This Paleo lemon pound cake is grain free and dairy free but has incredible buttery flavor and the perfect tender crumb. It has just the right amount of lemon flavor and an optional lemon glaze that’s irresistible! No one who takes a bite will guess it’s gluten free and paleo!
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Even though a pound cake seems pretty simple as far as cakes go, it’s one that’s always intimidated me.
Since the flavor, texture and weight of the cake are what give a pound cake its signature, well, identity as a pound cake, there’s a lot that needs to go right!
Especially when we’re working with grain free flours, it’s easy for one thing to go wrong and ruin the whole cake!
I wanted a dense and moist cake, but not TOO dense and moist, which is often a big problem with paleo cakes and breads in general.
I wanted subtle lemon flavor that doesn’t overwhelm and will please even those who claim they aren’t into lemon desserts (my husband is one of those!).
Luckily, I have everything I wanted in this lemon pound cake recipe! The perfect balance of flavor and texture, a simple recipe that’s made all in one bowl, that the whole family devoured in just two days.
That’s unusual here, since everyone I live with is a picky eater in their own right.
Especially me – when it comes to my recipes! And there is nothing I would change about this pound cake! Let’s get into the details.
What You Need to Make Paleo Pound Cake
I decided to try out using almond milk cream cheese for this recipe to change things up a bit and it worked out so well!
You can also replace it with another dairy free cream cheese or dairy free yogurt like almond milk, coconut, or cashew yogurt.
I love the brand Kite Hill for cream cheese and Forager for paleo friendly yogurt. Aside from the cream cheese or yogurt, the remaining ingredients are ones I use in most of my baking recipes.
Keep in mind that the recipe makes a large cake in a bundt pan, so the amounts are greater than many of my usual breads and cakes.
Here’s everything you’ll need to prepare the pound cake:
Cake Batter:
- 1/2 cup ghee, at room temperature (use vegan butter or refined coconut oil for a dairy-free option)
- 1/2 cup dairy free cream cheese (I used almond milk cream cheese from Kite Hill) or dairy free yogurt
- 1 1/3 cups pure maple sugar (I prefer this over coconut sugar for the light color)
- Zest of one lemon, grated
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 5 large eggs, at room temperature
- 3 cups blanched almond flour
- 3/4 cup tapioca flour, or arrowroot
- 1 teaspoon aluminum free baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- A mix of your favorite berries, for garnish
Optional Lemon Glaze:
- 1 cup powdered monk fruit or organic powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons almond milk (or a few drops more to get the right consistency)
How to Make Paleo Lemon Pound Cake
Preheat your oven to 325° F and lightly spray a non stick bundt pan with cooking spray. I used 325°F to avoid burning the outside of the cake while the inside cooks.
You can use either an electric stand mixer or a hand mixer to mix the batter. In the bowl of the stand mixer, or in a large mixing bowl, on medium speed beat the ghee, cream cheese and sugar until very smooth. Beat in the lemon zest, juice, vanilla and almond extracts until smooth, then on low speed, beat in one egg at a time to fully incorporate.
To the same large bowl, add the almond flour, tapioca, baking powder, baking soda and salt and mix on low speed until a smooth batter forms and no flour spots show.
Transfer all the batter to the prepared bundt pan and gently tap the pan on the countertop. Bake in the preheated oven for 50-60 minutes in bundt pan or until the top is deep golden brown and a toothpick inserted near the center of the cake comes out clean or with a few crumbs.
Cool in the bundt pan for about 15-20 minutes, then line a wire rack with a piece of parchment paper. Carefully turn over the bundt pan onto the parchment paper and release the pan from the cake. Continue to cool on the wire rack for another hour or until fully cooled.
How to Make Paleo Lemon Glaze
For the glaze (which is totally optional!) you have the option of using powdered monk fruit which is a great paleo and low carb option, or organic powdered sugar.
The powdered sugar is not technically paleo since it’s cane sugar, but it is corn free. I have both around to test my recipes and they both make a beautiful white lemon glaze to top the cake.
To make the glaze, whisk together the powdered sweetener of your choice with the lemon juice and almond milk until smooth. If the glaze is too thick to drizzle, add drop by drop of almond milk until the consistency is right. It should be thin enough to drizzle slowly down the sides of the cake.
Drizzle the glaze all over the cooled pound cake. It will harden after about 20-30 minutes. Garnish with berries as desired to serve.
How to Store this Paleo Pound Cake
You can make this cake a day ahead of time if needed and cover loosely with foil before serving.
The pound cake will keep well covered at room temperature for about 2 days.
To keep the cake for longer, cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 5 days. You can also slice it, individually wrap the slices and refrigerate.
Additional Tips for this Lemon Pound Cake
- Use a non stick bundt pan, and spray it with either coconut oil spray or avocado oil cooking spray to eliminate any worries that it will stick to the pan!
This is not a sticky cake in general, but I always like to make sure my bundt pan is greased up pretty well with cooking spray.
- Make sure to add each egg one at a time and gently incorporate before adding the next. This will help the cake maintain the right texture through baking.
- Ovens vary as far as temperature, and other factors like your bundt pan and where you place the cake in the oven can influence how long it needs to bake. Check the cake around 45 minutes, which is the very minimum time it should need. It might take up to 55-60 minutes. The top should look deep golden brown, but the real test is the toothpick test!
I hope you’re ready for a seriously delicious pound cake that absolutely no one would guess is grain free and paleo!
Grab your favorite bundt pan and preheat your oven because it’s time to bake – let’s go!
Paleo Lemon Pound Cake {Grain Free, Dairy Free}
Paleo Lemon Pound Cake
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup ghee at room temperature (use vegan butter or refined coconut oil for a dairy-free option)
- 1/2 cup almond milk cream cheese I used almond milk cream cheese from Kite Hill or dairy free yogurt
- 1 1/3 cups pure maple sugar
- Zest of one lemon grated
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 5 large eggs at room temperature
- 3 cups blanched almond flour
- 3/4 cup tapioca flour or arrowroot
- 1 teaspoon aluminum free baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- A mix of your favorite berries for garnish
Optional Lemon Glaze:
- 1 cup powdered monk fruit or organic powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons almond milk or a few drops more to get the right consistency
Instructions
-
Preheat your oven to 325° F and lightly spray a non stick bundt pan with cooking spray.
-
You can use either an electric stand mixer or a hand mixer to mix the batter. In the bowl of the stand mixer, or in a large mixing bowl, on medium speed beat the ghee, cream cheese and sugar until very smooth. Beat in the lemon zest, juice, vanilla and almond extracts until smooth, then on low speed, beat in one egg at a time to fully incorporate.
-
To the same large bowl, add the almond flour, tapioca, baking powder, baking soda and salt and mix on low speed until a smooth batter forms and no flour spots show.
-
Transfer all the batter to the prepared bundt pan and gently tap the pan on the countertop. Bake in the preheated oven for 45-55 minutes or until the top is deep golden brown and a toothpick inserted near the center of the cake comes out clean or with a few crumbs.
-
Cool in the bundt pan for about 15-20 minutes, then line a wire rack with a piece of parchment paper. Carefully turn over the bundt pan onto the parchment paper and release the pan from the cake. Continue to cool on the wire rack for another hour or until fully cooled.
-
To make the glaze, whisk together the powdered sweetener of your choice with the lemon juice and almond milk until smooth. If the glaze is too thick to drizzle, add drop by drop of almond milk until the consistency is right. Drizzle the glaze all over the cooled pound cake. It will harden after about 20-30 minutes. Garnish with berries as desired to serve. Enjoy!
-
You can make this cake a day ahead of time if needed and cover loosely with foil before serving. The pound cake will keep well covered at room temperature for about 2 days. To keep the cake for longer, cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 5 days. You can also slice it, individually wrap the slices and refrigerate.
Recipe Notes
*Nutrition is calculated based on 14 servings and includes the lemon glaze made with monk fruit.
Nutrition
Want to try another paleo cake recipe? You’ll love one of these!
Paleo Carrot Cake with Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting
Chocolate Layer Cake with Chocolate Buttercream
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Will the cake have a strong taste or hint of maple if I use the maple sugar?
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This sounds delicious!
This came out of the Bundt pan beautifully! It’s dense enough to cut a piece and hold it but sooooo moist too! Thank you!
Changes I made: I did not put any sugar at all and instead added half a cup of coconut flour to add sweetness. Also zested 3 lemons instead of one. Next time, I will add a little sugar because leaving all the sugar out was a bit extreme.
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Wow! Family impressed with the flavor and texture. Not sure why it fell before it was done baking, but it was so delicious! We live on a ranch, so couldn’t run into town for fresh lemon, lemon rind, or lemon extract, but it was great without those. I used Real Lemon packets, 8 plus 1/4 cup water to equal the lemon juice. Also didn’t have maple sugar, so used coconut sugar. Will DEFINITELY make it again!
So yummy! Made it to share at work and all my coworkers live it ☺️
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