This lemon cake is perfect for this time of year! It’s bright and fresh and sweet! And the lemon curd on top (also made in an instant pot) is a must! I have a paleo lemon curd on the blog, but if you’re okay with cane sugar then try my instant pot lemon curd (I have yet to try my instant pot lemon curd with honey or maple syrup, but will update the post when I do!).
Cake in an Oven vs. Instant Pot
I already have an oven-baked paleo lemon cake on the blog. I thought I’d share how to make this cake in an instant pot too. You should know that there is a difference between the way this cake turns out in an oven vs. an instant pot. The pressure cooker results in a more moist cake that’s a bit denser – it’s still absolutely delicious but not quite as fluffy as it might be if you were to make it in an oven. This is what paleo lemon cake looks like when you make it in an instant pot: And here is a picture of this same cake but made in an oven: They look almost exactly the same, I know. But if you look super close, you can see the instant pot cake is a little more dense and the oven cake is a bit more “dry” — still moist, but drier. Again, you can’t go wrong however you make it! This is the perfect dessert to make this sunny season. ☀ It’d be great for a few upcoming special holidays like Easter or Mother’s Day!
This Cake is Easy to Adapt!
The great thing is that this cake is really easy to adapt – you can make a vanilla cake or a chocolate cake or pretty much any flavor you desire! I made a vanilla version of this cake for my dad’s birthday last week. I just replaced the lemon juice and zest with a tablespoon of vanilla extract (some fresh vanilla bean would also be amazing if you have it)! I was in a bit of a rush and frosted the cake while warm so it’s not the prettiest – but it was delicious! My kiddo, Tony, loves family birthdays because he can insist that we share our birthdays with him. We sang happy birthday twice – once for nanu (grandpa) and once for Tony 😂 And with it being my brother’s birthday today (Happy Birthday Rishi!!), I already know he’ll ask for a german chocolate version the next time I see him – so I’ll have to experiment with that flavor next! I hope you make and love enjoy this cake! Let me know if you make lemon cake or if you adapt the recipe! Like this recipe? Pin it to your favorite Pinterest board now so you will remember to make it later!
