This Almond Flour Lemon Poppy Seed Cake is a delicious snack cake with fresh lemon flavor and packed with poppy seeds. It’s soft, tender, naturally gluten-free and topped with a rich lemon cream cheese frosting!
If you’ve been a fan of my almond flour lemon cake or almond flour orange cake, you are going to love this poppy seed cake. It’s moist with zesty citrus flavor, an unbelievably tender crumb and a tangy cream cheese frosting!
I love baking with almond flour and have an entire collection of almond flour recipes. These vanilla almond flour cupcakes are currently a reader favorite!
Table of contents
What makes this almond flour lemon poppy seed cake so good?
- It’s naturally gluten-free thanks to the almond flour.
- The cake stays moist and tender stored in the fridge for up to 5 days (also thanks to the almond flour).
- It can be made dairy-free by using plant-based cream cheese and butter for the frosting.
- You can make it ahead and store it at room temperature or the freezer, then frost when ready to enjoy.
Ingredients and substitutions
Below is a brief overview of the ingredients and recommended substitutions. The recipe card at the end of this post includes the exact quantities used.
- Almond flour – I prefer to use fine blanched almond flour for my cakes instead of almond meal. While both are made from raw ground almonds, almond flour is made with blanched almonds that have the skins removed so it has a finer texture.
- Lemons – You’ll need about 3 medium lemons to yield the 3 tablespoons of zest for this cake, plus more for the frosting. You’ll also need to squeeze some juice from the lemons for the cake batter and frosting. I like to use organic lemons when I can as they tend to not be as waxy.
- Poppy seeds – A tablespoon goes a long way in this cake, but feel free to add a bit more if you prefer.
- Eggs – Four large room temperature eggs will add moisture and rise to the cake.
- Sugar – I’m using cane sugar in this recipe but you can easily substitute with granulated sugar. Cane sugar has a slightly coarser texture and golden color.
- Almond extract – The slight nutty flavor of almond extract elevates the lemon flavor in this cake.
- Oil – The recipe calls for olive oil but extra virgin olive oil, avocado oil or vegetable oil will work as well.
- Baking powder – For leavening.
- Salt – The recipe calls for fine sea salt, but you can also use kosher salt or table salt.
- Cream cheese – You’ll need half a block of cream cheese for the frosting. Be sure to bring it to room temperature so it creams together easily with the butter. You can also use plant-based cream cheese, just note that it may make the frosting a little thinner.
- Butter – I prefer unsalted butter for frostings. Again, be sure to bring it to room temperature before creaming together with the cream cheese. Feel free to use a plant-based butter to make this cake dairy-free.
- Powdered sugar – This is added to the cream cheese frosting to thicken and sweeten it.
How to make lemon poppy seed cake with almond flour
Below is a brief overview of the steps to make this recipe along with photos. For further details, please see the recipe card at the end of this post.
Measuring ingredients
For convenience, US cup measurements are included in the recipe card for this recipe. To ensure greater accuracy, however, weight and volume measurements are also provided. So, if you see grams (g), you’ll want to use a kitchen scale to weigh your ingredients, and if you see milliliters (ml), you’ll want to use a liquid measuring cup. Smaller quantities of ingredients are provided in teaspoons and tablespoons.
Storage and freezing tips
Once frosted with cream cheese icing, the cake should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge. It will last for up to 5 days.
You can freeze individual pieces of the frosted cake. Just place them in a single layer in a freezer safe container and store in the freezer for up to 2 months.
To make the cake ahead and freeze it, just let it fully cool and then wrap in a few layers of plastic wrap. I usually place it in a resealable freezer bag and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let defrost at room temperature before frosting.
Tips for zesting lemons
- One medium sized lemon usually yields a tablespoon of zest. Just keep in mind that lemons may differ in the amount of zest they yield so buy an extra one just in case.
- Since we are using the outer lemon peel in this recipe, I try to buy organic lemons. They are usuallly less waxy and free from pesticides.
- Whether you buy organic or regular lemons, be sure to wash them under cold water and dry well before zesting. (If the lemons are wet, the zest will be clumpy).
- Zest your lemons first, then squeeze the juice from them. You can use a zester (like a microplane) or the smallest holes on a box (cheese) grater to grate the zest.
- Only zest the outer yellow layer and not the white pith underneath which can be bitter.
Key recipe tips
- Rub zest together with sugar. While you can simply add the sugar and lemon zest to the wet ingredients separately, I like to rub them together so the oils release from the lemon zest. This will maximum the cake’s lemon flavor.
- Measure almond flour. If you don’t have a kitchen scale to weigh your almond flour, make sure to measure it by using the spoon and level method and a dry measuring cup. You want to be as precise as possible with the amount of almond flour in the cake.
- Be careful not to over mix. Fold in the dry ingredients until just incorporated. If you over mix the batter, the cake will turn out dense and may even sink in the middle.
- Cream cheese frosting. I don’t enjoy an overly sweet frosting, so I went easy on the powdered sugar. This results in a thinner frosting. If you prefer your frosting sweeter and/or thicker, just add more powdered sugar.
- Let the cake fully cool. If the cake is still warm, the frosting will start to melt and slide off the cake.
Recipe FAQs
I haven’t tested this cake with any other type of flour. As almond flour has a distinct texture with a high fat and moisture content, substituting other types of flours would require changing the ratio of ingredients.
If you don’t have cane sugar, you can use granulated sugar. I have not tested this recipe with other types of sweeteners. I don’t recommend substituting with liquid sweeteners such as honey or maple syrup as it will add too much liquid to the batter and result in a mushy cake.
This cake works in an 8-inch square pan or 8-inch round pan. You can also make it in a 4.5 x 8.5 inch loaf pan but you’ll need to increase the baking time to 40-50 minutes.
Yes, you can leave out the poppy seeds if you prefer.
Absolutely! You can substitute orange or lime zest and juice for the lemon.
This cake can be made dairy-free by substituting plant-based alternatives for the cream cheese and butter in the frosting. If you do this, just note that the frosting will be a little runny so I suggest omitting the lemon juice and adding more powdered sugar. This cake cannot be made vegan as the eggs are required for moisture and structure.
More almond flour cake recipes
- Almond Flour Lemon Blueberry Bread
- Cherry Almond Cake
- Almond Flour Strawberry Cake
- Almond Flour Coconut Lime Cake
If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear what you think in the comments below!
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Almond Flour Lemon Poppy Seed Cake
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cooling Time: 2 hours
- Cook Time: 28 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 43 minutes
- Yield: 16 pieces
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American, Canadian
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
This gluten-free Almond Flour Lemon Poppy Seed Cake is filled with fresh lemon flavor and poppy seeds and topped with a rich lemon cream cheese frosting!
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 2 1/2 cups (260g) fine blanched almond flour
- 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/2 cup (120g) cane sugar
- 3 tablespoons lemon zest (about 3 medium lemons)
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 1/4 cup (60ml) olive oil
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
For the frosting:
- 4 ounces (1/2 block) full fat cream cheese, room temperature
- 1/4 cup (56g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups (180g) powdered sugar, sifted if lumpy (plus more if necessary)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Grease the bottom and sides of an 8-inch square pan and line it with slightly overhanging parchment paper.
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the almond flour, poppyseeds, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- In small bowl, combine the sugar and lemon zest. Rub between your fingers to release the oils from the zest. The mixture will feel wet.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar/zest mixture, oil and lemon juice.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and use a spatula to gently fold in. Be careful not to over mix.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and use an offset spatula to spread it out evenly.
- Bake for 26-28 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let cool in the pan before frosting.
- To make the frosting, use a stand or handheld electric mixer to cream together the cream cheese and butter. Add the powdered sugar, lemon juice and zest, and beat on medium high speed until smooth and creamy. Stop to scrape down the sides as necessary.
- Spread frosting over cake and top with extra lemon zest (optional).
Notes
- While you can simply add the sugar and zest to the wet ingredients separately, I like to rub them together so the oils release from the lemon zest. This will maximum the cake’s lemon flavor.
- If you don’t have a kitchen scale to weigh your almond flour, make sure to measure it by using the spoon and level method and a dry measuring cup.
- Fold in the dry ingredients until just incorporated. If you over mix the batter, the cake will turn out dense and may even sink in the middle.
- I don’t enjoy an overly sweet cream cheese frosting, so I didn’t use a lot of powdered sugar. This results in a thinner frosting. If you prefer your frosting sweeter and/or thicker, just add more powdered sugar.
- Be sure to check out the other sections above the recipe card for more detailed advice and suggestions for making this recipe
This recipe is so well laid out and user-friendly! The finished cake was delish!!’ I forgot to add the almond flavoring and still it exceeded my expectations. I made it exactly how the recipe calls for it to be made and baked it exactly 28 mins. What a lovely and refreshing GF cake with a natural lemon flavor. Perfect for spring/summer time! Yum! On my list to make again for guests.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the cake and found the recipe user friendly! Thank you for taking the time to let me know!
Can this cake be stacked? And filling used?
Hi Chantelle! I haven’t tested this recipe as a stacked cake with filling. You could try doubling the recipe and making a layer cake with 8 or 9 inch round cake pans (just make sure to adjust the baking time). If you give it a try, please let me know how it goes!
Will do…my main question is whether or not the cake is sturdy enough to stack?
The cake’s texture is a little bit softer than non-almond flour cakes, but it will still be sturdy enough to stack.
Love this spin using almond flour on the classic lemon poppy seed cake! The texture looks divine!