This paleo lemon blueberry layer cake is so tender, moist and flavorful, with a grain free lemon cake, juicy blueberries, and a cream cheese frosting that you won’t believe is completely dairy free. This cake is a showstopper for any celebration yet surprisingly easy to make! Gluten free, dairy free, paleo friendly.
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Whether you need a go-to warm weather birthday cake or just need to do something extra special with some fresh blueberries, you’re in the right place!
This tender, moist, berry filled cake is going to WOW you and whoever else takes a bite – it’s magical.
If you’re new to paleo baking, this recipe is a great first cake to make too! It’s easier than you might think to put together and tastes like a classic cake.
Let’s get into the details!
What You Need to Make this Lemon Blueberry Cake
Here’s everything you’ll need to make the cake:
Cake Batter:
- blanched almond flour
- tapioca flour, or arrowroot flour
- baking soda
- fine sea salt
- eggs
- fresh lemon juice
- lemons
- ghee, or refined coconut oil
- pure vanilla extract
- pure almond extract
- maple sugar
- fresh blueberries
Cream Cheese Frosting:
- almond milk cream cheese (I used Kite Hill)
- ghee or refined coconut oil
- powdered monk fruit sweetener, (I used Lakanto) or organic powdered sugar
- fresh lemon juice
- pure vanilla extract
How to Make this Paleo Lemon Blueberry Cake
Preheat your oven to 350°F, line 3 8” cake pans with parchment paper on the bottom and spray with cooking spray.
In a large bowl, combine the flours, baking soda and salt. In a separate large bowl, whisk together the eggs, lemon juice and zest, coconut oil or ghee, vanilla and almond extract, and maple sugar until well combined and smooth.
Stir the dry mixture into the wet until smooth, then toss the blueberries with the 1 tbsp tapioca and fold into the batter.
Spread the batter equally between the prepared pans and bake for 20 minutes or until set in the center and beginning to turn golden brown. A toothpick inserted in the center in each of the layers should come out clean.
Place the pans on wire racks to cool for 15 minutes. Carefully turn over to release the cakes and continue to cool on wire racks completely. Once cooled, place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to make assembling and frosting easier.
How to Make the Paleo Cream Cheese Frosting
While the layers cool, make the frosting.
In a large bowl using an electric mixer, beat together the cream cheese and ghee or coconut oil, then slowly beat in the powdered monk fruit (or sugar) until very smooth.
Add in the lemon juice and vanilla extract and continue to beat until creamy. Place the bowl in the refrigerator until the cakes are chilled and ready for frosting.
Place a round piece of parchment paper (I cut mine) on a cake plate and place a cake layer round side down. Frost, then place the second layer rounded side down and frost.
Place the third layer on top, flat side down, and frost the top and all around the sides of the cake with the remaining frosting.
How to Serve this Lemon Blueberry Cake
You can serve the cake right after frosting, or refrigerate it until ready to serve.
The frosting will firm up while chilled, making the cake easier to cut.
You can also make this cake a day ahead of time and keep it in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
I know you’re going to love it! Happy baking!
Paleo Lemon Blueberry Cake {Gluten Free, Dairy Free}
Paleo Lemon Blueberry Layer Cake {Gluten Free, Dairy Free}
Ingredients
Cake Batter:
- 2 3/4 cups blanched almond flour
- 3/4 cup tapioca flour or arrowroot
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 4 large eggs
- 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- Grated zest of 2 medium lemons
- 1/3 cup melted ghee or refined coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon pure almond extract
- 1 cup pure maple sugar
- 1 1/4 cups blueberries + 1 tablespoon tapioca flour
Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 1 8 ounce container almond milk cream cheese I used Kite Hill
- 1/2 cup ghee or refined coconut oil solid*
- 2 cups powdered monk fruit sweetener or organic powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
-
Preheat your oven to 350°F, line 3 8” cake pans with parchment paper on the bottom and spray with cooking spray.
-
In a large bowl, combine the flours, baking soda and salt. In a separate large bowl, whisk together the eggs, lemon juice and zest, coconut oil or ghee, vanilla and almond extract, and maple sugar until well combined and smooth.
-
Stir the dry mixture into the wet until smooth, then toss the blueberries with the 1 tbsp tapioca and fold into the batter. Spread the batter equally between the prepared pans and bake for 20 minutes or until set in the center and beginning to turn golden brown. A toothpick inserted in the center in each of the layers should come out clean.
-
Place the pans on wire racks to cool for 15 minutes. Carefully turn over to release the cakes and continue to cool on wire racks completely. Once cooled, place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to make assembling and frosting easier.
-
While the layers cool, make the frosting. In a large bowl using an electric mixer, beat together the cream cheese and ghee or coconut oil, then slowly beat in the powdered monk fruit (or sugar) until very smooth. Add in the lemon juice and vanilla extract and continue to beat until creamy. Place the bowl in the refrigerator until the cakes are chilled and ready for frosting.
-
Place a round piece of parchment paper (I cut mine) on a cake plate and place a cake layer round side down. Frost, then place the second layer rounded side down and frost. Place the third layer on top, flat side down, and frost the top and all around the sides of the cake with the remaining frosting.
-
You can serve the cake right after frosting, or refrigerate it until ready to serve. The frosting will firm up while chilled, making the cake easier to cut. You can make this cake a day ahead of time and keep it in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
*If using coconut oil, the frosting will be prone to melting at room temperature, so make sure to keep the cake chilled.
Nutrition
Want More Paleo Cake Recipes? Try One of These!
Chocolate Layer Cake with Chocolate Buttercream
Spice Cake with Cinnamon “Cream Cheese” Frosting
Apple Cake with Maple “Cream Cheese” Frosting
Carrot Cake with “Cream Cheese” Frosting
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Anyone tried this as a sheet cake? 9×12 pan? I don’t have the round cake pans 😉 thank you
I will never ever make a three layer cake so naturally I don’t have the right size tins. Can you give some subs? If I halve the recipe can I use two 9 inch pans or one rectangle?
Yes you can try that and bake until set in the center and a toothpick comes out clean.
Hi!!!! Looks amazing! Would it be a terrible idea to make this cake, but omit the blueberries? Maybe sprinkles or nothing as a birthday cake? Thanks!!!
This will work!
Can egg substitute be used?
I want to know this as well as I’m allergic to eggs.
Racheal,
I too have a sensitivity to chicken eggs, but have found that duck eggs agree with me and they bake beautifully with gluten free recipes!
Can you use frozen blueberries?
I made this with fresh picked huckleberries in a round springform pan. It took about 35 minutes to bake. Didn’t have cream cheese to make the frosting but it was simple and delicious without it. Perfect summer treat!
Not enough batter for the 3rd pan.
You can’t say this is dairy free, if you’re using eggs.
Um… eggs are not nor have they ever been considered a dairy product.
…
Such a great cake! I made this last night for my boys (my brother and fiance) and they loves it. I followed the recipe exactly and it was perfect. You are right, it was a pretty easy cake! And perfect for summer.
Can you use egg alternative like flax egg?
Can this be made using coconut flour instead of almond? Also is there another substitute for the almond milk cream cheese? I’m super allergic to almonds but not coconut. Thanks!!
Love this cake and frosting! I used 2-9inch pans and just adjusted the cooking time. So delicious!
Oh wow…This cake was amazing. I borrowed the 8″ pans, and 2 days later I bought my own – because I’ll be making this cake again and again. I’ll have to work with the frosting a bit – too sweet for my taste, but nevertheless, good. The cake looks beautiful, and holds up for days!
I made this and everyone loved it. Even the non paleo followers. The icing was a little too sweet for me though.
Erythritol isn’t paleo, either is organic powered sugar. So disappointed. I really wanted to make this one!!
Could you substitute monk fruit in stead of maple sugar?
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Can you make this with 9” pans?
Absolutely delicious! My entire family loved it- new favorite dessert!
My daughter made this cake for Easter. We cut the sweetener in the cake to 1/2 cup coconut sugar, since most recipes are way to sweet for us, and I didn’t have any maple sugar on hand. We used 3/4 cup monk fruit sweetener for the frosting. The cake was delicious, and plenty sweet with the amount we used. Thank you for your recipes, they are amazing!
Wow, it tastes so good! My loved ones unanimously voted it their new favorite sweet.
I would post a pic with #nailedit but site doesn’t allow pics. I have no idea how you’re supposed to get the icing to stick to the sides. Turned out to be a big gloopy mess! Everyone thought it tasted great. But the aesthetic was a disaster.
This was dynamite! The frosting was so good! I added in raspberries with blueberries and it was perfect. Made with two 9” and timing was pretty close to the same. Def recommend keeping chilled – it’s delicious. Will make again and again all spring & summer long!
The cake itself has delicious flavors but somehow I didn’t end up with enough batter to spread evenly between the 3 8” pans I ended up with enough to make a 2 layer but unsure where I went wrong?! Overall it’s still a wonderful recipe perfect for spring time! I love all of your recipes they have yet to ever let me down! Always delicious, thank you for sharing!
This cake looks delicious. Thank you for sharing this and also all the other amazing recipes on your website.
All the best,
Babett
This Paleo Lemon Blueberry Cake is a game-changer for anyone on a gluten-free or dairy-free diet! The combination of tangy lemon and sweet blueberries is absolutely delicious, and the texture of the cake is so moist and fluffy. It’s hard to believe that it’s made with healthier ingredients. The recipe is easy to follow, and the end result is a beautiful and tasty cake that everyone will love. Thank you for sharing this amazing recipe!
This cake was amazing. I took it to a housewarming party and everyone raved about it and could not believe it was gluten free.
This was easy to make and deliciousI Even my non-Paleo friends liked it, They took the leftovers home! I used the leftover frosting to frost graham crackers just like my mom did in my childhood. Great treat! Lemon-Blueberry cake is my new go to for the dessert table.
thanks a lot for it!
This Paleo Lemon Blueberry Layer Cake recipe is a genuine masterpiece! Inspired by my husband’s recent promotion at his London-based office, where he availed the excellent service of Professional CV Writing Services in London, I decided to celebrate his success with this delightful dessert. The recipe turned out amazing, and my husband thoroughly enjoyed it. In fact, I documented the entire experience on my blog, where I share similar recipes and stories.
Hi Can I leave out the almond extract?
Delish! Beautiful & easy to make! Is it ok to store at room temp? I have it displayed on my cake stand…to pretty to keep in the fridge!
Made this for Easter and it was delicious! I was worried that there was not enough batter for all three layers, but it turned out just fine.
Thank you for making this topic easy to understand. Great post!
Thank you for addressing this topic. Your perspective is appreciated.
This is one of the best desserts I have made and everyone that was over for the birthday dinner was totally impressed. I did cut the monk fruit in the icing to 1 1/2 cups. Monk fruit powder sugar is a bit too sharp tasting for me. Every thing I have ever had from PRM has turned out wonderful.
Came out so amazing. Moist cake with fantastic taste and frosting
This was SO delicious!!! I opted to use store-bought frosting, but the cake itself was amazing. I just made it for my 12 year old’s birthday & he said it was the best thing he’d ever eaten! 😆 Will definitely be making it again!!
THIS WAS AMAZING!!! We made it in 2- 9″ pans, 20 mins. My family loved the cake and couldn’t believe it was gluten and dairy free! Thank you for creating a fabulous recipe. Will be part of our recipes specials we love!
Amazing recipe ever!
I’ll definitely try it out sometime ❤️ I’m bookmarking this page