Happy Sunday! Here’s a slice of sunshine. Every once in a while, we all need a pick-me-up. Do I ever get that!

It’s been an ultra-busy week! My business has been exploding in many arenas. I am this second considering and fielding many offers that are beyond my wildest dreams, have booked 18 upcoming television appearances and I’m just about ready to launch a new product for doctors on April 15.   

This project for doctors is the most exciting project I’ve ever done because not only do I get to help Docs discover primal eating, but their patients will also discover the joys of primal living, too.  This is very impactful — I’m honored to help make a difference in health and wellness. These Docs are really important to me, and so are their patients. So I have been burning the midnight oil to launch this product with total excellence.

With all this work, I sure could use a little breather — a breath of fresh air and a ray of golden sunshine!  My sons — whom I lovingly call Niles and Frasier due to their competitive spirit — are a great source of inspiration to me. Always curious about what I’m up to, they often chime in like this “Mom, are you sure you want to write THAT?” or  “Mom, are you saying that to any KIDS because they won’t like that!” or “Mom, are you really wearing THAT on TV – that does not look like you one bit!” and “Mom, it’s called INSTAGRAM … really Mom???”

But it’s not always like that … every day they tell me they love me, without fail. Every day they circle around me at night wanting to tell me about their day. Every day they look at me with such proud eyes, and I do the same.

So, I decided to make them this cake, and can’t wait to hear: “Wow, Mom! This is REALLY good.” Then of course the inevitable …  “You’re going to post this on Instagram, right?”

Sigh …  Yes boys; I’ll post this to Instagram.

This cake is surprisingly moist and really tasty. So, if you want to spread a little sunshine, my Paleo Lemon Cake is your ace in the hole … and kids love it too. Just in time for spring!

Prep time: 15 min • Cook Time: 35-40 min • Yield: One 8- to 9-inch cake round/6 to 8 servings

Equipment

• Electric mixer
• One 8- or 9-inch cake pan
• Parchment paper

• ¼  cup (for the cake)  plus 1 tablespoon (to grease the pan) coconut oil, melted and divided
• 6 eggs, at room temperature *
• ¼  cup full fat coconut milk
• 6 tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon pure lemon extract
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• ½ cup coconut flour
• ½  teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
• ½ teaspoon sea salt

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and move rack to middle of oven. Grease an 8- or 9-inch cake pan with 1 tablespoon coconut oil.
2. Combine ¼ cup coconut oil, eggs, coconut milk, honey, vanilla, lemon extract, and zest in the bowl of stand mixer (or use an electric hand mixer), and mix well for 2 to 3 minutes.
3. In a separate bowl, mix together all dry ingredients.
4. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix well. Pour batter into greased pan. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the top has browned and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out dry. Place cake on wire rack to cool. Do not cut the cake until it is completely cool.

  Serve with sliced strawberries if desired.

Notes: Why room temperature eggs you ask? The whites and yolks of room temperature eggs will combine easier when whisking. This means the eggs will disperse more evenly into the batter. Because eggs trap air the result will be a lighter texture. When baking with coconut flour, room temperature eggs will make a difference in the final texture.

Since coconut flour baked goods can sometimes come out too dense, room temperature eggs will make them lighter and fluffier. To bring eggs to room temperature quickly, soak them in a bowl of warm water for 10 to 15 minutes. If you are new to baking with coconut flour, it helps if you understand how it differs from grain flour.

Coconut flour is essentially the fiber from the coconut meat after almost all the oil has been extracted to make coconut oil; thus it is very dry and needs about twice the hydration of wheat flour. Baking with coconut flour also requires more eggs and sticky binders such as honey, maple syrup, coconut nectar, etc. This explains why the recipe uses 6 eggs, ½ cup liquid, and 6 tablespoons of butter to a mere ½ cup of coconut flour.

Keep thinking big and living bold!