My grandmother as many people who’ve been with me for a while here, was a marvellous baker and maker of desserts. I’ve come to realise lately, that I was passed the baton when she died 4 years ago, which was about the time I went from baking the odd thing, to becoming passionate about creating desserts of my own, that were gluten free and more nourishing than the standard white flour / white sugar desserts we seemed to be surrounded by. One of my favourite memories is of being under the tree outside my grandmother’s house by the sea in Mauritius, come afternoon tea time. Sweet tea perfumed with local vanilla bean was always on offer, as was a slice of either her famed chocolate cake, or her lemon and yoghurt cake or some ‘petit beurre’ French biscuits.
Why do my recipes always have 3-4 flours? Because gluten free flours all perform very differently and I find combining a couple and up to 4, means I get a better texture result.
How did I make the glistening lemon wheels? I just brushed them with rice malt syrup and baked them on 160C / 320F for about 20-25 minutes and then cooled them on a wire rack.
Where are the gorgeous ceramics from you ask? Kim Wallace Ceramics. I love them.
Enjoy and tag me on instagram @lowtoxlife or comment here when you’ve baked yours to let me know how you went.
If you like cakes and cupcakes, try my coconut cupcakes, choose your own adventure cake, orange and poppyseed cake or my banana bread maybe next time!
We’ve just had a big hail storm here in Sydney as I type this, so it’s time for a cup of tea and a little afternoon tea if you ask me!
Zesty Lemon & Yoghurt Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- 3/4 cup rice malt syrup, maple syrup or 1/2 cup honey
- 1/2 cup coconut oil (you can use half a cup of butter if you’re not dairy free and that’s what you have at hand)
- 1/2 cup tapioca flour (or arrowroot)
- 1/2 cup teff flour (or buckwheat, sorghum or if you’re not gluten free spelt)
- 1/3 cup coconut flour
- 1/2 cup yoghurt (a liquidy coconut yoghurt is what I used. I fear coyo is too thick and produces a ‘stodgy’ cake feel. Alpine, About Life or home made liquidy and tangy consistency work best from my testing)
- 1 tsp vanilla bean powder
- zest from 2 lemons
- uice from2 lemons (strained from pips)
- 1 heaped tsp baking powder
- 1 heaped tsp bicarb soda
For SYRUP to top
- juice of 1 lemon
- 3 tbsp your chosen syrup
- 4 tbsp water
Instructions
For the SYRUP
- Simply heat on medium for 3 minutes until it bubbles then brush onto cake surface
For the CAKE
- Line a standard sized round cake tin and line the base with parchment paper and grease with olive or coconut oil
- Cream your coconut oil and syrup for 1 minute with beaters OR on speed 7 on a MyCook / Thermomix
- Then add your eggs and cream a further 30 seconds, same speed
- Then add everything else and mix until all combined. In a MyCook / TM, that’s 10 seconds speed 6
- T0 ensure the most airy result possible, you can take time to sift all the flours into the bowl if you fancy.
- Then bake 30 mins at 180 degrees (non fan-forced) and start checking at 20 minutes – different ovens will vary.
- Two tests to know you’ve cooked it enough… Do the skewer test in the middle of the cake – clean when it comes out? You’re done. Press gently on the cake on the sides and a little more towards the middle. Does it bounce back or sink? It should bounce back, so give it another 5-8 mins if not.
- Just before it’s ready to come out, or while it’s cooling, mix up and heat your syrup to brush on top of the cake. Brush it on with a pastry brush OR avoid this step altogether, it’s not crucial.
- And… voila. You’re done. Two ways to present it. As a cake as is OR press little rounds out of it and ‘eat the outy bits’ behind the scenes and save the pretty discs for serving. I stacked a couple with a littel more coconut yoghurt in between and on top. Your choice!
Comments 22
Is there an egg substitute for this ?? Thanks looks delicious
Author
I haven’t personally tested it without egg, no, but you could certainly try the apple sauce, chia gel variations and see how they go with a 1/2 sized batch? Do let me know if you do! 🙂
You fear coyo?? Please tell 😉 So so soooo looking forward to making this. And glad of an excuse to buy ridiculously expensive Coyo although I really should attempt to make my own.
PS Youre missing a ‘know’ in the first sentence 🙂
Author
I completely forgot to finish that sentence – I don’t fear coyo at all. Too funny – thanks for letting me know. Fixed now. It’s just too thick and dense for this recipe 🙂
I can’t tolerate the lemon zest, although the lemon juice is ok. Will this make a big difference to the flavour, and would you suggest I substitute anything else for texture…..I dehydrate a lot of fruit (skinless/rindless) so I could add other texture.
Author
It doesn’t impart a huge flavour so just leave it out, no probs 🙂
Looks delicious!! Just wondering why you fear coyo?…
Author
I don’t fear coyo – I fear I forgot to finish the sentence that I’d started! Sorted now. TOo thick for this recipe and made one of my test cakes really stodgy.
x
How funny! Well that’s a relief anyway
I’m Paleo and don’t eat buckwheat, sorghum or spelt. How could you modify the recipe? Arrowroot & coconut flour are fine. Could you use a nut flour or almond meal?It sounds delicious!
This is insanely good!!! Definitely feel good food at it’s best – after the crazy rain this afternoon creating a waterfall in our backyard we definitely needed something to lift our moods. I normally struggle getting cakes to cook properly in my dodgy oven but this was perfect. My husband was amazed I could produce such a thing – even though he is spoilt by treats from your web site all the time this still managed to surprise him. We both still remember too well what a rubbish cook I was when we met and now I’m rocking in the kitchen – yay! Impossible to stop at one piece 🙂
Author
So glad you enjoyed Linda! Thanks for sharing x
I made this cake yesterday and it is so yummy and moist. I didn’t have the different flours that you used so substituted them with plain flour. I also used maple syrup which was one of your options. I shall buy the flours you used and definitely bake it again.
Author
Wonderful – so glad you liked it and it worked with plain flour. DId you add all measurements up and use that qty or did you add more given coconut flour more absorbant? Would love to know so I can pop a note for people 🙂
Hi Alexx,
What size tin do you use – 20cm or bigger?
Also, if I don’t own a Thermomix it will still turn out ok?
Thanks Mel
Author
I used a 22cm tin and no need for a TM, just use beaters or a food processor or a kitchen aid / kenwood patissiere mixer 🙂
Hi Alexx
I made this last night for my Mother In Law’s birthday and, as my husband would say, it was Capital Deeeelicious! I made it using the CoYo Passionfruit yoghurt & used the leftover as icing on top. It was moist yet fluffy and a great consistency all the way through. I decorated it with pansies, alyssum & lobelia from our garden. So pretty, so feminine and won me lots of Daughter In Law brownie points!
Author
Jess I’m so sorry I missed this – So glad you guys loved it. x
Made this for the second time today fast becoming a favourite. I use butter and regular greek yoghurt. Yum!
Author
So glad you love it Hayley x
Hi Alexx. I can’t see an oven temperature on this recipe. What would you suggest?
Author
Hi Emma, thanks for pointing this out! 180 degrees (non-fan forced). Check it at 20 and 25 minutes as some ovens vary 🙂