A layered cake filled with lemon curd and covered in a smooth, creamy lemon buttercream frosting, this Gluten-Free Lemon Cake will be the perfect addition to any holiday celebration. This gluten-free lemon cake recipe comes with a dairy-free option and is super simple to make.

Do you love cake? Then you’ll love my Easy Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake. My Easy Gluten-Free Vanilla Cake is scrumptious too. If you like mixing your own gluten free flour blend check out which flours I use.

For more ideas feel free to browse my Easy Gluten Free Recipes.

Gluten-Free Lemon Cake Recipe

Someone asked me if this gluten-free lemon cake was moist because I soaked it in simple syrup. NOPE.

This Gluten-Free Lemon Cake recipe has the right combination of ingredients, it’s loaded with fresh lemon zest, and it’s topped with the most incredible lemon buttercream frosting. I appreciate the compliment though 🙂

Spring is in the air. The birds are chirping, the flower are blooming, and Easter is only a couple of weeks away. Every year for Easter we make something different for dessert. Sometimes it’s gluten-free cookies, sometimes there’s gluten-free lemon cake, but grandma always brings a pie: chocolate cream pie.

It’s not really an Easter type of a pie, but she brings it to every holiday meal. It’s her special contribution and we appreciate her for it. This Gluten-Free Lemon Cake is a perfect gluten-free Easter dessert.

This year for Easter I wanted try something new – a fresh and tangy cake that would make everyone in our family dive for seconds. Hence the gluten-free lemon cake recipe.

Do you think this Gluten-Free Lemon Cake will make a good Easter dessert? I had Easter in mind when I made it, so I hope you do. I have more Gluten-Free Easter Desserts, if you are interested.

Lemon treats remind me of spring and summer. Also, Lemon is a universal flavor in my opinion, like chocolate. I haven’t met a single person who would shun a lemon dessert. If I ever do, I will happily eat it for them so they don’t feel guilty wasting it.

We’re also celebrating one of my niece’s birthday on Easter. A special girl needs a special cake. She’s the sweetest (I can say that because I’m her aunt) and I am thinking she might need a giant slice of this cake to celebrate her day.

Tips for making gluten-free cake

• There are a couple of tips and tricks to getting the right texture with gluten-free cake. First, you have to follow the recipe. So many people comment on recipe posts saying that they made a ton of substitutions and the recipe didn’t turn out. Other than the dairy substitute, I haven’t tried other substitutes in this recipe. If you use substitutions, you are doing so at your own risk.
• Second, you want to mix at the right time and not over-mix.
• When you are beating the oil, sugar, and eggs you’ll want to beat it for the time listed. This adds air which in turn helps the cake rise.
• Once you add your flour mixture, you’ll only want to beat until combined. Beating any longer will cause the batter to stiffen.

These tips are relevant to most cake and cupcake recipes, not just this Gluten-Free Lemon Cake.

Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Lemon Cake

This gluten-free lemon cake is also dairy-free! So, whether you make this gluten-free lemon cake for Easter, someones birthday, or any other special occasion, I think you’ll agree that is quite amazing and it works for most dietary restrictions. It’s better than any bakery style cake I’ve had (I know, I say that about all my cakes. I make good cakes!).

Measuring Gluten-Free Flours

When working with gluten-free flours or measuring gluten-free flour, spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level. Do not scoop your measuring cup into the gluten-free flour. The best method really is to weigh the gluten-free flour but I don’t have the ingredient weights for all my recipes yet.

I’ve tested this recipe with Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1, Cup 4 Cup baking flour, and my gluten-free flour blend.

Can I use regular milk in the cake and real butter in the frosting and get the same results?

Yes. You can make this cake with dairy, or without dairy. It just as amazing. Both ways deliver a delicious, tender, bakery style cake.

How to Make Gluten-Free Lemon Cake

• For the cake: Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Position rack in center of oven. Oil two 9-inch cake pans and dust with flour; set aside.
• In a medium mixing bowl combine oil and sugar.
• Add eggs and beat with an electric mixer at medium speed for one minute.
• Add flour, salt, baking powder, dairy-free milk, lemon extract, and lemon zest; beat at medium speed for one minute.
• Spoon batter evenly into cake pans. Bake for 28-32 minutes or until the centers springs back when touched and the centers are set. The time may vary on your elevation and oven temperature accuracy.
• Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan on the rack for five minutes. Run a rubber spatula along the edges of each cake to loosen them. Invert onto the cooking rack.
• For the frosting: In a medium mixing bowl, beat butter smooth and creamy.
• Gradually add powdered sugar, one cup at a time, beating well. Alternate one cup of powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice until all ingredients are blended.
• Beat in additional lemon juice if needed to obtain desired constancy.
• Place on cake, dome side down, on a plate or cake platter. Spread a ¼ inch layer of frosting on it. Spoon lemon curd into the center and spread until it’s a half inch from the edges.
• Add second cake to the top and frost the sides and tops. Tip: I like to put frosting in a piping bag and pipe in on, then spread it. It helps eliminate crumbs getting mixed into the frosting and adds the right amount of frosting.

Store any leftover gluten-free lemon cake in an airtight container at room temperature. For the entire recipe and instructions see below in the recipe card.

It’s moist but not wet, and it keeps well in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The tender cake, tart lemon curd filling, and smooth frosting makes the perfect lemony treat.

If you are looking for other cake recipes, you MUST try my Gluten-Free Caramel Macchiato Cake (yes, I’m being bossy). If you are looking for a bright and colorful cake, my friend Brianna from Flippin Delicious makes the most lovely Gluten-Free Rainbow Layer Cake.

Did you make this gluten-free lemon cake? I want to know what you thought! Please leave a starred review and comment below. If you have any questions, please let me know in the comments and I will get back to you.

Happy Cooking and Baking,

Chrystal

Yield: A 2-layer gluten-free cake

Gluten-Free Lemon Cake

Print

A layered cake filled with lemon curd and covered in a smooth, creamy lemon buttercream frosting, this Gluten-Free Lemon Cake will be the perfect addition to any holiday celebration.

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 32 minutes

Additional Time 10 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 2 minutes

Ingredients

For the cake:

• 1 cup vegetable oil (or oil of choice)
• 1 ½ cup granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs, room temperature
• 2 ½ cups all-purpose gluten-free flour blend (I used Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1 gluten-free flour blend)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 teaspoons gluten-free baking powder
• 1 cup dairy-free milk
• 2 teaspoons lemon extract
• Zest from one medium lemon

For the filling and frosting:

• 1 cup dairy-free butter (2 sticks), room temperature
• 6 cups powdered sugar
• Juice from the same medium lemon (about ¼ cup)
• ½ cup lemon curd

Instructions

1. For the cake: Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Position rack in center of oven. Oil two 9-inch cake pans and dust with flour; set aside.
2. In a medium mixing bowl combine oil and sugar.
3. Add eggs and beat with an electric mixer at medium speed for one minute.
4. Add flour, salt, baking powder, dairy-free milk, lemon extract, and lemon zest; beat at medium speed for one minute.
5. Spoon batter evenly into cake pans. Bake for 28-32 minutes or until the centers springs back when touched and the centers are set. The time may vary on your elevation and oven temperature accuracy.
6. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan on the rack for five minutes. Run a rubber spatula along the edges of each cake to loosen them. Invert onto the cooking rack.
7. For the frosting: In a medium mixing bowl, beat butter smooth and creamy.
8. Gradually add powdered sugar, one cup at a time, beating well. Alternate one cup of powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice until all ingredients are blended.
9. Beat in additional lemon juice if needed to obtain desired constancy.
10. Place on cake, dome side down, on a plate or cake platter. Spread a ¼ inch layer of frosting on it. Spoon lemon curd into the center and spread until it’s a half inch from the edges.
11. Add second cake to the top and frost the sides and tops. Tip: I like to put frosting in a piping bag and pipe in on, then spread it. It helps eliminate crumbs getting mixed into the frosting and adds the right amount of frosting.

Notes

1. Flour blends: I've tested this recipe with Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1, Cup 4 Cup baking flour, and my gluten-free flour blend.
2. When working with gluten-free flours or measuring gluten-free flour, spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level. Do not scoop your measuring cup into the gluten-free flour.
3.  You can make this cake with dairy, or without dairy. Use regular dairy milk and regular dairy butter.
4. Lemon juice is acidic and can’t be replaced with extract which is usually alcohol based. Similarly, fresh lemon juice and bottled juice react differently. In many cases bottled lemon juice causes batter to get rubbery. If a recipe calls for fresh lemon juice, use fresh lemon juice.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

16

Serving Size:

1 slice
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 581 Total Fat: 29g Saturated Fat: 10g Trans Fat: 1g Unsaturated Fat: 17g Cholesterol: 89mg Sodium: 299mg Carbohydrates: 79g Fiber: 1g Sugar: 64g Protein: 4g

This nutrition info is based on the exact ingredients and brands that I used a the time. It may not be 100% accurate. Please check your ingredients nutrition labels.