This paleo lemon cake is topped with sweet homemade lemon curd and both are so easy to make in an instant pot! It’s gluten-free, grain-free, and delicious! Avoid heating up the house this spring/summer by making a cake in a pressure cooker!
This lemon cake is perfect for this time of year! It’s bright and fresh and sweet! And the lemon curd on top (also made in an instant pot) is a must!
I have a paleo lemon curd on the blog, but if you’re okay with cane sugar then try my instant pot lemon curd (I have yet to try my instant pot lemon curd with honey or maple syrup, but will update the post when I do!).
Cake in an Oven vs. Instant Pot
I already have an oven-baked paleo lemon cake on the blog. I thought I’d share how to make this cake in an instant pot too.
You should know that there is a difference between the way this cake turns out in an oven vs. an instant pot. The pressure cooker results in a more moist cake that’s a bit denser – it’s still absolutely delicious but not quite as fluffy as it might be if you were to make it in an oven.
This is what paleo lemon cake looks like when you make it in an instant pot:
And here is a picture of this same cake but made in an oven:
They look almost exactly the same, I know. But if you look super close, you can see the instant pot cake is a little more dense and the oven cake is a bit more “dry” — still moist, but drier. Again, you can’t go wrong however you make it!
This is the perfect dessert to make this sunny season. ☀ It’d be great for a few upcoming special holidays like Easter or Mother’s Day!
This Cake is Easy to Adapt!
The great thing is that this cake is really easy to adapt – you can make a vanilla cake or a chocolate cake or pretty much any flavor you desire!
I made a vanilla version of this cake for my dad’s birthday last week. I just replaced the lemon juice and zest with a tablespoon of vanilla extract (some fresh vanilla bean would also be amazing if you have it)!
I was in a bit of a rush and frosted the cake while warm so it’s not the prettiest – but it was delicious! My kiddo, Tony, loves family birthdays because he can insist that we share our birthdays with him. We sang happy birthday twice – once for nanu (grandpa) and once for Tony 😂
And with it being my brother’s birthday today (Happy Birthday Rishi!!), I already know he’ll ask for a german chocolate version the next time I see him – so I’ll have to experiment with that flavor next!
I hope you make and love enjoy this cake! Let me know if you make lemon cake or if you adapt the recipe!
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients:
- ½ cup coconut flour
- ½ cup almond flour
- ¼ cup tapioca or arrowroot flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
Wet ingredients:
- ½ cup canned coconut milk, full-fat (mix well before measuring)
- ½ cup ghee or 1 stick butter melted
- ¼ cup honey maple syrup works too
- 4 eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Topping:
- Lemon Curd optional topping (here are recipes for instant pot lemon curd and also paleo lemon curd)
- Candied lemon slices optional (got these at Trader Joe’s)
Instructions
- Add the dry ingredients to a bowl and mix well.
- Add the wet ingredients to the bowl with the dry ingredients and mix well.
- Pour the batter into a greased 7-inch cheesecake pan with a removable bottom. Cover the pan with foil.
- Place 2 cups of water in the instant pot, then place the trivet inside. Put the cake pan on top of the trivet.
- Secure the lid, close the pressure valve and cook for 35 minutes at high pressure.
- Naturally release pressure for 15 minutes, then open the valve to release any remaining pressure.
- Allow the cake to cool, then top with lemon curd if desired.
Minu says
Hi Ashley.. thanks for all the gluten free recipes. Have you tried with gluten free flour instead of using coconut, arrowroot and almond flour?
Deloras says
I have a 3qt mini and a bunt pan that fits. Could i use this pan to cook the cake in? Other wise I have 3 small spring form pans that I can cook one at a time.
Claire says
Can you make this 2-3 days in advance of serving?
My Heart Beets says
I haven’t tried but I’m sure it would be fine if you kept it in the fridge.
Ss says
High pressure in which mode please?
My Heart Beets says
It depends on the model you have but the button should either say “manual” or “pressure cook”
Cambridge gurl says
What would you recommend to substitute for eggsan eggless cake not vegan.
Ellie says
How many grams is one stick of butter please?
Annette says
One stick is 1/4 package of your 1 lb butter