Lemon Cake
Spring is in full bloom, and there’s no better way to celebrate the season than with a cake that’s as bright and refreshing as a sunny afternoon. Today, we’re turning to Patisserie Revolution: The Healthy Baking Bible by renowned French pastry chef Johanna Le Pape — a book that redefines what it means to indulge, the healthy way.
Johanna’s expert recipes are easily adjusted to meet your dietary preference–with substitutions for sugars, eggs, flours and dairy. She also provides information on how to preserve micronutrients, and how to balance sugar and fibre for a low glycemic index (GI).
And what better way to dip into her delicious world than with her zesty, aromatic lemon cake — a perfect pick for spring. This dairy-free cake is made with Einkorn flour. Einkorn is part of the wheat family and it does contain gluten but many people with gluten intolerance find it easier to digest than modern flour. (This article from Einkorn.com offers a terrific description.) Johanna also offers a brown rice flour/arrow root starch substitution that keeps this cake just as delicious and also gluten-free.
This cake is light, naturally sweetened, and bursting with citrusy goodness. Whether you’re hosting a weekend brunch or simply looking to make something special for your afternoon tea, this cake is sure to bring a little sunshine to your table.
Let’s bake!
Makes 1 cake • Preparation: 20 minutes • Resting time: 1 hour • Baking time: 45 minutes
Ingredients
CAKE
- 1 tbsp (10 g) poppy seeds
- 1 egg [Vegan alternative: replace with 2 tbsp/30 g plant-based beverage and 2½ tbsp/20 g arrowroot starch]
- 5 tbsp (60 g) date sugar [Low-GI option: replace with 5 tbsp/60 g erythritol]
- ¼ cup (60 g) puréed zucchini
- Zest of 2 lemons
- ¾ cup + 3 tbsp (90 g) einkorn flour [Alternative flour: replace with 6 tbsp/60 g brown rice flour and 2½ tbsp/20 g arrowroot starch]
- 3 tbsp + 1 tsp (50g) plant-based beverage
- ¾ tsp (3 g) baking soda
- ¼ tsp (1 g) fleur de se
LEMON GLAZE
- 1 tsp (5 g) olive oil
- Zest of ½ lemon
- 6 tbsp + 2 tsp (100g) plant-based beverage
- 1 tbsp + ¾ tsp (10 g) arrowroot starch
- 1½ tsp (10 g) honey
As seen in
Instructions
CAKE
- Combine flour with zucchini and date sugar.
- Add plant-based beverage, egg, baking soda, lemon zest, poppy seeds and fleur de sel.
- Pour batter into a greased 5- by 1.5-inch (12 by 4 cm) deep round cake pan.
- Bake in 325 °F (160 °C) oven for 20 minutes.
LEMON GLAZE
- Heat plant-based beverage with arrowroot starch and honey. Whisk until thickened. Off the heat, add olive oil and lemon zest.
- Glaze the cake once it has been removed from the pan and has cooled.
JAZZ IT UP
Jazz up your lemon cake by adding grated gingerroot, ground cardamom or tea powder to the cake batter.
Photography Credit: Nicolas Bouriette
