Moist Italian Lemon Cake – Gluten-Free & Dairy-Free
Moist and zesty Italian lemon cake made with ground almonds, polenta & olive oil. Gluten-free, dairy-free & flourless—perfect for summer baking!
Thinking of an Italian summer dessert? This flourless Italian lemon cake is bursting with bright citrus flavour and made with simple, wholesome ingredients. Naturally gluten-free, it combines ground almonds and polenta for a moist, golden texture, and uses boiled whole lemons for a deep, jammy lemon flavour.
Inspired by a traditional Southern Italian recipe (and adapted from Jamie Oliver's Amalfi lemon cake), this version uses olive oil instead of butter, no baking powder or soda—just eggs to create lift and richness.
It’s the perfect make-ahead cake:
✔️ Gets even better the next day
✔️ Freezes beautifully in slices
✔️ Delicious served with fresh berries and a spoonful of cream or vanilla ice cream
I've lightened the olive oil, skipped the syrup topping, and left out the mascarpone cream to keep it fresh, simple, and dairy-free.
Takes = 15 mins prep.
Bakes = 50 mins
Makes = 10-12 pieces
Tin = 20cm spring from 8 inch
Only 6 Ingredients
- One lemon
- Extra Virgin Olive oil – 200 ml (3/4 cup)
- Large eggs – 4
- Caster Sugar – 250g (1 cup)
- Ground almonds – 250g (1 + 1/4 cup)
- Fine Polenta – 100g (1/2 cup)
Sugar Syrup (optional)
- Icing/powdered sugar – 75g (1/2 cup)
- Lemon juice from one whole lemon
Method
- Boil the lemon then simmer in a large pot of water for about 20 minutes until soft. Keep an eye on the water level, add a little more water if the level drops too much.
- Drain off the water, remove any seeds then cut into quarters. Place the lemon quarters skin and all in a food processor with the olive oil and blitz until smooth.
- Preheat the oven to 180˚C, 160˚C fan and grease then paper line the base of the 20cm (8 inches) cake tin.
- Whisk the eggs and sugar with electric beaters or on your whisk attachment on a stand mixer for at least 3 minutes until very pale in colour. Don't rush this step. Swap the beater to the paddle attachment then add the lemon oil mixture (I forgot this in my video). Then gently mix the ground almonds and polenta for 2 x 20-sec bursts until combined you may need to stop and scrape the bowl. Pour into your prepared cake tin then bake for 40-45 minutes. Leave to cool in the tin then remove to cool completely on a rack.
- Make the optional lemon syrup. Gently heat the icing sugar (powdered) and lemon juice. Simmer for 5 minutes. Allow cool completely.
- Serve the cake once completely cool. Poke a few holes in the cake and drizzle over the sugar syrup or skip this and sprinkle with a dusting of icing/powdered sugar. Perfect enjoyed with fresh berries and a small serving of cream or ice cream.