Gluten-Free Lemon Cake
Published
If you’re anything like me, lemon desserts are a must once the weather warms up. There’s just something about that sweet-tart citrus flavor that feels like sunshine on a plate. This gluten-free lemon cake has become one of my go-to spring and summer bakes—it’s soft, moist, and bursting with bright lemony goodness. Made with gluten-free flour, lemon extract, and a touch of dried lemon peel, this cake is packed with citrus flavor in every bite. Whether you’re celebrating a special occasion or just craving a light, refreshing dessert, this easy lemon cake is the perfect choice.
I’ve always loved lemon desserts—the balance of sweet and tart is just so refreshing. If you’ve tried my gluten-free lemon bars, you know what I mean. What I love most about this recipe is how effortless it is. It’s the kind of cake I make when I want something impressive without spending hours in the kitchen. The texture turns out so soft and delicate, and the citrus flavor really pops. With just a few basic ingredients and a little time, you’ll have a homemade cake that looks and tastes like it came from a bakery.
Gluten-Free Baking Tips
- Use pure lemon extract—do not substitute with lemon juice, which isn’t concentrated enough for the same flavor.
- Measure gluten-free flour using the “spoon and level” method to avoid packing too much into the cup and throwing off the recipe.
- To check for doneness, look for the edges pulling away from the pan. Don’t over-bake—gluten-free cakes dry out quickly. Underbaking can lead to gummy centers.
- When assembling, place the first cake layer shiny-side down on your serving plate or cake stand for a flat base.
Gluten-Free Lemon Cake
Ingredients
- 2/3 cups butter, softened, Leave it out at room temperature for about 30 minutes before baking.
- 1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons pure lemon extract
- 1/2 teaspoon dried lemon peel
- 1/8 teaspoon gluten-free yellow gel food coloring (optional), I like gluten-free gel food colors.
- 2 1/4 cup all-purpose gluten-free flour with xanthan gum , I like Pillsbury gluten-free. Not all gluten-free flours are created equal. You may experience different baking results depending on the gluten-free flour blend you choose.
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 5 large egg whites
Lemon Buttercream Frosting
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon pure lemon extract
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon gluten-free yellow gel food coloring (optional), I like gluten-free gel food colors.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cut the parchment paper for the bottom of your two 9-inch cake pans and spray with gluten-free cooking spray. I like gluten-free coconut oil cooking spray.
- In a large bowl cream together the softened butter and the granulated sugar together with a mixer until fluffy.
- Add the pure vanilla extract, lemon extract, dried lemon peel, food coloring (optional), gluten-free flour, salt, and baking powder to the butter mixture and mix until combined.
- Add the milk and mix until smooth.
- Beat in the egg whites and mix on high for 2 minutes.
- Pour half of the batter into the first 9-inch cake pan and then pour the rest of the batter into the second 9-inch cake pan.
- Bake on the middle rack for 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center, comes out clean and the sides of the cake is pulling away from the side of the pan.
- Cool the cakes in the pans for about 10-15 minutes. Allow the cakes to completely cool before frosting.
- Frost the top of the first cake layer only before adding the second layer—this creates the creamy center filling.
Lemon Buttercream
- In a large bowl beat the softened butter at medium speed, until smooth. Add the pyre vanilla and lemon extract and mix until fully combined. Add the powder sugar one cup at a time to the buttery spread mixture and mix until fully combined. Add gluten-free yellow food coloring for a brighter yellow frosting (optional).
- You can add fresh berries, shredded coconut, or both to the top of the cake—or as a surprise filling between the layers.
Notes
- Dairy-free option: This recipe also works using Smart Balance butter and unsweetened almond milk.
- For extra lemon flavor, top the cake with a layer of lemon curd.
- To decorate, I used a Wilton 1M piping tip for the frosting swirls.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
How to Make Gluten-Free Lemon Cake Step by Step
Gather the Ingredients: Gather the ingredients together. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line the bottom of two 9-inch cake pans with parchment paper and lightly coat them with gluten-free cooking spray—I prefer coconut oil spray for this.
Cream together the butter and sugar: In a large mixing bowl, cream together 2/3 cup of softened butter and 1 2/3 cups of granulated sugar using a mixer on medium speed until the mixture is light and fluffy.
Add the wet ingredients: Add 1 tsp of pure vanilla extract, 2 tsp of pure lemon extract, 1/2 tsp of dried lemon peel, and 1/8 tsp of gluten-free yellow gel food coloring (optional) to the butter mixture. Mix until incorporated.
Add the dry ingredients: Add 2 1/4 cups of gluten-free all-purpose flour with xanthan gum, 1/2 tsp of salt, and 3 1/2 tsp of baking powder. Mix just until the dry ingredients are fully combined with the butter mixture.
Add the milk: Pour in 1 1/2 cups of milk and continue mixing until the batter becomes smooth and cohesive.
Beat in the eggs: Finally, beat in 5 large egg whites, then increase the mixer speed to high and mix for about 2 minutes until the batter is light and airy.
Pour the batter: Evenly divide the batter between the two prepared cake pans and smooth out the tops.
Bake the cakes: Bake the cakes on the middle oven rack for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the sides begin to pull away from the pan. Let the cakes cool in their pans for 10 to 15 minutes.
Make the frosting: In a large bowl, beat 1 cup of softened butter on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Add 1/2 tsp of pure vanilla extract and 1/4 tsp of pure lemon extract, mixing until fully blended.
Slowly add the sugar: Gradually mix in 4 cups of powdered sugar, one cup at a time, until the frosting is fluffy and well combined.
Add food coloring (optional): If desired, add 1/8 tsp of gluten-free yellow gel food coloring to brighten the color of the frosting.
Cool and frost: Be sure the cakes are completely cool before frosting—I usually wait a few hours to be safe. Frosting too soon can cause it to melt and slide off. You can add fresh berries, shredded coconut, or both to the top of the cake—or as a surprise filling between the layers.
Serve and enjoy: Slice, serve, and enjoy!
Serving Suggestions
I love serving this gluten-free lemon cake at spring gatherings, baby showers, or just as a sweet weekend treat with friends. It’s especially good chilled on a warm day with a glass of iced tea or a tall glass of milk. Sometimes I’ll top each slice with an extra swirl of frosting or a spoonful of lemon curd for even more citrusy goodness. You can also garnish it with fresh berries or a dusting of powdered sugar if you want to dress it up a bit.
Storage Instructions
To keep this lemon cake fresh, I like to store any leftovers in an airtight container. It’ll stay soft and moist at room temperature for about 2 days, or you can refrigerate it for up to 5 days—just bring it to room temperature before serving for the best texture.
If you want to make it ahead, the unfrosted cake layers can also be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and frozen for up to 3 months. I usually frost the cake the day I plan to serve it, but you can also freeze frosted slices individually.
More Gluten-Free Cakes to Try
- Gluten-Free Red Velvet Cake
- Gluten-Free Angel Food Cake
- Easy Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake
- Gluten-Free Carrot Cake
- Gluten-Free Kentucky Pound Cake
Our Gluten-Free Lemon Cake recipe was originally published 4/7/21. It was retested, reworked, and republished to be better than ever 619/25.
Hi! How much lemon juice would you substitute for the lemon extract in the cake? I can get lemon extract but am unsure when I will use it next…
Hi Natasha, We don’t recommend substituting the lemon extract with lemon juice, because it isn’t concentrated enough for the same flavor.
Hi Audrey, my homemade All purpose GF flour blend already has baking powder in it, should I still add the listed amount to the recipe? Thanks
Hi Kelsey, You can omit the baking powder if it’s a self-rising flour.
This is a wonderful recipe! I followed the recipe in every way except i used 1 1/2 tsp fresh lemon zest instead of dried lemon peel. I made it for my husband’s birthday. I am the only one in the family gluten free. Everyone loved it and my daughter announced she wants me to make it for her birthday. Thank you so much for this recipe!
Best gluten free cake recipe I’ve found so far!
I make all the cakes for my kiddos birthdays and switched to gluten free and dairy free last year for my son. *and in-laws
My daughter requested a lemon cake this year and I prayed you had a recipe as I’ve had a lot of success with your recipes before. Lo and behold!
It turned out to be the best cake I have ever made.
My MIL who isn’t a huge fan of cake, said it was amazing!
You genuinely couldn’t tell it was GF and DF. Moist, with an almost pound cakey consistancy, not dense at all.
Lovely lemon flavor – I used 1 tbsp fresh zest as I didn’t have dried. (I did a vanilla buttercream though!)
I used coconut milk, and country crock olive oil butter.
Daughter wanted a strawberry filling, which paired amaaazingly with the lemon!
An absolutely wonderful recipe and I can’t wait for the next time I can make it again. Truly delicious!!
Your recipes never fail! Followed directions exactly as listed except I made cupcakes! Baked for 18-20 minutes and ended up with around 30 cupcakes. I cut a hole in the centers and filled with Bonne Maman lemon curd, replaced the cake I cut out and then frosted. Needed to make a tiny bit more frosting to get all 30 frosted – I just made 1/4 of the original frosting recipe. They turned out amazing!!
Hi,
For the Dairy free version what do you use in place of the egg whites?
Hi Jennifer! If you want to make this recipe without eggs, I would recommend using aquafaba or flax seed eggs as a replacement.
ok this was so simple so easy I’m eleven and I still made it if your a starter and you wanna stick with basics just use this my dad is gluten free dairy free so I did some research and I found this recipe so easy and cheap to make we all loved it 😍
Yet another amazing, simple, delicious recipe! I have a beautiful bundt pan I used instead and used that instead. The cake turned out amazing in taste.
Hi Rex! That’s wonderful to hear. Thank you so much!
I made this recipe for a friend who is gluten And dairy free, and it was so delicious!! 10/10 recommend if you have food sensitivities.
I wonder though, can this be made with gluten flour? Same measurements? I would love to make it for my son who likes lemon.
Delicious, moist, just lemony enough (I used fresh lemon zest as didn’t have any dried). I also cut the sugar by 1/3rd as I am attempting to be sugar free but it was my daughter’s birthday and I wanted something I could partake in too (being gluten and dairy free too). I didn’t ice it so I can’t speak to that part of the recipe. I topped it with coconut whipping cream. Will definitely make it again!
Hi. I want to make this today. Can I substitute applesauce for the eggs and still have it taste good? Thanks.
Hi Lynell! I have not tried apple sauce for a substitute for eggs in this recipe. I am not sure how the applesauce will change the cake’s texture.
super delicous and moist and I made the dairy free lemon curd. Out of this world, sooo good this will be a keeper !!
Love it! Made for my husband’s birthday in Feb. Don’t have round cake pans, but it still was great in a 9×13” pan. Didn’t have lemon extract so used 4 lemons! The curd was delicious as was the frosting! I didn’t put the total amount of powdered sugar in and it was great! Never had made a curd before! So thank you for recipe! Today I made it for Easter lunch for our daughter and her family! Have some strawberries I picked last June, still in freezer and will add a bowl of them on the side if anyone wants to drizzle on top of the cake. My husband wants to add whipping cream to his. Can’t wait to see how they all like it! Happy and blessed Easter wishes!
I normally can’t bake a cake to save my life, forget a gluten free, dairy free cake. But this cake turned out AMAZING! I used Bob’s 1 to 1 flour. I did not have lemon extract, so I used the juice of one lemon instead, beyond that I followed the directions exactly. It turned out perfect and was love by gluten lovers and celiacs alike!
I made this for a joint birthday celebration. Absolutely wonderful flavour, moist, and a very nice rise. I made a lemon cream filling and topped it with lavender buttercream. Beautiful!
Made for my son’s birthday. He doesn’t like sweets and avoids sugar. He ate the entire cake. This cake is delicious by any standards. Making again for his college graduation party. I did use lemon curd for the filling. I did use a slightly modified frosting by increasing the butter and reducing the powdered sugar. The cake is quite sweet, so felt 4 cups of powdered sugar was too sweet for our Palate.
I tried it today for my wedding anniversary and my son is gf df. I was craving a good lemon cake. Came across this recipe and OMG!!! I am just blown away. The cake turned out AMAZING ?. I used aquafaba buttercream. Raspberry jam and lemon curd in between the layers. It’s just finger licking.
❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Great cake . It was for my friend’s birthday and it was perfect size and delicious. I will definitely make it again .
Thank you so much Miruna for the awesome 5-star recipe review! I am so happy that you and your friend enjoyed the cake, it was delicious and that you will make it again. Thank you again!
Made this for my daughters birthday and she loved it, we all did!
My gluten intolerant son requested a lemon cake for his birthday. He loved this cake, we all loved this cake! Moist, a good rise, and tender. I did find that I needed to use much more lemon extract in the frosting. 1/4 tsp. Added little flavor, I used more like a tablespoon. Not sure if it was due to the brand of extract. I used lemon curd as the filling. I plan to make the cake again soon!
Thank you so much Christine for the wonderful recipe review, it really made my day! I am so happy that you made this cake for your son’s birthday and everyone loved it. You are so welcome, I love sharing the recipes that I make for my family. I am so happy to hear that you will be making it again. Thank you again!
WOW, from a gluten/dairy eater looking for a recipe that I think is delicious, just wow.
Thank you so much for this recipe. ❤️
This was amazing!! Made for my bday cake- gluten and dairy free and delicious. I did not have lemon extract, but lots of lemons. A staple and ample supply always in my house so I just did more lemon zest to substitute. Wow- it was just the right amount of lemon and slightly sweet. I couldn’t have asked for a better birthday cake! I made it a two tier round cake, with lemon zest on top! It was so delicious and moist- way to go. Thank you for the best birthday cake I could have asked for! ?
Thank you so much Amber for the awesome 5-star recipe review, this really made my day! I am so happy that the lemon cake was amazing and you enjoyed it for your birthday. Happy Birthday, Amber! YOu are so welcome, I love sharing the recipes I make for my family. Thank you again!
This is an outstanding cake, and has been a favorite in our house. We make it with Krusteaz gluten free flour, coconut milk and butter, and do the extra lemon curd as suggested. We find it especially good refrigerated! Thanks for a fantastic recipe!
Thank you so much Lisa for the awesome 5-star recipe review, it really made my day! I am so happy that everyone enjoys the lemon cake. You are so welcome, I love sharing what I make for my family. Thanks again!
This cake is wonderful!! My daughter loves lemon cake and I made this for her birthday. Nobody knew it was gluten free! I use Cup 4 Cup flour when I bake and it worked perfectly. Years ago I was nervous to serve a first time GF recipe at a party, but yours never disappoint. Thank you for sharing your incredible talent!! ❤️
Thank you os much Mindee for the awesome 5-star recipe review, you really made my day! I am so happy that you all enjoyed the lemon cake, especially your daughter, as it was a special birthday cake for her. You are so welcome, I love sharing what I make for my family. Thank you again for your kind words and review, it really made my heart happy, it really means the world to me!
Great cake! Made some changes….only because I didn’t have a few ingredients on hand and it still turned out fabulous. I was out of lemon extract, so I replaced with 4 tsp of lemon juice and also left out the vanilla in hopes that the lemon would shine through. I reduced the sugar to 1 1/2c. I used a King Arthur GF flour blend as I didn’t have any Pilsbury. Then I added 1 Tablespoons of poppy seeds as this was a birthday cake requested by my daughter. I made a lemon butter cream frosting and lemon curd and put the curd in the middle of the layers as well on top. This cake was a crowd pleaser!. Thank you for creating and sharing.
Thank you so much D for the awesome 5-star recipe review! I am so happy that everyone enjoyed the cake, especially the birthday girl. Thank you for sharing your modifications, as I know that it will help others. You are so welcome, I love sharing what I make for my family. Thanks again!
Hello, I am looking for a cake for my birthday. Will coconut oil work in place of a vegan butter? I am allergic to palm oil which is in all vegan butters.
Hi Savannah! I have not tried coconut oil in this recipe, but I have baked with coconut oil successfully in some of my other recipes. I would think that it would work well int his recipe too. If you try it, will you please let me know how it turns out? Wishing you a Happy Birthday!
I made this fantastic recipe for my husbands birthday. I made the dairy free version as he is GF and dairy free. I was so happy with the results. I made it into cupcakes and shortened the cooking time to compensate. It was amazing!!
I did just a few things differently. I added fresh lemon zest instead of the dried. . And I added a little bit more lemon extract to the frosting 1/4 tsp more and also zest from a lemon. ( I wanted more lemony taste in frosting)
We all loved it and I can’t wait to try out more of your recipes!!! Absolutely delicious! Thank you so much!!!!
Thank you so much Bonnie for the fantastic recipe review! I am so happy that you all enjoyed the lemon cake as cupcakes. Thank you for sharing that you used fresh lemon zest and a bit more lemon extract in the frosting to make it more lemony. I hope you enjoy the other recipes of mine that you try. You are so welcome, I love sharing what I make for my family. Thank you again!
This sounds and looks delicious. I need to take a GF dessert for my sons graduation next week and I love lemon. I think I’ll try making it as cupcakes though to make it easier to serve. Also that way I can keep some for me. ????
Hi Heather! Thank you so much! I hope that you and your son enjoy the lemon cupcakes. Congratulations on your son graduating!
This was SO delicious! So far, your recipes are ones I’ve had the most success with. I loved the extra tang that the lemon curd added and highly recommend it. If you can’t find lemon curd at the store, it’s super easy to make, just FYI. If I would do anything different next time it would be to use lemon curd between the layers as well as on top, then frost the sides and decorate around the top with the buttercream. My family was impressed and my kiddos said this was the best GF cake I’ve made so far. I’ve had MANY awful-tasting outcomes in the past!
My next cake will be the cinnamon roll cake, but I have one question. If a recipe calls for a 9×13 and, assuming all the ingredients can halve evenly, would there be any problem with cutting the ingredients in half and making a smaller cake?
Thanks! I look forward to making more of your recipes AND purchasing your cookbook when it comes out. ☺️
Thank you so much Sarah for the amazing 5-star recipe review! I am so happy that you and your family enjoyed the lemon cake, especially that your kids said that it was the best gluten-free cake you have made so far. It makes my heart so happy to hear that you have found success with my recipes. Thanks for the tip on the lemon curd, I’ve never tried making it from scratch. I am defiantly going to give it a try. I have had a lot of readers tell me that they have cut the cinnamon roll cake recipe in half or they have frozen the left-overs for later. My large family always devours the cake in 24 hours. The cake is also awesome for breakfast too. I hope you enjoy the cinnamon roll cake as well. Thank you so much for your kind words and support! I am very excited about the release of my first cookbook. I really appreciate your support. Thanks again!
According to my kids it is the best gluten free, dairy free cake ever, and I agree.
That makes my heart so happy to hear Michelle! I am so happy that you and your kids enjoyed the lemon cake. Thank you so much for the wonderful 5-star recipe review!
I look forward to making this cake for my son’s birthday! I see the recipe serves 16, can I double the recipe to make a sheet cake to serve 40 people?
Hi Susan! I am not sure because I have never doubled the recipe and made a sheet cake with it before. If you try it will you please let me know how it turns out? Wishing your son the happiest of birthdays!
Wow, what a beautiful and luscious cake, YUM!! This is so perfect for this time of year, although I think I could go for lemon all year long! 😀 I love also that your recipe is both gluten and dairy-free!
Thank you so much Catherine! I am in total agreement with you, a lemon cake is lovely all year long. Not only am I gluten-free, but I am also dairy-free, so I always try and have a dairy-free option for my recipes. Thank you again!
I was looking for a gluten-free recipe for the whole family and I stumbled on this article. I read and followed the instructions carefully and I made it deliciously! Every member of my family is so happy! Thanks for this!
Thank you so much Kate for the wonderful 5-star recipe review! I am so happy that your whole family enjoyed the lemon cake. You are so welcome, I love sharing what I make for my family. Thanks again!
This cake looks lovely (and I love lemon) and like that you have both gluten-free flour and butter alternates. However, have you attempted this recipe with an egg replacer instead of eggs? Unfortunately in addition to sensitivities to gluten and dairy I am not allowed eggs. This makes finding a cake recipie – or cookie for that matter – that eliminate (or provide alternates) to all of these items extremely difficult. In fact I have yet to find any. Thank you!
Hi Willow! Thank you so much. I have not tried this recipe with an egg replacer. I have made my chocolate chip cookies, pancakes and biscuits using Bob’s Red Mill egg replacer. I have not tried any of my cake recipes with an egg replacer yet. Do you have a favorite egg replacer that you use?
You can use applesauce as an egg replacer.
Hi Rashida! I have never tried applesauce as an egg replacer in this recipe. If you try it will you please let me know who it turns out? I hope you enjoy the lemon cake!
The picture show a frosting, perhaps lemon curd, but I don’t see a recipe it that. Help…
Hi Jane! The recipe includes a lemon buttercream frosting. As stated in my post, if you want your cake to have an extra tangy lemon flavor, you can top the cake with lemon curd, as I did. I bought the gluten-free lemon curd from Publix grocery store. The recipe card with the cake and frosting recipe is at the bottom of the page. Here is the link to the recipe card https://www.mamaknowsglutenfree.com/gluten-free-lemon-cake/#wprm-recipe-container-7176 I hope you enjoy the lemon cake.