Gluten Free Lemon Cake
Gluten Free Lemon Cake made with fresh lemons and topped with a whipped cream cheese frosting and fresh fruit, ready in under 60 minutes!
For this recipe, I used my Whipped Cream Cream Cheese Frosting, with the addition of 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of lemon zest. This cake would also go well with my Easy Mascarpone Frosting.
This gluten free lemon cake recipe is a big hit with my family, and it’s pretty easy to make! I like to pair this with a really light whipped cream frosting and fresh berries. You can make this cake for a special occasion like easter, or just for fun during the springtime.
I decorated this cake with some lemon slices, raspberries, and decorative sprinkles. You can also use a mixture of fresh blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries. Or pipe some extra frosting on top decoratively.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Gluten Free Flour. The gluten free flour blend that you choose will have a big impact on the flavor and texture of the cake. I like to use a cup-for-cup or 1-to-1 flour blend that already contains xanthan gum. The xanthan gum will keep the cake from breaking into crumbs, which is what the gluten in regular flour prevents.
If you’re going to add the xanthan gum yourself (if your flour blend doesn’t already contain it), try adding 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum per 1 cup of flour. King Arthur has a great guide to using xanthan gum in gluten free recipes here.
Because we’re using cup-for-cup gluten free flour, you won’t have to worry about adding any additional gum. And, you can swap in regular flour 1:1 if you’re not gluten free.
Lemons. We need lemon zest and fresh lemon juice for the best flavor in this recipe. I usually use 2-3 medium lemons, so I have enough zest to decorate with, in addition to what’s needed in the recipe. Try to make sure they’re fresh and thoroughly washed before zesting.
Sour Cream. The fat from the sour cream adds a really nice soft texture to the cake. It also adds a lot of moisture, making the cake fluffy without crumbling.
If you don’t have sour cream, you can replace it 1:1 with plain yogurt. If you’re dairy-free, try using a plain vegan yogurt. Just make sure it’s also gluten free.
Butter. I like to use unsalted butter, so I can add my own salt to the recipe. The salt level in the butter can vary depending on the brand and the batch.
Unsalted butter adds fat to the cake, giving it a softer texture. If you need a dairy-free substitute, use applesauce or a gluten free vegan butter instead.
Sugar. White granulated sugar helps with sweetness, and also helps keep the cake soft and adds some moisture.
Eggs. Eggs are a binder helping to hold all of the ingredients together, and also adds a small amount of fat from the egg yolks.
Half and Half. I like to use half and half because the fat helps with the cake texture. You can also use heavy cream or regular milk.
If you’re going for dairy free, use unsweetened almond milk or canned coconut milk.
Leavening. A combination of baking soda and baking powder works well for gluten free baking. Both of these ingredients help the cake rise and gives it the light and fluffy texture.
Make sure the baking powder says double-acting.
Vanilla Extract. Vanilla extract adds some flavor to the cake. You can also try using almond extract.
Salt. A pinch of salt helps balance the sweetness in the cake, so it’s not overly-sweet. It also helps enhance the other flavors in the cake, without making it taste salty.
How to Make Gluten Free Lemon Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease two 9-inch round baking pans and set aside. In a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar together. Add the vanilla and eggs, mixing until combined.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the rest of the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt). Sift the flour mixture into the butter mixture, mixing on medium-low speed.
- Add the sour cream, lemon juice, lemon zest, and half and half, mixing on medium speed until just combined. Pour evenly into the two prepared cake pans.
- Bake 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out of the center of the cake clean. Let the cake cool completely before decorating.
How to Make Whipped Cream Cream Cheese Lemon Frosting
If you want the full tutorial, check out my full recipe for this frosting here. I added the lemon ingredients just for this cake.
- Add 8 oz of cream cheese or Neufchatel cheese to a stand mixer bowl. Using the whisk attachment on medium speed, work the cream cheese until smooth. It’s ok if the cream cheese is a little cold.
- Add 1 cup powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract on medium speed and mix until combined.
- Turn the speed up to high and slowly pour 2 cups of heavy cream down the side of the mixing bowl. Make sure the heavy cream is cold.
- Beat until the cream just starts to form stiff peaks. Stop the mixer and scrape the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl, then continue to mix on medium-high speed until the frosting looks like whipped cream.
- Turn the mixing speed down to low and add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of lemon zest. Mix on low until combined. Use a rubber spatula or a frosting spatula to spread onto the lemon cake.
Frequently Asked Questions
The secret to a really moist gluten free cake is to use a combination of fat and choosing the right gluten free flour blend. I recommend the cup-for-cup flour blends that contain xanthan gum. And don’t skip the half and half or sour cream in the recipe.
Also, avoid over-baking the cake. Watch the time carefully, and check it at the 30 minute mark. You also want to make sure the oven is baking at the right temperature for a moist lemon cake.
If you live at a higher altitude, that can also affect how the cake bakes because of the lower air pressure. Check out this guide to baking at high-altitudes.
The lemon flavor in this cake comes from the lemon juice and the lemon zest. Adding more juice would increase the liquid in the cake, so avoid trying to get more lemon flavor this way. If you want more lemon flavor, use an additional tablespoon of lemon zest. You can also use the lemon zest decoratively on top of the frosting.
Storage
Refrigerate gluten free lemon cake for 3-4 days, wrapped carefully in an airtight container. Because the frosting is dairy-based, the finished cake has to be refrigerated.
Freeze gluten free lemon cake for up to 1 month. You can freeze this for longer if you go with a traditional cream cheese frosting or buttercream frosting instead.
Place the entire cake in the freezer for about an hour, then once frozen wrap the cake in plastic wrap and aluminum foil and place back into the freezer. This prevents the frosting from getting messed up while wrapping.
More Gluten Free Cake Recipes
- Strawberry Chocolate Cake
- Gluten Free Angel Food Cake
- Chocolate Coffee Cake
- Gluten Free Chocolate Carrot Cake
- Gluten Free Double Chocolate Cake
Recipe Variations
- Instead of frosting, try decorating the cake with a dusting of powdered sugar or lemon glaze and zest. Powdered sugar can also be called icing sugar or confectioner’s sugar.
- Make this in a loaf pan instead of cake pans if you don’t want to make a layer cake. Then add a lemon glaze on top of the lemon loaf. You can check out my glaze recipe in my Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread, just leave out the spices and add some flavor from lemon zest.
Cooking Tips
- The flavor can vary any time you use fresh fruits. If you want the strength of the lemon flavor to stay consistent, try using lemon extract instead from the baking isle.
- If you don’t have a stand mixer, you can also make this using an electric hand mixer.
- For the flour and sugar, make sure to use a dry measuring cup, and level it off with a butter knife for a more accurate measurement. The wet ingredients can use a liquid measuring cup.
- Let the cake come to room temperature before serving (but don’t leave it out for too long, the frosting is still dairy!) If it’s too cold, it will have the texture of a really dense cake.
If you loved this recipe, be sure to leave a 5 Star review below, and tag me with a photo of your finished recipe on Instagram @Jacqui_DishingDelish!
Gluten Free Lemon Cake
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 1 1/2 cups white sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups gluten free all-purpose flour , 1:1
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder , double-acting
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup sour cream
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest
- 1 cup half and half
For the Frosting
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream, cold
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
Equipment
- 1 Stand mixer whisk and paddle attachments
- 2 9-inch cake pans
Instructions
For the Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans and set aside. In a stand mixer, cream together butter and sugar. Add the vanilla and eggs, mixing on low speed until just combined.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together gluten free flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Sift the flour into the butter mixture, mixing on medium-low speed.
- Add the sour cream, lemon juice, lemon zest, and half and half, mixing on medium-low speed until just combined. Pour evenly into the two cake pans.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool completely before decorating.
For the Frosting
- Add cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla to the stand mixer. Cream everything together on medium-low speed until just combined. Be careful not to over-mix.
- Using the whisk attachment on medium-high speed, very slowly add the cream down the side of the mixing bowl. After the cream is completely added, set the mixer on high speed for about 2-3 minutes.
- Once the frosting begins to form stiff peaks, stop the mixer and scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. Start the mixer again until the whipped cream is fully formed, then add the lemon juice and lemon zest. Mix on low until just combined, then store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Notes
- If you want to make a crumb coat, just use a thin layer of frosting and refrigerate the cake for 30 minutes until it dries. You should be able to see crumbs in this layer. After it’s dry, you can decorate normally with a decorative layer on top.
- If you use a stand mixer for the cake batter, use a paddle attachment. For the frosting, use the whisk attachment.
- If you don’t have a stand mixer, you can also make this using an electric hand mixer.
- Let the cake come to room temperature before serving (but don’t leave it out for too long, the frosting is still dairy!) If it’s too cold, it will have the texture of a really dense cake.
Nutrition
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