This smooth Gluten Free Lemon Drizzle Cake is wheat-free but tastes like it has wheat. It’s similar to a lemon pound cake recipe minus the wheat flour. The intense lemon flavor makes it the best lemon cake around.
This recipe has a unique blend of tapioca starch, xanthan gum, potato flour, and sweet rice flour.
You probably like my other recipes if you’re like me and love lemon dessert recipes!
Gluten-Free Lemon Drizzle Cake
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This is a really moist cake, so if you like dense cakes, you’ll love this recipe. The sweet rice flour makes it stickier instead of grittier. Also, the combination of gluten-free flours is better than the grocery store versions.
When my daughter did a year of synchronized swimming, we would stop by Starbucks after her grueling practices, and she would purchase their delicious lemon pound cake. She still talks about that yummy lemon cake.
But over the years, she hasn’t had that cake since we tried a wheat-free diet for her. So, I thought I would make my gluten-free version, and that’s how I came up with this recipe.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s a gluten-free dessert that is great for those sensitive to wheat. I also crafted a flour blend that doesn’t have a gritty texture.
- Also, if you love lemon desserts, you’ll love this very lemony cake!
- It’s a moist version of lemon pound cake. The moisture combines nicely with a tiny bit of stickiness that I love.
- It has a delicious drizzle icing that compliments the zesty lemon taste.
Can I Use The Gluten-Free Flours Available
I tried this recipe with King Arthur’s Gluten-Free flour, and the cake tasted gritty. It is no surprise since the main ingredient is rice flour. Rice flour has a grainy texture when used in wheat-free desserts.
Ingredients You’ll Need For This Wheat-Free Dessert
Sweet Rice Flour (I use Koden Farms Brand)
Baking Powder
Salt
Butter
Eggs
Buttermilk
Lemon Juice
Lemon Zest
How to Make a Wheat-Free Lemon Pound Cake
This recipe is best if you measure all your ingredients. The prep is essential so that making the cake goes smoothly.
Step 1 – Line Loaf Pan
Line your 9″ x 5″ x 2 3/4″ loaf pan with parchment paper. I cut two sheets to line the pan. I strongly recommend this step since I tried coating it with oil and flour and had the most challenging time getting the cake out of the pan.
Step 2 – Measure All Ingredients and Make Cake Batter
This recipe has many ingredients, so measure all your ingredients before starting. Mix the sweet rice flour, potato starch, tapioca flour, almond flour, baking powder, and xanthan gum in a bowl. In another bowl, let the lemon juice and zest sit for a bit.
Mix milk with white vinegar and allow to sit for a couple of minutes to thicken. Stir and remeasure for a ½ cup of what is now buttermilk.
Then, you’ll combine the lemon mixture with buttermilk and vanilla.
Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, beat the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the eggs and beat until blended.
Next, incorporate half the milk and then half the flour. You’ll repeat this until it’s mixed well.
Step 3 – Fill Pan with Batter and Bake
Preheat the oven to 325F.
Now, here is the tricky part. Make sure you use a 9″x 5″ x 2 3/4″ loaf pan; there is a lot of batter, and it should fill 3/4 of the pan. If you have a little extra, place it in a muffin tin.
Place in the oven, and after 15 minutes, cover lightly with tin foil. Continue to bake for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Let cool on a cookie rack, then grab the parchment paper and pull the cake out of the pan after 20 minutes.
Step 4 – Drizzle Icing on Cooled Cake
Gluten-Free Lemon Cake with Drizzle
Ingredients
Lemon Cake Batter
- 1 cup sweet rice flour
- ⅓ cup potato starch add 2 tbs
- 3 tbsp tapioca flour
- ½ tsp zanthan gum
- ¾ cup fine almond flour
- 3 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 sticks unsalted butter room temperature
- 4 eggs room temperature
- ½ cup milk room temperature
- 1½ tsp white vinegar
- 6 tbsp lemon juice
- 3 tbsp lemon zest
- 1½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp almond extract
Sugar Drizzle
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp butter melted and cooled
- 2 tbsp buttermilk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°
Cake Batter
- Line a 9" x 5" x 2¾" loaf pan with parchment paper.
- Prep and measure all ingredients.
- Mince lemon zest to a fine paste. You will have about 2 tablespoons after mincing.
- Combine zest with juice in a small bowl and mix. Set aside for later.
- Whisk rice flour, potato starch, tapioca flour, xanthan gum, almond flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Set aside the flour mixture.
- Mix milk with white vinegar and allow to sit for a couple of minutes to thicken. Stir and remeasure for a ½ cup of what is now buttermilk.
- Combine lemon juice, buttermilk, vanilla, and almond extract in a medium-sized bowl.
- In a small bowl, gently whisk eggs.
- Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, beat room temperature butter and sugar on medium-high speed until fluffy. Reduce speed to low and add the egg mixture. Turn off the mixer and scrape down the batter from the sides of the bowl. Beat batter at medium speed for a minute.
- Reduce speed to low and add ½ the flour mixture. Next, add ½ the buttermilk mixture, scraping down the bowl as needed. Repeat with the final ½ buttermilk and ½ flour mixture.
- Increase speed and beat cake batter until smooth and blended.
- Scrape batter into a parchment-lined pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula. Make sure you use a 9"x 5" x 2 3/4" loaf pan; there is a lot of batter, and it should fill 3/4 of the pan. If you have a little extra, place it in a muffin tin.
- Place in oven, and after 15 minutes, cover lightly with tin foil. Continue to bake for 50-55 minutes. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack. After about 20 minutes, grab the parchment and lift the warm cake out of the pan. Set the cake on the baking rack to cool.
Drizzle
- Combine powdered sugar, melted butter, and buttermilk in a mixing bowl. Mix icing until smooth.
- Place parchment paper under the cooled lemon cake. Then drizzle icing on top of the lemon cake.
Nutrition
A Few Last Questions:
How Long Will The Lemon Drizzle Cake Last?
If you place it in an airtight container and leave it out on your kitchen counter, it should last three to four days.
Do I Need to Refrigerate This Cake?
I feel that there is no need to refrigerate this cake.
What is the Difference Between Sweet Rice Flour and Rice Flour?
Regular rice flour is made from non-glutinous, long-grain brown or white rice. Sweet rice flour or Mochiko is made from a glutinous, short-grain sweet rice called mochigome, also known as “sticky rice.”
I use sweet rice flour for the glutinous quality, making this cake a bit sticky and moist. So, this cake has a bit of a mochi quality that I love!
This week is all about lemons, and I love this theme. I did have to reschedule one of my posts to next week, so there will be one more lemon project.
Let me know what other recipes you would like to see over here. I love hearing from you!
Happy Baking,
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Koleta Scott
How can I change to straight flour instead of Gluten?
happyhappynester
Hey Koleta,
Just substitute all of the gluten free for one cup of regular flour 🙂 Hope that helps!
Holly Johnson
I am so excited to try this, Janine! Looks so delicious!!
happyhappynester
Hey Holly!
I can’t wait for you to bake this cake, it’s a family family of ours! Have a great weekend 🙂