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Dr. Gundry’s Lemon Poppy Coffee Cake

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.

The lectin free coffee cake looks really amazing with the yellow color

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22 Comments

  • Reply
    PAMELA S WHITTLE
    September 3, 2018 at 1:44 pm

    Mine went excellent, but I made into mini muffins instead. Delicious.

    • Reply
      Claudia
      September 4, 2018 at 8:40 am

      Great idea! it’s a delicious cake 😀

  • Reply
    Sarah
    September 19, 2018 at 2:03 am

    I followed Dr. G’s recipe the first time I made it (doubled the recipe for a large bundt pan). It fell apart when I tried to unmold, so I’m anxious to test your modifications.

    Couple questions: how long did you bake your bundt cake? Dr. G didn’t specify a time when you double the recipe…

    There was also no direction about whether allowing the bundt cake to cool completely before trying to remove it would be helpful – do you let it cool?

    Thanks so much!

    • Reply
      Claudia
      September 19, 2018 at 10:26 am

      Hi Sarah, my reason for making this post was exactly this, hearing many people failing, so I wanted to test if see if there is a problem with the recipe. I suspect step number one is important for you, the cake will fall apart if too moist, and number 3, you need to coat your bundt pan really really well. Thank you for bringing the baking point up, I think I didn’t include it in the original post because I followed the instructions in the book, but I just added some points now following your comment. Have a look and let me know what you think. I would try again and make sure you follow step 1 and 3. I would let it cool and settle a little bit before removing it from the pan. I can imagine it’s harder with a bigger pan, but I’ve seen people succeeding so it works. Please let me know the updates, I hope next time it works xx

    • Reply
      Evelyn Yee
      October 1, 2019 at 8:52 am

      I think the fact that you doubled the recipe is the problem. Baking is a chemical reaction and so by double the ingredients you altered the cake. Some recipes state that you can double the recipe, if not, I wouldn’t. It has happened to me.

    • Reply
      Hkwdesign
      December 9, 2019 at 5:35 pm

      Looks so pretty, I made Dr G’s and I didn’t love it, had a weird taste. Although it was moist. I used Swerve granular.

  • Reply
    Sarah
    September 19, 2018 at 8:31 pm

    It worked! I buttered/floured my big bundt pan, packed the flour really well while measuring… and as added insurance, added 1/4 t. of xanthan gum. Oh – and I let it cool in the pan until the outside was just barely warm.

    Thanks for all the help!

    Sarah

    • Reply
      Claudia
      September 20, 2018 at 1:56 pm

      Yay, so happy it worked! Is there any way I can get a picture? I’d love to post it on my stories on Instagram and assure other people it works. No pressure, only if you have one 😀 – claudia.curici@gmail.com xx

  • Reply
    Rita Bou Lattouf
    November 19, 2018 at 7:03 pm

    Hello Claudia,

    I will be making this cake for the first time today.
    In the title, you mentioned “coffee”, but there is no coffee in the original recipe…is that a typo?
    Also, I am planning to use 4x green banana (pureed in a blender) as a sweetener instead of the stated sweetener. would that be ok? and do you suggest I do any modifications in the measurements/baking time as a result of using green banana?

    Thank you so much for such an amazing creative Blog 🙂

    • Reply
      Claudia
      November 19, 2018 at 11:34 pm

      Hi Rita, the cake is called coffee cake not because it has coffee, but because it’s a cake that goes well next to a coffee :). As per the amount of green banana you will be using, that will change everything. I can’t tell what that will do to the batter, but will definitely add a lot of moisture. It won’t be the same thing for sure. Let us know if it works xx

  • Reply
    Anne
    March 12, 2019 at 9:24 pm

    This is my all-time favorite recipe from the Plant Paradox Cookbook! All of my friends who have tried it can’t believe it’s sugar-free and healthy. I follow recipe exactly with the addition of a few drops of lemon extract.

  • Reply
    Sid
    October 8, 2019 at 9:32 am

    Hi Claudia,
    Do you have any recipes using quinoa⁉️
    Is that allowed in the plant paradox diet⁉️
    Thank you for your time & consideration.

    • Reply
      Claudia
      October 11, 2019 at 9:46 am

      Hi Sid, no, quinoa is not a PP approved food. Pressure cooking removes most of the lectins though.

  • Reply
    Sharon
    February 13, 2020 at 10:35 pm

    How much juice is the juice of one lemon? The lemons I have are HUGE! Also, it would be more exacting if you would give the almond and coconut flours in grams.
    1 more question…did I miss the size of the bundt pan when you double the recipe-6 c? I re read the blogs- looks like it is probably the 6 c.
    Thank you

    • Reply
      Claudia
      February 14, 2020 at 1:00 pm

      Hi Sharon, good question! I count 1 tablespoon per lemon. My upcoming cookbook will have measurements in both cups and grams. Regarding the quantity, I make about 5 cups of batter with the ingredients listed here (one full 3 cup and one about half 3 cup). So this quantity will fill a 6 cup pan. But if you double everything, you will probably need a bigger size Bundt pan. I don’t recommend a very big one though, it might not hold that well together. I hope this helps.

  • Reply
    Sharon
    February 17, 2020 at 3:59 pm

    Hi Claudia, … I made the recipe out of Dr. Gundry‘s cookbook and it just made a 9 x 5 loaf pan. I did not have 5 cups of batter. So I was going to double the recipe that was in the cookbook thinking it would make 6 cup Bundt pan. I can’t believe you have that much batter. Most substitution sites say 2 T./ lemon- might explain why my cake was a bit too moist !

    • Reply
      Claudia
      February 19, 2020 at 9:26 am

      Hi Sharon, sorry, that was a mistake with the lemon, I meant 1 tablespoon per half a lemon. I haven’t had citrus in a year so I just got confused. I don’t think the lemon was the problem if you used 2 tablespoons per lemon. Usually, when it comes to baking with almond flour, it’s that there is not enough flour for the liquid, as almond flour can be well packed in a cup, or fluffy, and that makes a big difference. It’s hard with all the different sizes, I just know I got 1 1/2 mini bundt cakes from this quantity, and my bundt pans were 3 cups each. But you usually don’t fill it to top so maybe that’s where the confusion comes from? For sure for a big bundt cake you need to double the recipe. I think that’s also mentioned in the book.

  • Reply
    Sharon
    February 19, 2020 at 10:08 am

    Thanks Claudia,
    Thank you ! Maybe in the next edition they can put the measurements in grams to eliminate the fluffy versus packed almond flour issue! I found another recipe that calls for 2 cups of almond flour saying it’s 190 g. I’ll just do the math for 3 c. I bought a 9 inch Bundt pan, poured water in the loaf pan I used then poured two of those in the Bundt pan. I think I’ll be good with a 9 inch. I am making it today-wish me luck!

    • Reply
      Claudia
      February 19, 2020 at 12:40 pm

      Good luck! I’m not sure if you can upload a picture here, but if you can please do, or let us know how it worked. Fingeres crossed <3

  • Reply
    Sharon
    February 23, 2020 at 2:36 pm

    Hi Claudia,
    Cake turned out great! I wish I could figure out how to upload the photos. I packed the almond flour in a cup measure and the weight was different all 3 times so I decided to go with an average of 114g/ 1 C the recipe called for. I used 342 g almond flour, 63g coconut flour, I did add 1/2t xanthium gum. The problem was how much lemon juice….I decided on 1/2 c + 2 or 3 T because I was afraid the batter would be too wet. I might have to add some lemon extract next time to get it a bit more lemony. Oh, I added some (about 1/2 of the orange) orange zest with the lemon zest. 9” bundt pan was perfect, cooled in the pan till warm, did a lemon glaze-raves! Thank you for all your input!

    • Reply
      Claudia
      February 24, 2020 at 8:42 pm

      Hi Sharon, so happy your cake turned out well! Happy to help, any time <3

    • Reply
      Lisa
      April 10, 2022 at 9:07 am

      Sharon is my middle name… and your precise measurements made all the difference for me! i get absolutely perfect results every time. for me the scale is infinitely more effective than using cup measurements. thank you so much 🙂

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