July 4th dessert made so easy with this toasted almond flour and lemon cake! It is topped with whipped coconut cream and a ton of marinated strawberries and strawberry syrup! To make it even more festive, throw some blueberries or blackberries on top of your strawberries and it can truly be your red, white & blue cake!
The very first time I made this cake was for Mother's Day last year. It was a MUCH more rough version than what is on the blog today. I whipped it up out of nowhere, just starting to really get good with alternative flours. Now, don't get me wrong, it was a pretty good cake at the time, but needed a glow up pretty desperately.
I had my recipe written down and saved to go back and tweak at some point and finally in May I decided to have a go at it once again. Okay, so let's just say the second test was probably worse than the first original recipe. I had to make some major changes to get the texture and flavor just right. I tried using less eggs, whole eggs, just the whites, whipping and not whipping. The flavor was bland, so I thought why not toast the flour to really give it a fragrant and bold flavor.
After 3 tests, I nailed it, or I'd like to think I did! Two things that changed the cake for me was sifting then toasting the almond flour, whipping the egg whites and a TON of lemon zest. Best part? It is so easy to make and only requires nine ingredients!
How to get the perfect soft peaks for your egg whites?
Soft peaks are when you turn your whisk upside down and the peaks are just starting to hold, but still soft. In a stand/handheld mixer, beat your egg whites on medium speed until they slightly increase in size. When you notice the whites start to get fluffy, add a pinch of salt and slowly add ½ cup sugar. Beat the mixture until the soft peaks form. This will allow your cake to be lighter than a typical almond flour cake.
Make ahead your Toasted Almond Flour and Lemon Cake:
Truly, the perfect cake for your 4th of July plans. It's a crowd pleaser and no one will even know its gluten and grain free! Prepare the cake layers the day before and leave at room temp lightly covered. Whip your cream the day before and bring to room temp right before serving the cake. While the cakes bake the following day, slice and marinate your strawberries to make the most delicious strawberry syrup. (just keep it inside so the whip doesn't melt off!)
YOU CAN ALSO MAKE:
No Bake Brownies with Chocolate Ganache and Strawberries
Real Deal Lemon Pound Cake (Dairy Free)
Roasted Peach & Goat Cheese Tart with Black Pepper & Honey
The Cornbread of your Dreams
If you make this Toasted Almond Flour and Lemon Cake please let me know by leaving a rating/review below! And make sure to sign up for emails so you never miss a new recipe and follow along on my Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook for more About to Sprout goodness!
Toasted Almond Flour and Lemon Cake with Whipped Coconut Cream and Marinated Strawberries
Ingredients
Toasted Almond Flour Cake
- 3 cups almond flour sifted
- 8 large eggs seperated
- 2 large lemons zested
- 1 cup sugar divided (¾ cup for less sweet)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Marinated Strawberries
- 32 oz. strawberries washed and sliced
- ¼-1/3 cup sugar
Whipped Coconut Cream
- 2 cups coconut cream chilled, NOT frozen (just the hard cream at the top of the can)
- ¼ cup powdered sugar sifted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F and grease and line 2 8-inch cake pans
- Place a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet and sift almond flour onto sheet to toast for 5-10 minutes, stirring often, until fragrant and toasted and then let cool
- In a large bowl, beat your egg yolks, lemon zest and ½ cup sugar until smooth
- In a separate bowl whisk cooled almond flour and baking powder then add flour to egg yolk mixture and beat smooth. Batter will be thick at this point
- In a stand/handheld mixer, beat all egg whites on medium until they increase in size. Once they begin to get fluffy, add a pinch of salt and slowly add the remaining ½ cup sugar to egg whites and beat until soft peaks form. (Soft peaks are when you turn your whisk upside down and the peaks are just starting to hold, but still soft)
- With a spatula, fold egg whites into almond mixture 1 cup at a time and your batter will become light and airy
- Separate your batter into to 8-inch pans and bake for 30-35 mins until golden brown
- While the cake is baking, marinate your sliced strawberries in sugar for 30-45 minutes until strawberry syrup has formed at the bottom of the bowl
- In a a separate bowl, beat your coconut cream in a bowl for 30 seconds until creamy then sift in powdered sugar and beat again. Use immediately or refrigerate. It will harden and set in the fridge the longer it’s chilled, but you can let it come to room temp and re-beat. It will keep for to 1- 2 weeks
- Let cakes cool in pan before removing. Transfer to a serving dish and top the bottom layer with whipped cream and strawberries and syrup and do the same with the top layer. Serve right away. Cake leftovers can be stored in fridge for up to 2 days lightly covered in plastic wrap
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