Important: Since this post, I’ve started a home keto bakery and everything has changed. Baking thousands of cakes, I’ve learned a lot. I have changed the technique in this recipe, and I promise you, you will absolutely love this cake. I remade it last night for a friend’s birthday and 12 people got to try it. They loved it, and no one could believe this was a keto cake.

Important: I have listed BOTH versions. First one with Avocado oil – NEW version. Second One with butter (old version).

I originally made this cake for my 20th anniversary, and it has now become the special occasion cake.

You need to know how hard I worked on getting this cake right. The First time I made this cake,   I squeezed 8 lemons, measured out all my ingredients and the cake was a big flop. Not just a flop. A disaster, because it had to be tossed. Two years later, and after hundreds of cakes sold in my keto bakery (including over 6,000 cupcakes), I have honed this lemon cake recipe to perfection.

Naked Lemon Lake

On my first try I used only coconut flour and that was a complete disaster. 

While I had used only coconut flour, I realized that my success with citrus cakes like this orange cake was based on almond flour and this very popular lemon snack cake was also based on almond flour, so I immediately went back to the store and bought more lemons and started over and did some thinking. Obviously the coconut flour cake could not handle all that lemon juice. Every baking failure tells me something!

Bake Naked Lemon Cakes to a Golden Brown

When I saw how the three cakes baked to a beautiful golden, I knew I had the right lemon cake recipe.

The batter will be thick. Don’t worry about that. Smooth it out with an off-set spatula.

I hear over and over again about the fears of baking because of the exactness of recipes. I relish a cake baking challenge, because it’s like going on a culinary scientific adventure. Every single failure teaches me something and it’s usually the failures that bring amazing success. This is why I encourage you to keep trying, and never give up if you want to be a baker.

Originally I used all butter for the cake and you can do that, but I encourage you to use avocado oil and to use my technique, so that you get a fluffy lemon cake. 

Main Ingredients for keto Lemon Cake

• Almond Flour
• Coconut Flour
• Eggs
• Fresh Lemon Juice, zest
• Sour Cream
• Lemon Extract
• Swerve (Read HERE why I use Swerve)

Decorate with lemon peels, blueberries, and if you like fresh lemon thyme.

Keto Naked Lemon Cake

What is a naked cake?

Basically, most naked cakes do not have icing or frosting on the sides, and are often triple layered. I lean towards them, because they are beautiful and use less frosting (or you can stuff the frosting inside the layers, which is marvelous.

Naked cakes are my favorite cake to make. You get to have more frosting in each slice, and they are so pretty.

What do I need to make this Keto Naked Naked Cake?

This naked cake requires three 6-inch pans. I love the idea of not having to frost the sides. The key to having good sides is make sure you cool your cakes well, and freezing them before you frost them. A broken piece of cake does not look good naked. By the way, if you don’t have six inch pans, you can use this recipe to make a 9 inch layer cake.

How many lemons make a cup of lemon juice

Typically, it takes 8 large lemons to make a cup of fresh lemon juice. The zest is really important as almond flour is challenging to flavor. You CAN add a capful of lemon extract to up the lemon flavor.

Can you buy bottled lemon juice for this recipe?

You can, but it won’t be as lemony. If you do, at least use one fresh lemon with all the zest. Also use lemon extract.

Why did you mix coconut flour with almond flour?

Using both improves structure.

What is Swerve? 

Swerve is powdered erythritol and I talk about it extensively here.

Why use xanthan gum?

Xanthan gum adds structure as alternative flours lack gluten and tend to fall apart. It’s pricy but lasts a long time because you don’t use much per recipe.

How many servings are in this keto naked lemon cake?

This is a very rich cake and can be cut into 16 servings, which yield 6 net carbs.

Nutrition Value for Keto Naked Lemon Cake: 6 Net Carbs

This cake is sold in mini versions as lala cakes in my Keto Home Bakery, which I started last July. 

More Keto Desserts from Spinach Tiger

• Keto Lemon Blueberry Bundt Cake
• Keto Lemon Butter Bundt Cake
• Keto Strawberry Cake
• Keto German Chocolate Cake
• Keto Lemon Meringue Tarts
• lemon budino
• Keto Lemon Tart
• Keto White Chocolate Raspberry Bundt Cake
• Keto Chocolate Cupcakes
• Keto Italian Orange Olive Oil Cake
• Keto Triple Layer Coconut Cake

Important Note: Make sure you see both versions for the Keto Lemon Cake One with Oil which is the new version I use in the bakery. The second one is the original recipe with butter version. Both are good. I like the oil version the best to get a fluffier cake.

Print

Keto Naked Lemon Cake with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting NEW VERSION

The very best Keto Naked Lemon Cake you will ever eat. Perfect for Special Occasions. This is the version with avocado oil.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes minutes

Total Time 55 minutes minutes

Servings 16

Calories 393kcal

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

• 2 2/4 cups almond flour
• 1/4 cup coconut flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons xanthan gum
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 1/2 cups Swerve Granulated

Wet Ingredient Group

• 2 tablespoons zest from lemons reserve some for topping cake
• 3/4 cup avocado oil
• 8 large eggs
• 1 cup lemon juice 8 large lemons
• 1 tablespoon lemon extract
• 4 tablespoons sour cream

Lemon Frosting

• 8 ounces cream cheese
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 teaspoon lemon extract
• 2 lemons juice and zest
• 1 1/2 cups Swerve confectioner’s sugar

Garnish

• 1 cup blueberries for topping optional
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme for garnish optional

Equipment

• 3 Six Inch Cake Pans
• Off-Set spatula
• Julienne Peeler for Shredding Citrus
• Zester
• Parchment paper

Instructions

• 
  Use three six-inch cake pans.
• Cut parchment paper to fit each round. Spray or butter on top of parchment paper and sides.
• Mix flours, salt, baking soda, baking powder, xanthan gum, together. Set aside.
• Zest all lemons. Reserve some zest for topping cake later.
• Rub zest into swerve with your fingers to release the lemon oil. Set aside
• Beat eggs on medium high for a good five minutes until frothy.
• Slowly stream in avocado oil.
• Mix lemon juice with sour cream and extract.
• Stream into batter.
• Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients in mixer.
• Mix just until incorporated. Batter will be thick.
• Microwave a teaspoon of batter for 20-30 seconds. Taste for sweetness and lemon flavor.
• Evenly divide in three six inch pans.
• Bake at 325 degrees. Make sure to check at 25 minutes. You may need to bake ten more minutes. You may need to put foil over cake if it's browning too much and not done. Use thermometer to test inside center of cake. It will need to be 207 degrees F.
• Cool completely in pan before removing, as this cake is tender.
• Once cooled, remove from pan, and apply cream cheese frosting.

Frosting Instructions

• Beat cream cheese until very smooth. Beat butter separately for five minutes.
• Add together. Beat again until very smooth.
• Add juice and lemon zest.
• Add confectioner’s sugar a little at a time.
• Beat until very smooth. Taste for lemon flavor and sweetness.
• To apply frosting, decide how your cake will stack. Use a piping bag to apply frosting to the two centers in concentric circle, which ensures an even layer.
• Smooth all frosting out on sides.
• Add optional fresh lemon thyme on top with remaining lemon zest.
• Add blueberries or raspberries if desired.
• This cake is rich. Cut into 16 thin slices.
• It’s best served cold.

Notes

At 16 slices, 6 Net Carbs per slice.

 

You can add in some lemon peel for garnish. Peel and toss with some granulated swerve.

Nutrition

Calories: 393kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Fiber: 4g

Print

Butter Version: Keto Naked Lemon Cake with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

The very best Keto Naked Lemon Cake you will ever eat. Perfect for Special Occasions.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes minutes

Total Time 55 minutes minutes

Servings 14

Calories 393kcal

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups almond flour
• 4 tablespoons coconut flour
• 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder

Wet Ingredient Group

• 2 tablespoons zest from lemons reserve some for topping cake
• 1 cup Swerve Granulated powdered erythritol
• 1/2 cup avocado oil can use olive oil
• 6 large eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
• 1/2 cup lemon juice 8 large lemons
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream (or almond milk)

Lemon Frosting

• 12 ounces cream cheese
• 3/4 cup butter 4 ounces
• 1 lemon (for juice and zest)
• 1.5 cups Swerve confectioner’s sugar more if needed
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream

Garnish

• 1 cup blueberries for topping optional
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme for garnish optional

Equipment

• 3 Six Inch Cake Pans
• Off-Set spatula
• Julienne Peeler for Shredding Citrus
• Zester
• Parchment paper

Instructions

• 
  Use three six-inch cake pans.
• Cut parchment paper to fit each round. Spray or butter on top of parchment paper and sides.

Dry Ingredients

• Mix flours, salt, baking soda, baking powder, xanthan gum, together. Set aside.
• Zest all lemons. Reserve some zest for topping cake later.
• Rub zest into swerve with your fingers to release the lemon oil.

Wet Ingredients

• Beat eggs for about a minute till frothy.
• Stream oil into eggs.
• Add swerve or whatever sweetener you are using.
• Add lemon juice and lemon extract.
• Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients in mixer.
• Add heavy cream or almond milk to batter if it appears too thick.
• Mix just until incorporated.
• Do a taste test for lemon flavor. Microwave 1 teaspoon of batter for about 20 seconds.
• Bake at 350 degrees, 180 C, Gas 4, for 25 to 30 minutes. Make sure to check at 25 minutes. You want your cake to be 207 F. Degrees in center.
• Divide evenly into pans.
• You want to bake to golden brown.
• Once out of the oven, use offset spatula and go around the edges. Cool for 15 minutes.
• Once cooled, remove from pan, and cool completely before frosting.
• You can freeze each cake separately, wrapped in plastic and frosted at another time.

Frosting Instructions

• Beat cream cheese until very smooth. Beat butter separately for five minutes. Make sure butter and cream cheese are at the same temperature 69/70 or they will not incorporate well together, especially is butter is warmer than cream cheese.
• Beat on low until smooth.
• Add juice and lemon zest.
• Add confectioner’s sugar a little at a time.
• Beat until smooth.
• To apply frosting, decide how your cake will stack. Even out with serrated knife if necessary.
• Put a third of frosting on first layer. Smooth out with an offset spatula. Repeat on next layers.
• Smooth all frosting out on sides.
• Add optional fresh lemon thyme on top with remaining lemon zest.
• Add blueberries or raspberries if desired.
• This cake is rich. Cut into 16 thin slices.
• It’s best served cold.

Notes

At 14 slices, 6 Net Carbs per slice.

You can add in some lemon peel for garnish. Peel and toss with some granulated swerve.

Nutrition

Calories: 393kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Fiber: 4g

The post Keto Naked Lemon Cake with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

There are three cooking techniques that help make Cast Iron Chicken Thighs your favorite meal

A hot oven. 450 degrees!

Pre-salted chicken thighs. It also helps if you buy air-chilled chicken. It might cost a few pennies more, but I buy it when Whole Foods has their prime day sale. It makes a huge difference, as it’s not filled with water.

Separating the skin from the flesh and stuffing your favorite herbs inside. I used lemon thyme, but you could also use any thyme, oregano, sage leaves or fresh rosemary.

That’s it. That’s all you need to know. The right chicken and the right temperature, and a cast iron pan.

I use my largest cast iron for this to make a lot of room for the chicken. You can use a sheet pan if you like.

During the last twenty minutes I add fresh whole garlic cloves and grape tomatoes.

Serve Roasted Chicken Thighs with Cauliflower Rice, Orzo, Quinoa or Rice

I like to serve this over cauliflower rice, but you could also use orzo,  quinoa or rice.

Once the chicken is done (about 40 minutes if the thighs are large), I remove everything out of the cast iron pan and stir in cooked cauliflower rice, mix it up with the chicken fat and add crumbled feta cheese.

You could also cook this in a separate vessel adding in some olive oil, salt, pepper, and feta and baking until you get the desired look. It takes about 20 minutes for the cauliflower rice, which is enough time to set your table and have your chicken rest under foil.

Roasted Chicken thighs are great leftover and can be frozen.

Serve this with a Tuscan Green Salad  

More Chicken Thigh Recipes from Spinach Tiger

Print

Cast Iron Chicken Thighs with Roasted Tomatoes

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 4 chicken thighs
• olive oil
• salt
• pepper
• lemon thyme or fresh herb of choice
• cherry or grape tomatoes
• 4 garlic cloves
• 
  Cauliflower Rice
• 2 ounces crumbled feta
• lemon zest
• za'atar seasoning or chopped fresh herbs of choice
• salt
• pepper

Instructions

• Gently separate chicken thigh skin from flesh, enough to be able to stick herbs inside.
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
• Preheat pan for 10 minutes.
• Put herbs between flesh and chicken skin.
• Place on hot cast iron pan.
• After 25 minutes, add tomatoes, garlic cloves.
• Cook for about 20 more minutes. Tomato skins should burst and garlic get softened.
• If the chicken is not as browned as you like, place under the broiler for four to six minutes.
• If making cauliflower rice, if frozen, pat out excess liquid with paper towels. Microwave to get a bit warmed. I use a large piece of parchment paper. You could use cooked rice or cooked quinoa with this dish.
• Remove everything from frying pan and set aside with foil.
• You want to have some of the chicken fat in the pan. Mix your cauliflower rice with herbs, feta and lemon zest. Bake at 400 degrees until the sides seem crispy.
• Place the chicken and tomatoes back over the cauliflower rice. Turn oven off.
• If you need to reheat slightly just place back in hot oven for a few minutes.

The post Cast Iron Pan Roasted Chicken Thighs with Roasted Tomatoes appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

If you love lemons, you’ll go completely weak in the knees for this lemon curd tart recipe. It is as good as it looks with the appropriate balance between sweet and tart!

I adapted the recipe from the gluten free baking cookbook from America’s Test Kitchen, a cookbook I can’t put down. I added the lemon thyme at the end, which takes this tart from a 10 to an 11.

Here is why this lemon curd tart recipe will make you happy.

• The pastry crust cuts neatly without falling apart and that’s what you want with a tart.
• The recipe will make a full sized tart or 6 to 8 mini tarts, perfect for portion control or playing around. We put blueberries on some of the small tarts, a perfect marriage. What is it about blueberries and lemons?
• There is no flour in the filling, making it more lemony, more curd-like and less pudding like.
• The tart and sweet is simply divine. I watched people’s faces as they ate these tarts, and the response was always the same. My family wanted more and hated when the last bite was gone!

Lemon Curd Tart Recipe

Many lemon tart recipes have flour in the filling. This does NOT.

It does have a lot more egg yolks, less butter than most, but also has some heavy cream. You could leave the heavy cream out and add in more butter. Unlike the recipe, I chose to mix it on top of the stove Bain Marie style. This means cooking in a stainless steel bowl placed over simmering water or a double boiler.

The Tart Crust is Buttery, Much like Shortbread, and Has Stability

I have a great recipe for a shortbread tart crust here and a gluten free shortbread crust here. To make this grain free and keto friendly make this almond flour tart crust.

A tart crust must be able to hold a filling, cut without crumbling, and not get soggy. You could even up the flavor, by zesting some lemon into the flour when making the dough.

I have discovered I like using my Kitchen Aid Mixer with a fitted paddle for making shortbread crust, but you can use a food processor also.

You can get all my latest tips for making the gluten free tart crust here, which equally apply to an all-purpose flour crust.

The Gluten Free version is so good. Just ask the twins. This was taken six years ago. You should see them now. They still like this recipe.

Ways to Play Around with this Lemon Curd Tart Recipe

You can skip the crust and serve the chilled lemon curd parfait style.

Bake like a pudding, daring to add blueberries into the mix.

Top with your favorite complimentary fruits such as blueberries, raspberries, or blackberries.

More Gluten Free (and Sugar Free Option) Lemon Desserts

• Lemon Blueberry Bundt
• Lemon Torta Bianca
• Lemon Butter Bundt
• Naked Lemon Cake with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
• Lemon Budino
• Lemon Poppy Bundt

Print

Lemon Tart Recipe, Gluten Free Option

Lemon Curd tart, so versatile, made in one large tart on in several small tarts, can be topped with baker’s sugar or fruit.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 8

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 1 recipe for gluten free tart crust or for grain free tart crust Grain Free Recipe Here
• 2 large eggs plus 7 large yolks
• 1 cup sugar or Swerve for Sugar Free
• zest of two lemons
• juice of 4 large lemons
• pinch salt
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature
• 3 tablespoons heavy cream see notes

Instructions

• Whisk eggs.
• Set into a stainless bowl that can sit over a pot of simmering water (bain marie).
• Add juice of lemons, lemon zest, salt, sugar and 4 tablespoons butter.
• Stir until heated to 170 degrees, stirring constantly.
• Remove from stove, take through a fine mesh strainer.
• Add cream or add in three more tablespoons butter. Stir.
• Cool. Place a piece of plastic wrap over lemon curd, once cooled if not using right away.
• Bake a pre-made tart crust for approximately 25 minutes at 375 degrees F. If tart crust is frozen, no need to use pie weights. If not, spray a piece of parchment or foil with baking spray or butter and cover tart crust. Use pie weights over the foil.
• Remove from oven. Pour in lemon curd.
• Place back in oven for 10-15 minutes.
• Remove and cool for two hours.
• Garnish small pieces of lemon thyme if you have it.

Notes

Notes:

For Keto:

• Use grain free tart crust 
• Substitute Swerve or Allulose for the Sugar

 

.

The post Lemon Tart Recipe, Gluten Free and Grain Free Option appeared first on Spinach Tiger.