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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!
I think gluten free lemon drizzle cake may be one of my favourite cake recipes ever. It’s a completely foolproof gluten free loaf cake that everyone will love!
The easy gluten free lemon cake is made with ground almonds to keep it extra moist, then doused in a lemon syrup and smothered in lemon icing.
It’s also easy to adapt this gluten free lemon drizzle loaf cake to make it dairy free too, and it’s the perfect accompaniment to a gluten free afternoon tea.
My aim is to make gluten free baking accessible to everyone. And this gluten free lemon drizzle cake recipe is no exception!
If you’re a fan of zingy flavours, make sure you also check out my lemon drizzle cupcakes, my easy no-bake lemon cheesecake and my gluten free lemon bars!
And if you’re making a gluten free afternoon tea, serve it up with some other classic bakes like Gluten Free Scones and Gluten Free Victoria Sponge.
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 – You can use Stork baking block or a dairy free margarine if you need to make this recipe dairy free.
- Gluten Free Self-Raising Flour – I usually use the FREEE self-raising flour or the Asda one. 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 – I use large UK eggs in my baking.
- 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.
- Milk – Just a tablespoon of milk helps to loosen the cake mix. If you want a dairy free recipe, switch this for any dairy free milk.
How to make 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 cake is to make.
To make this gluten free lemon drizzle cake recipe:
Preheat the oven to 180’C / 160C Fan / Gas 4 and grease and line a 2lb loaf pan. 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.
To add the lemon syrup:
Place the cake on a cooling rack while you make the syrup. Add the granulated sugar and lemon juice to a saucepan. Place on a low heat until the sugar has dissolved.
Use a toothpick to prick holes all over the cake. 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 the lemon glaze 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 (powdered sugar) and lemon juice until smooth.
Pour over the cake and leave to set. Decorate with extra lemon zest before serving.
Storing and Freezing
The good news is that you can easily store this gluten free lemon loaf cake for up to a week. And you can freeze slices for later!
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.
If you make this recipe and love it, please do let me know by tagging me on my Instagram or using #theglutenfreeblogger. You can also share your creations in my Facebook group! And please do leave a 5* review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ to let others know you loved it too! It would mean the world to me and really helps support my website.
Gluten Free Lemon Drizzle Cake
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 Lemon Cakes and Bakes
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.
It’s really easy to make this lemon drizzle cake dairy free with a couple of simple switches. All you need to do is swap the butter for a vegan alternative such as Stork baking block or a vegan margarine. You can also swap the milk for a dairy free milk such as almond, soya or coconut milk.
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.
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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Tried making lemon drizzle cake for the first time yesterday. Family loved it!
Amazing! So glad you liked it!!
I haven’t made any of your recipes yet, but I have a close friend whoes sister is gluton free and I have been do inspired by your site, thank you. You’ve given me loads of recipes to try!!
This is a fantastic recipe. I make it with a granulated sweetener and oat milk and it tastes gorgeous.
It’s my go to recipes for my charity baking stall and I shall be making it this afternoon for the first of many (I hope!) charity coffee mornings. Thank you for sharing these recipes. I love doing them.
Forgot to rate this. I’d give you 10 Stars if I could.
This is an amazing recipe and if followed correctly you will get a brilliant cake that does not sink. I did reduce the sugar by 1third as I am diabetic and my wife is gluten intolerant. But we both found it was sufficient sugar for us.
The shortcrust pastry recipe is also amazing and you would not be able to tell the difference between this and pastry with gluten. Thanks for your recipes can you make a coconut only loaf cake as well.
Thanks
This is the most successful gluten free cake I have ever made. It is really delicious. My whole family loves it.
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.
Absolutely delicious cake, easy to make, very moist, everyone enjoyed. Will definitely be making again