Best Ever Gluten Free Lemon Cake Recipe
This is the best ever Gluten Free Lemon Cake recipe! It’s loaded with lemony goodness, plus it has a nice, delicate crumb. It’s bright, tart, and totally addictive. Spiked with plenty of fresh lemon zest and a touch of rosemary, this makes a light dessert, afternoon snack – or if I’m being really honest, breakfast. Yum!
Jump to RecipeThis cake is easy enough to whip together for a snack cake, but so beautiful and delicious it would be perfect for Easter, Mother’s Day or even a baby or bridal shower. The best part about this cake is that it lasts at room temperature for up to three days. I think it tastes even better the second day (if it lasts that long – ha!). For an extra special touch, I always like to garnish my cakes with fresh (pesticide free) flowers and herbs from the garden. It’s an easy way to decorate a cake!
What does lemon cake taste like?
This lemon cake has a very moist and light texture, thanks to the addition of almond flour and buttermilk. But it’s the lemon + rosemary that really makes it sing. The best way to ensure a super lemony lemon cake is to rub the lemon zest into the sugar, which helps release the oils from the zest and infuses the sugar with the most flavor possible. In this gluten free lemon cake recipe, I also added a little rosemary into the mix, which brightens up the flavors even more. Topped with a sweet tart glaze, this cake is honestly one of the best cakes we’ve ever had (and we have a lot of cakes around here).
How to make gluten free lemon cake
This recipe is adapted from the brilliant and gorgeous Cannelle et Vanille Bakes Made Simple Cookbook. Her version is made in a loaf pan, moistened with yogurt, and topped with chopped pistachios. I used buttermilk in this version, added a touch or rosemary, and baked it in a 9″ springform pan. Either way, this recipe is a major hit and too easy. Here’s what you need to make this gluten free lemon cake:
Ingredients:
- 1 cup sugar
- zest from 1 large lemon (about 1 tablespoon)
- 1 teaspoon finely minced rosemary
- 1 cup super fine brown rice flour
- 1 cup super fine almond flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 3 large eggs
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/2 cup buttermilk (or yogurt or sour cream)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For the drizzle:
- 2 cups of powdered sugar, sifted
- 3-4 tablespoons of lemon juice
- pinch of salt
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9″ springform pan with (gluten free) cooking spray and line with parchment. Spray again and set aside.
Add the sugar, lemon zest and minced rosemary to a large mixing bowl. Using your fingers, massage the zest and rosemary into the sugar until the sugar becomes a pale yellow color, is quite fragrant, and looks slightly moistened. Whisk in the brown rice flour, almond flour, baking powder, and sea salt until evenly combined. Add the eggs, olive oil, and buttermilk and whisk until smooth. Stir in the vanilla extract. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
Cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then run a sharp knife around the edge of the cake. Release the latch from the pan and remove. Cool the cake completely before glazing.
Make the glaze, whisk the powdered sugar with 3 tablespoons of lemon juice until smooth. Add the salt and whisk well to combine. If the glaze seems too thick to pour, add a little more lemon juice and whisk to combine. Place the cake on a rack over a pan. Drizzle the glaze evenly over the cake. It will set in a few minutes.
To store the cake, loosely wrap with plastic or cover with a glass dome and leave at room temperature for up to three days.
Love lemon? Same! Here are a few of my favorite zesty, gluten free recipes!
- A Stunning Gluten Free Lemon Cake
- Blueberry + Lemon Gluten Free Ice Cream Sandwiches
- The Best Homemade Lemon Honey Ice Cream
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Gluten Free Lemon Cake Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup sugar
- zest from 1 large lemon about 1 tablespoon
- 1 teaspoon finely minced rosemary
- 1 cup super fine brown rice flour
- 1 cup super fine almond flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 3 large eggs
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/2 cup buttermilk or yogurt or sour cream
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For the drizzle:
- 2 cups of powdered sugar sifted
- 3-4 tablespoons of lemon juice
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9″ springform pan with (gluten free) cooking spray and line with parchment. Spray again and set aside.
- Add the sugar, lemon zest and minced rosemary to a large mixing bowl. Using your fingers, massage the zest and rosemary into the sugar until the sugar becomes a pale yellow color, is quite fragrant, and looks slightly moistened. Whisk in the brown rice flour, almond flour, baking powder, and sea salt until evenly combined. Add the eggs, olive oil, and buttermilk and whisk until smooth. Stir in the vanilla extract. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then run a sharp knife around the edge of the cake. Release the latch from the pan and remove. Cool the cake completely before glazing.
- Make the glaze, whisk the powdered sugar with 3 tablespoons of lemon juice until smooth. Add the salt and whisk well to combine. If the glaze seems too thick to pour, add a little more lemon juice and whisk to combine. Place the cake on a rack over a pan. Drizzle the glaze evenly over the cake. It will set in a few minutes.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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I can’t have rice flour. What do you think could substitute for it? I’m thinking sorghum and tapioca, but I have no idea if that would work. Thank you.
Hi Alene – since brown rice flour is a grain rather than a starch, you’d be safe doing a 1 to 1 swap with either sorghum or millet flours. If you want a lighter texture you could do half sorghum and half tapioca as well.
do you think i can use just a GF flour? thanks!
You could, but it wouldn’t have the same light texture that comes with almond flour cakes. I bet it would still be delicious though! 🙂
What do you recommend to substitute for almond flour?
Just replace it in equal measure with the gluten free flour blend.