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If you love a lemon drizzle cake, this fruity Gluten Free Lemon and Blackcurrant Cake is the perfect zesty, summer recipe.
A fun twist on my gluten free lemon drizzle cake recipe, this cake is soaked in a lemon syrup and packed with juicy blackcurrants.
I’ve also topped it with an easy blackcurrant icing to give it this glorious pink colour – with some flaked almonds to add a little extra texture and decoration.
Great for a gluten free afternoon tea
I think the blackcurrant icing on this cake really makes it pop – it would make the perfect centrepiece for a party or gluten free afternoon tea.
It’s made my simply pushing blitzed-up blackcurrants through a sieve into lemon juice and icing sugar to produce this tangy pink icing.
If you wanted to cheat on this though, you could use a teaspoon of blackcurrant juice or even Ribena instead of sieving your blackcurrants.
Either way, it’s the perfect combination of sweet and sharp and possibly the best colour ever!
A fruity twist on lemon drizzle
I used frozen blackcurrants in this gluten free lemon and blackcurrant cake, but you could change this up for blackberries or blueberries if you prefer.
In fact, most berries would work – but I think lemon and blueberry is such a common flavour combination. I wanted something different!
I know blackberries are ripe for picking at the time of writing this, but I definitely urge you try it with blackcurrants first, it’s just delicious.
Of course the flaked almonds on top are also an optional decoration, but with ground almonds in the cake to give it a better texture, they made a lovely decoration.
What do I need to make this gluten free cake?
The full method for my gluten free blackcurrant and lemon cake is down below in a printable recipe card.
But for the shopping list you will need:
For the cake:
- 175 g caster sugar
- 175 g unsalted butter, (softened)
- 125 g self raising gluten free flour (+ 1 tsp extra for the blackcurrants)
- 50 g ground almonds
- 3 large eggs
- Zest of 2 lemons, (reserve juice for syrup and icing)
- 100g blackcurrants
For the syrup:
- Juice of 2 lemons
- 100 g granulated sugar
For the icing (optional):
- 200 g icing sugar
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 55g blackcurrants
- 1-2 tbsp flaked almonds (optional, for topping)
It may look like a lot of ingredients but a lot of them are actually used in multiple parts of the recipe.
For example, use the lemon zest in the cake and the juice for the syrup.
The third lemon’s juice goes into the icing, but you could use the zest to decorate the cake so as not to waste it!
You can also use caster sugar instead of granulated sugar in the syrup – I prefer granulated as I like the crunch it gives it, but either works really well.
And if the icing is too much for you, you could always add the blitzed blackcurrant juice to the syrup instead and omit the icing part.
Can I make this recipe dairy free?
My gluten free lemon and blackcurrant cake can actually really easily be made dairy free too.
Just use Stork baking block instead of butter – it’s my go-to when it comes to making dairy free cakes.
In terms of making it vegan, I’ve not tried it with an egg replacer so if you give it a go, please let me know.
This recipe is seriously easy to adapt. You could even switch it up and change the lemon for limes if you want to make it multiple times.
I made this recipe in a 20cm round cake tin but you can also make it in a 2lb loaf tin if that’s all you have.
If you do this, you’ll need to cook it for around 50 minutes to 1 hour – it takes slightly longer than cooking in a round tin!
How do I stop the fruit from sinking?
Getting fruit to not sink in a cake is hard – it tends to add moisture and weight to the mixture which drops to the bottom of the tin as it cooks.
I always roll my blackcurrants in flour – but this sometimes doesn’t stop it.
To be honest, for me the joy in this particular cake is that the berries DO sink to the bottom.
It creates this juicy, Ribena-esque layer at the bottom of the cake which looks lovely and just tastes fantastic.
If you really want to avoid this, you could try adding half the blackcurrants to the mixture then sprinkling the other half on top.
However on this one occasion I say go with the sinking – you won’t regret it!
My gluten free lemon and blackcurrant cake
If you’re after a super vibrant, zesty and easy gluten free bake then you’ve certainly come to the right place.
This makes enough for around 12-16 people, depending on how big a slice you fancy!
If you make this recipe and love it, please do let me know by tagging me on my Instagram or using #theglutenfreeblogger. I love seeing your bakes!
And please do leave a review to let others know you loved it too! It would mean the world to me.
Gluten Free Lemon and Blackcurrant Cake
This gluten free lemon and blackcurrant cake is a zesty, fruity bake. Packed with juicy blackcurrants, soaked in a lemon drizzle and topped in a vibrant blackcurrant and lemon icing.
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 175 g caster sugar
- 175 g unsalted butter, (softened)
- 125 g self raising gluten free flour (+ 1 tsp extra for the blackcurrants)
- 50 g ground almonds
- 3 large eggs
- Zest of 2 lemons, (reserve juice for syrup and icing)
- 100g blackcurrants
For the syrup:
- Juice of 2 lemons
- 100 g granulated sugar
For the icing (optional):
- 200 g icing sugar
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 55g blackcurrants
- 1-2 tbsp flaked almonds (optional, for topping)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180'C/Gas 4 and grease and line a 20cm round cake tin. Set aside while you make the cake batter.
- Add the sugar, butter and lemon zest to a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric whisk until pale and creamy.
- Next add the eggs and beat again for 30 seconds. (The mixture will look a bit runny and 'gloopy' but the flour will bring it all together)
- Add the flour and ground almonds and mix again until combined. It should form a thick batter. Place the blackcurrants in a separate bowl, add 1 tsp gluten free flour and toss to coat. Fold the blackcurrants into the cake mix.
- Pour into the cake tin, smooth the top and bake in the centre of the oven for approx 45-50 minutes. It's done when a skewer comes out of the centre clean.
- Place the cake on a cooling rack while you make the syrup. Add the granulated sugar and lemon juice to a saucepan and heat on a low heat until the sugar has dissolved. Use a toothpick to prick holes all over the cake and, while it is still warm, gently spoon the syrup over the cake. Make sure you do this slowly to ensure the cake has an even distribution of syrup and that it all absorbs.
- Leave the cake to cool completely in the tin (approx 1 hour). To make the icing, blitz the blackcurrants in a food processor, then empty into a sieve. Press the mixture through aa sieve so the juice comes off into a bowl - discard the leftover fruit. Add lemon juice and icing sugar to the blackcurrant juice, and mix into a thick paste.
- Pour the icing over the cake, spread evenly and decorate with the flaked almonds.
Notes
Will keep for 3-5 days in an airtight container. You can also freeze this cake and I recommend doing this by slice.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
16Serving Size:
1 sliceAmount Per Serving: Calories: 275Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 58mgSodium: 40mgCarbohydrates: 42gFiber: 1gSugar: 32gProtein: 3g
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Need some more gluten free baking inspiration?
Want to have a go at some of the other gluten free baking recipes on the blog? Give some of these other gluten free cake recipes a try! There are plenty to choose from – here are a couple to get you going:
- Gluten and dairy free coconut and passionfruit cake
- Chocolate chip cookies recipe
- Gluten free carrot and hazelnut cake with orange cream cheese frosting
- My gluten and dairy free carrot and walnut cake
If you do make this recipe please let me know! I’d love to see your photos using #theglutenfreeblogger, share them in my Facebook group or tag me on Instagram.
And if you have any recipe suggestions, please let me know in the comments what you’d like to see next!
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Can you make muffins instead of a cake with this recipe?😀