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
Hungry for more? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.
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.
This is a beautiful moist cake, and so easy to make . I served it with a lemon curd sauce and everybody loved it! Will definitely be making again
Have been making this every week for a while now and love that by day 2 or 3 it tastes even better 😋. I usually cover with a light lemon drizzle 🍋
Made this for the second time. This time I had to cook it in the air fryer as the oven had the lamb shanks in it, and it turned out just as good as in the oven. A lovely moist cake that looks very flash!
Taste amazing, moist and super easy, Nagi love ❤️ your recipes, your my first choice to go to for a recipe,
Super easy and delicious
Beautiful cake! It will be hard to hide this one from your neighbours, the smell is so fragrant from the lemon and coconut. I accidentally cooked it on 180C fan instead of 160C, realising 30 minutes in. Turned it down for 5 minutes and took it out of the oven. The surface/almonds looked and smelled a tiny bit overcooked, but I let it cool as per instructions. Fortunately, it wasn’t overcooked at all and tasted absolutely perfect! Dusted the top lightly with icing sugar and served with Nagi’s stabilised chantilly cream with a bit of lemon zest (1/2 tsp) grated in. The cream gives it a little bit more sweetness and helps with moisture, but the cake itself was plenty moist. The coconut flavour is quite prominent. I used 130g of butter like someone suggested, which tasted spot on for my preference. Glad I used the almonds on top as it adds a bit of interest and reinforces the almond flavour.
Made this for the third time last night. Only had shredded coconut so blitzed in the food processor first. The flaked almonds on top add a wonderful crunch. Spread a lemon drizzle over the top while still warm.
Made this at least 8 times already and planning on making another 6. So easy and absolutely delish!! I’m hoping to try it with Lime, Orange and Grapefruit next.
Nagi you are the Bomb! This cake was Yum. This is the third recipe I have used on your website and they have all turned out just as yummy. Thanks for sharing your recipes. I am now addicted to your site am am constantly telling people how good and accurate your recipes are. Your cookbooks are on my wish list for my birthday.
Just made this with lime (and used 3 limes for the zest) omggg 👌
This cake wowed everyone at work…I’m sharing this recipe again and again, it’s so good! And Gf 😄
Hi Nagi, will coconut oil work as a sub for the butter?
This was a crowd pleaser! I added some powdered ginger and cardamon and it was delish!
Fantastic tasty cake, GF is a bonus when you need to bake one. Because I’ve de-nuded the lemon and I make mine in a bundt/ring silicon form (so flaked almonds on top don’t work), I put the juice of the lemon in a pan with some raw sugar and make a syrup. While the cake is still warm, I skewer some holes all over it and brush with the lemon syrup. Makes them extra delicious.
Made it twice. Easy to make n super delicious but hardly rise?? Solution please?
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!