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This moist Lemon-Coconut Almond Flour Cake is not just a treat for those following a gluten-free or dairy-free diet but a delightful dessert everyone will love. The perfect cake for any occasion!
Lemon Almond Flour Cake with Coconut
I’m pretty obsessed with this lemon almond flour cake! It’s dairy-free, gluten-free and so delicious!! The recipe evolved from this original almond cake recipe, incorporating lemon and coconut while maintaining a gluten-free base with almond flour. Creating a gluten-free, dairy-free coconut almond cake is not just about accommodating dietary restrictions—it’s about crafting a delicious, moist, and flavorful dessert that everyone can enjoy! The texture reminds me of a tres leches cake, only with lemon-coconut flavors, combining the nutty essence of almonds with the tropical sweetness of coconut, all brightened by the zesty, fresh tang of lemon.
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Lovely simple cake. I just made this for my lemon loving , coconut hating husband as his Valentine's Day gift. I skipped the coconut and add lemon juice to a partial container of Cool Whip. He is having a piece for breakfast. We just spread the lemon Cool Whip on individual portions.
Easy Lemon Almond Flour Cake Ingredients
- Almond Flour: Using almond flour instead of all-purpose flour makes this cake garin-free, gluten-free and imparts a subtle almond flavor.
- Sweetener: Choose granulated sugar or monk fruit sweetener, which has zero calories.
- Lemons: We’re only using the lemon zest for this almond cake recipe.
- Eggs: You need 6 egg whites and 3 egg yolks at room temperature. Whipping the egg whites until they form stiff peaks helps the cake rise, producing a light and airy texture.
- Extract: I used vanilla and almond extract to improve the flavor.
- Salt: A pinch of fine sea salt balances the sweetness.
- Coconut Whipped Cream: For an easy topping, buy frozen coconut whipped cream, like Cocowhip, and thaw it in the refrigerator.
- Coconut Flakes: For even more coconut flavor, sprinkle toasted unsweetened coconut flakes over the cake.
See full measurements and instructions at the bottom of this post in the recipe card.
How to Make Lemon-Coconut Almond Cake
- Prep: Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat it to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch spring form pan with nonstick spray, line it with parchment paper, and sprinkle it with almond flour.
- Lemon Sugar: Combine the sugar and zest of 2 lemons in a small bowl. Rub it together to release the lemon’s oils. Set aside 2 tablespoons of lemon sugar to use later with the egg whites.
- Wet Ingredients: Whisk the egg yolks and remaining lemon sugar until the yolks become thick and pale in color. Whisk in the vanilla and almond extracts and salt.
- Whip the Egg Whites in the bowl of a stand mixer until the whites become opaque. Sprinkle in the remaining lemon sugar and beat until the egg whites hold high peaks.
- Combine All the Ingredients: Stir in a quarter of the egg whites to the yolk mixture with a rubber spatula. Then, gently fold the remaining egg whites and half of the almond flour into the yolk mixture. Gently fold in the rest of the flour until it’s all blended.
- Bake: Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the top is golden and springy to the touch.
- Remove the Cake from the Pan: Let the hot cake cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Then, run a butter knife along the edges of the pan and invert it onto the rack. Remove the sides and bottom of the springform pan and peel off the parchment. Turn the cake right side up and let it cool completely.
- Decorate the Cake: Before serving the lemon almond coconut cake, spread the whipped coconut cream over the top and sprinkle it with toasted coconut.
Is almond meal the same as almond flour?
Almond meal and almond flour are both made from ground almonds, but almond meal uses almonds with their skins on, and almond flour removes them. Almond flour has a finer texture than meal, but you can use them interchangeably in baking recipes.
Almond Lemon Cake Variations
- Citrus: Switch up the flavor and zest a large orange instead of lemons.
- Coconut Cream: If you can’t find Cocowhip, make homemade whipped coconut cream using coconut milk and powdered sugar.
- Don’t like coconut? Substitute a regular frozen whipped cream topping, like Truwhip, and omit the shredded coconut.
- No spring-form pan? Use a 9-inch round cake pan.
- Salt: Replace kosher or table salt with fine sea salt.
- Berries: Sprinkle your favorite berries on top of this coconut almond cake.
Storage
This coconut lemon cake, covered tightly with plastic wrap, can sit on the counter overnight, or the fridge for 3 days if it doesn’t have the cream topping on it. Once you frost the cake, refrigerate it for up to 5 days.
This cake also freezes well, with or without the whipped cream topping. Wrap each slice in foil and store them in a big zip-locked bag. Thaw the cake in the refrigerator before eating.
More Cake Recipes You’ll Love
- Flourless Chocolate Cake
- Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Cottage Cheese Cheesecake
- Blueberry Buttermilk Cake
- Red Velvet Cupcakes
Coconut-Lemon Almond Cake Recipe
This moist Lemon-Coconut Almond Cake is the perfect gluten-free, dairy-free dessert everyone will love. The perfect cake for any occasion!
Yield: servings
Serving Size: 1 slice
Equipment
- parchment paper
Ingredients
- 1 cup frozen coconut whipped cream, Coco Whip, thawed in refrigerator overnight (from a 9 ounce container)
- Nonstick cooking spray
- 2 cups almond flour, plus more for the pan, (200g)
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar , or monk fruit sweetener*
- 2 lemons
- 3 large eggs, whites and yolks separated, at room temperature
- 3 large egg whites, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- Pinch of fine sea salt
- 2 tablespoons toasted unsweetened coconut flakes
Instructions
- Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch spring form pan with nonstick spray, line with parchment paper, and flour with almond flour.
- In a small bowl, combine the granulated sugar and zest 2 of the lemons. Rub the sugar and zest together to release the essential oils. Set aside 2 tablespoons of the lemon sugar to add to the egg whites.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and the remaining lemon sugar.
- Whisk until the yolks become thick and pale in color, about 1 minute. Whisk in the vanilla extract, the almond extract, and the salt and set aside.
- In the bowl of a standard electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or a bowl with a hand mixer), beat the 6 egg whites on medium speed until they become opaque, about 1 minute.
- Sprinkle in the reserved 2 tablespoons of lemon sugar, and continue to beat the egg whites until they hold high peaks, 3 to 4 minutes.
- With a flexible rubber spatula, stir in about one-quarter of the egg whites to the egg yolk mixture (no need to be gentle here). Scrape the remaining egg whites over the yolks, and about half of the almond flour. Gently fold them into the yolks, but only partially.
- While the mixture still has a few streaks of white left, add the remaining almond flour and fold in, folding until you have a homogeneous batter. Be gentle!
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and shimmy until the batter is level.
- Bake the cake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the top is golden brown and springy to the touch. Let the hot cake cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes, then run a butter knife along the edges of the cake pan.
- Invert the cake pan onto the rack, remove the sides and bottom, and peel away the parchment paper. Turn the cake right side up and allow to cool completely.
- When ready to serve, spread the whipped coconut cream over the top of the cake and sprinkle with the toasted coconut. Cut into 12 slices and serve right away.
Last Step:
Please leave a rating and comment letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business to thrive and continue providing free, high-quality recipes for you.Notes
It’s best to top the cake with the whipped coconut cream right when you’re ready to eat.
*This was calculated with sugar, if using monk fruit sweetener the weight watcher points go down to 4 per slice.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 slice, Calories: 198 kcal, Carbohydrates: 20.5 g, Protein: 6.5 g, Fat: 10.5 g, Saturated Fat: 2 g, Cholesterol: 46.5 mg, Sodium: 32.5 mg, Fiber: 4 g, Sugar: 14 g
I’ve made this in the past and loved it. Planning to make it for a special family dinner soon. Planning to top it with bit of whipped cream and some sliced srrawberries.
How thick/high is the cake supposed to be?
Absolutely fabulous. I made this for Easter. Used exact ingredients, including monk fruit instead of sugar. Everyone loved it! It is a bit labor intensive. However, my stand mixer came in super handy for the egg whites. 10 out 10 stars.
Thanks Staci!
My son said it tastes like Grandma’s
Biscotti! Everyone at Easter could have some since it is GF. Depth of flavor is amazing.
Coco cream is refreshing!
Lovely simple cake. I just made this for my lemon loving , coconut hating husband as his Valentine’s Day gift. I skipped the coconut and add lemon juice to a partial container of Cool Whip. He is having a piece for breakfast. We just spread the lemon Cool Whip on individual portions.
This is honestly one of the most delicious cakes I have ever made!! It’s surprisingly moist for being almond flour. The lemon , almond and coconut make such a delicious combination!
Thanks Megan! Glad you enjoyed it!
I just made this cake, and I am blown away at how delicious it is!! It’s so lemony and almondy, and the coconut on top is perfection. Definitely a keeper!
Thanks Janelle!
I made this for my family and have to say it is my favorite dessert I have made all year!
Any suggestions on double/tripling & using. 9×13 pan? How long to bake?
A fantastic recipe! Strong almond, lemon and coconut flavors. Very moist and light. A winner for family and guests!
Thank you!
(I followed the recipe exactly)
this was perfection! took it to share with a neighbor who is recently gluten free – she couldn’t believe it tasted so good and fresh. a little labor intensive but worth it! thank you
I am going to make this for a birthday celebration this weekend and will add some limoncello to the batter and maybe the icing as well. Will come back and rate it. It looks delicious.
Loved this ! Made it with my daughter and sprinkled raspberries over the top when done. I love when dessert is not so sugary sweet like this one. Will make again for sure.
Can I make this cake in a loaf pan?
Wow! This was so tasty and very easy to make! I eat a (mostly) anti inflammatory diet, so this was a real treat! I have yet to come across a decent dessert cake that has great taste and texture. The combination of the lemon & coco whip was so lovely. I made the recipe exactly as written. I made this for Easter and the rest of my family loved it as well. There was no leftovers! I will definitely be making this again and again.
So glad you loved it as much as we did!!
Made this for Easter and it was so delicious!
Great!!
There was a cake similar to this I made years ago that had some sliced plums in the bottom of the cake. I might try that next time with this recipe. It was delicious and light. I think I’d boost the lemon flavor next time, though. I served it with some cut up pineapple and oranges.
This is a keeper! Nice lemony flavor and great texture. I did not use the coconut cream topping, but made a simple glaze with powdered sugar and lemon juice. Topped with raspberries, it was the perfect ending to an Easter dinner.
Delicious! I made this for Easter dessert, and my husband ate a third of the cake, he liked it so much! It reminds me of an olive oil cake. I really enjoyed the almond flavoring. We couldn’t find Cocowhip at our grocery, so we used whipped coconut cream from the can, and it came out great! Thank you for yet another excellent recipe!
Made this today for Easter dinner. Refreshing and tasty. I used sliced strawberries instead of the coconut for the top. I would make it again!
Would it be weird to add coconut to the cake batter? Would anything else change if I did?
I made this for Easter and everyone loved it! Even my picky 8 year old. I followed the recipe as written and it was delicious.
I am not a baker.. to the point where we all prefer I just don’t do it lol I was feeling motivated to bake something for Easter. This was super easy and it turned out amazingly! My family raved about it. Definitely going to make this again. We added fresh blackberries on top. As always, Skinnytaste never disappoints!
Love the cake. Not really sure whether I like the whipped coconut cream (we don’t have pre-whipped coconut in my country). Maybe next time I will make it with a lemon infused whipped cream from cows cream.
Can you use regular flour and just vanilla extract? I have a nut allergy.
Not for this recipe, sorry!
If I’d like to double or triple this for a large group, can I use a larger pan and adjust cooking times? Any recommendations on what size/length of time?
I would suggest using 2 pans.
“Wow, just wow! This Lemon-Coconut Almond Cake was absolutely divine. The citrusy lemon paired perfectly with the sweet coconut, and the almond gave it a delightful richness. It was so moist and flavorful—I couldn’t stop at just one slice! Definitely adding this recipe to my favorites.”
Can you add the flour to the egg/sugar, after its creamed, then gradually add that mix to the whisked egg whites
Can the eggs be substituted with something else?
No, so sorry
I think you mean almond meal has the SKINS on, not the SHELLS. 🙂 Almond meal does not contain shells.
ha, yes!
Have been searching for a light , yet fitting, Easter dessert. I will make Easter breads tomorrow. To me this dessert is perfect. Made cookies for kids. Have an 8 lb ham. Making your carrots too. Big time meal
What can I use instead of the coconut cream whip? as I have never seen it here in Malta neither Cool whip
She gives a link to her coconut whipped cream recipe that you can use. Those products aren’t available here in England either.
Can you use Cool Whip or Truwhip instead of the COCO whip? I am allergic to coconuts
Sure! I mention that above.
Can I use coconut sugar instead of granulated sugar or monk fruit sweetener?
Sure
I read that you should grind coconut sugar in a food processor or blender if you’re going to substitute it for white sugar in baking so the granules aren’t so coarse.