3 Ingredient Lemon Cake (No Flour or Oil)
This lemon cake is like a flourless chocolate cake but lemon flavored. It is just 3 ingredients and doesn’t require flour or oil. This cake is perfect for a nice brunch or other events.
This cake is great for upcoming holiday brunches or any other occasion that calls for cake. It has a texture similar to a flourless chocolate cake, except that it is flavored with lemon.
Ingredients
- Eggs
- White Chocolate
- Lemon juice and zest
Eggs: This recipe uses large eggs, yolks and whites separated. The eggs are what give the cake its structure.
White Chocolate: White chocolate provides sweetness and contributes to the cake texture and structure. I used white chocolate instead of regular chocolate because I wanted the cake to look like a lemon cake. You can make this cake with semisweet chocolate but your cake will be dark in color and the chocolate flavor may overpower the lemon flavor. I previously made a 2 ingredient chocolate cake that uses just eggs and semisweet chocolate.
Lemons: This recipe uses lemon juice and zest from fresh lemons to flavor the cake. You will need approximately two large lemons, though please make sure to measure out the juice and zest.
How to Make Flourless Lemon Cake
Chocolate is melted down and then combined with the egg yolks and zest.
The key to this recipe working are the eggs. Egg whites are beaten until stiff peaks form and then gently folded into the batter. This is what gives the cake structure and allows it to rise. Once the egg whites are folded in, your batter is ready to be baked.
More Lemon Recipes
3 Ingredient Lemon Cake
Ingredients
- 4 large eggs, separated, straight from fridge
- 1 1/2 cups + 1 tbsp (283 g) white chocolate chips
- 2 oz lemon juice + 2 tbsp lemon zest, from two large lemons
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F (163°C). Grease and then line the interior of a 7 inch round springform pan with parchment paper.
- Separate egg whites from egg yolks. Place egg whites into a large mixing bowl and place into fridge until ready to use.
- Melt chocolate in a large mixing bowl. You can do this either in the microwave or over the stove using the double boiler method. To melt in the microwave (this is the method I used), place chocolate into a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at full power for 1 minute. Stir chocolate with spatula and then heat again for 30 seconds. Stir until chocolate is melted and smooth. If chocolate is not completely melted, you can microwave again in 30 second intervals, stirring in between, until chocolate is completely melted and smooth. I only needed 1 minute and 30 seconds total using a 1100 watt microwave.
- Let chocolate cool for a few moments until it is still melted and warm but no longer too hot to touch. Add in egg yolks. Stir with spatula until egg yolks are fully incorporated into the batter.
- Remove your egg whites from fridge and beat on highest speed (if you are using a stand mixer use the wire whisk attachment) until stiff peaks form.
- Add 1/3 of the egg white mixture to the yellow batter. Use a spatula to gently fold it into the yellow batter until no egg white streaks remain. Repeat with the next 1/3 and then the final 1/3. Your batter should look very light and fluffy. Very gently stir in the lemon juice and zest until just incorporated.
- Pour batter into prepared baking pan. Bake for about 40 minutes. The top of the cake should be lightly browned and it should feel like a thin hard shell covering your cake. Toothpick inserted should come out clean. Let cake cool completely in pan before removing. The cake will initially rise quite high but will sink down as it cools.
- For best results, let cake cool overnight at room temperature. The cake can be enjoyed the same day but the texture is not the same. It will have a more custard-like texture after it is baked but when it fully cools and sets, the cake texture changes to a firmer crumb and more like a traditional flourless cake texture. If desired, dust with powdered sugar before serving.
Notes
- I used this 7 inch springform pan.*
- *This product link is an affiliate link. This means I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
- This cake is similar to other flourless cakes in that it is more dense and rich. It is not meant to be a fluffy cake. The exterior of the cake has a delicate thin crackly layer before giving way to a dense, rich cake.
- The cake will initially rise quite high but will sink back down as it cools. This is normal. The edges of the cake will look a bit rustic because it sinks back down.
- I recommend making this cake the day before you want to serve it. While the cake can be enjoyed the same day it is baked, the texture will be very different. When it is first baked, the cake has an almost custard-like texture. Once it fully cools and sets, the texture becomes firmer and it is more like a traditional flourless chocolate cake texture.
- Make sure to use fresh lemons. You will need approximately two large lemons to yield 2 oz of lemon juice and 2 tbsp of zest. I don't recommend adding more than 2 oz of lemon juice because your batter will be too wet and heavy. Do not add the lemon juice and zest until the very end or it will cause your chocolate to seize.
- Make sure to use 10 oz of chocolate. I tried making this recipe with less chocolate and it caused the chocolate to seize too much when adding in the eggs.
- This cake is very rich and sweet so I recommend cutting small slices.
- The cake can be stored at room temperature for 1-2 days and longer in the fridge.
Can I freeze the 3 ingredient lemon cake
We haven’t tried freezing it, but it might do well as long as it’s tightly wrapped with plastic wrap.
We had this at our supper club and all of us really liked it! It was close to cheesecake consistency just not as creamy. We added a sauce of fresh cooked down blueberries on top and it added a very nice touch. I encourage you to try this.
Pam C – Omaha, NE
Thanks for letting us know!
When do you add the lemon?
You can find the instructions in step 6 of the recipe card. You add it to the batter before baking the cake.
The recipes is good
I’m glad you liked it!
I’d like to try it .I love lemon pie but not the meringue.but anything lemon . Thank you
We hope you enjoy it!
this is great
I will make this for Mother’s Day!! Question: is two ounces of lemon juice 1/8 a cup or 2 tbsp? How do you measure, actually? Thanks. Perhaps measuring on a scale?
Most liquid measuring cups show ounces. The 2 oz is volume not weight, so using a scale would not work. 2 oz is 4 tbsp or 1/4 cup
Thank you for the help and!! The explanation. I’ve made this lemon cake successfully twice now; it was a big hit. ?
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We’re happy it was a hit!
More recipes please!
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Gotta make that lemon cake I love the Gramma lemon goodies .looking forward to letting you know I never knew there was such flourless cakes hmmm.
Let us know what you think when you try it!
Love love ??
My DIL made this for a Passover dessert. Absolutely delicious. She said this will be her annual contribution for event.
We’re so glad it was a hit!
The white chocolate in the 3 Ingradient lemon cake could be replaced for dark chocolate?
I think you will have difficulty tasting the lemon if you use dark chocolate because the chocolate flavor will be very strong. I linked to a dark chocolate version in the post.