You are in for a treat. The following is a guest post by one of my favorite new food bloggers, Rose from The Clean Dish. Rose takes stunning photographs of exquisite foods. She eats clean, real, wholesome food and excels at creating fabulously nourishing yet decadent recipes — recipes like this Coconut Lemon Cream Cake which is also grain-free, dairy-free, and refined-sugar free. Thanks, Rose!

In my mind, this was going to be a “blond” cake. I somehow thought all the coconut would make it lighter in color but obviously, even large amounts of coconut paired with almond flour still turns nutty-brown once it’s baked. However, I am happy to report that it doesn’t take away from the flavor or the looks of this cake!

You should know one thing, though: This cake is not sugary-sweet. If you have a serious sweet tooth, you might want to increase the amount of honey in this recipe; however, if you, like myself, enjoy a sweet treat that allows other flavors to shine (in this case lemon and coconut), than I suggest you stick with the recipe!

I am really excited to share my Coconut Lemon Cream Cake with you; a recipe I specially created for Food Renegade. It is easy to make, extremely healthy (fresh lemon, lots of protein, no processed sugar or grains) – it’s suitable for Paleo dieters and it tastes phenomenal!

Enjoy!

COCONUT LEMON CREAM CAKE

What you need:

• 8 ½” (or larger) spring form (I use this one.)
• hand mixer
• parchment paper

• ¼ cup coconut oil (where to buy coconut oil)
• 2 eggs (read why “organic” and “free-range” labels aren’t enough)
• 3-5 drops of fresh lemon juice
• 2 cups almond flour (where to buy almond flour)
• ½ cup coconut flour (where to buy coconut flour)
• ¾ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ cup shredded, unsweetened coconut (where to buy unsweetened coconut)
• ½ cup honey (where to buy honey)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (where to buy real vanilla)
• 3 tablespoon nut milk or water

• 2 cans full-fat coconut milk, refrigerated for at least 6h (where to buy BPA-free, guar gum-free coconut milk)
• 1 tablespoon honey (where to buy honey)
• 2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1. Preheat oven to 325F.
2. Line the bottom of your spring form with parchment paper.
3. In a small sauce pan, slowly melt coconut oil. Make sure it is not too hot, just warm enough to liquefy.
4. Separate egg whites and yolks, set yolks aside.
5. Add lemon juice to egg whites and beat with a hand mixer until stiff, set aside.
6. In a bowl, combine all dry ingredients; almond flour, coconut flour, baking soda, shredded coconut.
7. In a different bowl, combine wet ingredients; yolks, coconut oil, honey, vanilla extract and nut milk / water, and mix well.
8. Combine wet and dry ingredients until well incorporated.
9. Fold in egg whites. It is going to be slightly thicker than batter; if it is too thick, add a little bit more water, one tablespoon at a time.
10. Pour batter into spring form and bake for 25-30 minutes. (It really depends on your oven. It took 30-35 minutes in my oven; I suggest to do the tooth pick test after 25 minutes – stick a tooth pick into the middle of the cake. If it comes out with batter crumbs, the cake needs to bake longer.)
11. Let cake cool down completely before you add the frosting.

1. Open cans of coconut milk – careful not shake them! Scoop out the cream that has accumulated at the top of the can and set the coconut milk aside (you won’t need it).
2. Beat coconut cream with a hand mixer until it has the texture of regular cream (for about 3-5 minutes until it is thick and fluffy).
3. Add honey and lemon juice and mix again.
4. Using a spoon, cover cake with coconut cream and place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to let the cream set.
5. Enjoy!

For recipes and practical instructions for eating this way (dairy-free and grain-free), I highly recommend the Paleo Eats Cookbook.

It’s the simplest way to get started, and at the moment, the hardback version of this cookbook is 100% free to Food Renegade readers.

AS ALWAYS, ENJOY!

INTERESTED IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF COCONUT PRODUCTS?

You may want to read about coconut sugar production.

MEET ROSE

I enjoy developing recipes and just started getting into food photography. All of my recipes are grain free, processed sugar free and some are vegan. If I’m not busy in the kitchen, I like to go on long walks with my feisty little Eskimo dog Biscuit. I try to stay active as I believe physical fitness is the key to a balanced life style – I love trail running, rock climb, snorkeling and cross country skiing – if I ever get the chance.

I dream about traveling the world to write about food and artisan wine but for now, I am perfectly happy with a simple life of home cooked meals, dinner with friends and weekend trips to the beach. Come on over and visit me at The Clean Dish to check out my latest creations!