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Gluten-Free Lemon Drizzle Cake

4.86 from 7 votes

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My gluten-free lemon bundt cake recipe is filled with bright lemon flavor thanks to copious amounts of lemon zest and a two-ingredient lemon icing that is out of this world. Greek yogurt and butter ensure the cake stays moist during baking. Plus, I use a secret ingredient to doctor your basic gluten-free flour blend for the perfect texture.

lemon drizzle cake on white stand with lemon wedges and mint

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I love serving lemon cakes for Easter. Making this the perfect gluten-free dessert for Spring. But my whole family asks for this gluten-free cake recipe all year long. It is that good.

What makes this recipe different is mixing the lemon peel with the sugar in a food processor. This extracts all the lemon flavor getting so much more flavor than zesting with a microplane.

I love using a bundt cake pan to give it a show-stopping look without having to do any cake decorating. Remember, bundt pans can be notoriously hard to butter, you have to get every nook and cranny covered in butter to ensure the cakes slide out easily. I did a video a hack for this on my TikTok.

📖Why My Recipe Works

  • This recipe uses a traditional GF cup-for-cup flour blend plus corn starch to create a dense but delicate crumb associated with drizzle cakes. It is my go to trick for making cake flour from any flour blend!
  • A lemon sugar ensures a tart and strong lemon flavor. Nothing is worse than the lemon cake with no lemon flavor. And we aren't using any fake lemon extract either.
  • The sweet lemon drizzle is made of confectioner's sugar and lemon juice rather than water, giving it extra flavor.

🧾Ingredient Notes

  • Lemons- This recipe uses both the zest and juice. You will need at least 5 lemons.
  • Gluten-Free Flour- You can use my recipe for homemade gluten-free 1:1 flour blend or one of your choosing. I used Bob's Red Mill when testing this recipe. If using a self-rising flour omit the baking powder but keep the baking soda.
  • Cornstarch- If you are avoiding corn try substituting almond flour.
  • Sugar- I used white granulated sugar but you can also use coconut sugar.
  • Greek Yogurt- Use the full-fat variety.
  • Baking Powder and Baking Soda- Both are required to get a proper rise on the cake.
recipe ingredients on a counter

⏲️How to Make Gluten-Free Lemon Drizzle Cake

A person holds a clear glass bowl filled with flour mixture for a gluten-free lemon drizzle cake and uses a metal whisk to combine the dry ingredients. The bowl is resting on a gray marble surface.
  1. All the dry ingredients should be well combined before they are added to the batter.
On the left, a person peels a lemon for a gluten-free lemon drizzle cake, with whole lemons on the counter. On the right, a glass bowl holds grated lemon zest and sugar on a marble surface.
  1. Remove as little of the white part as possible when peeling off the yellow rind. A food processor wil completely break down the peel and infuse the sugar. The sugar will be slightly yellow and look a bit damp from the oils.
Left: A person uses a Cuisinart hand mixer to blend ingredients for a gluten-free lemon drizzle cake in a glass bowl. Right: Thick, pale yellow batter with a spatula in a glass bowl, shown from above on a marble countertop.
  1. Cream the butter and sugar until very light and fluffy. This will take a few minutes.
  2. Alternating adding the flour and lemon yogurt will ensure the batter incorporates easily.
A split image shows an empty Bundt pan greased with butter on the left, and the same pan on the right, now filled with gluten-free lemon drizzle cake batter.
  1. Don't just butter the pan, but add a little flour for an extra layer of protection against the cake sticking.
  2. Rest the cake for 10 minutes to help the flour hydrate.
A person whisks white icing in a glass measuring cup, then pours it over a gluten-free lemon drizzle cake on a cake stand. Lemons are visible on the white countertop.
  1. Cool for 15 to 20 minutes in the pan before placing a cooling rack on top, and then flipping the cake over to unmold. Fully cool before making the lemon drizzle.
  2. I like to make the drizzle in a large measuring cup so it is easier to pour.
  3. Add more sugar or lemon juice, as necessary, to achieve a pourable consistency. I typically use 3 to 4 tablespoons of lemon juice in total.
  4. Allow 30 minutes for the glaze to harden before serving.

Serving Suggestion

Use an elaborate bundt pan and decorate with candied lemon peel and berries and mint for an elegant presentation.

Three plates each hold a slice of gluten-free lemon drizzle cake with a fork, garnished with strawberries and mint leaves. A yellow-striped cloth, a serving spatula, and a whole lemon are also on the white surface.

💭 Flavor Variations

  • This recipe can be made using any citrus fruit such as key limes, blood oranges, or grapefruit. Or do a combination.
  • For a more American take, swap out the lemon glaze for cream cheese frosting.

Did you enjoy making this recipe? Show it some love with ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and leave a comment! Hungry for more FLAVORFUL recipes?

📖 Recipe Card

gluten free cake with lemon glaze on a cake stand

Gluten-Free Lemon Drizzle Cake

A tart lemon flavor, this tender gluten free budnt cake is loaded with lemon inside and out. It is an easy cake recipe for beginner bakers. No decorating required thanks to the lovely sweet lemon glaze.
Servings: 12
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 50 minutes
Cool and Glaze 1 hour
Total: 2 hours 10 minutes
4.9 from 7 votes
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Ingredients
  

Glaze

  • 2 cups confectioners sugar
  • 4 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • pinch kosher salt

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350°. Butter and flour a bundt pan, set aside. Be sure to get all the nooks and crannies of your pan as the cake will stick.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk the GF flour, cornstarch, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
    3 cups gluten-free flour blend, ½ teaspoon xanthan gum, ½ cup cornstarch, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda, 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • Peel the yellow rind off of the lemons. You do not want to remove as little of the white part as possible. Place the yellow part only and the sugar in a food processor and pulse until the lemon peel is broken up. Set aside.
  • Cut the lemons and half and juice. You need ½ cup of juice. Save the remaining juice for the glaze. In a small bowl, whisk ½ cup of lemon juice with the yogurt. Set aside.
    1 cup full-fat plain Greek yogurt
  • In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the butter with the sugar mixture at medium-high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs and beat on medium until incorporated.
    5 lemons, 2 cups granulated sugar, 4 large eggs
  • Add ⅓ of the dry ingredients, beat until in incorporated. Add ⅓ of the yogurt mix and beat until incorporated. Alternate until both are used up. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, and give a quick mix to make sure all of the ingredients are well incorporated.
  • Pour the batter into the prepared pan and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Bake for 50 minutes, until the cake is golden and a tester comes out clean.
  • Set the cake on a cooling rack. Carefully run an offset spatula or table knife around the center of the pan to loosen the cake. Cool for 20 minutes, then unmold and fully cool.

Glaze

  • Place confectioners' sugar in a liquid measuring cup; stir in lemon juice (glaze should be thick, yet pourable). Add more sugar or lemon juice, as necessary, to achieve a pourable consistency.
    2 cups confectioners sugar, pinch kosher salt, 4 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • Pour over the cooled cake. Allow to set for 30 minutes for the glaze to harden.

Video

Notes

Substitutions:
  • Sour cream can be substituted for yogurt.
  • Limoncello can be substituted for lemon juice in both the loaf and the glaze.
  • An additional ¼ cup of GF flour or almond flour can be used in place of the cornstarch but the cake will be denser.
Make Ahead: This recipe can be made up to 2 days in advance. Tightly wrap the baked, but unglazed loaf, in plastic wrap and place it in a plastic bag. Bring to room temperature before glazing and serving.
Freeze: Tightly wrap the baked, but unglazed loaf, in plastic wrap and place it in a freezer bag. It will keep for two months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and bring to room temperature before glazing and serving.

Equipment

Nutrition

Calories: 343kcal | Carbs: 57g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 12g | Fiber: 2g
Author: Jen Wooster
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
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Comments

    4.86 from 7 votes (5 ratings without comment)

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  1. Jen Schreiber says

    4 stars
    Made this today. Very tasty. Cake was a little dry. Used King Arthur GF flour.

    Reply

  2. Liv says

    Has anyone made this in a different pan? Wondering about two loaf pans or a large round?

    Reply

    • Jen Wooster says

      5 stars
      Yes you can divide between two loaf pans. Reduce the cooking time slightly.

      Reply