Let’s Get Fancy with a Lemon-Blackberry Cake

This cake is gluten and grain-free with no refined sugar.

Glazed lemon-blackberry cake

By Sandy McCall

Holiday time is a grand time to make this special cake, and I’m sure you can imagine how beautiful it will look on your holiday table. Fresh lemon is always a hit in my world and if you choose to add the optional, fresh lemon thyme herb, you will be offering a unique and tasty dessert.

I love how folks notice that this cake is beautiful and very good tasting, and that it has healthier ingredients than other cakes. It is not overly sweet as some cakes can be. Anyone who chooses not to eat gluten or white sugar will be very pleased with this offering. I have been gifted with an incredible pottery “tube” cake pan that I will be using today.

Thank you to my good friend, Erin. This beautiful cake pan makes this cake even more special. This cake is gluten and grain-free with no refined sugar. Use a 7” or 8” interior diameter Bundt (also called a tube pan ) or a large loaf pan.

Coconut-Buttermilk

½ coconut cream

2 teaspoons lemon juice

Combine and let sit for 5 - 10 minutes

Cake Ingredients

½ cup of coconut-buttermilk

2 cups almond flour, plus more to sprinkle in pan

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ cup coconut palm sugar

Zest of 1 large lemon

4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

⅔ cup softened butter

3 large eggs, room temp

Glaze Ingredients

4 tablespoons coconut oil, softened

4 tablespoons raw honey

Zest of ½ lemon

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Pinch of sea salt

Garnishes

6-oz fresh blackberries

2-3 sprigs fresh lemon-thyme leaves, minced (optional)

Cake Directions

Preheat oven to 350°. Butter or oil, and lightly flour your pan.

In a small bowl, combine coconut-buttermilk, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Add all of the dry ingredients to the food processor. Then add the softened butter, coconut-buttermilk mixture, and the eggs to processor and mix thoroughly. Do not overwork the batter.

Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake until a toothpick or knife is inserted and comes out clean. Approximately 45-50 minutes. Carefully check to make sure the cake is done, particularly if you are using a deep pan. Cool for 15-20 minutes in the pan. Turn cake out onto a cooling rack and allow it to completely cool before glazing. Make your glaze while cake is baking.

Glaze Directions

Combine all ingredients and stir with a fork or whisk, then mix with an immersion blender until smooth and creamy. Set aside. Glaze should be thick. When ready to glaze cake, add additional lemon juice if glaze is too thick. If it is too thin, refrigerate for a minute or two just before icing the cake.

Decorate and Serve

Place the cake on serving platter or cake stand. Fill the center of cake with chilled blackberry garnish, packed in tightly. If using a loaf pan, place berries on top of cake or around the edges of cake in a decorative fashion. Drizzle glaze over top and down sides of cake. Garnish with fresh lemony thyme leaves if desired. Refrigerate to set glaze and serve.