Gluten-Free Lemon Pound Cake

Have you noticed any luscious-looking strawberries at the grocery store lately? I was poking around last weekend in the produce section and found beautiful, perfect strawberries, raspberries and blueberries…

My mouth started to water. Then, next to the heavenly berries I saw a processed pound cake and a container of whipped “topping”. Wrong ingredients of course…but hey, what a great idea!

At that moment I knew I just had to try and make a gluten-free pound cake with paleo ingredients that deserved the luscious berries bouncing around in my cart. I added a few fresh lemons to my grocery haul and went home to start the experiment.

My first version of this cake recipe was great – if you like lemon muffins. That’s when I realized making a really good paleo-friendly pound cake wasn’t going to be a cake walk.

So while my husband munched on the lemon muffins, I tweaked the recipe and had another go at the pound cake. [av_sidebar widget_area=’Lockerdome’ av_uid=’av-324160′]

This time it turned out just the way I wanted. It really does remind me of a store-bought pound cake. It was nice and dense but with a light, lemony taste and texture. And it’s just begging to be topped with fresh berries and a dollop of whipped coconut cream.

Try this one…it’s like a little burst of spring in your mouth! It’s super simple to make too, with ingredients I bet you already have in your cupboard right now.

And again, the best part is you can serve this up to anyone – whether they’re paleo or not – and I can pretty much guarantee they’re going to ask for a second slice!

This may quickly become one of your favorite desserts. Just remember there are a few carbs in this one, but for an occasional treat it’s really hard to beat.

Make this one and step outside to enjoy a slice in the sunshine with the people you love. To me, that’s what delicious and healthier cooking is all about. :)

Happy spring everyone!

Gluten-Free Lemon Pound Cake Recipe

Gluten-Free Lemon Pound Cake Recipe

Ingredients

    Dry Ingredients
  • 1 1/2 cups almond flour
  • 3 Tbsp coconut flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • Zest from 2 lemons
  • Wet Ingredients
  • 2 lemons, squeezed – about 1/3 cup of lemon juice
  • 2 tsp pure vanilla
  • 3 eggs, whisked
  • 1/3 cup coconut milk
  • 1/3 cup raw honey
  • 2 Tbsp melted coconut oil

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350-degrees F
  2. In a medium mixing bowl, combine all dry ingredients, including lemon zest
  3. In a separate medium bowl, combine all wet ingredients
  4. Pour wet ingredients into the dry ingredients bowl and stir to combine
  5. Allow batter to set for a few minutes, and then stir again
  6. Lightly grease bread pan with coconut oil
  7. Line bottom of the pan with a piece of parchment paper to prevent sticking, cut paper to fit
  8. Bake about 35-40 minutes, or until inserted toothpick comes out clean (Note: cooking times and oven temperatures may vary – don't skip the toothpick test!)
  9. Remove from oven and allow to completely cool before removing from pan
  10. Slice and serve – top with fresh fruit and coconut whipped cream if desired
  11. Keep refrigerated and covered between servings
https://www.paleonewbie.com/paleo-lemon-pound-cake-recipe/

Join the Conversation

  1. Hello! I made this cake last night and it was delicious, although it turned out really moist. Any suggestions on how to make it less moist?

    1. Maybe add a little more coconut flour. :)

  2. I just made this and love it! Thanks for the great recipe.

    1. You are welcome! :) Thank you for giving it a try!

  3. Do you think you could use maple syrup instead of honey?

    1. Yes. I might add a little maple flavor to it though.

  4. Are you talking about the canned coconut milk or the more liquidy one?

    1. Canned. I’m sorry that wasn’t made clear. :)

  5. This is DELICIOUS! It tastes better than any sugar filled pound cake. Will absolutely be making this recipe again!!

    1. So glad you liked Lindsey…thanks for your awesome comment!

  6. Anonymous says:

    With all the positive feedback I’m going to try! Will let you know how I get on

    1. Yes give this one a go…I just whipped this one up again last weekend and it turned out perfectly…do let me know how it works out for you! :)

  7. Anonymous says:

    The only problem is you don’t want to share it! Next time I am making it when everyone is out of the house and then I will hide it! Thank you!

    1. Oh thank you so much…I have to do the same thing with my hubby for some paleo treats or I’ll never see them again :)

  8. I’m bummed my comment got sacked…it’s a great recipe and my episode really did it justice. I did give you all the credit btw. Thanks for the making it stellar! We really did enjoy it. The episode withll air later this week if you want to reconsider. Cheers, Leslie

    1. Thrilled you enjoyed it Leslie…it’s one of my favorites too. Your previous comment didn’t get sacked as you can see, I’ve just gotten a little behind in going through the blog’s comments! Cheers!

      1. Oh yay…it was a huge success with my audience! Thanks again for perfecting it! Maybe we can work together in the future. I love your recipes!

  9. Hi, I am making this today for a summer treat! I hope you don’t mind but I am turning it into a go2kitchens.com episode. You’ll have to check it out! I am super excited to have found the recipe, lemon pound cake is my great love! Thanks for working so hard to perfect it! Cheers, Leslie

    1. Hey great Leslie…hope you enjoy it. I’m looking forward to seeing it on your new site!

  10. Yes, it is remarkable. Meraviglioso Trina!

    1. XO Thanks girl! :)

  11. I made the cake last night and I failed. I substituted coconut milk for Cashew milk and the honey for real maple sirup. Baked it in a loaf pan and it did raise nicely. I checked around 35 min and the center of the cake had been sunken in. I left it in another 5 min and poked in with a wooden stick and it came out clear. Took it out of the oven and let cool down and everything. Only the outer layers of the cake were “done”, everything else was mushy moist and I could not get it in one piece out of the pan. ;(

    1. Well, first off I haven’t made the recipe with the subs you mentioned so I can’t tell you if that in itself could be the problem. Sorry. :( The other possibility may be your oven temp. Often times the internal temp is off. I found this out last year when I thought I was cooking at 350, but it was really 335. Also over beating the batter can cause a recipe to fail.

  12. Made this today for our strawberry shortcake desert. Delicious. I liked the fact that this recipe called for only 3 eggs, where most recipes call for 8 or more eggs. This recipe is a keeper. I cooked this in my convection oven at 350 and it was ready in 30 min. Thanks Trina for a wonderful recipe.

    1. Terri, you are most welcome! I’m glad you liked the recipe! I agree with you, usually if I use a coconut flour in my recipes, I try yo add liquid in the form of flavor, not eggs. :)

  13. This looks great! I can’t wait to try it. Do you think it could be made in a round cake pan instead of a loaf pan? If so, do you have any idea how the baking time would change?

    1. Yes, It would be thinner so would cook faster. Cut off about 10 min of cooking time and check it.

  14. I’m dying to try this recipe now, but i’m out of coconut milk. will almond milk be ok to use instead? Thank you!

    1. Analise, I have not made it with almond milk, so I’m not sure.

    2. I did it with almond milk ! :) turned out great! i also turned them into muffins instead great recipe thank you !

      1. Thanks Analise, lots of peeps will be glad to know that! :)

  15. I just made and it’s really good! I just substituted the honey with truvia. Thanks for sharing! This recipe is a keeper. :)

    1. Thank you! Lots of readers will be happy to know that! :)

  16. I’ve made this Lemon-Pound Cake several times and sometimes put Chocolate chips, blueberries or raisins in it. All has worked well so far. I have another in the oven as I write this and hope it turns out as well. Thanksgiving dinner at my daughter’s tomorrow.

    1. Happy Thanksgiving! I hope everyone enjoys the cake! I like your idea of adding different fruits to change up the recipe.

  17. This turned out awesome

      1. Anonymous says:

        Have You ever substituted almond flavoring for the lemon?

        1. No I haven’t. There is quite a bit of lemon juice in this recipe. I’m sure an almond pound cake would be lovely, but the recipe would need to be reworked for less liquid.

  18. So glad you put this recipe back up! I’ve shared it with many people, and everyone loves it!

    1. Only because you rock Michelle and proved it’s a great recipe! :)

  19. I made this last night and it was so good!!! I added extra lemon juice and zest and also used clarified butter (ghee) instead of coconut oil. It came out very moist and lemony which we love. Thank you for a great recipe!

    1. Zulma, I’m so glad you liked the recipe. Lemon has always been a favorite of mine. Thats why you see it in so many of my recipes. I hope you find more to enjoy. :)

  20. I just took this out of the oven and it’s delicious! I only cooked it 30 minutes and it got pretty brown on the outside and did not rise a lot but the flavor and texture is amazing. Can’t wait to try it with whipped cream and berries.

    1. Lesia, You make a good point. Oven times vary. I suggest cooking a little lower temp next time. Thanks for your comment!

  21. Made this lemon cake last night for friends…there was not a single crumb left. I added a little lime zest in addition to the lemon zest. Will be making this one again for sure :-)

    1. Shelly, thank you! I made it a couple of weeks ago for friends and they loved it as well. Thank you for taking the time to comment. I really appreciate it! :)

  22. Anonymous says:

    This looks delicious and I would like to make it for my husband, but he does not like coconut which is such a problem with SO many paleo recipes. So looking at this recipe I thought I could switch out the coconut milk with almond milk, but is there a problem with leaving out the coconut flour and just upping the almond flour by the 3 TB? Don’t know why that 3 TB was added…

    You would not believe how he can pick out even a hint of coconut in something. Truly annoying. ;)

    1. I made the recipe with the addition of coconut flour for texture and also because it helps absorb moisture. If it was made with all almond flour it would require more than 3 tbs of almond flour, but I’m not sure how much since I haven’t made it that way. It would also change the texture.

  23. Any suggestions for why my paleo baking (particularly breads and cakes) come out brown rather than the pictures I’ve seen? This recipe still made a delish lemon cake though!! THANKS!

    1. Matt, it could be that the temperature in your oven is slightly off? Mine was off and I had no clue until I bought a 5$ thermometer to check the temp inside my oven. It was off 35 degrees and I had no clue! Also, I have a convection oven that helps circulate the air. I have made the recipe 3 times now and it’s comes out golden, but not brown. Maybe turn the temp down a bit and cook a bit longer checking as you go. Glad you like the recipe! :)

      1. Will do!! Thanks :)

  24. Anonymous says:

    I just made this and it was a fail. The center would not rise…I used a standard loaf pan, perhaps that was the issue? I double checked the ingredient list to be sure I had not made an error there. What size pan is recommended

    1. I am so sorry. I made it twice to make sure it was a sound recipe and used a standard pan. How long did you cook it?

    2. I will take this recipe and test it ASAP.

  25. This turned out really well (mostly)! However, if you’re planning on trying this recipe, I definitely recommend only cooking it for 35-40 minutes. I cooked my loaf for 45 minutes at 350 degrees, and it was definitely too brown on top and overdone, not at all like the photos look here. I checked on my loaf after about 35 minutes of cooking in the oven and it looked great. I should have just taken it out then I think. I plan on making it again and cooking it for less time to see what happens.

    1. Nicki, I just checked the temperature of my oven with a thermometer. You’re right. Something has happened in last few weeks and it is registering under temperature at 350 and taking longer to reach full temperature. I’m so sorry! I will revise the recipe to 35-45 min. Ugh! It’s a newer oven and I never suspected it being wrong. Thank you for letting me know! :)

  26. Judst put mine in the oven for Easter. My daughter and I are devoted Paleo lifestylers and cant wait to try it with strawberries and coconut whipped cream! Thanks for the recipe.

    1. Hi Susan, I hope you enjoy the pound cake. There wasn’t a crumb left in our house! Happy Easter! :)

  27. Is the coconut milk the full fat version in the can or the kind in the carton?

    1. Sarah, full fat coconut milk in the can. ;)

  28. Should I add the coconut oil with the wet ingredients or is just to grease the bread pan?
    Thank you.
    Can’t wait to try it!

    1. Tatiana, add the coconut oil to wet ingredients and use a little more to grease the pan. :)

  29. @Atlasshrugged64 Who says Paleo’s don’t eat good tasting food?

  30. It looks amazing! Like the real thing.

    Getting a grain-free pound cake is really difficult. Thanks for the recipe.

    The almond flour, is grlound almonds or dehidrated/defatted podwered almonds?

    Yedah

    1. Hi Delissin, the flour is ground almonds and can me labled as almond flour or almond meal. I hope you try it. It’s really yummy! :)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Close
© Paleo Newbie 2013-2020
Close