Gluten Free Lemon Drizzle Cake

When I think of absolutely 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 and one of my favourite cakes ever!

Making gluten free cakes doesn't have to be hard. A lot of people are put off by gluten free baking, thinking you need loads of weird and wacky ingredients.

But that's simply not the case!

My aim with this blog is to make gluten free cooking and baking accessible to everyone. And this gluten free lemon drizzle cake recipe is no exception! 

Firstly, all of the ingredients for this cake can be bought in the supermarket.

In fact, the only thing that differs from a 'muggle' lemon drizzle cake is the flour! I always use a basic gluten free self-raising flour mix - usually FREEE by Doves Farm self-raising flour or Sainsbury's own gluten free flour.

Basically whatever I can get my hands on first! But any general gluten free flour mix will do - and the rest is basic cake ingredients: eggs, milk, sugar, butter, and a whole lotta' lemon!

Making the perfect lemon drizzle cake

Now there are two camps when it comes to a lemon drizzle cake - those with icing on top, and those without.

The good thing about this recipe is you can do either! I really wanted to top this gluten free lemon drizzle cake with icing, as I think it gives a more 'polished' look to it.

However, if you wanted to you could simply drizzle on the lemon syrup and then serve it as is. It will still taste absolutely delicious! I've tried it with and without and to be honest, I love both versions!

A few things to remember when you're making my gluten free lemon drizzle cake recipe:

• I've used ground almonds in my gluten free lemon drizzle cake recipe as I found they created a much nicer texture. However if you can't have nuts you could switch this for the weight-equivalent in gluten free flour.
• If you wanted to make this recipe dairy free it's really simple! Just switch the butter for Stork baking block and use dairy-free milk such as almond or soya milk. Then you'll have a gluten and dairy free lemon drizzle cake. 
• If you don't have any self-raising gluten free flour, you can use plain gluten free flour and add 3-4 tsp baking powder. Simple!
• If you try this recipe and want to mix things up a little, why not give my gluten free citrus drizzle cake a go? It's all the best bits of a lemon drizzle cake, with lime and orange flavours too!

What equipment will you need to make my gluten free lemon drizzle cake?

Don't worry - you only require the very basics! To make this gluten free lemon drizzle cake recipe you'll need:

• A 2lb loaf tin just like this one
• I also use loaf tin liners like these because I find it WAY easier than trying to line a tin with baking paper!
• A large mixing bowl - I have the pink version of this Mason Cash bowl and I'm in love with it!
• An electric mixer. You could use a wooden spoon but this makes life a lot easier! This is the one I use! It's basic, affordable and does the trick!

The ingredients are all store-cupboard essentials, do you don't have to worry about buying anything fancy. 

My gluten free lemon drizzle cake recipe

This recipe really is an absolute classic. I guarantee no-one will know it's gluten free! It went down an absolute treat in our house and I can't wait to make it again. I love seeing your bakes - so if you give this a go please let me know! Tag me on Instagram or use #theglutenfreeblogger.

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Gluten free lemon drizzle cake

Yield: 8 slices

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

This gluten free lemon drizzle cake recipe is an absolute classic! A sweet and zesty bake which is packed with lemon flavours and super easy to make.

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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

1. Preheat the oven to 180'C/Gas 4 and grease and line a 2lb loaf tin. Set aside while you make the cake batter.
2. Add the sugar, butter and lemon zest to a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric whisk until pale and creamy.
3. 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)
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.

Notes

Will keep for 3-5 days in an airtight container. You can also freeze this cake and I recommend doing this by slice.

Recommended Products

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  2lb Loaf Tin

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 8 Serving Size: 8 slices
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 487Carbohydrates: 65.3gProtein: 4.7g

Need some more gluten free baking inspiration?

If you want to have a go at some of the other gluten free cake recipes on the blog, why not give some of these a try? They’re perfect to satisfy any cake cravings!

• Gluten free chocolate cake recipe
• The best gluten free coffee and walnut cake
• My gluten free chocolate orange marble cake
• Gluten free marmalade cake recipe

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! Oh – and don’t forget to sign up for my e-newsletter where you’ll know about all my latest posts and competitions first!

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