Gluten-Free Lemon Cake {Dairy-Free Option}
An easy recipe for Gluten-Free Lemon Cake. This gluten-free cake is full of lemon flavor and topped with a creamy lemon buttercream frosting. The gluten-free dessert recipe also has a dairy-free option.
Servings 16 servings
Calories 444kcal
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup butter, softened Dairy-free use Smart Balance butter.
- 1 ⅔ cups granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons pure lemon extract
- ½ teaspoon dried lemon peel
- ⅛ teaspoon gluten-free yellow gel food coloring (optional) I like gluten-free gel food colors.
- 2 ¼ 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.
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 ½ teaspoon gluten-free baking powder
- 1 ½ cups milk Dairy-free use unsweetened almond milk.
- 5 large egg whites
Lemon Buttercream Frosting
- 1 cup butter, softened Dairy-free use Smart Balance butter.
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon pure lemon extract
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- ⅛ 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 gluten-free 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. Place the cakes on a cooling rack to completely cool before frosting.
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).
- Store leftovers in an air-tight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator.
Notes
- Trace the bottoms of the 9-inch cake pans with a pencil and cut them out with scissors to have them fit perfectly!
- Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator.
- I like Pillsbury gluten-free flour. Not all gluten-free flours are created equal. You may experience different baking results depending on the gluten-free flour blend you choose.
- I measure gluten-free flour is to use the “spoon and level” method to keep from getting more flour than the recipe calls for.
- For the dairy-free option, I used Smart Balance butter and unsweetened almond milk.
- To freeze the cake: wrap the completely cooled in plastic wrap or aluminum foil and place each wrapped layer in a plastic freezer bag. The cakes can be frozen for up to one month. Defrost the cakes in the refrigerator overnight. The lemon buttercream frosting can be frozen in a freezer-safe container for up to three months.
- I topped the cake with lemon curd for an extra tangy lemon flavor. (Most lemon curd is not dairy-free. See the post of a recipe suggestion)
- I used a Wilton 1M tip to make the frosting swirls.
- Mama says, "always check all of your labels!"
Nutrition
Serving: 1slice | Calories: 444kcal | Carbohydrates: 65g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 53mg | Sodium: 270mg | Potassium: 143mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 52g | Vitamin A: 628IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 82mg | Iron: 1mg
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