This gluten free lemon pound cake is tart, sweet and tipsy with the addition of both fresh-squeezed lemon juice and Italian Limoncello (or lemon juice).
Made with my gfJules Flour, it’s also smooth, light and airy with no grit or funny aftertaste — no one will ever know it’s gluten free!
If you don’t happen to have this delicious liqueur, no worries. Substituting with more lemon juice works just fine.
Either way, this pound cake is a crowd-pleaser you won’t want to miss out on!
Look how gorgeous this authentic pound cake crumb is!
And for another twist on this yummy gluten free cake, bake in a bundt pan as @shoegirlberlin has done below.
She followed the directions as written, and baked for approximately 70 minutes, but recommends that you check your pound cake (with a toothpick) to make sure it’s done before removing, as bundt pans differ in size and material and ovens can bake at different rates. (Thanks for sharing, @Shoegirlberlin!)
How gorgeous is this gluten free lemon pound cake baked as a bundt? YUM!
Using different bundt pans will give your pound cake a unique look; none less appealing than another.
It makes a gorgeous cake on a plate or sliced with a drizzle of glaze and a sprinkle of lemon zest.
Here’s another reader’s twist on this lemony slice of heaven:
And here’s a brand NEW twist on this lemon cake favorite: make this recipe, as written, but use my new 1:1 grain-free Nada Flour in place of gfJules Gluten Free All Purpose Flour and you’ll have a delightful cake made with paleo, grain-free, lectin-free flour instead!
All my taste-testers were blown away at how delicious this cake was, and no one was the wiser that it was even gluten-free, much less grain-free!
You can’t go wrong with this amazing gluten free Lemon Poundcake Recipe. What are you waiting for?
What will YOUR twist be?
Gluten Free Lemon Pound Cake Recipe
Gluten Free Lemon Pound Cake Recipe
This gluten free lemon pound cake recipe is perfectly tart, sweet and tipsy with the addition of both fresh-squeezed lemon juice and Italian Limoncello!
Ingredients
Pound Cake
- 3/4 cup + 1 Tbs. milk, dairy or non-dairy (soy, almond, cashew, hemp, rice, etc.)
- 1 Tbs. fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 2 Tbs. Limoncello (or 2 Tbs. additional lemon juice)
- 2 1/2 cups (337 grams) gfJules® Gluten Free All Purpose Flour OR (275 grams) Nada Flour*
- 1 Tbs. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. fine sea salt
- 3/4 cup butter or non-dairy alternative (e.g. Earth Balance® Buttery Sticks)
- 1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 1 Tbs. lemon zest
- 3 eggs, room temperature (or substitute like aquafaba)
Glaze (optional)
- 1 cup sifted confectioner’s sugar
- 2 Tbs. lemon juice
- 1 Tbs. lemon zest
Instructions
Preheat oven to 325°F (convection) or 350° F (static).
Oil and flour (with GF cornstarch or gfJules® Flour) one 9×5-inch loaf pan, pullman bread pan OR medium sized (10") bundt pan. Using an 8-9" bundt pan, extra batter will need to be baked in a small loaf pan as well.
Measure and mix together the milk, lemon juice and limoncello and set aside. The milk will begin to curdle while you prepare the rest of the batter.
Whisk together gfJules® Flour or Nada Flour, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl.
In a large mixing bowl, whip butter and sugar at medium-high speed for 6-8 minutes, until very light and fluffy. Add vanilla and lemon zest, then the eggs, one at a time, and mixing in between each egg addition.
Slowly stir in the whisked dry ingredients, alternating with the milk mixture and stirring until fully integrated.
Pour batter into prepared pan, filling only 2/3 full. If you have extra batter that will not fit into your pan, bake in another small loaf pan or ramekin.
The edges of the cake will become lightly browned as well.
The bake time will depend in part on whether your pan is dark metal, light metal, glass or stoneware, so begin testing at 50 minutes so as not to overcook the cake.
Bake until a toothpick in the center comes out with only a few moist crumbs -- approximately 65-75 minutes for a large/deep pan. The edges of the cake will become lightly browned as well. If also baking a small loaf pan, bake only about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean and the loaf springs back to a light touch.
Remove baked cake to cool in the pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Go around the inside of the pan with a butter knife to help release the cake, then gently turn the cake out onto your palm then back to the wire rack once removed from the pan. When completely cooled, glaze following the directions below.
Lemon Glaze
Notes
*1 cup Nada Flour weighs 110 grams, so 2 1/2 cups Nada Flour = 275 grams
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I have so missed being able to enjoy our traditional Easter Lamb cake. I make it every year for my family but with regular flour. Can you recommend any modifications if I make this recipe in my lamb cake mold? It is the type of mold with 2 sides so after baking the lamb “sits” upright. Thanks for any advice you can offer.
Hi Carol, I have just such a mold and make just such a cake! Here is my gluten free lamb cake recipe! Wishing you a very blessed Easter!
~jules
Best gluten free lemon cake ever. Thank you!
Wonderful to hear, Nicole! SO happy you loved it! Thanks for taking the time to let me know – happy baking!
~jules
If you want plain/regular pound cake, do you just omit all the lemon ingredients? Do you need to any additional ingredients or liquids?
Hi Alyssa, yes! For a plain gluten free pound cake, just omit the lemon ingredients but you’ll need to make up for the lemon juice/limoncello liquid ingredient elsewhere, so add that same amount of another liquid in its place (more milk or another flavor like orange juice, perhaps?). ENJOY!
~jules
Could I substitute Orange for the lemon?
Absolutely! Would be delish, Maureen!
~jules
It was! Thanks
I just made this cake today and it is excellent! I make my own Limoncello in my Instant Pot pressure cooker every Spring and am always looking for ways to use it.
Right out of the gates (because I can’t help myself), I did make a couple of modifications to the recipe. Instead of Jules GF flour, I used a custom blend made up 2 flour blends from the “Gluten Free Artisan Bread in 5 minues a Day” folks – I used 1/2 of their basic GF white flour recipe & 1/2 of their GF 100% multi grain flour recipe for the flour portion of this recipe (both of these flour blend recipes contain Xanthan gum in them) . I used Lactose-free milk instead of regular milk. When I added the lemon juice and limoncello to the lactose free milk, I also added the lemon peel (because I had frozen lemon peel slices in my freezer that I needed to use up) – and whizzed that all in my Vitamix blender – instead of grainy, acidified milk, it came out the consistency of real buttermilk!
When I creamed the butter, it wasn’t quite at room temperature yet, so I made sure I beat it in my stand mixer for the full 8 minutes. I followed the rest of the recipe as directed.
Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe!
Hi Chris, so happy you loved this recipe and it’s always nice to meet a fellow limoncello-maker! Thanks for sharing your modifications to the recipe. I always think adding lemon peel is a bonus! Just so you know, all my recipes are already tested dairy-free, so feel free to use non-dairy milk or lactose-free in any of my recipes with success. I’d love to hear what you think if you get a chance to try my gfJules Flour sometime, too. It should be much lighter than the blend you made here, which is lovely in this cake!
~jules
If using a small bunt pan, do you mean small as in short or smaller around than the larger ones? Do you know the best place to find one? Lemon pound cake is my favorite so I am anxious to try your recipe. Also, where do I find your GF flour? I am located in Greensboro, NC and we do have Earthfare and William Sonoma or do I need to order by mail?
Hi Rachel, how funny that you’re in Greensboro! That’s where I’m from!!! (I like you already!)
As for the pan, it’s really more up to what you want it to LOOK like when it’s done. Larger pans (circumference-wise) will produce a shorter cake; taller, less wide pans will produce that shape cake. I’ve shown a couple different looks with different pans in this recipe. If using one of the larger pans, you may want to double, as shown in the one photo.
My gfJules Flour is primarily purchased on line and we deliver right to your door. Here’s the link to shop and read the reviews on my gfJules Flour and all my award-winning baking mixes: https://shop.gfjules.com/.
I can’t wait to hear what you think!
~jules
Have been looking for a good pound cake GF. Thank you for sharing. I will make it soon.
Wonderful to hear, Louise!
~jules
Can you please list the nutritional information for your recipe. Calories, carbs, fat and protein.
To be honest I haven’t made this cake yet but, it looks delicious. I find that everything I make is always very gummy or sticky. I am trying to use gluten-free flour more often but every baked good turns our to be overly gummy inside. I use Pamela’s Artisan gluten free blend so I don’t know if its the flour or if I’m overmixing. Would love any tips you have on this.Will definitely be making this tonight!
Hi Emma, check out this article on gluten free flours — I think it will help explain how truly different gluten free flour blends are. I don’t know anything about Pamela’s blends, so I can’t comment specifically, but baking with my gfJules Flour should not produce gummy results. I would encourage you to try my gfJules Flour and try any of the recipes like this one. I would love to hear how different you find your results!
~jules
Made this recipe today. Turned out gummy so I assume it was over mixed. It was also very light in color. I used fresh lemon juice and zest and real butter. Eggs were fresh. The taste was fine but looks gummy and does not have a cake like texture at all. Will add cake color next time.
Hi Carol, so glad you’re excited to make this recipe! No need for a pullman pan — that’s just the pan I used to get a loaf shaped like this. Just use a standard 9inch bread pan, not a square pan. Hope that helps!
~jules
Best gluten free pound cake ever! Everyone enjoyed the cake and could not believe that it was gluten free!
Claudia goodman
Oh Claudia, that is so wonderful to hear! Congratulations on making a cake everyone loves!
~jules
Jules-I made the pound cake recipe again last night and I used a bundt pan and it came out different than the first time -the cake had more holes in it -I don’t know if it was the pan or whether I over beat the cake at the end . The first time I made it it really tasted like a pound cake and this last time was more like a sponge cake . Do You know what I did wrong? Should I have beaten the eggs to make them fluffy?
Hi Claudia, it sounds like there are a couple of variables at play here. Although both cakes sound delicious (hard to choose between a pound and a sponge, but maybe that’s just me!), over-beating can cause changes, as can a bundt pan. I like using a bundt pan with this recipe, and you can see when it’s sliced, what the inside looks like – does yours have larger holes? If so, it’s probably more about beating the eggs. Next time, use room temperature eggs, don’t over-beat them, and let the batter sit in the pan for 15 minutes before you bake it. Let me know if that makes a difference!
~jules
I love that bunt pan where did you get it?
I love it thank you so much
So happy you’re loving this recipe, Milagro! Thanks for taking a minute to let me know!
~jules
I made this for my daughter who is allergic to wheat and milk. It’s delicious and most importantly she LOVED it. I’m going to make it again for her high school graduation next week!
Do you think it would be alright to make it the day before and if so how do you reccomend storing? Refrigerator? Counter top?
Thank you!
Jessica
Oh Jessica, I’m so pleased! It’s so vindicating to find something that everyone loves, and still meets all the dietary restrictions. That’s why this cake is so magical – it sure doesn’t feel like it’s missing anything!
It will stay fresh when made with my gfJules Flour, so I would just wrap it tightly and leave on the counter or in a cake safe. Do not refrigerate, as that just dries out baked goods. Congratulations on your daughter’s graduation. She’s bound to have a sweet party with that cake!
~jules
Lemon Heaven
I made this delightful lemon pound cake. Reminds me of one my grandmother made when I was growing up. It’s a keeper!!!
Oh that makes me so happy, Betsy! Yay for bringing back yummy memories with cake!!
~jules
Unfortunately, it was a complete disaster for me. I am allergic to everything so I couldn’t use the eggs nor could I use the egg replacer. I used flax. It was gummy as all my gf baking is. Yes, my oven is at proper temp. I used Jules #1 gf blend recipe which works beautifully in Jules’ yeast-free bread. Back when I could use replacer, my baking was gummy then,too. I wish I knew how to fix this.
This was amazing. Made this for Easter with family celebration with 20+ people and I am the only one Gluten Free. Everyone loved this. I made this in a Bundt cake pan and was totally done at 60 minutes. I would suggest checking at 50-55 minutes.
Hi Cindy, thanks so much for letting me know! I’m thrilled for you that you were able to share a delicious GF dessert with a lot of non-GF family who were none the wiser. That’s the ideal result. I hope you had a wonderful Easter!
~jules
My cake didn’t turn out so well. I made it in a loaf pan & had a little extra which I put in a very small loaf pan. The small one was done in 20 min. I baked the other one for 55 min. & tested it. It came out clean. The top had split. After it sat a while, it fell. When I was ready to ice it, I thought I’d better cut it to make sure it was done. Good thing I did as it wasn’t done in the middle. I baked it an additional 60 min. & it never did get totally done. It raised back up & split again & this time it didn’t fall. I cut the top off at the split & scooped out the little bit that didn’t get done. It tastes okay but doesn’t look very nice. I followed the recipe to the letter. I used almond milk & 2 TB of lemon juice + 1 TB of water.
Hi Carolyn, sounds like there was definitely too much batter in that pan and your oven temp could be slightly off. Was the small cake good? After falling and cooling and then baking more, the texture never really turns out well, although it was a good idea to try. Next time maybe use two loaf pans or a bundt pan and see how it goes. Bundt pans are my secret weapon for any cake recipe I’ve made that doesn’t cook all the way in the middle — the metal in the middle of the pan ensures that the cake cooks all the way through (plus it makes a beautiful cake!). Let me know how it goes when you try it again!
~jules
Yes, the small cake was okay. I don’t have a bundt pan anymore as when we downsized, I had to get rid of stuff I didn’t use very often. The loaf pan I used was normal size, not too small & I only filled it 2/3 full. But I will keep this in mind if I make it again. Thanks for the advice. I got a new stove a couple of years ago so I will have to check the manual to see if there is a way to adjust the temp. There was on my last one.
Yes, I think that must be it since the small cake was good. It can be frustrating when things like oven temp affect baking, but if you find out that it’s an issue ,at least you can fix it! You may want to buy an oven thermometer that you keep in the oven and move around to see if there are hot spots or if it’s maintaining its temperature, as well. I learned after many fails that my oven was not baking accurately and I was so relieved to know it wasn’t me! 🙂
~jules
I was a little uncertain if I mixed the eggs too long, as I was quite surprised as to how light the cake was – I was expecting something much denser. Not that I am complaining, it got rave reviews from my GF wife, and I thought it was great too. I used Earth Balance olive oil based buttery spread since I didn’t have any Earth Balance sticks on hand, and soy milk. When I mixed in the eggs (1 at a time) I didn’t mix any longer than needed with an electric mixer on low speed, and stirred in the liquid and flour ingredients by hand. Used a 5×9 loaf pan, and my cake rose up significantly and stayed domed, vs the picture which shows the cake having a flat top. It cooked 60 min at 350, and was GF-GBD.
Hi Mark, I’m glad you shared with me the Earth Balance you used – I’ll have to try that next time! I don’t typically use any of their Spreads for baking as I find they don’t have enough body, but it sounds like your experiment turned out stunningly! So glad you tried it and so glad everyone love it! Another great recipe to add to your recipe box. Happy baking!
~jules