Dr. Gundry’s Lemon Poppy Coffee Cake

This is seriously the best Plant Paradox cake I’ve made. This recipe from The Plant Paradox Cookbook by Dr. Steven Gundry caught my attention by… just being a cake with a beautiful texture. And I love cakes. I’ve been trying to perfect a grain-free, sugar-free, lectin-free coffee cake for the past ten months. I’ve made some good ones, but this is the best so far.

The ultimate grain-free, sugar-free, lectin-free coffee cake

I will not post the recipe here. Because it is not fair or legal, but I encourage you to get the book, it is really worth it. The recipe is on pages 222-223. However, because I’ve seen some people failing to make this cake, I will make a few observations about how I made it and the few modifications I made.

1. FLOUR – In some of the failed attempts I’ve seen, the cake is too soft and moist, and therefore falls apart, especially if made in a Bundt pan. So, this is something I figured out recently, after experiencing similar problems with other recipes when you measure almond and coconut flour, make sure the measurement cup is packed. Press the flour down with a spoon. Otherwise, the quantity of flour will not be enough.
2. SWEETENER – This is really a personal preference. Although I love cakes (for texture), I don’t have a sweet tooth. I don’t like food that is over-sweet, so I always cut sweeteners from a recipe by more than half. This requires 1/2 cup and I added a little less than 1/4 cup.
3. FLAVOUR – I love the citrus flavor and I added zest from one extra lemon and (additional to the recipe) zest from one organic orange. I only added juice from two lemons (instead of three) and replace the third with a tablespoon of orange juice. This really added even more citrus flavor to the cake and I loved it.
4. The BUNDT PAN – This cake is easy to make in a rectangular or square cake pan or loaf pan. If you want something that looks really beautiful, I encourage you to try the Bundt pan. I bought mine especially for this recipe, is a Nordic Ware, Dual Pan, 5 cups. The batter makes one full cake and a smaller one, so if you want two full ones you need to make more batter (double would be too much for this one, but it would be perfect for those single bigger bundt pans – I think their size is 6 cups). To make sure the cake won’t stick to the pan, you have to make sure you coat it generously with butter and powder it with cassava flour. Fill it 3/4.
5. BAKING – I’m adding this point later after someone asked the question about timing. Since I have not mentioned anything initially, I think I just followed exactly the instructions in the book, to bake for 35-40 minutes at 350F. I would say at the 35-minute mark keep an eye on it for the golden brown color. Also the cooked cake smell will guide you. I still recommend doing the toothpick test. Insert a toothpick in the middle of the cake and if it comes out wet it means it’s not ready. If you are doubling the quantity and using a bigger bundt pan, I’d say it might need a little more in the oven. But again, the color, smell and toothpick should guide you. Make sure you follow step number 4, otherwise the cake will stick to the pan. Let it cool down before you remove it from the pan.

This recipe doesn’t need modifications, other than the sweetener in my case. But you can play with flavors, shapes and toppings to make it suit the occasion. Is an excellent base for a birthday cake too. And I loved the crunchy poppy seeds, but if you are not a fan you can leave them out. Let me know if you made it and how it went.

If you enjoy Dr. Gundry’s lemon poppy coffee cake, be sure to try Dr. Gundry’s Carrot Cake Muffins. Tried and Tested.