Gluten-Free Lemon Drizzle Cake
If you love lemon, you have to try my gluten-free lemon drizzle cake. A moist, lemon cake is baked in a loaf pan and then drizzled with a tangy lemon glaze that will make your taste buds sing.
It’s the perfect balance of sweet and tart, creating a burst of citrusy goodness in every bite. The cake itself is light, fluffy and infused with the vibrant flavors of freshly squeezed lemons. The lemon icing brings the whole dessert together and gives the dessert even more lemon flavor.
Whether enjoyed as a sweet breakfast, a crowd-pleasing dessert at parties, or a special treat for a summer day, this gluten-free lemon drizzle cake is sure to brighten up any occasion.
You’ll love this recipe because:
Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
- Gluten-free flour blend – I tested this recipe with Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour (in the blue bag), which already contains xanthan gum. I cannot verify other brands of gluten-free flour will work as I have not tested them.
- Baking powder – Gluten-free baked goods tend to be denser than baked goods containing wheat or gluten, so more baking powder or other leaveners are needed to give the cake a lighter texture and rise. I use 1 tablespoon of baking powder in this recipe for 2 cups of gluten-free flour. Also note that while most baking powders use potato starch or cornstarch as an ingredient and are gluten-free, there are still some varieties that use wheat starch, so be sure to double check the ingredients to ensure the baking powder is gluten-free.
- Granulated sugar – I prefer to use granulated sugar instead of brown sugar or coconut sugar in this recipe because it lets the lemon flavor be the star of the recipe. Brown sugar and coconut sugar both have notes of molasses and caramel flavors, which can compete with the lemon.
- Lemon zest – Remember to zest your lemons before juicing them. It’s much harder to zest them after they’ve been juiced. If you have any leftover lemon zest, you can freeze it in a container for another recipe.
- Vegetable oil – I prefer to use vegetable oil instead of melted butter in this recipe because vegetable oil has a neutral flavor, allowing the bright and tangy lemon flavors to shine through without any overpowering taste. If you don’t want to use vegetable oil, I recommend trying avocado oil or grapeseed oil, which also is very neutral in flavor.
- Eggs – Use large eggs that are 50g each for this recipe, for a total of 150g. Gluten-free baked goods don’t rise as much as their gluten-filled counterparts, so the eggs are necessary to give the lemon loaf lift and its light texture.
- Sour cream – If you don’t have sour cream on hand, you can use plain yogurt or Greek yogurt as a substitute, maintaining the moisture and tanginess in the cake.
- Vanilla extract – A little bit of vanilla extract will round out the lemon flavor. You can also use lemon extract in its place if you want to add even more lemon flavor to the cake.
- Lemon juice – Freshly squeezed lemon juice is best for a vibrant lemon flavor. I don’t recommend using bottled lemon juice. For this recipe, you’ll need almost ½ cup of lemon juice for the cake and lemon glaze, which will take about 3-4 lemons total.
- Powdered sugar – For the glaze, you’ll need to use powdered sugar, also known as confectioners’ sugar or icing sugar. Powdered sugar is normally gluten-free, though it does contain starch (usually corn or potato) for anti-caking, so be sure to double check to ensure it’s gluten-free.
Rubbing lemon zest into granulated sugar before baking helps to release the essential oils from the zest, infusing the sugar with a vibrant lemon aroma and flavor. This simple technique helps create an overall lemon flavor in the lemon drizzle cake.
Step-by-Step instructions
This gluten-free cake recipe is so easy to come together. The below photos with matching steps are meant to show you the cake at various stages and are not the full recipe.
For the ingredient list with measurements, full instructions, printable recipe, and additional notes, please scroll down to the recipe card.
Recipe FAQs
Typically, no. Cakes are traditionally made with all-purpose flour. However, this lemon drizzle cake recipe has been formulated to be gluten-free by using a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend with xanthan gum.
Not all gluten-free flour blends are the same and will behave differently in the same recipe. Different blends may contain varying combinations of alternative flours such as rice flour, almond flour, tapioca flour, or potato starch. This recipe was tested with Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour (in the blue bag).
Yes, gluten-free lemon drizzle cake can be frozen. Once the cake has cooled completely, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or place it in an airtight container before freezing. Thaw it at room temperature when you’re ready to enjoy it.
To prevent cross-contact, use separate utensils, bowls, and baking equipment that have not come into contact with gluten-containing ingredients. Clean your work surfaces thoroughly and be mindful of any potential sources of gluten in your kitchen.
hints & tips
Storage instructions
- Storage: Once the lemon drizzle cake has cooled completely, store it in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-4 days. I find storing it whole instead of already sliced will keep it fresher longer. Just slice off a piece as you’re ready to eat.
- Freezer Option: If you’d like to freeze the lemon drizzle cake for longer storage, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or place it in a freezer-safe container. It can be kept in the freezer for up to 2-3 months. I personally prefer to freeze individual slices so I can just take out what I need, but you can also freeze the entire cake. Thaw the cake at room temperature for an hour or so when you’re ready to enjoy it.
Have leftover lemons? Try these lemon recipes
- This homemade cucumber lemonade recipe uses just lemon juice, so if you have leftover juice and not zest, this is the recipe for you! You can freeze leftover lemon juice and thaw it for this recipe.
- These gluten-free lemon brownies use both lemon juice and lemon zest and a great option to make alongside this lemon drizzle cake.
- You can’t go wrong with these gluten-free lemon bars! If you have a lot of leftover lemon juice, this is the recipe for you! While you will need some lemon zest for lemon bars, the recipe uses a whopping 2/3 cup of lemon juice for the ultimate tangy lemon flavor.
More gluten-free cakes & frostings to try
Did you make this recipe?
I’d love to know! Please rate it and leave a comment below. You can also share your pictures and tag @adashofmegnut on Instagram.
Gluten-Free Lemon Drizzle Cake
Ingredients
For the lemon cake:
- 2 cups gluten-free flour blend (288g)
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup granulated sugar (200g)
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest (from 3 medium lemons (12g))
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil (106g)
- 3 large eggs (150g)
- 1 cup sour cream (240g)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup lemon juice (from 2-3 lemons (75g))
For the lemon drizzle:
- 1 cup powdered sugar (120g)
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest (optional)
Instructions
For the lemon cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper or grease with oil.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the gluten-free flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- Add the granulated sugar and lemon zest to a large bowl. Rub the lemon zest into sugar until yellow and fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.
- Add the vegetable oil, eggs, sour cream, vanilla extract and lemon juice to the sugar mixture. Mix for 2-3 minutes, until combined and smooth.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until no more streaks of flour remain.
- Pour the batter into a 9×5-inch loaf pan lined with parchment paper.
- Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 45-55 minutes, until the top of the lemon cake is lightly browned and a toothpick or skewer inserted into the center comes out with moist crumbs. Do not open the oven until the cake is almost done cooking, otherwise the center may collapse.
- Cool the cake in the pan for 20-30 minutes before turning it out onto a wire rack to finish cooling.
For the lemon drizzle:
- In a small bowl, combine the powdered sugar and lemon juice. Whisk until smooth and well combined. The drizzle should not be too thin, so that it doesn’t fall down the sides of the cake.
- You can drizzle the cake when warm or fully cooled. If drizzled when warm, the glaze will melt into the cake a bit. If drizzled when cool, the glaze will form a thick white drizzle, similar to the photos in this post.
- Immediately after glazing the cake, sprinkle with additional lemon zest.
- Let the glaze set completely before slicing the cake to serve.
- Slice the cake in 10 equal pieces.
Notes
- This recipe was tested with Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour (in the blue bag), which already contains xanthan gum. I cannot verify that other brands of gluten-free flour will work as I have not tested them.
- If you have celiac disease or are on a gluten-free diet for any reason, be sure to double check all ingredients to ensure they are gluten-free.
- You will need about 4 lemons total to get the amount of lemon juice and lemon zest needed for this recipe.
Nutrition
I don’t want to use gluten free. Can I use regular flour?
Hi Diane, I haven’t tested it since I have celiac disease and can’t eat gluten, so I cannot verify that it will look exactly the same when baked. If you want to try it, keep in mind that all-purpose flour and gluten-free flour weigh different amounts for 1 cup. I’d recommend using the weight in grams (instead of measuring by cups) that I provided in the recipe card. Hope this helps! If you try it, let me know – I’d love to be able to add notes to the recipe card for others who are wondering the same thing.
What can I use instead of sour cream? My son can’t have dairy, soy, or gluten.
Hi JB, I haven’t tested it, but you can try a plant-based yogurt in its place. There are also some vegan sour creams on the market that work quite well in baking, but you’ll have to look for one without soy. Hope this helps.
Can I use natural sweetener in place of sugar.
I haven’t tested it so I’m not 100% sure to be honest. Monk fruit sweetener is the only one I could see possibly working as it has more neutral flavor. All others, like coconut sugar, will cover up the lemon flavor too much in my opinion.