This Gluten-Free Lemon Cake is the perfect layered cake filled with lemon curd and covered in a smooth, creamy lemon buttercream frosting. It 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. For something a little different, try this delicious Gluten-Free Olive Oil Cake With Orange Glaze.
Looking for other lemony desserts? Try these out: Gluten-Free Lemon Drizzle Cake, Easy Gluten-Free Lemon Bars, and Gluten-Free Lemon Meringue Pie.
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 🙂
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 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 to 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 nieces' 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.
Are lemon juice and lemon extract the same?
I often get asked if you can use lemon juice instead of lemon extract and vice versa. It’s not the same. Lemon juice is acidic and can’t be replaced with lemon extract, which is usually alcohol-based.
Similarly, fresh lemon juice and bottled juice react differently. In many cases, bottled lemon juice causes the batter to get rubbery.
If a recipe calls for fresh lemon juice, use fresh lemon juice. If it calls for lemon extract, use lemon extract.
In this recipe, you want to use lemon extract for the cake batter and lemon juice for the frosting.
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 complete list of ingredients and instructions, please see the recipe below.
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, someone's birthday, or any other special occasion, I think you'll agree that it 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.
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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's just as amazing. Both ways deliver a delicious, tender, bakery-style cake.
This lemon cake is 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 make the perfect lemony treat.
If you are looking for other cake recipes, you might like this Gluten Free Carrot Cake. For another delicious option, consider this Gluten Free Apple Pie or Gluten Free Red Velvet 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)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 teaspoons gluten-free baking powder (reduce to 1 teaspoon if using a blend that has baking powder)
- 1 cup dairy-free milk (or regular milk)
- 2 teaspoons lemon extract
- Zest from one medium lemon
For the filling and frosting:
- 1 cup dairy-free butter (2 sticks), room temperature
- 4 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 and my gluten-free flour blend. Bob's Red Mill All Purpose Flour does NOT work in this recipe.
- Frosting: You can use any frosting you like. If you want thinner frosting, add 2 tablespoons of milk or dairy-free milk at a time until the desired consistency is met.
- 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.
- In this recipe, you want to use lemon Extract for the cake batter and lemon Juice for the frosting. 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.
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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
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?
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Ana
Hi, this cake recipe looks delicious! I'm going to make a wedding cake for my sister soon, and I'm looking for a good gluten free dairy free recipe to use. Do you think this cake would work if I make tiers. Do you think it you be sturdy enough? Thanks.
chrystal
Hi Ana,
I'm not sure how many layers you plan on making, but it should be sturdy enough. It's a tender cake, but it's not overly soft. I'm sure you'll make it in advance to get a feel for the recipe and see if it will work for stacking. Let me know what you think!
Best,
Chrystal
Ana
I've tested this recipe a few times. And I'm I'm finally going to make the cake for my sister's wedding tomorrow. The wedding is Saturday. It's going to be a three layered, three tiered cake. I'm going to just 'naked ice' it. Which is basically like leaving it at the crumb coat stage. And It will have berries on the tires and deer for cake toppers. I'll let you know how everything thing turns out!
chrystal
Can't wait to see how it turns out!
Best,
Chrystal
Jaimie
Hi Chrystal and Ana,
I am making a wedding cake in September, and I've just started testing Gluten free comet lemon recipes. I am very excited to try this one. I plan to use Gfjules flour. The cake will consist of 2, 10" round tiers, and each tier will have 4 layers that will each be 1" thick. The filling will be lemons curd. Of course, I will dowel the first tier.
Ana, how did your cake turn out? Any issues or tips you care to share??
Chrystal, do these cake layers torte well? I'm not sure if I should bake 4, 1" layers per tier or if I can cut each 2" layer in half. I'm wondering if the cake once cut will hold up well with the lemon curd filling.
Thanks, ladies!! Here I go!!
hailey
The cake came out like a dense pancake with no rise. i'm super sad. it's not moist and fluffy at all. i followed the recipe to a T.
Wendy Stoltz
Hi Hailey,
Did you use a flour blend with xanthan gum?
Robin
This looks amazing and want
To make it for my gf daughter for Easter. Did you add sugar or anything to. Lack berries before placing them on the cake?
chrystal
Hi Robin,
I used fresh blackberries (no sugar in them).
I hope you like it!
Chrystal
Carol
This would be perfect for Easter for my gf guests. Will this recipe work in a bundt pan??
chrystal
I haven't made it in a bundt pan yet.
Best,
Chrystal
Vii
Is this suitable to freeze? I’m planning to make this today(Monday) for Friday.
chrystal
Hi Vii,
I've frozen the cupcake version, so I imagine this cake would freeze well too.
Best,
Chrystal
Alicia
I'm excited to try this, but want to make cupcakes. I noticed you said you've frozen a cupcake version. How long did you bake the cupcakes and did you change anything in the recipe? Thanks!
chrystal
Hi Alicia,
If you make cupcakes, just bake them for less time, starting with 18-22 minutes. I also have a cupcake recipe at https://www.glutenfreepalate.com/gluten-free-lemon-cupcakes/
Best,
Chrystal