This Gluten-Free Blueberry Lemon Coffee Cake is made with almond flour. Topped with streusel and a sweet glaze, this is a light flourless blueberry cake, bursting with blueberries and gently flavoured with lemon. Perfect for brunch!
This flourless Blueberry Lemon Coffee Cake is similar to everyone’s favourite Blueberry Buckle Cake, but it’s gluten-free!
Ever since I first made this Gluten-Free Lemon Almond Cake with Strawberries, I’ve thought of different variations to make. I made Fruit Flan with Ricotta and fresh berries, and today, this gluten-free Blueberry Lemon Coffee Cake.
While picking blueberries this morning, I remembered how much I loved the Blueberry Buckle Cake that my mother-in-law used to make. I decided then and there that there simply had to be a way to create a gluten-free version of that old favourite.
And so I did. Using the same recipe as the Gluten-free Lemon Almond Cake, I added a little almond flavouring and folded in a cup of freshly picked blueberries. I made a quick crumble for the top, and drizzled it sparingly with a creamy almond glaze. I was perfectly happy with the result!
Ready to bake a flourless coffee cake? Gather your ingredients and let’s get started.
Ingredients for Gluten-Free Blueberry Lemon Coffee Cake
- eggs: separated
- lemon zest
- granulated sugar: the real stuff for this recipe, to keep it light
- almond flour: finely ground
- pure almond extract
- baking powder: gluten-free, if necessary
- cream of tartar: not essential, but adding it will result in a fluffier cake, as it helps increase the volume of beaten egg whites and stabilizes them by helping hold in air.
Helpful Tips to Make Flourless Blueberry Lemon Coffee Cake
- A springform pan works well for this recipe. Line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper. Grease the sides with butter or coconut oil for easy removal once it’s baked. You could also use a square baking pan, lined both ways with strips of parchment paper.
- Separating the eggs and beating the egg whites adds volume to the cake and helps to make it light. Adding cream of tartar to the egg whites will help trap the air and stabilize the whites.
- The only tricky part of this recipe is combining the beaten egg whites with the almond flour mixture. It will seem lumpy and sometimes seems like it just won’t combine. Persist, keep stirring and it will eventually come together.
- Fold in the blueberries very gently so you don’t end up with a purple cake! If using frozen berries, don’t thaw them first.
- The streusel topping turns this cake into a delicious coffee cake. While the almond glaze is optional, it adds a flavour and interest to this cake, so I recommend including it.
Gluten-Free Blueberry Lemon Coffee Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 4 eggs separated
- 2 tbsp lemon zest
- ½ cup granulated sugar divided
- 1½ cups almond flour finely ground
- 1/2 tsp pure almond extract
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp cream of tartar
- pinch of sea salt
- 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries tossed with 1 Tablespoon gluten-free flour (or almond flour)
Topping
- 2 tbsp gluten-free oats
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp coconut sugar or brown sugar
- 2 tsp cinnamon
Glaze
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 3 drops pure almond extract
- 1 tsp almond milk or other milk
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350°F. Cut a circle of parchment paper to fit in the bottom of a 9 - inch springform pan. Grease the sides with butter.
- You will need 3 bowls, 1 large and 2 medium.
- Separate the eggs, and put the whites in a medium bowl and the yolks in a large bowl.
- In a large bowl, beat the egg yolks, lemon zest and ¼ cup sugar until pale yellow. Add the almond extract and beat.
- In a medium bowl, combine the almond flour and baking powder.
- Add the almond flour mixture to the egg yolk mixture and beat until smooth.
- In another medium bowl, beat the egg whites until frothy. Add cream of tartar and salt and continue beating, Add ¼ cup sugar, one spoonful at a time until soft peaks form.
- Gently fold the beaten egg whites into the batter, ½ cup at a time. It will seem like it won't combine, but as you add more it will come together and result in a light, airy batter. This part can sometimes be difficult, but persist, and just keep stirring and combining.
- Gently fold in the blueberries.
- Carefully scoop the batter into the springform pan, smoothing the top.
- Combine the topping ingredients until crumbly. Sprinkle on top of cake.
- Bake at 350°F for 35 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely in the pan. Run a knife around the edge to loosen before releasing the spring.
- Transfer to serving plate and drizzle with optional glaze.
Nutrition
Looking for more gluten-free cakes?
Gluten-Free Fruit Flan with Ricotta and Fresh Berries
Flourless Fudgy Chocolate Almond Mini Cakes
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