This gluten free Lemon Cake is one of my favorite cake recipes. Its fresh, tart flavor and light, moist crumb seem to please nearly every palate. Frost with my Lemon Buttercream Frosting for the proverbial icing on the cake!
Bake as a sheet cake, in two rounds or as cupcakes — any way you chose, it’s delicious! The glaze helps to permeate this delectable cake with tart flavor, while the Lemon Buttercream Frosting offers enough sweetness to make this dessert a delight for all your tastebuds.
And seriously, how pretty is it with just a simple decoration of sliced lemon rounds atop a thin layer of frosting? No fancy cake decorating skills needed. It’s a winning combination any way you slice it.
Of course, feel free to pipe on some frosting if you feel the urge. That’s pretty fun, too.
Have a look at some of the comments on this recipe and you’ll see what a crowd favorite it really is. And if my love for this cake needs more proof, it’s now been my choice as both my gluten free wedding cake and my 50th birthday gluten free cupcakes. It really is THAT good.
And because it’s been proven in these special occasion cakes, I can assure you that this delicious cake stands up to layers — even wedding cake layers. It’s pretty much the perfect cake for anyone who loves lemons.
As for technique in making this delightfully light, sweet and tart cake?
Nothing much special — just the right ingredients which, in gluten free, must start with the right gluten free flour.
This amazingly spongy and wheat-like cake only turns out as magically as it does because it’s made with my award-winning gfJules Flour. It’s light, fine, not gritty or funky-tasting and yet it has enough structure to support a delicate cake like this without sinking or becoming dense.
It just works and it just makes your life easier and so much tastier.
After the right ingredients, the other secret to this amazing gluten free lemon cake recipe is to poke holes in the top after baking and drizzle on the yummy lemon syrup!
It turns a great lemon cake into a fantastically dreamy lemon delight!
Simply boil the sugar and lemons, drizzle the glaze over the cake (first poke holes in the top like a traditional “poke cake”) and then use the lemons to decorate.
It’s a beautiful presentation for what’s bound to become a favorite cake.
You seriously can’t go wrong with this one.
Use the ingredients I outline in the recipe below, follow the recipe as written, and it practically decorates itself!
Gluten Free Lemon Cake with Lemon Buttercream Frosting
Gluten Free Lemon Cake with Lemon Buttercream Frosting
The perfect light, sweet and tart cake for any occasion: gluten free lemon cake with lemon buttercream frosting! Birthdays, weddings, or anytime you crave the perfect cake or cupcakes, this will be your go-to recipe!
Ingredients
- 3 cups (405 grams) gfJules All-Purpose Gluten-Free Flour
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- 1/4 cup powdered gluten free vanilla pudding mix (like Jell-o brand) or almond meal
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/2 cup butter or non-dairy alternative (e.g. Earth Balance® Buttery Sticks)
- 2 cups granulated sugar (or alternative like Swerve)
- 3 eggs + 1 yolk (or substitute)*
- 2 Tbs fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 3/4 cup milk (dairy, coconut, almond, hemp, soy ...)
- 1 Tbs. lemon zest
- 1/2 Tbs. poppy seeds (optional)
Glaze:
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar (or alternative like Swerve)
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1 lemon, sliced thinly and seeded for top of cake (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F (static) or 325° F (convection).
- Cream butter and sugar in a large bowl, beating until light and fluffy. Slowly add eggs and yolk, one at a time, mixing to integrate. Add 2 tablespoons lemon juice and mix.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together dry ingredients. Then alternately beat the dry ingredients and milk into the mixing bowl, just until combined and batter is smooth. Stir in lemon zest and poppy seeds, if adding.
- Oil one 9×13 pan lightly. Pour in cake batter and smooth with a rubber spatula. Bake until cake pulls away slightly from the sides of the pan, approximately 40 minutes. Test for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of the cake – if it is clean or has very few crumbs, the cake is done.
- OR if baking cupcakes, line pans with 22-24 cupcake lines or oil well. Fill 2/3 full with batter and smooth tops. Bake for approximately 25 minutes, testing with toothpick for doneness.
- Let the cake cool on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the pan, if necessary to release the cake, and invert onto a wire rack if desired.
- While cake is baking, bring 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add lemon slices and reduce to simmer for 25 minutes. Remove the lemon slices and set aside; stir 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice into the syrup.
- Using a toothpick, poke holes into the warm cake while it is cooling. Pour lemon syrup over top and into the holes. Let cool completely before frosting. Add the cooked lemon slices to the top of the cake for decoration after frosting.
Notes
**One suggestion for egg-free: add 4 tablespoons arrowroot powder to dry ingredients. Add 3 tablespoons applesauce to beaten butter and sugar mixture. OR simply use Aquafaba in place of eggs. Proceed with recipe instructions. (More Egg Substitutes Here)
Nutrition Information
Yield 20 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 219Total Fat 10gSaturated Fat 4gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 5gCholesterol 53mgSodium 181mgCarbohydrates 32gFiber 1gSugar 29gProtein 3g
Please keep in mind that nutrition information provided is per serving, which may vary. While we have taken care to provide you with the most accurate nutritional values possible, please note that this information may differ significantly depending on the exact ingredients and brands that you choose to use to make this recipe. Additionally, where options are given for ingredients, the resulting calculation may include all ingredient options instead of only one per line, skewing the totals significantly.
I hope you love this recipe as much as we do!
Pin it for when you feel like some lemony goodness!
First of all I have to say I love your flour ! Perfect for baking everything! With this lemon cake with the cake still turn out as wonderful if I added blueberries?
Hi Josephine, so happy to hear it! I’m glad you’ve been trying out my gfJules Flour in lots of different things! This gluten free Lemon Cake would be delish with blueberries! I’d suggest making sure they’re nice and dry before adding, and maybe rolling them in more gfJules Flour first so they don’t sink to the bottom of the cake batter. Enjoy!
~jules
My husband, Larry does cooking in the family now. I became burnt out when diagnosed with Celiac Disease in 2009. Since then I haven’t baked, but we have an over abundant Lemon tree. I love lemon tastes, but since being insulin dependant diabetic since 1965, I am wondering if it would be okay to substitute splenda or another artificial sugar?
Thank you! Debby
You are a lucky lady that your hubby has stepped in to do the baking for you, Debby! This cake should be yummy with Splenda for Baking or Swerve or Just Like Sugar — any of those products is designed as a baking substitute. ENJOY!
~jules
Made this cake as GF & dairy free mini cupcakes for our ladies spring retreat bake off, used the yummy lemon syrup glaze & then buttercream frosting. They are such sunny little mouthfuls! Thanks for sharing another hit.
Can your flour be used to make cream puffs? Any recipe for these? I have creme patissier & ganache left over from making your Boston Cream cupcakes, too & didn’t want to waste it. Thanks!
Hi Michelle, what a wonderful thing, a retreat bake-off! Can I come? Sounds like delicious fun! And I bet these were a huge hit!
As for the cream puffs, yes! My gfJules Flour works wonders in choux pastry recipes! You can use my easy gluten free Danish Puff Pastry dough recipe or sub it into another choux pastry recipe. ENJOY!
~jules
Jules you’ve done it again! Another amazing recipe. I LOVE this cake. I’ve made it both with and without dairy and both ways are soooo delicious! I am wondering if this cake would freeze well for frosting/decorating at a later time? And if so, would you recommend putting the glaze on after thawing or before freezing? I really think the glaze makes this cake extra amazing so I woken to want to leave that out!
I’m so happy to hear it, Bre! We sure do love lemon in our house, so this cake is definitely a favorite!
As for the glaze before or after, that’s a great question! I usually do the glaze while the cake is still cooling, so I guess I’d say do it that way first and see how it goes. Freezing should be fine as long as it’s totally cooled first and wrapped really well. Let me know what you end up doing and how it works out! I’m super curious now!
~jules
Hi again Jules,
Can I assume this is unsalted butter since we add salt?
Thanks!
Hi Kim, you could actually use either, depending on your taste for salt or need to cut salt down in your diet. I prefer to use Earth Balance Buttery Sticks which actually contain salt as a preservative, and I add a bit more, as salt enhances the sweet from the sugar. You can feel free to cut the additional salt ingredient or use unsalted butter. Great question – thanks for writing in!
~jules
Hi Jules,
I am new to gluetin and dairy free, not by choice, and have ordered your AP flour. Can’t wait to get baking again. Now, all I need to know is what to use as egg substitute if that is possible.
Thanks so much for sharing all of your hard work with us! Can’t wait to try this recipe.
Hi Kim, I’m excited for you to get back to baking! Check out my article on egg-free baking tips and substitutes. If you’re baking dairy-free as well as egg-free, you’ll definitely want it as a reference. As a rule I don’t recommend subbing for eggs in recipes calling for 3 eggs or more, but you should be able to make this cake pretty well with a mixture of subs. Perhaps applesauce for 1 egg and a gluten free commercial egg sub for 2 plus mayo for the yolk? That’s where I’d start. Also check out this article on dairy-free ingredients which should help you for future baking as well. Let me know how it goes!
~jules
Haven’t made this yet. Is the butter supposed to be at room temp or melted?
Hi Magna, the butter is not to be melted, or that would have been specified. It may help to set it out for a little bit to soften it a bit, but it should still be solid or cold when creaming with the sugar. Enjoy!
~jules
can I make this in a bunt form?
Hi Aimee, you could give it a try. My gluten free lemon poundcake recipe was written with bundt in mind though, so I know it will hold its shape well if you’d rather try that one instead. Let me know what you decide!
~jules
I gave the bunt form a try and it looks wonderful. Thank you
Hi Aimee – so glad to hear it! Thanks so much for taking the time to let me know!
How long did you bake it?
~jules
Do you still use the glaze if you cut in two for a filling?
The glaze is totally optional, Denise. It’s really up to you and how much you like some extra lemony flavor!
~jules
Looks great do you have a recipe for a gf Birthday cake please x
Hi Maureen, yes! You need to try my Best Gluten Free Cake recipe – it makes a wonderful birthday cake!
~jules
I made this cake. And I loved the tart lemon… Omg. This is a lemon cake … But it was off the chart sweet. Wayyyyy to sweet was I supposed to glaze and frost ?? I also added in the middle a small about of lemon curd. I would love to redo but take out 1/2 the sugar Have you tried a cream cheese frosting ?? And what suggestions do you have to reduce the sugar?
Hi Debbie, if you like this cake already but it’s super sweet, then bonus points for you! Cut the sugar back to 1 1/4- 1/2 cup and enjoy!!! And yes, I have cream cheese frosting recipes on my site – use the search bar and you’ll find the ones I like. Lemon and cream cheese frosting is a match made in baking heaven. 🙂
~jules
My daughter who has a gluten allergy requested a lemon cake for her upcoming birthday and this seems to be the winner! My one question, though, is about the milk powder in addition to the liquid milk. One of my other children has a dairy allergy so I was planning on using unsweetened almond or coconut milk – whichever is open at the time of baking. Instead of purchasing a powder dairy free version, do you think I could just use 1 cup of liquid milk? Thanks!
Hi Kathleen, I’m so glad you asked because the milk powder in the recipe is not supposed to be reconstituted, so it would not work to simply add liquid milk instead. We don’t do any dairy in our house either, so I either use coconut milk powder or Vance’s DariFree (potato-based). Of course for the liquid milk option, feel free to use almond or coconut milk. I hope this helps! Enjoy the recipe and happy birthday to your girl!
~jules
I made this cake for my daughter’s horses birthday party (I know, I know)… but we have a few people at our barn that are gluten and dairy free. Most didn’t realize it wasn’t a “regular” cake and all raved about it. I have passed on the recipe to many. My only notes would be:
1: Don’t panic when the batter is really thick and sticky. Spread it as smooth as you can in the pan because it will not smooth out during baking. If it’s still lumpy after baking, just trim off the top before frosting.
2: I lined my pan with parchment so I could lift it out when cool, cut it in half with a serrated knife and put some triple berry preserves in the center as a filling. Just a thin layer. Then put the top back on and lifted the cake back into the pan for transporting. Would also be great with a lemon curd I think.
3. We found we liked this cake even better the second day and right out of the refrigerator. It’s amazing day one… but day two, somehow it’s even better!
Question — Has anyone made this into cupcakes? Cooking temp and time would be appreciated!
Hi Lisa – what a cool idea to have a horse’s birthday party at the barn and share the cake. I love it!!!
So glad everyone loved this cake, too. Great addition with your notes – thanks so much for sharing! I have wanted to try this with a lemon curd filling — you may have just pushed me over the edge to do it next time! Or the berries … either one sounds amazing! To make these as cupcakes, start checking with a toothpick after 20 minutes of baking. Same temp. Happy baking!
~jules
It worked in Bundt pan! Big hit!!
Fantastic!!! So glad everyone there loved it, Dot! and it’s so pretty in a bundt!
~jules
Love this recipe! The cake is wonderful and is a staple in my baking now. Could you provide time/temps for cupcakes and rounds?
Haven’t used a bundt pan in ages…do you think this cake will work in one?
Not sure, Dot. It’s more of a layer or sheet cake consistency, but you could give it a shot. If you really want a lemon cake in a bundt, give my pound cake a whirl!
~jules
My 4 year old grandson requested a lemon cake with lemon icing for his birthday party today. I made your recipe (with his help, he loves to cook) and the cake turned out so delicious, everyone at the party thought it was amazing. I made it dairy free as well and since his party theme was Batman, I used yellow food dye in the icing and drew the Batman symbol on top with black gel icing. It looked and tasted awesome. Thanks for the great flour and recipes Jules, I couldn’t have done it without you!
Wow Cheryl, that sounds like quite the cake! And how fantastic that you let your grandson help you with the cake – that’s a memory both he and you will treasure for years to come. I’m so very happy to hear that the cake turned out deliciously and that it was a hit at the party. Successes like those should be celebrated, so congratulations! I’m happy to have had any part in that victory!
Happy baking, Cheryl!
~jules
Help! Every time I make a gluten free cake, the batter is so thick that it clumps into a big blob and there is no way it can be poured into the pan. What am I doing wrong? I was looking forward to this lemon cake with the glaze, which reminds me of a lemonade cake I used to make before being diagnosed with celiacs. I fear U am unsuccessful again.
Hi Susan, lemon cakes are the best!!! Can you tell me whether you are using my gfJules Flour and if you are making any other substitutions for ingredients? What kind of milk/liquids are you using? Are you using a hand mixer or stand mixer or mixing with a spoon? Also, do you measure with measuring cups or are you weighing your dry ingredients? Have you tried baking the batter out or did you just toss it when it was difficult to mix?
I’m hoping with a little more information we can get to the bottom of this so you can have a yummy lemon cake again!
~jules
THIS CAKE IS DA BOMB! I tried it out this weekend and I halved the recipe since I am the only one in the household…..wouldn’t want to gorge myself on lemon cake..HAHA! Anyway I used 3 egg whites and 1 1/2 TBSP of sour cream for the (eggs +1yolk) and turned them into cupcakes. The taste of lemon is indescribable! So light and fluffy! I WILL be making these again! Thanks Jules for creating this incredible flour!
SWEET!!!! So happy you made it, Heidi, and that your subs worked! And even though I can totally see gorging myself on lemon cake … glad to know halving the recipe worked out just fine! HAPPY BAKING! So happy you’re having fun again!
~jules