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.
Is lemon juice and lemon extract the same?
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.
Gluten-Free Lemon Cake
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.
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
- 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.
Notes
- 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.
- 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.
- You can make this cake with dairy, or without dairy. Use regular dairy milk and regular dairy butter.
- 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:
16Serving Size:
1 sliceAmount Per Serving: Calories: 581Total Fat: 29gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 17gCholesterol: 89mgSodium: 299mgCarbohydrates: 79gFiber: 1gSugar: 64gProtein: 4g
Ann says
Hi! Have you tried subbing butter (or melted butter) in for the oil in the cake? If so, does it work? I don’t love the taste of oil in cakes but don’t want to mess up the recipe. Thanks!
chrystal says
Hi Ann,
I haven’t tried subbing butter but I imagine it would be a little heavier on the texture and crumb. Lots of people make cakes with butter and usually the difference is the texture.
Hope that helps.
Best,
Chrystal
Megan W says
Do you make your lemon curd? I didn’t see any instructions for that part and have never tried it before. Would love your recommendations.
chrystal says
Hi Megan,
I sometimes use store bought and I sometimes use this recipe from my friend sharon: https://www.whattheforkfoodblog.com/2016/02/18/paleo-lemon-curd/
Best,
Chrystal
Mady says
I’ve tried this recipe before using lactose free milk and it does work! Do you think I could substitute stevia sweetener for the granulated sugar in this recipe?
chrystal says
Hi Mady,
I haven’t personally used stevia in this recipe.
Best,
Chrystal
Sandy says
Could you use lemon essential oil instead of extract
chrystal says
Hi Sandy,
I have never baked with essential oils, so I’m not sure. Sorry I couldn’t be more help.
Best,
Chrystal
Maggie says
Chrystal, I made this cake yesterday and it was outstanding. Best cake I’ve ever made in my life. I had pretty much stopped baking after having to go gluten free because my first several bakes didn’t turn out well. Now that I’ve found your recipes, I’m baking every chance I get. Thank you SO MUCH. You have changed my life. ❤️ My coworkers are also very happy.
(I used Betty Crocker’s GF flour blend, if anyone is wondering.)
chrystal says
Hi Maggie,
Your comment made my day! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave it. I’m glad you found me and I hope you find many more recipes on my site that you love.
Best,
Chrystal
Mikayla says
I’m making this cake now for a co-worker and am very excited to try it! I’ll give an update as soon as we eat it. We won’t be eating until tomorrow afternoon. Should I refrigerate the cake until then or leave it out and covered?
chrystal says
I would keep it at room temperature, covered. Let me know what you think of the cake!
Best,
Chrystal
Amy says
OMG I Love this cake! made it last year for a birthday and here I am back for round two.
chrystal says
Hi Amy,
I’m so glad you love this lemon cake. It’s a favorite of ours too. Thank you for stopping by to let me know.
Best,
Chrystal
Anna says
This looks great!! I can’t wait to make it for my friend’s birthday. Question- do you know what the time difference would be for three 6″ cakes instead of two 9″? I only have 6″ pans and I’d rather not buy two new pans!
chrystal says
Hi Anna,
I would start with 22 minutes and watch it from there. Hope that helps. Let me know what you think!
Best,
Chrystal
Marsea says
Love this recipe! I think I’ll try adding poppy seeds next time. I think it will make a great breakfast cake! Thank you!
chrystal says
So glad you love it. Thank you for letting me know!
Best,
Chrystal
Olivia says
Chrystal…I recently made this cake for my best friend’s bridal shower (she is gluten free) and was so nervous as I had never made a gluten free cake before…I have now been tasked with making their wedding cake with the exact same recipe since it was so dang good!!! THANK YOU for this incredible, easy, delicious cake! It will be a recipe to pass along to many xo
chrystal says
Hi Olivia,
I am so glad you (and your friend) love my lemon cake recipe. There’s a few others who have made it into a wedding cake that have left a comment, if you’re interested in seeing if any of them are helpful. Thank you for taking time to stop by and let me know!
Best,
Chrystal
Jackie Gerry says
Hi Chrystal:
Can you make this cake a couple of days before eating it?
chrystal says
Yes, you can make it in advance. I recommend no more than a day in advance as it’s best fresh.
Best,
Chrystal
Lesley Kittlitz says
The picture of the lemon cake appears to have raspberries that look baked into the top of the cake. Or were they added I too after the cake is baked?
chrystal says
Hi Lesley,
It’s blackberries. I put them on top of the frosting and when I cut the cake some of the blackberry juice soaked into the cake 🙂
Best,
Chrystal
Diane says
Hi Leslie…I have an egg allergy. Any luck with egg substitutes?
chrystal says
Hi Diane,
You can use an egg replacer or flaxegg. Just a note that it won’t have the same rise.
Best,
Chrystal
Taylor says
I made this yesterday and it was a huge hit! Everyone commented on how moist it was. Even the non GF people loved it! I split it between 3 6-inch pans. The bake time was longer but they turned out great. Thanks for a keeper!
chrystal says
Hi Taylor,
I’m so glad everyone loved it. Thanks for sharing.
Best,
Chrystal
J.C says
Could I make this as cupcakes (to make butterfly cakes with) – how long do you think they would take to bake pls?
Thank you!
chrystal says
Hi J.C,
If you look on the right side of my sight, you’ll see the search box. I have a cupcake version called gluten free lemon cupcakes. I hope that helps.
Best,
Chrystal
Jess Kelly says
I made this cake yesterday for my little one’s 4th birthday party and it was AMAZING!!! I used coconut oil and coconut milk for the oil and dairy-free milk options. I also used additional lemon juice in the frosting and put a ring of raspberries around the top edge. Everyone was blown away. Thank you so much for sharing this incredible recipe! I will definitely be making this cake again soon!
chrystal says
Hi Jess,
I am so glad you liked it! Thanks for letting me know.
Best,
Chrystal
kathy says
Is it possible to sub maple or coconut sugar for the granulated sugar in the cake? I’ve been perusing your dessert recipes and they look yummy amazing! thanks for your help.
chrystal says
Hi Kathy,
I haven’t tried maple syrup in any of my cake recipes that use a flour blend (I have with my hummingbird cake that uses almond flour, you can search hummingbird cake in the search bar on my page and find it). Coconut sugar will work but please note that the flavor and color will be different as it lends a darker color and adds a caramel flavor.
Best,
Chrystal
kathy says
Thanks for your help Chrystal-again, your recipes look wonderful and I can’t wait to try them! kathy
chrystal says
It’s my pleasure Kathy.
Best,
Chrystal
Jennie says
This looks amazing! I can’t wait to try it! Can you please clarify for me: does the cake require store bought extract or actual juice from a lemon? Thanks!!
chrystal says
Hi Jennie,
This recipe uses juice from a lemon, but you are welcome to use a lemon extract.
Best,
Chrystal
Dawn says
I thought I had posted this question, but now don’t see it. Apologies if there are two.
I’m baking this today for my birthday cake. I was excited because I had everything on hand (self-isolating over here). The batter was more like a dough. When beating it climbed up the beaters of my had mixer onto the mixer itself & was very sticky and stretchy. Is it supposed to be like this? I could barely smooth it out to cover the bottom of the baking pans. The cakes rose quite a bit in the oven, but have come back down as they are cooling. I haven’t done much GF baking, so I don’t know if the batter should be this way.
chrystal says
Hi Dawn,
I read and approve all comments and I hadn’t gotten to it yet 🙂 Can you tell me what flour blend you used and how you measured it (ie. did you scoop the gluten free flour and level it)? There are few things that will cause the batter to be thick:
– Using certain flour blends
– Using too much flour
– Not using enough liquid
– For this recipe, bottled lemon juice may cause it to thicken and be gummy due to the acidity level
Best,
Chrystal
Dawn says
I’m sorry ~ after I did it a 2nd time, I say the “moderation” comment.
I used Cup 4 Cup flour, spooned it into the measuring cup. I measured my almond milk in a glass measuring cup. I used the 2 teaspoons of lemon extract in the cake.
chrystal says
Hi Dawn,
I haven’t used cup4cup in this recipe so that could be it. Everything else sounds correct.
Best,
Chrystal
Noor says
hi! this recipe looks amazing, can I use normal all purpose flour instead of the gluten free option?
chrystal says
Hi Noor,
Yes, you can.
Best,
Chrystal
Marty says
In the blog I noticed it stars that using bottled lemon juice or lemon extract can mess up the flavor and consistency of the cake, but under the ingredients for the cake it states to use 2 teaspoons of lemon extract.
I was wanting to make this tomorrow but wanted to clarify prior to baking. Are we supposed to use 2 teaspoons of lemon extract or 2 Crunches teaspoons of fresh squeezed lemon juice? Thanks so much! I loom forward to trying this!
chrystal says
Lemon extract is fine. It’s the bottled lemon juice you don’t want to use – only fresh lemon juice. So either extract or lemon juice.
Best,
Chrystal