Gluten-Free Lemon Drizzle Cake

This Gluten-Free Lemon Drizzle Cake is incredibly moist, with bright, zesty lemon flavor in every bite. Made with almond flour, it’s naturally grain-free without sacrificing texture. It’s finished with a sweet lemon icing, making it a simple yet irresistible dessert that everyone will enjoy.

So many people still think gluten-free desserts are dry and crumbly. This gluten-free lemon drizzle cake is a perfect example of how easy it is to prove them wrong. In fact, dry baked goods often come down to improper measuring. Measuring gluten-free flour by volume instead of weight can lead to inconsistent results. One cup of gluten-free flour is not equal to one cup of regular flour, so weighing your ingredients is key for accuracy.

If you enjoy this gluten free lemon loaf, make sure to check out my Blueberry Lemon Gluten Free Muffins and my Lemon Blackberry Loaf. These recipes are just as easy and packed with bright lemon flavor!

For a delicious meal full of classic flavors, try pairing this cake with my homemade Gluten Free Chicken Noodle Soup or Puff Pastry Chicken Pot Pie. It's delicious!

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• Simple Ingredients: All the ingredients in this gluten free lemon cake are kitchen staples. Even the almond flour is readily available at grocery stores nationwide and online. Plus, no baking soda or corn starch!
• Easy to Make: This is a super easy recipe that comes together in just a few minutes and is perfect for beginner bakers. 
• Moist and Tender: Gluten free lemon bread is incredibly moist and tender, the hallmark of any good cake!
• Diet-Friendly: Making this cake with almond flour eliminates both gluten and grains. Substituting plant cream for heavy cream makes it dairy free, as well!

Ingredients

See the recipe card at the end of the post for a full list of ingredients and their exact quantities.

• Almond Flour: Almond flour makes this cake both gluten and grain-free without sacrificing texture. I prefer Bob's Red Mill Almond Flour for its texture and high quality.
• Vanilla Extract: I use Singing Dog Vanilla for its rich, deep vanilla flavor.
• Lemon Zest and Juice: Lemon zest and juice give this cake its bright, lemon flavor.
• Powdered Sugar and Heavy Cream: These ingredients create the base glaze.

Flavor Substitutions and Variations

• Orange Cake: Use orange juice and zest to create a delicious orange cake.
• Dairy-Free: Use plant based heavy cream to create a dairy-free version of this cake.
• Berries:  Use your favorite berries as a garnish or mix them right into the cake batter with fresh lemon juice.

How to Make Gluten-Free Lemon Drizzle Cake

Step 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper and coat the sides with coconut oil. Mix the egg yolks, lemon zest, vanilla extract, sugar, and lemon juice on medium speed for about a minute.

Step 2. Mix the dry ingredients: almond flour, salt, and baking powder together in a medium bowl. Then, use the mixer to add it into the wet ingredients. Mix on medium until combined.

Step 3. Whisk the egg whites on medium-high for 3 to 4 minutes in another bowl until foamy, stiff peaks form.

Step 4. Gently fold in half the beaten egg whites into the batter with a rubber spatula until just combined. Then, fold in the other half of the egg whites until just combined.

Step 5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 25 to 28 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool the cake in the pan. Then, transfer it to a wire rack with parchment paper underneath it to cool.

Step 6. Now we make the glaze. Run the powdered sugar through a sifter into a measuring cup to remove any clumps. Stir the powdered sugar, heavy cream, and lemon juice until there are no clumps.

Step 7. Gently pour the glaze over the top of the cake and smooth it out.

Step 8. Serve the gluten-free lemon loaf as-is or garnished with sugared blueberries and lemon slices.

Expert Tips

• Bring your cold ingredients to room temperature for easy mixing and the best possible cake texture.
• Fold the egg white mixture into the batter; don't mix it. Folding helps it retain its light texture, giving your cake a lighter texture.
• It's important to sift the powdered sugar to get a wonderfully smooth glaze.
• An easy way to separate egg yolks is to crack the egg in half and pour the yolk back and forth into each half of the shell. Keep a bowl under the shell as you work. The white will separate from the yolk as you do this.

Gluten-Free Lemon Drizzle Cake FAQ's

4 Pasta Pairings You MUST Try

★ Did you make this recipe? Don't forget to give it a star rating below! I would love to hear back from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, and TikTok for more delicious recipes.

📖 Recipe

Gluten-Free Lemon Drizzle Cake

1x2x3x

This gluten and grain-free lemon cake is made with almond flour and has a moist, tender texture and bright lemon flavor. The lemon glaze adds even more bright, summery flavor to the cake!

5 from 14 votes

Nicole Kendrick

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Video

1x2x3x

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Cooling Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 40 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 8

Calories 415 kcal

Equipment

• ▢
  Measuring cups
• ▢
  Measuring spoons
• ▢
  Mixing Bowls
• ▢
  Hand Mixer
• ▢
  Spatula
• ▢
  9-inch springform pan
• ▢
  9-inch parchment paper liners
• ▢
  Parchment Paper
• ▢
  Wire cooling rack
• ▢
  Sifter

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

For the Gluten-Free Lemon Cake

• ▢ 2 ¼ cups Bob's Red Mill Almond Flour
• ▢ ¾ cups sugar
• ▢ 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt
• ▢ 3 tablespoon lemon zest about 2 lemons
• ▢ 1 ½ tablespoon lemon juice
• ▢ 1 ½ teaspoon Singing Dog Vanilla extract
• ▢ 6 eggs room temperature - yolk and white separated
• ▢ 1 cup blueberries optional for garnish

For the Lemon Glaze

• ▢ 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
• ▢ 2 ¼ tablespoon heavy cream
• ▢ 1 ½ tbsp lemon juice

Instructions

 

For the Cake

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper and coat the sides with coconut oil.
• Combine the almond flour, salt, and baking powder in a medium bowl and set aside.
• Mix the egg yolk, lemon zest, vanilla extract, sugar, and lemon juice on medium speed for about a minute. Add the dry ingredients and mix again on medium until just combined.
• Whisk the egg whites on medium-high for 3 to 4 minutes in another bowl until foamy, stiff peaks form.
• Gently fold in half the beaten egg whites into the batter with a rubber spatula until just combined. Then, fold in the other half of the egg whites until just combined.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 25 to 28 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
• Cool the cake in the pan. Then, transfer it to a wire cooling rack with parchment paper underneath it.

For the Lemon Glaze

• Run the powdered sugar through a sifter into a measuring cup to remove any clumps.
• Stir the powdered sugar, heavy cream, and lemon juice until there are no clumps.
• Gently pour the glaze over the top of the cake and smooth it out.
• Serve as-is or garnished with sugared blueberries and lemon slices.

Notes

Storage

• Store in the fridge for up to 4 days in an air-tight container.
• Freeze a whole cake for up to 2 months wrapped in a double layer of plastic wrap and a layer of foil. Freeze individual slices for up to 2 months wrapped in plastic wrap and stored in an airtight, freezer-safe container. 
• Bring the cake to room temperature before serving. 

Tips

• Bring all cold cake ingredients to room temperature for easy mixing and the best texture. 
• Mix your cake batter until just combined. Overmixing will create a tough, dense cake. 

Nutrition

Calories: 415kcalCarbohydrates: 52gProtein: 11gFat: 20gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 128mgSodium: 274mgPotassium: 75mgFiber: 4gSugar: 44gVitamin A: 252IUVitamin C: 7mgCalcium: 137mgIron: 2mg

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!