Moist, sweet, and bursting with lemon flavor, this healthy lemon cake is sure to become your favorite! It's made with wholesome ingredients and topped with a healthy lemon cream cheese frosting. Plus, this single-layer cake is so easy to make, and it happens to be gluten-free.
If you're a lemon lover, you simply must try this healthy lemon cake!
Yes, we all love the lemon cake from Starbucks. But with all that fat and sugar, I suggest you pass on the Starbucks and try this homemade cake instead. You will not regret it!
It's moist, sweet, and bursting with bright lemon flavor. And it's topped with the best lemon cream cheese frosting. The frosting alone is enough to try this cake! Why? Because lemon + cream cheese + maple syrup = AMAZING!
Plus, this cake will not affect your healthy lifestyle. It's made with wholesome, nourishing ingredients that you probably already have in your cupboard. Here's what you'll need:
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Healthy Lemon Cake Ingredients:
For healthy lemon cake, you'll need the following ingredients:
- Oat Flour- Oat flour is sold in stores, but it’s also super easy to make at home. Simply blend old-fashioned oats in a high-speed blender until the oats become a fine powder (about 30 seconds to a minute). Store your oat flour in an air-tight container for up to three months.
- Cornstarch- When added to the oat flour, cornstarch helps to produce a tender crumb.
- Baking Powder and Baking Soda- I use both baking powder and baking soda to help the cake rise.
- Salt- As with most baked goods, a little salt is necessary for the best flavor.
- Maple Syrup- Feel free to substitute sugar-free maple syrup or agave syrup if desired.
- Milk- I use 2 percent milk for this recipe, but you can use any type of milk that you have on hand.
- Yogurt- You can use any type of plain, unsweetened yogurt. Vanilla yogurt would also be a good choice.
- Eggs- You'll need two large eggs at room temperature.
- Olive Oil- Olive oil may sound strange in a cake, but it pairs nicely with the lemon. And it's so much better for you than butter or vegetable oil.
- Lemon juice and lemon zest- The recipe calls for ¼ cup of lemon juice and one tablespoon of lemon zest. Two large lemons should be all that you need.
- Vanilla extract- Pure vanilla extract is best, but go ahead and use imitation if that's what you have.
- Lemon extract- I find that lemon juice and zest alone isn't quite enough lemon flavor for me, so I add just a tiny bit of the McCormick brand of lemon extract. You can use any brand that you prefer. Just be sure it's extract and not oil. If you choose to omit the extract, add an extra ½ tablespoon of lemon zest.
- Stevia- I use Sweetleaf Stevia Drops and maple syrup to sweeten the cake. Stevia is a natural sugar substitute with zero calories. There are many different brands on the market, so feel free to use whichever you prefer. Just be sure to read the label and use the equivalent of ½ cup of sugar.
How to make Healthy Lemon Cake
This healthy lemon cake is so easy to make!
You simply whisk together the dry ingredients.
Then the wet ingredients.
Then mix the wet and dry.
Bake. It's that simple!
While the cake is cooling, make the Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting. Check out this blog post for the recipe. It's super easy too!
FAQ's
Aluminum cake pans work best for baking cakes. Aluminum heats up quickly and evenly, ensuring that your cakes come out perfectly every time.
Do I need to use parchment paper?
Parchment paper rounds guarantee your cake won't stick. I suggest that you grease your cake pan and line it with parchment paper. Then grease the parchment paper.
What is oat flour?
Oat flour is just ground old-fashioned oats. Health food stores and some supermarkets sell it, but it's also super easy to make at home. Simply blend old-fashioned oats in a high-speed blender until the oats become a fine powder (about 30 seconds to a minute). Store your oat flour in an air-tight container for up to three months.
Want more healthy dessert recipes?
Check these out!
Skinny Lemon Cheesecake Mousse
Healthy Peach Muffins with Oat Flour
Please let me know how you like the healthy lemon cake in the comments. Your feedback means a lot to me, and your star ratings encourage other readers to give this recipe a try. 🙂
Enjoy!
Crystal
📖 Recipe
Healthy Lemon Cake
Ingredients
- 1 and ¾ cups oat flour*
- 3 and ½ tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup maple syrup
- ½ cup milk
- ⅓ cup unsweetened yogurt
- 2 eggs
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 and ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon lemon extract
- 1 teaspoon stevia*
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch cake pan and then line it with parchment paper. Grease the parchment paper and set it aside.
- Whisk the oat flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside.
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, milk, yogurt, eggs, olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, vanilla extract, lemon extract, and stevia.
- Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and whisk together until smooth and no lumps remain.
- Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake for 23-26 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean (or with a few moist crumbs).
- Allow the cake to cool for 10 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely.
- While the cake is cooling, move on to prepare the healthy lemon cream cheese frosting or frosting of choice.
Notes
- Oat Flour– Oat flour is sold in stores, but it’s also super easy to make at home. Simply blend old-fashioned oats in a high-speed blender until the oats become a fine powder (about 30 seconds to a minute). Store your oat flour in an air-tight container for up to three months.
- Stevia- I use Sweetleaf Stevia Drops and maple syrup to sweeten the cake. Stevia is a natural sugar substitute with zero calories. There are many different brands on the market, so feel free to use whichever you prefer. Just be sure to read the label and use the equivalent of ½ cup of sugar.
Sue says
Oh, I love lemon cake, and can't wait to try this healthier version! Thank you!
nancy says
the perfect lemon sweet ratio
Gina says
I love lemon desserts. This lemon cake is perfect for the spring and summer months.
Cindy Mom the Lunch Lady says
I absolutely LOVE lemon desserts and this did not disappoint! The cake had wonderful texture and was the perfect balance between sweet and tart.
Crystal Yentzen says
Thank you so much! I'm so glad you liked it.
Nic says
I see the yoghurt in the ingredients list but it’s not in the recipe. Is it added with the other wet ingredients please?
Crystal Yentzen says
Yes, and thank you so much for bringing that to my attention. The instructions have been updated to include the yogurt. Let me know how you like it!
Crystal
tammy says
can you substitute the corn starch?
and can you leave out the lemon extract?
Crystal Yentzen says
The addition of cornstarch produces a fluffier, more tender crumb. If you don't want to add it, then just substitute more oat flour. And you can try it without the lemon extract, but the lemon flavor won't be as pronounced. I hope that helps!
Steph says
do you think it would be possible to half the recipe and bake it in a smaller pan like a 6inch?
Crystal Yentzen says
You can, although the cake will not turn out as thick, and you'll need to adjust the baking time. I would start checking for doneness around 13 minutes or so. Let me know if you try it!
Laurie Baker says
This Healthy Lemon Cake is making my mouth water and I hope to have this dish one day. https://www.tdchinges.com/
Denise Beauchamp says
Good morning Crystal,
I always try to cook and bake low fat, low sugar. Friends are coming for dinner and I found your wonderful recipe and would like to bake it before the event. To save time and stress, I was wondering if I could freeze the cake, without the cream cheese, of course.
I am also asking myself if I should add the stevia because in my muffin recipes 1/2 cup of maple syrup is usually sweet enough.
Thank you
Crystal Yentzen says
Hi Denise! Yes, you can freeze the cake. Just be sure to let it cool completely and wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. I feel that the cake needs the stevia because the lemon is so tart, but you can add a little less if you choose. Please let me know how it turns out!
Andree V says
Can you substitute the Oat Flour and Corn Starch for Organic all purpose flour?
Crystal Yentzen says
Yes! That should work just fine. Let me know how is turns out!
Crystal
Teddy says
Can you help me figure out what I did wrong. I am very new to baking. My cake came out very dense, flat, with a large air bubble in the center. It had a rubber-like density. Any advice on what to check? The only thing I changed was all purpose flour instead of oat flour. The smell and taste was wonderful, the texture was a disaster.
Crystal Yentzen says
Hi Teddy! All-purpose flour contains gluten, and if it's over-mixed the texture will be dense like you described. So my guess would be that you over-mixed the batter. You don't have to worry about that with oat flour since it doesn't contain gluten. I hope that helps!
Bingsley22 says
Hi, can I use regular sugar, agave, or honey in place of the Stevia?
Crystal Yentzen says
Hi! Yes, you can use 1/2 cup of regular granulated sugar in place of the stevia. I wouldn't add any more liquid sweetener, but you can substitute agave or honey in place of the maple syrup. I hope that helps, and let me know how it turns out!
Juliet says
Hi, can I leave out the yogurt? Will it make too much of a difference?
Crystal Yentzen says
Hi Juliet. I've never made this cake without the yogurt, but there are a couple substitutes you can try. You can replace the yogurt with an equal amount of sour cream or non-dairy yogurt. Another option would be buttermilk, but since it's thinner, I would use a less, maybe 1/4 cup. I hope this helps!
Crystal
Leslee Cassel-Bonilla says
People loved this Healthy Lemon Cake with the Healthy Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting! Big hit; I'll make it again.
I made two 9" rounds. I frosted and decorated one with strawberry halves on the sides and Happy Birthday candles, and the other I just frosted the top and put assorted berries on it.
I did not put these two rounds together as a two layer birthday cake, because I was afraid it might be too heavy. My family assured me it was light. Will try it as a two layer birthday cake next time.
Thank you!
Crystal Yentzen says
Thank you so much for your lovely comment! I love berries with lemon cake too.
Megan says
Hi there. Can I sub the eggs for flax egg, and the yogurt for coconut yogurt to make a vegan alternative?
Crystal Yentzen says
That should work just fine. Let me know how it turns out!
Lily says
This was the BEST lemon cake ever! I can’t believe this was made with oat flour..