Gluten-Free Lemon Cake with Honey Curd

Lemon cake on parchment paper with slices cut out.

4.78 from 9 votes

Gluten-Free Lemon Cake with Honey Curd

Say hello to spring with this zesty gluten free lemon cake! It's packed with citrusy flavor and made from scratch with wholesome ingredients like almond flour, honey, and dairy-free yogurt. This recipe is complete with an easy honey lemon curd and buttercream frosting too!

Prep Time30

Cook Time30

Total Time1

Course: Cakes

Cuisine: American

Keyword: almond flour lemon cake, dairy free lemon curd, dairy-free lemon cake, gluten-free lemon cake

Servings: slices

Calories: 414kcal

Author: Ansley Beutler

Ingredients

For the Cake

4 eggs
1 cup dairy free yogurt
¾ cup honey
⅓ cup coconut oil melted
⅓ cup lemon juice approx. 1 large lemon
2 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups almond flour
½ cup tapioca flour
¼ cup coconut flour
2 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoon lemon zest approx. 1 large lemon

For the Icing

¾ cup grass-fed butter softened
3 cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 - 2 tablespoon almond milk
Lemon curd to top, optional

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

For the Cake

Preheat oven to 350 F. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, dairy-free yogurt, honey, coconut oil, lemon juice, and vanilla. This is best done with a stiff whisk or the paddle attachment if using a stand mixer.
Add the almond flour, tapioca flour, coconut flour, and baking powder to the mixing bowl. Fold into the batter until no flour clumps remain. Be sure not to over mix this step.
Add the lemon zest to the batter and fold into the batter to distribute evenly.
Grease three 6-inch cake pans with oil (I like to place parchment paper in the bottom as well) and fill each pan ⅔ of the way. Bake in the oven for 28 - 32 minutes until the tops are golden the edges are pulling away from the sides of the pan. Let cool completely before icing.

For the Lemon Curd

While the cake is cooling, prepare the lemon curd. Put the egg, egg yolks, honey, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a pot over medium heat. The key is to have the element high enough to heat the mixture but you don't want to boil it (you'll end up with scrambled eggs!). Whisk until the mixture begins to simmer and is slightly thick. You should see bubbles and a layer of foam beginning to form on top. Immediately take the pot off the element.
Add in the vanilla and coconut oil to the pot. Stir until the coconut oil is melted into the lemon curd.
Pour the lemon curd into an airtight container and place it in the fridge to firm up for at least an hour. It should be ready after the cake has completely cooled down and you've iced it!

For the Icing

Beat the butter in a mixing bowl until creamy.
Add the lemon juice and vanilla and 1 cup of the powdered sugar and continue to beat.
Spoon in 1 tablespoon of almond milk to the bowl while the mixer is still running. Then add the remaining 2 cups powdered sugar in ½ cup intervals, scraping down the sides of the mixer as needed. If needed, add another tablespoon of almond milk. If the consistency is too thin, add another ¼ cup of powdered sugar until you reach your desired texture.

To Assemble

After the cakes are completely cooled place one layer on a cake turntable. Add a large scoop of icing on top. Use an uneven spatula to even out the icing layer. You want this layer of icing to be fairly thick as we're just doing a simple crumb coat on the outside.
Place the next layer of cake on top and repeat, adding another thick layer of icing.
Finally, put the third cake layer on top and add the remaining icing on top. With the uneven spatula, spread the icing all over the top and sides of the cake with a thin coat of frosting. Scrape some extra icing off the sides to get a "naked cake" look.
Pour about ½ a cup of the lemon curd over the top of the cake (you will have a good amount of lemon curd left over). Allow the lemon curd to slowly make its way over to the sides of the cake. Then use a (clean) uneven spatula to help "push" a little over the edge of the cake. This is how you get a nice drip effect!
Use a clean sharp knife to slice the cake and enjoy!

Notes

Tapioca flour substitutes : If needed, substitute with arrowroot starch.

Dairy-free yogurt substitutes : If needed, greek yogurt or low-fat regular yogurt will work too.

Butter substitutes : I find grass-fed butter to work best but vegan butter will work as well. Palm shortening is also a great alternative.

Serving : To get clean even slices, use an extra sharp knife and dip it in some warm water beforehand. Wipe off the excess water and then make a cut. Clean off the knife after each cut and repeat with the warm water.

Storing : This cake will keep fresh in an airtight container for 5 days on the counter or a week in the fridge (my preferred method if you have the fridge room). You can also store it on a cake stand with a dome top but, because it's not airtight, it will only keep for 2 - 3 days (so eat fast!)

How to use leftover lemon curd : This recipe will make extra lemon curd. Refer to the post above for ways you can use it! It will keep fresh in the fridge, when stored in an airtight container, for up to a month! You an also store it in the fridge for 6 months.

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