Ohhh lemon! This is the ultimate gluten free lemon pound cake recipe – infused with lemon zest and freshly squeezed lemon juice, then drizzled with an intense lemon icing… it’s a delightful dessert for lemon lovers 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 lemons 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.
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Ingredients Needed
The simple ingredients list includes:
Pound Cake:
- Vegan Butter - Use softened vegan butter for best results.
- Granulated Sugar - The sugar adds the perfect level of sweetness to this gluten free lemon loaf cake.
- Eggs - Eggs contribute to the volume and add lift to the cake.
- Grated Lemon Zest - Lemon zest adds to the bright lemon flavor of the cake.
- Gluten Free Flour Blend - This flour blend is the perfect all purpose flour blend, balanced with white rice flour and tapioca starch.
- Xanthan Gum - The gum is needed for binding the ingredients.
- Baking Powder - Baking powder adds lift to the lemon cake recipe.
- Baking Soda - The baking soda works with the lemon juice to create a tender crumb.
- Salt - Salt contributes to the flavor profile.
- Fresh Lemon Juice - For a truly fresh lemon cake, use fresh lemon juice from the lemons used for the zest.
- Dairy Free Buttermilk - Make this with almond milk, coconut milk, or any non-dairy milk.
- Vanilla Extract - Use pure vanilla extract.
Syrup:
- Granulated Sugar - The sugar is used for making the sugar-syrup.
- Fresh Lemon Juice - This gluten free lemon cake is packed with lemon! Use fresh lemons for the best flavor.
Lemon Glaze:
- Powdered Sugar - Use powdered sugar to make an easy and delicious glaze.
- Fresh Lemon Juice - The lemon juice adds the perfect touch to this glaze.
Exact measurements and step by step instructions for making this pound cake recipe are in the recipe card below.
How to Make Gluten Free Lemon Pound Cake
STEP ONE: Add the softened vegan butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix until it’s fully combined.
STEP TWO: Take your time when adding the eggs. Add one, then mix well and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add another then mix again. And then add the last one and mix again.
STEP THREE: Add the lemon zest and mix to combine.
STEP FOUR: In a medium or large mixing bowl, add the dry ingredients and mix well to combine.
STEP FIVE: In a measuring cup or small bowl, add the wet ingredients - buttermilk, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Set aside.
STEP SIX: Add half the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Mix on low speed until completely combined.
STEP SEVEN: Add the buttermilk mixture to the large bowl of the stand mixer, mix on low speed until combined. Add remaining flour and mix on low speed until batter is fully mixed.
STEP EIGHT: Set batter aside to rest for 30 minutes. Prepare baking pan by lining with a piece of parchment paper, leave the sides hanging over the edges.
STEP NINE: Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake at 350F for 30 minutes. Let cool slightly on a wire rack. Remove cake from the loaf pan and place on a serving plate or wire rack with parchment in tack to catch the syrup.
Preparing Lemon Syrup & Lemon Glaze
STEP TEN: In a small bowl, microwave the syrup ingredients - sugar and lemon juice - for 45 seconds, or until sugar is completely dissolved.
STEP ELEVEN: Spoon the syrup over the warm cake. Let cool completely.
STEP TWELVE: In a small bowl, add the powdered sugar and 1 Tablespoon of lemon juice. Mix until of good spreading or drizzling consistency.
STEP THIRTEEN: Drizzle the cooled cake with the lemon glaze.
Storage Tips
This gluten free pound cake recipe stores incredibly well. If you are storing the entire cake, place it under a cake dome at room temperature. It will stay fresh for up to 3 days. Alternatively, you may cover it with foil.
This cake also stores well in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Place it in an airtight container and chill. Serve thick slices straight from the refrigerator or warm to room temperature.
For longer storage, freeze individual slices for up to one month. Defrost in the microwave for 30 seconds-1 minute.
Substitutions
Flour Substitutes: You may use another flour mix, like Bob's Red Mill or King Arthur Measure for Measure GF Flour. Omit the xanthan gum if your mix already contains it. Some mixes tend to make the cake a bit denser. I would not recommend a single flour like almond flour or coconut flour.
Vegan Lemon Pound Cake: For a vegan option, use an egg substitute from here. Flax eggs or chia eggs will work well.
Sugar-Free Cake: Instead of the granulated sugar in the cake, use a sugar substitute like Swerve granular sweetener. I would not recommend substituting the sugar in the syrup or powdered sugar in the glaze, but both can be omitted.
Xanthan Gum Substitute: This guide also covers xanthan gum substitutes. Flax seed or chia seed would work well.
Add-ins & Options
While this gluten-free cake has a fresh lemon flavor and tastes delicious as-is, feel free to try:
- Making it into a gluten-free lemon Bundt cake with a Bundt cake pan - bake the cake at the same temperature and start checking for doneness at 45 minutes of bake time.
- Serve the slices without the glaze but add some fresh berries to it.
- Omit the syrup and glaze and top it with some powdered sugar.
- Make the glaze a bit fancier by using a cream cheese glaze instead of the powdered sugar glaze.
Top Tips
Measure by weight
It is very important to measure by weight where weight is given in the recipe. More on why that's important in this article on measuring gluten free flour.
For the glaze
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.
Room temperature ingredients
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.
FAQs
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!
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
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.
Buttermilk is easy to make. All you need is white vinegar and dairy-free milk. So using this recipe as an example, it calls for ½ cup of buttermilk. Start by pouring 2 teaspoons of white vinegar in a measuring cup. Then fill the cup up to the ½ cup mark with almond 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.
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Recipe
Best Gluten Free Lemon Pound Cake Recipe: Dairy Free
Ingredients
Pound Cake:
- 8 Tablespoons vegan butter softened
- 200 grams granulated sugar about 1 cup
- 3 large eggs
- ¼ cup grated lemon zest about 4 lemons
- 200 grams gluten free flour blend about 1 ½ cups
- ½ teaspoon xanthan gum
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- ½ cup dairy free buttermilk with almond milk or coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Syrup:
- 50 grams granulated sugar about ¼ cup
- ¼ cup lemon juice
Glaze:
- 105 grams powdered sugar about 1 cup
- 1 – 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Instructions
For pound cake:
- Spray an 8” x 4.5” pan with non-stick spray. Line it with a piece of parchment paper, making sure to drape it over the edges.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and granulated sugar until well blended, about 1 minute.
- Add one of the eggs and mix well. Continue adding an egg and mixing well until all eggs are added.
- Add lemon zest and mix on low speed 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 or measuring cup, add the lemon juice, vegan 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 speed for 30 seconds until blended.
- 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 speed for 30 seconds.
- Set batter aside to rest for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes.
Prepare syrup:
- In a small microwave-safe bowl, add the 50 grams granulated sugar and lemon juice. Microwave for 1 minute or until sugar is dissolved.
- Grab the edges of the parchment paper and lift the cake out of the pan and onto a serving plate.
- Using a small spoon, spoon the syrup over the warm cake.
- Set cake aside to cool completely.
Prepare glaze:
- In a small mixing bowl, add the powdered sugar and 1 Tablespoon lemon juice.
- Mix well, until a thin, easy-to-drizzle consistency is reached. Add more lemon juice if needed - 1 teaspoon at a time.
- Drizzle the glaze over the cooled cake.
- Slice and serve.
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.
- Spoon the syrup over the warm cake.
- 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
Original pictures:
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