Ohhh lemon! This is the ultimate gluten free lemon pound cake – infused with lemon zest and freshly squeezed lemon juice, then drizzled with an intense lemon icing… it’s a delightful dessert that’s also dairy free!
When I say this is the ultimate pound cake, I mean it really is the ultimate pound cake. It starts with lots of fresh lemon and lemon zest and just enough sugar to balance out the tartness. It’s the perfect size to serve to guests or keep for a small crowd and enjoy leftovers.
Does it Taste Tart or Sweet?
With the generous amount of lemon juice and lemon zest, even lemon in the glaze, you might think that this pound cake would be super tart. But it’s actually nicely balanced between a sweet treat and a citrus infused dessert. It has just the right amount of both!
What kind of flour blend is best?
Not all gluten free flour blends are the same. This recipe uses my gluten free flour blend, the recipe for it is found here. It’s a balanced blend, using rice flours and starches. Other blends may work, but I don’t have first hand experience with them so I can’t say for sure.
I don’t have buttermilk, is there something else I can use?
No buttermilk? No problem! Buttermilk is easy to make. All you need is white vinegar and milk. So using this recipe as an example, it calls for 6 Tbsp. (3 oz.) of buttermilk. Start by pouring 2 tsp. of white vinegar in a measuring cup. Then fill the cup up to the 3 oz. mark with milk. Swirl the mixture to mix it a little.
Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes. Then use as you would the buttermilk in the recipe.
What’s the Best Way to Store this Pound Cake?
This pound cake is very easy and very forgiving to store. Just wrap the leftovers in foil or place slices in a plastic container with a tight fitting lid. Enjoy them within a day or two.
For more help on gluten free bread storage, check out how to store gluten free bread.
How to Make Gluten Free Lemon Pound Cake
The Ingredients You’ll Need
To make this delicious lemony dessert, get out all you ingredients and let everything come to room temperature. The butter needs to be softened so it mixes in with the sugar completely.
And if you keep your flour blend in the refrigerator, allow about 30 minutes for it to come to room temperature.
Creaming the Sugar and Butter
Add the softened butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix until it’s fully combined. If you use the plant based butter, the mixture will be very pale, almost white. But it should be very creamy.
Adding the Eggs
Take your time when adding the eggs. Add one, then mix well and scrape the bowl down. Add another then mix again. And then add the last one and mix again. The mixture will look grainy, but the eggs should be incorporated.
Mixing the Dry Ingredients
A whisk works best for mixing the dry ingredients because it allow everything to fully combine. No chunks of baking powder or flour should remain.
Alternating the dry and wet ingredients
After mixing the buttermilk with the vanilla and lemon juice, you’ll have 3 bowls of ingredients total. Starting with the flour bowl, portion half of the flour in the bowl with the eggs. Mix on low-medium for 30 seconds. Scrape the bowl down. Then add all of the buttermilk mixture and mix again for 30 seconds. Add the remaining flour last and mix again for 30 seconds.
Scrape the bowl down a couple times to make sure everything is completely mixed.
Baking and glazing
This tempting lemon pound cake will bake for 50 minutes. The glaze doesn’t take very long so you can wait until the cake is done and cooling to make it.
I left a range for the lemon juice because the more you use, the thinner it will be. I like a thicker glaze, but if you prefer one with more ‘drip’, feel free to use more lemon juice.
Tip for working with glazes or icing: Start with a small amount of liquid and work your way up from there. It’s easier to add more liquid than having to add more powdered sugar.
Enjoy!
Gluten Free Lemon Pound Cake {Dairy Free}
Ingredients
Pound Cake:
- ½ cup unsalted plant based butter
- 1 cup coconut sugar
- 3 large eggs
- ¼ cup grated lemon zest
- 195 g. gluten free flour blend about 1 ½ cups
- ½ tsp. xanthan gum
- ½ tsp. baking powder
- ½ tsp. baking soda
- ½ tsp. salt
- 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
- 6 Tbsp. dairy free buttermilk with almond milk or coconut milk
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
Icing:
- 1 cup powdered sugar sifted
- 2 – 4 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
Instructions
For pound cake:
- Butter an 8” x 4’5” pan, making sure to get in the corners. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350 F.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and coconut sugar until well blended, about 3 minutes.
- With the mixer running on low speed, add the eggs, one at a time and mix well after each addition.
- Add lemon zest and mix on low for 15 seconds.
- In a medium mixing bowl, add the flour blend, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix well until combined. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, add the lemon juice, buttermilk and vanilla extract. Whisk until fully combined.
- In the bowl with the butter-egg mixture, add half of the flour mixture and mix on low for 30 seconds until blended. Then add all of the buttermilk-lemon mixture and mix for another 30 seconds.
- Scrape the batter down before adding the remaining flour. Mix again on low for 30 seconds.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake at 350 F for 50 minutes.
- Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack.
- Turn the cake out onto a serving plate.
Prepare icing:
- In a small mixing bowl, sift the powdered sugar.
- Add 2 Tbsp. of the lemon juice and mix well. Add more, a Tbsp. at a time until it reaches a good drizzling consistency.
- Drizzle the icing over the cooled cake.
Notes
- Make sure all ingredients are at room temperature.
- Add eggs one at a time and blend well.
- Add half of the flour mix, then the buttermilk mixture, then the remaining flour mix.
- drizzle the glaze over the cooled loaf.
- Slice with a sharp knife and serve!
Nutrition
Wait, there's more! For more delicious gluten free bread recipes, check out:
- Perfect Rice Flour Pancakes
- Gluten Free Apple Muffins
- Low Carb Gluten Free Graham Crackers
- Gluten Free Red Velvet Cupcakes
- Gluten Free Rolls in Under an Hour
- Gluten Free Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
Mrs. O
Hello,
Haven't made this because it's NOT dairy free if it has buttermilk in it. Wondering if I can substitute coconut milk (w/ the lemon juice it should clabber like buttermilk, right?) instead? Also, my daughter is allergic to all the things that can be used to make xanthan gum so wondering if psyllium powder or chia seeds will work instead (I'm allergic to flax so can't use that)?
Christine
Hi Mrs. O,
Thanks for asking - I will clarify that in the recipe... I'm DF so I just use homemade buttermilk (with almond milk, yes, coconut milk would work great!), but I could see where it looks like I'm suggesting storebought buttermilk, which then would not be DF. I'll correct that.
And then yes, try psyllium husk powder for the xanthan gum. I have a whole alternatives list here too. https://zestforbaking.com/5-alternatives-to-xanthan-gum-and-guar-gum-in-gluten-free-baking Hope that helps!
~Christine