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Why You’ll Love This Gluten-Free Lemon Drizzle Cake Recipe
The weather is warming up, and lemons are one of my favorite ways to brighten just about any recipe. Whether they’re in pasta, dressings, drinks, or desserts, I love how they add fresh, vibrant flavor without much effort. This cake is one of those recipes I find myself making all spring and summer long because it’s simple, beautiful, and always a crowd-pleaser.
If you’ve already made my lemon cheesecake bars or lemon crinkle cookies, this lemon drizzle cake is another lemon dessert you’ll want to add to your list. It’s made with simple ingredients, comes together easily, and works just as well for an afternoon snack as it does for brunches, baby showers, Easter, or Mother’s Day.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Gluten-Free Lemon Cake
- Butter: Adds richness and helps create a soft, tender crumb.
- Granulated sugar: Sweetens the cake and creates the classic lemon drizzle.
- Eggs: Provide structure and help the cake rise while keeping the crumb tender.
- Almond flour: Gives the cake its moist texture and subtle nutty flavor.
- Banana: Keeps the cake moist and tender while adding natural sweetness. Don’t worry, you won’t actually taste the banana! If you have extra ripe bananas on the counter, my strawberry banana cake is another favorite way to use them up.
- Fresh lemon zest: Brings bright, concentrated lemon flavor throughout the cake.
- Baking powder: Helps the cake bake up light and fluffy.
Lemon Drizzle Recipe
- Granulated sugar: Dissolves into the lemon juice to create the signature sweet-tart drizzle.
- Fresh lemon juice: Adds bright citrus flavor and soaks into the warm cake for the classic lemon drizzle finish.
Recipe Variations
- Make it dairy-free: Swap the butter for your favorite vegan butter or refined coconut oil.
- Make it nut-free: Replace the almond flour with a measure-for-measure gluten-free flour blend. The texture will be slightly different but still delicious.
- Use a powdered sugar glaze: For a smooth, bakery-style finish instead of the classic crunchy drizzle, replace the granulated sugar in the drizzle with powdered sugar.
- Add poppy seeds: Stir 1 to 2 tablespoons of poppy seeds into the batter for a lemon poppy seed twist. If you love that flavor combination, you’ll also love my lemon poppy seed muffins.
How to Make Gluten-Free Lemon Drizzle Cake
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch round cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
Step 2: In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
Step 3: Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Fold in the almond flour, mashed banana, lemon zest, and baking powder until just combined.
Step 4: Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Step 5: Let the cake cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then carefully transfer it to a wire rack.
Step 6: In a small bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar and fresh lemon juice until combined.
Step 7: Spoon the lemon drizzle evenly over the warm cake, allowing it to soak into the top. If desired, sprinkle with a little extra lemon zest for garnish.
Step 8: Let the cake cool completely before slicing and serving.
Expert Tips
- Use room temperature ingredients. Softened butter and room temperature eggs blend more easily, creating a smoother batter and a more even crumb.
- Don’t overmix the batter. Stir just until the ingredients are combined to keep the cake light and tender.
- Drizzle while the cake is still warm. The warm cake absorbs the lemon drizzle much better than a cooled cake, giving every bite a bright lemon flavor.
- Let the cake cool completely before slicing. This gives the drizzle time to set and helps the cake hold together for cleaner slices.
- A hand mixer works great. You can absolutely use a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, but because this recipe comes together so quickly, I usually reach for a hand mixer to save on cleanup.
- Use the right cake pan. This almond flour lemon cake recipe is written for a 9-inch round cake pan. If you bake it in an 8-inch round pan or a loaf pan, you’ll need to increase the baking time and check for doneness with a toothpick.
Storage
- Room temperature: Store the cake in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Fridge: Keep in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
- Freezer: Wrap the whole cake or individual slices tightly in plastic wrap, then place in a freezer-safe container or bag. Freeze for up to 2 months.
- To serve: Thaw overnight in the fridge before serving.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! The flavor gets even better after the lemon drizzle has had time to soak into the cake. Bake it a day in advance, let it cool completely, and store it in an airtight container until you’re ready to serve.
Gluten-free cakes can become dry if they’re overbaked or the batter is overmixed. Check the cake for doneness a few minutes before the recommended baking time, and mix the batter just until the ingredients are combined. The mashed banana in this recipe also helps keep the cake moist and tender.
Fresh lemon juice and zest give this cake its brightest flavor, so I highly recommend using fresh lemons if possible. Bottled lemon juice will work in a pinch, but the flavor won’t be quite as vibrant.
More Lemon Dessert Recipes
If you make this recipe, please leave me a star rating and comment below! I love to hear your thoughts and feedback. Follow me on social media Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest for even more delicious recipes!
Gluten-Free Lemon Drizzle Cake (Moist & Easy)
Video
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup butter, or coconut oil, softened
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 4 eggs
- 1½ cup almond flour, or 1:1 gluten free baking flour
- 1 banana, mashed (about 1/2 cup)
- Zest of 3 lemons, plus more for garnish
- 2 tsp baking powder
Lemon Drizzle
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar, or 1/2 cup powdered sugar if you want a white glaze
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and line a 9-inch cake pan with parchment paper.
- Combine butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl, and beat until light and fluffy.3/4 cup butter, 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- Add the egg one at a time, beating the mixture after each one.4 eggs
- Add almond flour, mashed banana, lemon zest, and baking powder. Fold until just combined.1½ cup almond flour, 1 banana, Zest of 3 lemons, 2 tsp baking powder
- Pour into the prepared cake pan, then bake for 35-40 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool for 10 minutes then remove from the pan and transfer to a cooling rack.
- Whisk together the ingredients for the lemon drizzle, and pour over the cake in an even layer – spreading it out evenly with a spoon. Sprinkle with lemons zest, if desired.1/4 cup granulated sugar, 2 tbsp lemon juice
- Cool completely, slice, then enjoy!
Notes
- Use room temperature ingredients. Softened butter and room temperature eggs blend more easily, creating a smoother batter and a more even crumb.
- Don’t overmix the batter. Stir just until the ingredients are combined to keep the cake light and tender.
- Drizzle while the cake is still warm. The warm cake absorbs the lemon drizzle much better than a cooled cake, giving every bite a bright lemon flavor.
- Let the cake cool completely before slicing. This gives the drizzle time to set and helps the cake hold together for cleaner slices.
- A hand mixer works great. You can absolutely use a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, but because this recipe comes together so quickly, I usually reach for a hand mixer to save on cleanup.
- Use the right cake pan. This almond flour lemon cake recipe is written for a 9-inch round cake pan. If you bake it in an 8-inch round pan or a loaf pan, you’ll need to increase the baking time and check for doneness with a toothpick.
- Room temperature: Store the cake in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Fridge: Keep in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
- Freezer: Wrap the whole cake or individual slices tightly in plastic wrap, then place in a freezer-safe container or bag. Freeze for up to 2 months.
- To serve: Thaw overnight in the fridge before serving.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Yummmmm!
I plan to try this cake substituting olive oil instead of coconut oil. Would the amount still remain as 3/4 cup?
Thanks, Carol
I haven’t tried with olive oil, so I can’t guarantee that the cake will set properly. If you still want to try, you can replace with the same amount.