Healthy Flourless Lemon Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

This super moist and super easy lemon cake has the perfect balance of tart and sweet, with an amazing cream cheese frosting to boot. And, although it's great for breakfast and brunch, it's ideal for guilt-free snacking any time of day.

So why is it so healthy? It's pretty simple really. I replaced white flour with oats (I ground up some rolled oats in my food processor), I replaced refined sugar with coconut sugar (which also gives the cake a toasted color and flavor), I replaced butter with coconut oil (and used less), and I created a healthy cream cheese frosting by adding Greek yogurt and maple syrup. It's a winning recipe on all fronts! Oh, and make sure you check out my tips for making the cake dairy-free and vegan too!

Even the frosting is healthy! Instead of cream cheese and powdered sugar, I used a combination of cream cheese and Greek yogurt. Then I added a little maple syrup for sweetness and vanilla for flavor. You might be using this recipe on all your favorite cakes and quick breads (carrot cake definitely comes to mind).

Want a dairy-free and/or vegan cake? No problem. To make the cake dairy-free, substitute almond or soy milk for the regular milk in the cake and use dairy-free cream cheese and yogurt in the frosting. For a vegan cake, make the dairy-free suggestions above and use a flax egg instead of a whole egg (a flax egg is a mixture of 1 tablespoon flaxseed meal/ground raw flaxseed and 2 1/2 tablespoons water; let the mixture sit for 5 minutes before using).

Healthy Flourless Lemon Cake 

For the cake
Cooking spray
2 cups rolled oats, ground into a flour (I used my food processor)
1/2 cup coconut sugar (or granulated sugar if you want)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
Pinch of salt
3/4 cup milk (or dairy-free milk)
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 large egg (or flax egg - see note above)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
6 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
For the frosting
8 ounces cream cheese (regular, light or vegan), softened
1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt (regular or dairy-free)
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat an 8-inch cake pan with cooking spray.
To make the cake, in a large bowl, combine the ground oats, sugar, baking powder, lemon zest, and salt. Mix well and set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk together the milk, lemon juice, egg, and vanilla. Whisk the milk mixture into the flour mixture. Whisk in the coconut oil until blended.
Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and smooth surface. Bake for 15 minutes, until a wooden pick comes out clean or with moist bits clinging to it.
Cool the cake, in the pan, on a wire rack.
To make the frosting, combine all the ingredients in a large bowl or food processor and mix until smooth and creamy. Spread the frosting over the cake and serve. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Serves 8