Gluten Free Lemon Cake is sweet, buttery and bursting with fresh lemon flavor.
This cake is light with a velvety batter and baked into a delicate and moist cake. Truly Lemon Cake perfection!
Oh my, this cake truly is delicious! It is so similar to my popular Gluten Free Vanilla Cake Recipe but with a lemon twist!. This cake is so simple and easy!
Which if you have been following me for any amount of time, you know this is my motto in my kitchen life. Easy, quick but has to be down right delish! AND this fits all those categories. 🙂
This is a lemon dessert lovers dream come true. A light and tender cake bursting with fresh lemon flavor.
The smell as it bakes it just pure heaven. Lemon desserts scream spring and summer but down here in Naples, Florida that is year round for us! Ha!
But let me tell you, this cake would be delicious with a beautiful lemon curd filling or even a lemon cream cheese frosting! My friend over at Amy in the Kitchen makes a cream cheese frosting that is out of this world!
I made the perfect Gluten Free Lemon Cake and she makes the most insane cream cheese frosting. Sounds like a match made in heaven to me! Ha!
Check out my Tips for Success section on how to make Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting with that recipe. 🙂
This cake will melt in your mouth, it is light and airy but bursting with the perfect amount of citrus flavor. Fresh lemon zest and lemon extract create the magical zing.
Now I am really going to blow your mind. This cake can be made dairy free and it is EGG FREE! Yup! So excited! I promise you this is downright delicious!
Alright, enough chit chat, let’s get this perfect and simple Gluten Free Lemon Cake in the oven and baking! Join me in the kitchen…….
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Step by step instructions
First preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Spray your pan with non stick cooking spray. Then cut a piece of parchment paper to line the bottom of your pan. This will help to make sure nothing sticks to the bottom.
- Next, place your dry ingredients into a bowl.
- Then place the melted butter, almond milk (milk of choice), lemon zest and lemon extract into a measuring cup and mix together.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.
- Mix until you have a nice thick and fluffy batter. Pour into your cake pan and place in the preheated oven.
- Bake for 35-38 minutes. You can use a cake tester to make sure the middle is done. Oven temps vary so make sure you check the cake at 35 minutes.
Place on a wire rack to let it cool. Once the cake has cooled, you can flip it onto a plate and ice that beautiful Gluten Free Lemon Cake.
Tips for making the best gluten free cake
First, let me say, I am not a professional baker at all! I like simple, easy recipes. Too many steps and I am out! So I will keep this short, simple and very easy!
Icing the cake:
- Make sure your cake is completely cool. It cannot have any “warmth” to the cake. If so you will have a complete mess on your hands. The cake will crumble and you will not have a pretty cake. I know this from experience. 🙂
- Use a flat knife or icing spatula and gently spread the icing around your cake. Make sure you have a nice and even layer. Thick or thin icing, that is truly your preference. My family loves icing so I try and keep that in mind.
Frosting:
- We have a lot of allergies in my extended family so when I made this delicious Gluten Free Lemon Cake I had to make the icing dairy free. I just used Simple Mills Vanilla Frosting and added lemon zest and lemon extract. That’s it, so simple! Just make sure to really stir and incorporate it all.
- If you are not dairy free, I would HIGHLY recommend a lemon cream cheese frosting. It is truly divine! Amy in the kitchen has a delicious cream cheese frosting recipe. (Omit the vanilla extract) I added the zest of 1 lemon and 1 teaspoon lemon extract to give it a little fresh zip! It was truly perfect for this Gluten Free Lemon Cake.
- Lemon curd also makes for a fabulous middle layer! Trader Joe makes an amazing one if you have one local. If not, almost all stores carry one.
How to make a layered cake
- This recipe makes a 1 layer cake. I just doubled the recipe to get a double tiered cake.
- Do you want to make a tiered or layered cake? If so you might need to level the top of the cake. It is so simple.
- Use a serrated knife and slowly slice the “puffed” piece of the top of the cake. You want the entire round cake to be even and flat. This is perfect for your bottom layer.
- If you are making more than 2 layers, do that for the second cake as well. The third layer or top layer does not need to be sliced. The “puffed” top will make the perfect presentation for your cake.
How to store/reheat leftovers.
Store leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 4 days.
I know some will disagree with me but I prefer to refrigerate my baked goods. I find that they last longer, taste fresh and do not dry out. When the time comes to eat the dessert, I usually pull it from the fridge and let it get to room temperature.
Microwave Instructions:
If I am impatient and need that dessert ASAP, I will place it on a microwave safe plate and reheat for 10 seconds. 🙂
I hope you have enjoyed my version of Gluten Free Lemon Cake. If you have tried this recipe please leave a comment and review below.
Please check out some of my other yummy desserts.
Gluten Free Lemon Cake
Equipment
- Cake pan and mixing bowls
- Parchment paper
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup Gluten Free 1:1 Ratio Flour
- 1 cup Sugar
- 2 teaspoons Baking powder
- 6 tablespoons Ghee (Butter)
- 1 cup Almond Milk (milk of choice)
- 2 teaspoons Lemon extract
- 1 Zest of 1 lemon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, add gluten free 1:1 ratio flour, sugar, and baking powder and stir.
- In a glass measuring bowl, add butter. Place in the microwave for 30 seconds or until it is melted. You can also melt the butter on the stove. Add lemon zest, lemon extract and almond milk. Mix everything together.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix really well. It will become a light and fluffy batter.
- Spray your cake pan with cooking spray. Cut parchment paper to fix the bottom of your cake pan. (This will help the cake to not stick). Place the parchment paper on the bottom of the pan. Pour the cake mix into your cake pan. Spread to make sure it is nice and even.
- Place in the oven and bake for 35-38 minutes. Once it has finished cooking, let it cool before you remove it from the pan. Gently turn the pan upside down and the cake will slide out nice and easy.
Notes
- DAIRY FREE OPTION: Instead of using butter, you can use Ghee or a Vegan alternative. Mikoyo is a great option to make this dairy free and Vegan. You can also use almond milk, coconut milk, or any nondairy milk you prefer. That is it. Simple and easy options.
- Gluten Free 1:1 Ratio Flour has been a game changer in gluten free baking. Certain brands have developed a recipe of combining different flours to cook and resemble the same texture as regular flour. I used King Arthur 1:1 (Measure for Measure) flour. Bob Red Mill and Cup 4 Cup are also brands that I use in other recipes. Cup 4 Cup does have milk powder in the ingredients so if you are dairy free that would not be a good option for you.
- Make sure the cake is completely cool before you start to ice your cake. If not the cake will start to crumb and it will get all in your icing. If you let the cake cool, the icing will slide on nice and smooth.
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