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When I think of my favourite classic bakes, a Gluten Free Lemon Drizzle Cake recipe is right up there. A zesty, moist sponge, drenched in a sugary lemon syrup and topped with zingy icing. My gluten free lemon drizzle cake recipe is an absolute classic British bake!
The Best Gluten Free Lemon Cake… In The World!
- Why choose this recipe? Not only do I think this is one of the best cakes ever, this gluten free lemon drizzle cake recipe has more than 140 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ reviews from readers who’ve loved it, including ‘Absolutely gorgeous’, ‘the best gluten free lemon cake I’ve found’ and ‘This is the most successful gluten free cake I have ever made.’
- To Ice, or Not To Ice: Personally I love lemon icing on my lemon drizzle cake (the more lemon, the better!) but you can leave the icing if you prefer and still have a delicious cake with a simple, crunchy sugar top.
- Flour of choice: I always use the FREEE Plain Gluten Free Flour for this but any plain gluten free flour blend will work, such as Asda or M&S flour.
- Anything else? If you’re planning a gluten free afternoon tea, check out my gluten free scones, gluten free Victoria sponge and gluten free sausage rolls too!
Table of Contents
- The Best Gluten Free Lemon Cake… In The World!
- Don’t just take my word for it…
- Ingredients and Substitutions
- How to Make a Gluten Free Lemon Drizzle Cake
- Storing and Freezing Instructions
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Gluten Free Lemon Drizzle Cake Recipe Recipe
- More Gluten Free Lemon Recipes
- More Lemon Cakes and Bakes
- Your gluten free lemon drizzle cakes
Don’t just take my word for it…
Ulli left ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and said: “This is the most successful gluten free cake I have ever made. It is really delicious. My whole family loves it.“
Mary also made this and commented: “Absolutely delicious cake, easy to make, very moist, everyone enjoyed. Will definitely be making again.”
And Susan left ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and said: “Made this a few times. Absolutely gorgeous. All my family ask if I’ve made the lemon one yet when they come round to my house and they’re not GF. They have no idea it’s GF.”
Ingredients and Substitutions
There’s a full printable recipe card below with the quantities and instructions, but here are the main lemon drizzle ingredients and ideas for substitutions:
- Sugar: I always use caster sugar (or superfine sugar/baker’s sugar in the US) for my gluten free cakes as it provides the best texture. In the topping I use granulated sugar because I love the crunch, but caster sugar will work too. You’ll also need icing sugar (or confectioner’s sugar in the US) for the icing, of course.
- Unsalted Butter: Use a vegan margarine for a dairy free lemon drizzle cake.
- Gluten Free Self-Raising Flour: If you don’t have self-raising flour, add 1 tsp baking powder per 100g of gluten free plain or all purpose gluten free flour blend instead.
- Ground Almonds: The secret to the texture of this cake is almost certainly with the ground almonds. If you need a nut free lemon drizzle cake you can substitute this with an additional 50g gluten free self-raising flour. However, this will result in a cake which is lighter and a little less moist.
- Eggs
- Milk: If you want a dairy free recipe, switch this for any dairy free milk.
- Lemons: The secret to the best lemon drizzle cake is using fresh lemon juice. You can use bottled lemon juice but you’ll need the zest for the cake, so you may as well juice the lemons afterwards for the drizzle and icing.
How to Make a Gluten Free Lemon Drizzle Cake
There’s a printable recipe card below with the method. But here are some step-by-step photos to show you how easy this gluten free lemon drizzle cake recipe is to make.
Storing and Freezing Instructions
TO STORE: Allow the cake to cool. Then place it in an airtight container and keep it at room temperature. Try to keep it out of sunlight or it’ll melt! This cake will keep for up to a week. Don’t keep it in the fridge or it’ll go hard.
TO FREEZE: Either freeze the whole cake or freeze slices of lemon drizzle cake between sheets of baking paper. Then you can just defrost them at room temperature whenever you have a lemon cake craving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some FAQs about this easy lemon drizzle cake recipe. If you can’t find the answer to your question here or in the post above, please comment and I’ll try answer!
If you don’t have self-raising gluten free flour, you can make your own! Use plain gluten free flour or All Purpose flour mix and add 1 tsp baking powder per 100g of flour to make gluten free self-rising flour. You may also want to add 1/4 tsp xanthan gum if your flour doesn’t contain this already.
To make this recipe nut free, swap the ground almonds for either the same quantity of gluten free self-raising flour, or use ground polenta. The almonds help soak up the moisture of the lemon syrup. But if you cannot eat them, this simple swap makes this recipe nut free.
If your lemon drizzle cake is sinking in the middle, it could be a few issues. Firstly, you must never open the oven door too soon or your cake will sink. Always leave it at least 50 minutes before opening the door.
Secondly, try to get the cake batter in the oven as soon as it’s mixed – and always make sure the oven is fully preheated before putting the cake in. This is why I always list preheating as the first step, so the oven is nice and hot by the time the cake is ready to bake.
Gluten Free Lemon Drizzle Cake Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 175 g caster sugar
- 175 g unsalted butter, (softened)
- 125 g self-raising gluten free flour
- 50 g ground almonds
- 3 large eggs
- Zest of 3 lemons, (reserve juice for syrup and icing)
- 1 tbsp milk
For the syrup:
- Juice of 2 lemons
- 100 g granulated sugar
For the icing (optional):
- 150 g icing sugar
- Juice of 1 lemon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180'C / 160C Fan / Gas 4 and grease and line a 2lb loaf 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, ground almonds and milk and mix again until combined. It should form a thick batter. Pour into the cake tin, smooth the top and bake in the centre of the oven for approx 50 minutes to one hour. 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). Once cooled, if icing, make the icing by beating the icing sugar and lemon juice until smooth. Pour over the cake and leave to set. Decorate with extra lemon zest if desired.
Video
Notes
- Measurements: This recipe card converts the recipe from metric to cups, but I highly recommend using a set of kitchen scales. Gluten free baking is a science and weighing scales are a lot more accurate!
- Troubleshooting: For tips of making this recipe dairy or nut free, and some other handy FAQs, check out the Frequently Asked Questions below this recipe card.
- Storing and Freezing: Scroll above this recipe card for instructions on how to store and freeze your gluten free lemon drizzle cake.
- Step-by-Step Photos: Scroll up for some handy photos showing you exactly how to make this gluten free lemon cake recipe, as well as handy recipe tips.
- Like this Recipe? It would mean SO much to me if you could leave a 5* rating and tell all your gluten free friends about this Lemon Drizzle Cake!
Nutrition
More Gluten Free Lemon Recipes
If you like this gluten free lemon drizzle cake then make sure you check out these other gluten free citrus recipes too…
- Gluten Free Lemon Cheesecake
- Lemon and Poppyseed Muffins
- Citrus Drizzle Cake
- Lemon and Blueberry Cake
- Lime and Coconut Cake
- Lemon Ice Lollies
I do love a gluten free cake recipe so make sure you search the website for more!
Have you tried this recipe?
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More Lemon Cakes and Bakes
Your gluten free lemon drizzle cakes
I absolutely love when you send me photos of your gluten free bakes, so I’m trying to add them to the website to share with everyone.
Here are some of the amazing gluten free lemon drizzle cakes you guys have made using my recipe. Make sure you tag me on Instagram to be featured!
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I bake this regularly. It’s the best GF lemon cake I’ve found.
sooooooooo yummy, will definitely make this again.
Absolutely delicious, I’ve used a number of recipes over the years and this is now always my go to. I’ve done it with and without the almond flour and also made it with and without gluten. REALLY delicious, will be making it again and again for sure.