This Italian lemon almond flour cake (also known as torta caprese bianca) is full of lemon flavor and has a lovely texture! Because it uses almond flour, it’s also naturally gluten-free and grain-free.
I posted this cake recipe six years ago and am reposting it today with new pictures (you can see the old one at the bottom of the post) because the old ones didn’t do it justice and because hardly any of my readers were around here back in 2012.
It’s gotten tons of reviews and everyone seems to love it, so I thought you all needed to see it, too. :) It’s been a hit for gluten and non-gluten eaters alike.
If you’re tired of carrot cake for Easter, this would be a great option for Easter dessert! If you’re not tired of carrot cake, then I can highly recommend the gluten-free carrot cake I posted last week. Or these almond flour carrot cupcakes!
One thing that people keep asking about this almond flour cake is if you can omit or replace the 1 cup + 3 tablespoons of chopped white chocolate. Unfortunately that’d be a no.
That’s a whole lot of something to omit from a recipe! It’s not an add-in. It’s needed for sweetness and the structure of the cake.
A few reviewers have experimented with it, but I haven’t. So please check out the reviews if you’re interested in that.
This almond flour cake really isn’t one of my regular healthy (or at least healthyish) recipes. If you’d prefer something without all the sugar, try my paleo lemon cookies or these paleo lemon bars.
Both are also vegan! As is this awesome-looking vegan panna cotta, which I can’t wait to try.
The traditional Italian torta caprese, which I have yet to make, is made with semi-sweet chocolate. This one uses white chocolate but weirdly enough, the chocolate flavor isn’t really apparent.
I can’t really even tell it’s in there. If you dislike white chocolate, I think you’d have no problem with this lemon cake!
And although I thought the cake was lemony, it wasn’t extremely lemony. Normally I don’t do subtle.
If I want something lemony, I want the lemon flavor to punch me in the face and not just be hanging around in the background. But it worked here.
If you cut into it and it looks a little underdone in the middle, don’t panic! That’s how it’s supposed to be.
You can see what that looks like in the bottom picture. You can’t really see it in the new pictures.
A few random things – you don’t have to refrigerate the cake, but it tastes much better that way. And this recipe halves wonderfully! Use a 7″ cake pan and bake for 30 minutes.
Also, since this almond flour cake recipe was converted from an Italian one, the cup measurements are a bit unusual. If you have a scale, I recommend using it! I know I always say this but it’s especially helpful for this recipe.
Want some more lemony goodness? Try these gluten-free lemon sugar cookies!
Questions about this Italian lemon cake?
- Can I omit the white chocolate? You unfortunately can’t just omit 19 tablespoons of an ingredient from a cake recipe and expect it to work. One commenter did that and said that original version is better.
Other commenters have tried out other things in place of the white chocolate so check out the comments if you’re interested. I’m not listing any of them here because I haven’t tried them and have no idea how they compare to the original! - Can I reduce the white chocolate? I’m guessing a reduction down to 3/4 cup would be okay and not have a huge effect on the outcome but again, I haven’t tried it!
- Can I use semi-sweet chocolate instead of white chocolate? I’ve been meaning to try that but haven’t gotten around to it yet! I think it’d work but am not positive. If you try it out, please let us know how it worked out. :)
- Can I omit the eggs / use an egg replacement? Nope. You’re beating the yolks and whites separately for this recipe and it’s important for the texture.
- Can I use another type of flour? I’ve only tried this with almond flour. Another type of nut flour / meal might work but I can’t say for sure since I haven’t tried it. I don’t think any other nut flour, except maybe cashew, would go with the lemon very well!
All-purpose gluten-free flour, wheat flour, rice flour, etc. will not work here. If you want something with a different type of flour, try this gluten-free lemon pound cake! - Can I use something else in place of the lemon zest, extract and juice? Lime sounds tasty! Or orange.
- Can I use a different sized pan? Yes, but you’ll just have to watch it and take it out when you think it’s ready. I have absolutely no idea of baking times until I try it myself. Sorry I can’t be more helpful! I do know that you can use a 7″ cake pan and bake for 30 minutes.
- Can I use something else in place of the sugar? The Italian recipe uses granulated sugar but I tried it out with coconut sugar. If you use coconut sugar, your cake will be darker than the pictures but will still be delicious! Liquid sweetener won’t work and as always, no idea how to make this low-carb (which isn’t even really a possibility anyway with all that white chocolate!).
- Can I use something else in place of the butter? If you want to use coconut oil, I’d recommend using 10 tablespoons coconut oil + 3 tablespoons water. This is because coconut oil is 100% fat and butter is only 80-82% fat. Using the full amount of coconut oil (13 tablespoons) would make this cake too oily.
I haven’t tried olive oil or any liquid oils and am not super optimistic about them.
If you’re in more of a cupcake mood, try these gluten-free lemon cupcakes from What the Fork Blog!
Italian Lemon Almond Flour Cake (Torta Caprese Bianca - grain-free, gluten-free)
- Prep Time:
- Cook Time:
- Ready in:
- Yield: One 10" cake
Ingredients
- 320 grams (this is about 3 cups + 3 tablespoons) almond flour (not almond meal) or blanched almonds, ground into almond flour
- 200 grams (1 cup + 3 tablespoons) white chocolate, chopped
- 2 tablespoons whipping cream or milk (I used 1.5% milk)
- 180 grams (3/4 cup + 1 tablespoon) unsalted butter, softened
- 130 grams (about 2/3 cup) granulated sugar or coconut sugar1, divided
- zest of 4 lemons, about 2 tablespoons
- 4 large eggs, separated
- 1 teaspoon lemon extract
- 40 grams (about 2 tablespoons) of limoncello or lemon juice
- berries and powdered sugar as garnish, optional
Directions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F / 176°C and grease a 10" / 26cm pan or line it with parchment paper. If using blanched almonds instead of almond flour, process them in the food processor until they're pretty finely ground. If you grind them too much, they'll release oil and become almond butter.
- Combine the white chocolate and milk / cream in a microwave safe bowl.
- Heat in 30 second increments and stir after every 30 seconds. Set aside to cool while you prepare the rest. Beat the butter with 100 grams of sugar and beat until fluffy.
- Add the lemon zest, egg yolks and lemon extract and beat until well combined. Then add the almond flour / ground almonds and the melted chocolate. Add the limoncello / lemon juice and beat until combined.
- In a separate bowl with spotlessly clean beaters, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add the remaining 30 grams of sugar to the egg white mixture. Fold the egg whites into the almond batter until well combined. Spoon the batter into the greased pan and bake for 40 - 45 minutes. If making half the cake, use a 7" / 18cm pan and bake for 30 minutes. The cake will puff up in the oven, but when cooling, it'll fall back down.
- Let it cool completely in the pan and then invert the cake onto a plate, and then flip that back into the pan or onto another plate (so that it's not upside down). Sprinkle on some powdered sugar if desired and top with berries, but only before serving. Cake can be stored at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerated (I think it's best that way) for up to 5.
Notes
- If using coconut sugar, blend in a coffee grinder first so that it's basically like powdered coconut sugar. I'd be worried about how well non-grinded coconut sugar would do with the egg whites. I'm guessing not well. Please note that your cake will be brown and not yellow! It's unfortunately not possible to use coconut sugar and have the cake come out yellow.
Adapted from Dolce Mania - Torta Caprese Bianca
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250 comments on “Italian Lemon Almond Flour Cake (grain-free, gluten-free)” — Add one!
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This was amazing ! I made a tart lemon glaze for it, which soaked in and made it even more moist and lemony. Very good on day 2 also. Could not tell it was grain free.
Yum! That sounds delicious. Would you mind sharing your glaze recipe? I’d love to try! Thanks for your comment.
Wonderful recipe!
I have made this several times for friends and family, and they always love it! No one can believe it’s gluten free!
It’s best the way the recipe is, the only thing I added was sifting the almond flour and sugar, that really helps make it lighter.
I have made it dairy free and sugar free with a tablespoon of stevia or 1/2 cup of coconut nectar and almond milk and almond milk creamer in place of the white chocolate. It’s not as delicious. It really works if you need it to though!
That’s awesome that you were able to convert this into a DF / SF cake! I wouldn’t have even attempted that. ;) Thanks a bunch for sharing your adaptation! I’m thrilled that you and your family have been enjoying the cake. :)
Hurray. weights given – so much more accurate for baking!!
Haha. Agreed! I hate making recipes without metric. Especially when I see a measurement like, “2 bananas.” Ugh! Hope you’ll enjoy the cake. :)
Made this cake already according to directions.Great reaction from everyone,but rich. Could I substitute some of the butter for applesauce or another suggestion????
Thanks…
I’m happy you enjoyed it! I’m not so sure about recommending applesauce (or any other sub) in this. I think this recipe is a little more finicky when it comes to subs than regular cake recipes. Sorry I don’t have a better answer for you!
I made this cake for a family party over the weekend and it was an absolute hit! The cake is light and moist- perfect for the summer. I was thrilled with how it came out- thank you!
Awesome! I’m so happy that it turned out well for you. Thanks a bunch for your comment! :)
I’d like to test this by baking it in a 7 inch pan, as you suggested. The only one I have that size is a springform pan. Do you think that will work?
It’ll work but place a piece of parchment paper over the pan to line it to prevent the batter from leaking. So not just a piece over the bottom, but a piece that goes up the sides, too. I hope that makes sense and that you’ll enjoy the cake!
I made this last Thanksgiving for my Italian family and they loved it! I’m making it again for our big Easter celebration. Buona Pasqua!
I’m so happy that your family loved it and even happier that you want to make it again for Easter. :) Happy Easter to you, too, and thanks for your feedback!
You had me until I saw the cup of white chocolate, I have found that if you are living the grain free lifestyle, (and I am) you are also living the sugar free lifestyle. It sounds good though.
Aww. Too bad about the cup of white chocolate! It’s an Italian recipe that just happens to be grain-free rather than a grain-free recipe developed for a grain-free audience so I guess that explains the white chocolate.
I didn’t like the idea of the chocolate in it and it looked like a good recipe even without it. So, I just omitted the white chocolate and cream/milk, and it was really amazing. I loved this and so did my husband. It is hard to find grain free baking recipes that actually turn out like a real desert. This is a winner!
Wow! I’m amazed that that worked. What was the texture like? Was it really sweet enough? Did you change the baking time? Thanks a bunch for your tip!
Does this cake freeze well? How about refrigerate? I want to make it for a brunch, but want to be able to make it ahead of time. Thanks!
It would be fine in the fridge for a few days but I’m not sure about freezing it. I’m thinking it may not do so well. I hope you’ll enjoy it!
Delizioso and thank you for sharing this receipe
So happy you liked it! Thanks for your feedback. :)
Hi there, is it possible to use coconut flour? The texture of flour seems to be the same…
I’m afraid it’s not possible. Coconut flour isn’t interchangeable with any other flour as it requires a lot more liquid. Sorry about that!
I made this cake on the weekend. What can I say – delicious! I have to confess though that I did use almond meal, which worked a treat. I also used A LOT more lemon (zest and juice of three lemons, however no lemon extract and no limoncello), as I don’t do subtle either, ever :)
I covered the top of the cake with slithered almonds, which added a nice crunch.
Thanks for this great recipe!
That’s awesome that almond meal worked out! I like your style – more lemon is always better. ;) I’ll have to try using slivered almonds on top as that sounds really good. Thanks so much for your tip and your feedback!
hi! i am under the ketogenic diet, and i am wondering if i can do this recepie without sugar (using liquid stevia instead)
keto diet, in gran free and lugar free…
thank you!
Hi there! The problem is the sugar in the white chocolate. There’s no sub for the white chocolate and it can’t be omitted since there’s such a large amount. Sorry about that!
this one is an absolute winner! It turned out beautifully and ‘disappeared’ within minutes at the work function I made it for. Thanks so much!
I’m so happy that you and your co-workers enjoyed it! It’s always a good sign when it disappears like that. ;) Thanks so much for your feedback!
I made this exactly as the recipe stated & thought it was excellent. I am not gluten free but have tried several recipes for friends & this is one of the better. I got many compliments & served with a nectarine compote. No sifted icing sugar needed.
I’m so happy that it came out well for you and that everyone enjoyed it! I also don’t eat gluten-free but when GF recipes are just as delicious as their gluten-containing counterparts, I certainly don’t mind them. :) A nectarine compote sounds like it’d be great with this cake! Thanks for the tip and for your feedback.
Looks delicious. I’ve never baked with nut-based flours before……. is a 10 inch pan necessary? Can I get away with a 9 inch pan?
I haven’t tried it but I think it may work – although I have no idea how long you’d need to increase the baking time! If it were me, I’d probably put about 1/2-3/4 cup in a small greased ramekin and leave the bake time as is. It’s just a guess, though! I hope it turns out well. :)
This is everything. A beautiful texture, the perfect amount of lemon.
Having worked in bakeries and also been meddling in gluten free baking for years this is on the money. Typically I hate cakes once they have been refrigerated, but after my dinner party last night the one sliver that remained accidentally ended up in the fridge. Upon first bite, I realize that it only enhanced everything I loved about it – especially the moist, nearly underdone texture that is so hard to achieve with most gluten free goods.
I’ve never ever left a comment after a recipe, but this newest discovery spurred me into action. Brava!
Wow, thanks so much for your feedback! It absolutely made my day. :) It’s great to know that the cake does well refrigerated! I don’t think I tried that but I can see how it’d improve the texture. Thanks again for your comment!
oh erin…
so excited to try this recipe and we use coconut sugar all the time so i’m not afraid to try it here, but i am looking for a substitute for the white choc chips. i know you posted that you didn’t know of a sub the last time someone asked, but i wondered if you’ve had any time to revisit that or come up with any ideas?
if not, it will just be trial and error here… ;)
still excited to try it! thanks!!!
I hope that you’ll enjoy it! But I still don’t know of a good sub for the white chocolate. Sorry about that. :( I’ve tried homemade white chocolate but it’s just not very good. And because it’s a whole lot of white chocolate (more than a cup!) I don’t think a sub will work very well. Sorry! I’ll just have to try to come up with a grain-free + dairy-free lemon cake at some point. :)
made this last night. Amazing!!! Used coconut sugar. Didn’t have lemon extract so just used a l.5 t. lemon juice instead. so lemony. wondering if there could be a sub for the white chocolate? thinking maybe coconut cream. husband is diabetic…
thank you for such a wonderful treat. looking forward to trying out the lemon bars ;)
I’m so happy that you liked it! And awesome that you tried the coconut sugar version. :) I think a sub for white chocolate may be possible but would probably be very tricky and require a lot of experimenting. I think white chocolate is pretty important to both the flavor and texture of the cake. Maybe cocoa butter and some honey would work? But to be honest, I think it sounds like a very expensive experiment likely to fail. Sorry I couldn’t be more of a help! Thanks for your feedback. :)
what do you think about using coconut oil instead of the olive oil or butter?
The problem with coconut oil instead of butter is that coconut oil is 100% fat and butter is only 82% fat. This normally doesn’t create an issue in cakes but this one is already so incredibly moist that I don’t know how well it’d do. Sorry about that! Let me know how it works if you do try it out. :)
Hello- is there any substitute for the eggs. I’m allergic. Thanks! I’d love to make this cake.
Hi, Lauren! Unfortunately there isn’t a sub. You have to beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form and then fold them into the batter. If you used flax eggs (which I wouldn’t recommend doing for a recipe with 4 eggs), then the cake’s texture would be very off. I’m sorry about that! I looked for a grain-free eggless lemon cake and didn’t find one but if you can have grains, here’s an eggless lemon cake and a vegan Tuscan lemon cake. I hope that helps!