the middle of the bottom 3 layers to make a pinata filled with easter eggs. It turned out perfectly – thanks again!
Im wanting to make as a layered one too! How did you make it 4 layers? Did you cut 2, or make 4 smaller cakes? Thanks so much!
Hi Nagi & Dozer, such a delicious cake & super easy, thank you! I have made it twice now & it will be a regular for us. One correction for you though – the recipe says it lasts for 5 days. The best we have made it last is 5 hours!! That’s how good this cake is. Have a great day.
Comes together quick! I didn’t have a really large lemon, so I also added some lemon juice…I think I would add more next time. I also used almond extract instead of vanilla. I took another’s suggestion and made a lemon glaze for the top, and I’m glad I did. Would definitely make this again! Thank you for a great recipe.
Hi Nagi, I would love to try the lemon, coconut almond cake but cannot get almond meal or almond flour. Would it work with ordinary flour?
Absolutely beautiful cake.
Made it for my daughter who is gluten intolerant. So much nicer than the usual orange almond cake.
The lemon and coconut is brilliant. The cake is so easy and is so moist even after three days.
Daughter is also lactose intolerant so substituted butter for Nuttlex blend which worked fine
Made this awesome cake for company today. Rave reviews!! Definitely my new go-to cake. Thanks Nagi!
The best cake, and so easy. I made one for dessert on Good Friday and made another today, Easter Monday. So good!
Made this today for Easter dessert. As before, I made my own almond meal (ground up the almonds in a mini food processor). It was SO good the first time I made it, my kiddos asked for it for Easter. This cake was done at 35 minutes in my electric oven. So moist, lovely crumb, and oh the lemon, coconut and almonds flavors. Delish. Thank you!
Could I bake this as muffins? How much time would it take?
I am curious as well. Have you tried it?
Hello, this cake is fantastic. Has anyone tried freezing it?
This is delicious and so easy to make. Going to be my go to.
This cake smells amazing while cooking and it has a very nice consistency. This cake is very coconut heavy and I would have preferred it to be stronger on the lemon flavour and lighter on the coconut flavour, but if you love coconut then you’ll love the cake.
Looks yum. But personally I do not like the egg taste in cakes. Can I use 3 eggs or less? Or how do I make this cake eggless? Any recommendations please. Thank you.
I followed this recipe exactly as written, except substituted erythritol for sugar… it came out incredibly dry. I’m not sure what has gone wrong? 🙁 Any ideas?
I haven’t cooked with ethritol – but I know that sugar becomes a liquid when you cook with it. Adjusting sugar will affect moistness.