Lemon Almond “Cake”

 Lemon Almond “Cake” is more of a custard than a cake; it’s dense, intense and lemony.

 It’s also a great choice if you are avoiding wheat or need a fresh idea for a gluten-free knock out dessert.

I had been searching the web for a gluten-free, dairy-free lemon cake, when I read about a clementine cake made by Nigella Lawson.  The cake was so good that another of my favorite food bloggers, Deb Perelman of Smitten Kitchen, adapted Nigella’s cake. I thought, why not replace the clementines with baby lemons, add a few taste boosters and see what happens? 

The results are surprisingly delicious. Surprising because instead of adding butter for moistness, the cake uses whole boiled lemons.

While the lemons boil, toast almonds at 325 F or 315 F for 15 minutes, then let cool.

Remove seeds and finely chop lemons.

Mix ingredients in a food processor, mixer or by hand. Batter will be very thick.

Nigella and Deb say that this cake tastes better on Day 2, so make it a day before serving, if you can wait! 

Serve thin slices of lemon cake with a side of bright red raspberries, strawberries and blueberries. 
Dig into happiness.

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Lemon Almond “Cake”

• Author: Dana Gerard
• Prep Time: 2 hours 30 mins
• Cook Time: 45 mins
• Total Time: 3 hours 15 mins
• Yield: 12+ servings 1x
• Category: Dessert
• Cuisine: Spanish

Don’t let the prep time scare you! Just boil the lemons while you do something else in the kitchen! Gluten Free Lemon cake works beautifully for Passover or anytime you need a no gluten dessert. For variation, substitute other citruses like tangelos or limes.

Ingredients

• 4 baby lemons (about 375 grams or 16 oz.)
• 6 eggs
• 1 t almond extract
• 1 ½ cups sugar
• 2 â…“ cups (250 grams) ground almonds
• 1 generous t baking powder, gluten-free
• ¼ t kosher salt
• ½ cup slivered almonds, toasted
• 2 T powdered sugar, sifted (optional)

Instructions

1. Bring lemons to a boil with enough cold water to cover. Reduce to a rolling simmer, cover and cook for 2 hours. Drain and cool in a bowl of ice water. Cut lemons in half, remove all seeds and chop finely.
2. Prep oven and pan: Preheat oven to 375 F or 350 F convection. Spray and line the bottom and sides of an 8 or 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper.
3. Mix ingredients: Beat together eggs and almond extract. Add in sugar, ground almonds, baking powder, salt and whole chopped lemons and their juices, blending well after each addition. Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth the top.
4. Bake for 30 – 45 minutes. Check for browning after 20 minutes and cover top of cake with foil if it starts to get brown too quickly. Cake is done when a wooden skewer or toothpick comes out clean.
5. Transfer cake to a wire rack and sprinkle toasted almonds on top. Let cool completely before removing from pan.
6. Dust with powdered sugar (optional) and serve with berries.

Notes

Adapted from Nigella Lawson and Smitten Kitchen