Lemony Almond-Blueberry Cake from Cookie + Kate's Love Real Food cookbook. Gluten-free, dairy-free, and refined sugar-free.
When I first met Kathryne, I didn't really know what a food blog was.
We both moved to Kansas City at the same time—me, back to my hometown, her, making a change—and were brought together by mutual friends.
Since that time, those mutual friends and Kathryne have become our extended family here.
From weekly girls' nights to holiday celebrations to Sunday suppers, she's been a true friend.
And she wrote a cookbook.
A beautiful, poured-her-heart-and-soul-into-it cookbook that will leave you trying to figure out which recipe you want to make first.
At our girls' night gatherings, there is often wine (ok, always), snacks, and something sweet. Gluten-free, of course.
Kathryne's lemony almond-blueberry cake is just one of those types of treats that the five of us would gladly devour while discussing work, family, and important things like touching your tongue to your nose.
This cake is extremely easy to make and uses a simple refined sugar-free lemon-maple glaze that soaks into the cake as it cools. And you can't miss those jammy blueberry pockets.
Like all the recipes in Love Real Food, the ingredients are accessible and wholesome, and the final product...delicious!
So grab a copy and get cooking. There's just so much to love.
More Gluten-Free Cake Recipes
Gluten-Free Iced Lemon Pound Cake
📖 Recipe
Lemony Almond-Blueberry Cake (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)
Ingredients
- 2 cups + 1 tablespoon packed almond meal 8 ounces + 1 tablespoon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 4 large eggs
- ⅔ cup maple syrup
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 ½ teaspoons grated lemon zest from 2 medium lemons, preferably organic
- 1 cup blueberries 6 ounces, fresh or frozen
Lemon-Maple Glaze
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup or honey
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Generously grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan and dust it with almond meal to prevent sticking. (Alternatively, grease and line pan with parchment paper.)
- In a large bowl, combine 2 cups of the almond meal, the baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Whisk to blend.
- Crack the eggs into a medium bowl and beat with a whisk until the yolks and egg whites have blended together. Add the maple syrup, olive oil, and lemon zest and whisk to blend. Pour the wet ingredients into the almond meal mixture and stir until there are just a few clumps remaining.
- In a small bowl, toss the blueberries with the remaining 1 tablespoon almond meal (this helps prevent the blueberries from sinking to the bottom of the cake). Gently fold the blueberries into the batter.
- Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until the cake is deeply golden brown, the center is firm to the touch, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 1 hour 10 minutes to 1 hour 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, to make the lemon-maple glaze: In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice and maple syrup until blended. (If you're using honey and having a hard time blending it into the lemon juice, place the bowl on top of your stove to warm it up while the cake bakes, or warm it briefly in the microwave until you can whisk them together.)
- Once the cake is out of the oven, place the cake, pan and all, on a cooling rack. While the cake is warm, use a pastry brush to brush the glaze over the top of the cake. It should soak right in. Let the cake cool for at least 30 minutes before carefully inverting it onto a serving plate or cutting board. Carefully flip it back over, then use a bread knife to cut it into 1-inch-thick slices.
- Store any remaining cake in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 4 days.
Notes
Nutrition
Barb
A little before 8pm I had a hankering for something blueberry and sweet. Here it is at 9:30pm, it came out of the oven a mere 25 minutes ago and I could wait any longer. I just had to have a slice. Sooo moist and delicious, and maybe the easiest cake I've ever made! Blueberries throughout- I did use organic frozen berries that I microwaved for about 20 second, a little less the two-thirds cup of maple syrup, eggs were at room temp. I will definitely make again, maybe trying Karen's idea of using frozen mixed fruit. Can't wait to try your other recipes! Thank you
PS I'm going to try to freeze slices so I can pull out a slice when I want it and toast it. Otherwise, I'm afraid the loaf will be gone in a matter of days. I'll let you know how that works.
Victoria E Graff
I am a baker, however, this recipe was a big disappointment! At 325 degree oven, it burned after 65 minutes. The berries that I picked fresh, and mixed them with a Tbsp. of almond flour, sank to the bottom of the pan! The recipe looked so simple, but I wish now, I tried it before I made it for company.
dana
hey, do you think i could make this into a layer cake with 7" inch round baking tins
Tessa
Hi Dana! I think this could work, although the layer might be on the thin side.
Martha Sagert
You call for 2 cups of almond meal but then in brackets you have 8 ounces. I am confused. 8 oz. equals 1 cup. I would really like to try this recipe but not if the measurements aren't correct.
Tessa
Hi Martha - 2 cups is correct! Sorry for the confusion!
Karen
Made this cake with frozen mixed berries. Delicious recipe!
Tessa
That sounds great!!!
Leah
This cake looks lovely and great reviews.
Looking at making it for my daughters birthday.
Just wondering if this cake work/keep form in a kids cake tin or better to use a normal tin?
Cheers 😊
Tessa
Hi Leah! I think it would probably work best in a normal tin.
Sara
This cake is so ridiculously amazing!!! I love almond flour recipes, and anything that’s sweetened with maple syrup. I only used half the maple syrup and it was still deliciously sweet! Wow — just wow! Thank you!!
Tessa
So glad you liked it!!
Sarah
Made for me twice by my darling friend Cheryl. One of the best Gf DF cakes I have ever tasted. Can’t wait to cook lots of your other recipes. Thankyou !!!
Tessa
That's wonderful! I hope you find some others here you love too!
Karen
Cake turned out perfect and moist!
Tessa
I'm so glad!! Thank you!
Zoe McGee
Fabulous!!!!
First cake I’ve tried to make and it’s delicious!
Tessa
That's wonderful to hear!! Thank you!
Mignon Woodruff
Hi Tessa, Just made this recipe using the 2 cups 8 oz of almond flour. Is that a typo?
Tessa
Hi Mignon, thanks for your note. The original recipe card version had the 8 ounces in italics/parethesis and I see that the new version I updated to made it all one string. I apologize for that! It should read 2 cups (8 ounces) plus 1 tablespoon packed almond meal.
Mignon Woodruff
LoL should have followed my instincts ?
Thanks for writing back. Look forward to making again, the right way.
Traci | Vanilla And Bean
I loved reading this.. how you two came to be friends. Such a cherished relationship and where would we be without our best girlfriends? I've been settling into Kathryne's gorgeous, page turner of a book. I love it and have so many recipes flagged! I can't wait to give this one a go! Beautiful work, Tessa!
Louise
Kate, I love your recipes! Would like to make this but need to change out the almond flour to coconut. Any ideas?!
Louise
(ex Texan)
Kate
Thank you so much for your support, Tessa. I'm lucky to have you as a friend. Let's happy hour soon. :)
Sherrie
I really love that you two were friends before your food blog. And I really love her new book. I'm so excited to cook from it. This lemony blueberry cake is divine.
Tessa
She's definitely been an inspiration. :) I love her new book too. xo
Lisa
It's fun to hear that two of my favorite food bloggers are such good friends! I just made Kate's raspberry lemon muffins yesterday and they were delicious. I'm sure this is, too. I've been meaning to buy the cookbook. Thanks for posting!
Tessa
Aw, thanks, Lisa! Yes, you must buy the cookbook - it is a wonderful resource. Happy weekend!
Rosie
How great is Cookie and Kate? Another one of my favourite food blogs I am endlessly sifting through for inspiration - along with Salted Plains of course! This cake sounds great, and super easy, so if a vegan version with flax eggs turns out nicely, I will add that to the comments :)
Tessa
She's pretty awesome! :) Yes, please let me know if you do a vegan version. Thanks, Rosie!!
Kate
Hey Rosie! Jumping in here to let you know that I tried to make this cake vegan with flax eggs and it was an epic fail. The eggs are really necessary for structure. This was one of few recipes that I couldn't offer a vegan alternative for. Hope this response gets to you before you attempt it. :)
Mary Ann | The Beach House Kitchen
I will not only enjoy this cake, but a good friend who has a daughter who eats gluten-free is going to love it too. Can't wait to forward her the recipe. Thanks for sharing Kathryne's cookbook with us Tessa. Happy Memorial Day weekend!
Tessa
Oh, that's awesome! She will love it. Happy Memorial Day weekend, my friend!
Christiann Koepke
Always looking for amazing GF recipes and this cake looks so perfectly moist and delicious! Will definitely have to try it out ! CK
Tessa
It is just that! :) Thanks, Christiann!
Stacey Pretorius
The most incredible cake next to a Paleo banana bread cake. This lemon blueberry cake will undoubtedly be the took of the party and most people will be able to enjoy it too! It's a perfect balance between lemon and blueberry.
Tessa
It's so nice when everyone can enjoy! Thank you!!