Dairy Free Lemon and Almond Cake

Never ever did I think I’d be venturing into dairy-free baking. Gluten free, sure, I could work around that. No butter? That feels way out of my comfort zone from a baking perspective.

But I like a challenge and more and more people in my life can’t tolerate dairy and part of the enjoyment from baking is making it for others. As much as I love butter, cream, cheese and yoghurt, I still get a lot of enjoyment out of cooking and baking for other people. That means learning a few new tricks and finding recipes that don’t miss the dairy.

This particular recipe started with a request from one of our dairy-free crew members. If you’ve read some of my other posts, you’ll know I crew on an ocean racing boat, and the skipper had put in a request for a lemon cake as the next round of grab-and-go race snacks.

When I think lemon dessert, I don’t want a faint hint of citrus. I want full lemon overload. The kind that makes you pucker slightly before the sweetness catches up. My mind immediately goes to lemon curd bars or lemon meringue pie. The problem, as you’ve probably noticed, is that both are loaded with butter. The same goes for many of the lemon cakes I love, particularly those soaked in generous amounts of lemon syrup.

That was the inspiration for this cake: all the bright lemon flavour and moist texture I wanted, but without the dairy. The result is a light lemon and almond loaf that manages to feel indulgent despite the lack of butter. It’s soft, moist, keeps well, and is dangerously easy to keep slicing pieces from.

You could easily bake it as muffins or turn it into a round cake topped with meringue frosting for a dairy-free celebration cake. And while separating and whipping eggs might sound like a bridge too far for some, that’s honestly the hardest part. Beyond that, it’s a straightforward recipe that delivers far more than its simple ingredient list would suggest.

If lemon isn’t your vibe, try these Dairy Free Chocolate Brownies – even I didn’t really miss the butter in them, ok a little, but they still hold up as a decent rich chocolate brownie.

Worth Making?

• Yes — if you love lemon desserts that with a punch of lemon rather than an ode to it
• Yes — if you’re looking for a dairy-free cake that no one notices the dairy is missing
• Yes — if you need a cake that travels well, slices neatly and is equally at home with a cup of tea or on the go
• Skip it — if your ideal cake involves layers of frosting and enough sugar to make your teeth hurt
• Skip it — if separating eggs sounds like far too much effort, this isn’t a one bowl cake
• Skip it — if you prefer very sweet bakery-style heavy cakes. This is light and lemon loaded

Make it your own way

• Bake the batter as muffins and reduce the baking time to approximately 18–22 minutes
• Turn it into a celebration cake with a dairy-free meringue frosting
• Fold through fresh blueberries or raspberries before baking for some added texture and brightness
• Replace one of the lemons with an orange for a softer citrus flavour
• Sprinkle flaked almonds over the top before baking for added crunch, can also fold through some chopped almonds
• Serve with coconut yoghurt and fresh berries for a simple dessert
• Drizzle with limoncello for an ‘adult’ dessert