This gluten free lemon cake is layered with sinfully delicious lemon curd and topped with a fresh cream cheese frosting. It is not only our favorite birthday cake but the perfect cake for any special occasion. It just takes one bite, and you will be hooked on this easy gluten free lemon cake recipe!
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If you have been following along with me for a while, you know we have a very productive lemon tree in our backyard. I love creating fresh gluten free desserts with lemons from our tree.
This is by far the best gluten free lemon cake recipe ever! It has a moist crumb everyone will love. You may also want to try these Gluten Free Lemon Cupcakes!! If you love lemon desserts as much as we do, you will want to check out all of the gluten free lemon desserts on the blog.
Why we love making this gluten free lemon layer cake:
- This decadent cake is light and fluffy and has layers of homemade cream cheese frosting and lemon curd.
- This versatile cake recipe can be made into this layer cake, a sheet cake, a bundt cake, or cupcakes!
- This cake recipe gets rave reviews!! I also share lots of options to avoid specific allergens.
- You can make the cake layers and freeze them until you need to serve it.
This is the first gluten free cake I made after my celiac diagnosis. It was wonderful and I’ve made it several times since. It’s a shock being diagnosed, especially when you’re 40!
Briana h., blog comment
But this recipe helped me feel like I could do this. Thank you!!”
Allergen Information:
This homemade lemon layer cake is gluten-free, soy-free, and oat-free.
Substitutions:
- Nut-Free: If you can’t have almond flour, make this lemon cake recipe nut-free. Substitute an additional 1/2 cup gluten free flour blend instead of almond flour.
- Egg-Free: One of my readers, Nikki, commented below that flax eggs work as a good egg replacer in this lemon cake recipe. (I haven’t tested this myself.)
- Dairy-Free: Use plant-based butter.
- Gum-Free: You can use my DIY gluten-free all-purpose flour to make this cake. It is a gum-free blend and has no xanthan or guar gum.
There are so many delicious gluten free cake recipes on this blog to explore.
Ingredient Notes:
For the full list of ingredients and amounts, please go to the recipe card below.
- Gluten Free Flour Blend – I have tested this recipe with Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 GF Blend and King Arthur Measure for Measure GF Blend. If your gluten free flour blend doesn’t contain Xanthan Gum, please add one teaspoon.
- DIY Gluten Free Flour Blend – My custom blend works well in my cake recipes. This is a gum-free blend, so no xanthan or guar gum is needed.
- Almond Flour – I love using Anthony’s Almond Flour because they test it to ensure it is gluten free. If you can’t have almond flour, omit it and add 1/2 cup of your gluten-free flour mix.
- Baking Soda – Be sure to use this instead of baking powder. Baking soda is best with acidic ingredients like lemon juice.
- Pure Vanilla Extract – you can use extract or vanilla bean paste but do not use imitation vanilla.
- Butter – Use Unsalted butter. You can substitute vegan butter to make this dairy-free!
- Eggs – Use large eggs.
- Lemon Juice – fresh lemon or bottled will work great.
- Almond Milk – if you need this to be nut-free, you can substitute another plant-based milk. Always double-check to be sure your almond milk is gluten free!
- Lemon Curd – Use store-bought or homemade. I love Trader Joe’s lemon curd.
If you love lemon curd, you will also want to try these incredible Gluten Free Lemon Sweet Rolls.
Tips For Success
1. Do not overmix your batter. I recommend mixing the batter by hand, so do not use a stand mixer.
2. Let the cake batter sit for 15 minutes to soften the rice flour. This will help eliminate grittiness.
This was a great recipe that I will be saving! I didn’t have almond flour so used your recommended sub of the gf flour. I made 2 batches since I have 9” pans, so I had one batch in each pan. Added lemon zest into the batter to give more lemony flavor, and since I have one kiddo who cannot have eggs, I used flax “eggs” instead.
Nikki, blog reader
Step-By-Step Photos and Directions:
Step 1: Add the dry gluten free cake ingredients to a large
I recommend using either the spoon or the leveling method to measure your gluten-free flour.
Spoon Method: You can also use a spoon to fill the measuring cup. Use a knife to level along the top to remove the extra flour. Leveling Method: Put the measuring scoop into the flour and fill. Do not pack the flour. Use a knife to scrape along the top to remove the extra flour.
Step 2: Add the wet ingredients to a bowl and wire whisk to blend.
Step 3: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix gently.
📢 Sandi says: Every gluten-free flour blend has a different starch-to-grain ratio. The brand of gluten-free flour you use will affect the moisture of the batter. If your cake batter is too runny, add more flour, and if it is too thick, add more liquids.
Read Why Gluten-Free Flour Blends Vary to learn more about this.
Step 4: Pour batter into the greased round cake pans. You can also prepare your pans by lining the bottom with parchment paper. This will ensure your cake comes out of the pan easily. Use a rubber spatula to smooth the batter, even in the pans.
Step 5: Bake the cake layers at 350º F for 20 minutes. You must adjust your bake time if you use a larger round cake pan! (I used thin layer pans, so the cakes bake quickly.)
Use the toothpick test to see if your cake is baked. Insert a toothpick into the middle of the cake. If it comes back clean, your cake is done baking. If there are crumbs or batter on your toothpick, bake it longer.
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Carefully remove the hot cake from the pans and place them onto a wire rack for cooling. Do not frost the cake until your layers of cake are fully cooled.
Step 6: While the cake cools, mix up the frosting! Add the softened cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and lemon juice to a standing mixer with a whisk attachment. Mix the ingredients on low speed, gradually increasing the speed until the frosting looks fluffy.
You can make the cream cheese frosting in the recipe or make this gluten free frosting recipe. My gluten free frosting recipe has lots of cake decorating ideas.
I used these cute layer pans, I found at Michaels. I have never made a gluten-free layer cake with this many layers, and these pans made it look so easy.
I layered Trader Joe’s Lemon Curd between the layers. I spread the lemon curd, then add frosting on top and another layer of cake. It is so foolproof. You can also make homemade lemon curd with this easy Lemon Curd recipe. I added lemon zest to the top of the cake.
👀 Sandi Says: If you would like more cake decorating help, I share a lot of instructions in my Gluten Free Wedding Cake recipe.
You may also love this easy Gluten Free Hummingbird Cake recipe.
Storage:
If you are making the lemon cake ahead for a later date, wrap the cooled cake layers separately in plastic wrap. Then, gently place the wrapped cake layers into a zipper bag. You can store them in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or store them in the freezer for up to 4 months.
To thaw, let the cakes sit on the counter so they can warm up to room temperature. Do not defrost frozen cakes. Let them thaw first so the frosting can stick to the cake properly.
Cake Troubleshooting:
Baking the perfect gluten-free cake can be tricky. The most important parts are choosing the right flour, not overmixing the batter, and ensuring the recipe liquid ratio works for the flour blend you choose.
Why did my gluten-free cake turn out dense or crumbly?
There is nothing more frustrating than having your gluten free cake turn out dense. This can be caused by a few potential issues.
- I always tell my readers not to use a stand mixer when they mix cake batter. They tend to overmix your batter, leaving you with a denser cake. Mix the gluten free cake batter only until the ingredients are combined, and avoid overbaking by checking the cake a few minutes before the suggested baking time.
- Another reason for a dense cake is that every gluten-free flour blend has a high starch-to-grain ratio. This will greatly affect the cake’s moisture level. If you use a flour blend I didn’t test; you may need to adjust the liquid or flour amount to get the right batter consistency.
- The same answer for #2 applies if your cake is crumbly. You may need to add more liquid to your cake batter to compensate for the grain-to-starch ratio of your flour blend.
Why did my gluten-free cake sink in the middle?
- I know it is tempting to open the oven door and check on your cake, but opening it while baking can cause it to sink in the middle. Cakes need a consistent, steady baking temperature. Opening the oven door lets cooler air into the oven, slowing baking.
- Always check the expiration date of your baking powder or baking soda before using it. An expired leavener can cause all sorts of issues in your baking.
- Is the cake underbaked? Know that the cake bakes from the outside in, so if you take it out of the oven too soon, the middle hasn’t had a chance to finish baking. Do the toothpick test to ensure your cake is thoroughly baked. Insert a toothpick into the center of the cake. If the toothpick comes out clean, it is done baking. If you see batter or crumbs, the cake needs to bake longer.
For more tips, check out my Gluten Free Cake Troubleshooting Guide. If you are new to cake baking, here is a good write-up of my favorite Kitchen Tools For Baking Cakes.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Each lemon cake layer is the same size, light, and fluffy! This gluten free lemon cake recipe will feed six people. Make 12 cupcakes or one gluten free lemon sheet cake.
Reader Adaptations and Reviews:
I doubled the salt (kosher), used Bob 1:1, still added an extra 1/4tsp xanthan, subbed whole buttermilk for the almond milk and I split the extract 1/2 tsp vanilla and 1/2tsp lemon extract. We frosted with lemon buttercream instead of cream cheese. Because when you are 101 years old and want a lemon birthday cake with buttercream that’s what you get! Made 2 perfect 6 inch round cakes which we created 5 layers with. Everyone raved young and old.”
A Pinterest user, Hello Lovely.
More Gluten Free Cake Recipes to Try:
- Gluten Free Chocolate Layer Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting – This is the best, moist chocolate cake!
- Homemade Gluten Free Lemon Bundt Cake – Another great lemon cake!
- Gluten Free Honey Cake – This simple cake can be made as a sheet cake or loaf cake.
- Easy Gluten Free Pineapple Upside Down Cake – Buttery, fluffy, and decadent.
Love This Recipe?
If you made and enjoyed this recipe, I would be incredibly grateful if you could leave a comment below. Please include which flour blend you used. This will help others know this recipe is delicious. Thank you!
Gluten Free Lemon Layer Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup gluten free flour blend * see note
- ¾ cup almond flour * see note
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract * see note
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 large eggs
- ¾ cup raw organic sugar
- ½ cup almond milk
- ⅓ cup melted butter
- Jar of lemon curd * See note
Frosting
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 4 ounces softened cream cheese
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
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Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350º F.
- To prevent sticking, spray gluten-free baking or coconut oil in your 6-inch layer cake pans. (Note: PAM Baking Spray is not gluten free!) You can also use other sized cake pans if you do not want so many layers.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine 1 cup gluten free flour blend, 3/4 cup almond flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 2 teaspoons baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt and whisk to blend.
- In another mixing bowl, add 2 large eggs, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 3/4 cup raw organic sugar, and 1/3 cup melted butter. Mix into soft smooth batter. Pour your wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until the batter is just barely mixed.
- Pour your wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until the batter is just barely mixed. Do not overmix the batter! Pour the cake batter into the baking pans so that each pan is 3/4 full.
- Place the batter-filled pans on a baking sheet and bake.
- Bake the cakes for 20 minutes. The exact baking time will vary by the size of the cake pans you use and the cake pan material.
- Remove the cake pans from the oven and place the cakes on a cooling rack. Keep the cakes in the pans for 10 minutes, then gently tilt the cakes out of the pans. Place the cakes on a cooling rack. Do not frost the cakes until they are fully cool.
Frosting
- Add 3 cups powdered sugar, 4 ounces softened cream cheese, 2 tablespoons water, 1 tablespoon lemon juice (or more if needed) to a stand mixer with a whisk attachment. Start the mixer at a low speed and increase the speed until the frosting is thick and fluffy.
Frost the Cake
- Remove the first cake from the pan and place it on a plate or cake stand. Spread lemon curd on the cake.
- Add a layer of frosting on top of the curd if you want. You can also just use lemon curd. Add the next layer of cake.
- Continue to stack and spread until you have used all layers of cake.
- Spread frosting on the top and sides of the cake. Use a cake scraper to smooth the frosting if you want your cake to have a smooth look.
- Optional: top the cake with fresh lemon zest.
Notes
- I have tested Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 Gluten Free Blend and King Arthur Measure for Measure Gluten Free Blends in this recipe.
- If your gluten free flour blend doesn’t contain Xanthan Gum or Guar Gum, please add 1 teaspoon.
- I highly suggest using almond flour and not almond meal. Almond meal is coarser and will make your cake grainy.
- You can use store-bought lemon curd or homemade.
- You can make this recipe dairy-free by using vegan butter.
- To make this cake nut-free, omit the almond flour and add an extra 1/2 cup of gluten free flour blend.
- Note that baking time will vary depending on what you bake this cake in. If you bake in the 6 inch mini layer pans, you will bake for 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Grease a regular cake pan and bake for 30 minutes. Cupcakes take 25 minutes.
- Test for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the cake. If the toothpick comes back clean, the cake is finished baking. If you see crumbs or batter on the toothpick, it needs to bake longer.
- This cake will keep fresh for up to 4 days in an airtight container or for up to 4 months in the freezer.
SPECIAL NOTE
Please know that every gluten free flour blend has a different starch to grain ratio. If you use a blend I didn’t test, my rule of thumb is to add more flour if your dough or batter is wet and add more liquid if the dough or batter is too dry!
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.
Note this post was updated from an old March 2018 post with more detailed directions and tips.
This is a wonderful recipe! My daughter loves lemon, and I made it for her birthday. I am the only one that truly needs gluten-free in our family, but everyone loved it! Many requests to bake it again. Thank you for your wonderful, delicious recipes!
I am thrilled you all loved the recipe! Thank you so much!
This cake was so delicious! I used Better Batter Artisan Blend for the flour. Didn’t have any raw sugar so I used half granulated sugar and half raw cane sugar, knowing it has a slight brown sugar taste. The cake turned out amazing, even though it completely caved in the middle. I filled it with a store bought lemon curd and a cream cheese icing that is made with heavy cream rather than butter, just to cut down on the amount of powdered sugar needed. My gluten eating friend raved about how good the taste was. I’m impressed by the soft texture. The almond meal addition is great! This is definitely a keeper!!
Hi Mary, there was too much liquid if your cake caved a little in the middle. This can happen with starchy gluten free flour blends. Which gluten free flour blend did you use? Maybe this troubleshooting guide can help give more tips: https://www.fearlessdining.com/gluten-free-cake-troubleshooting-guide/
Michelle, I used canola oil and it came out fabulously. Delicious.
I added a little lemon zest since I was not going to frost or glaze it and felt that it could still use more zest or lemon juice! Other than that – 5 stars. It was so good. I will definitely make this again!
I am so glad you loved it! Thank you so much for coming back to let me know!
What size cake pans did you use?
I link the exact mini cake pans I used in the post. You can find this in the Recipe Step by Step Directions via the table of contents. They are by Wilton and they are mini multiple-layer pans. The recipe can be used in regular cake pans, but you will need to double the recipe for multiple layers.
Did you put the lemon curd in the cake mix or on top of the baked layer?
Hi Tina, I spread lemon curd between each layer with some frosting.
This was a great recipe that I will be saving! I didn’t have almond flour so used your recommended sub of the gf flour. I made 2 batches since I have 9” pans, so I had one batch in each pan. Added lemon zest into the batter to give more lemony flavor, and since I have one kiddo who cannot have eggs, I used flax “eggs” instead. My son, whose birthday this was made for, requested some strawberries in the frosting, so I made cream cheese frosting and added in some crushed freeze dried strawberries. The cake was super light and fluffy and delicious!
I love hearing this recipe worked with flax eggs. Thank you so much, I know that info will help other readers.
I’d love to make this cake but don’t have cups what would the amounts be in pounds and ounces or grams please thank you 👍😀😀
Hi Jackie, I would Google a recipe converter to get the pounds and grams. There are dozens of good ones, any should be accurate. I hope this helps.
If I halved the recipe, would there be enough batter for one 8” layer? Can’t wait to try it as a base for berries, Thanks
It should be fine for an 8″ layer.
hello thank you for the receipe link, is their a substitute to almond flour that you would suggest. marg
Instead of the 3/4 cup almond flour, substitute 1/2 cup gluten free flour blend. You may need to add a little more liquid so keep an eye on the batter thickness.
Does this make enough batter for 3, 9 inch pans?
I don’t think this would be enough batter for 3 pans Ambria.
For the frosting how can I make it dairy free? Is there anything I can sub for the cream cheese?
You could try making a buttercream with vegan butter. I haven’t specifically created a recipe for dairy-free frosting but I am sure there are a lot of recipes out there on Pinterest.
Have you tried Trader Joe’s almond flour? I’m wondering if it’s worth buying the Anthony’s online versus just picking up the TJ’s one when I get the lemon curd.
Thanks!
Hi Casey, it will depend on how finely ground the Trader Joe’s flour is. Almond meal tends to be too coarse but if flour it should be fine.
This recipe sounds amazing.
Do you know if the cake will freeze well? (Just the cake part, not including the curd and frosting).
Would like to make this in bite-size cakes for large group ahead and freeze, frosting when thawed..
Thank you.
I cannot seem to see how much juice you need? It says lemon juice either fresh or bough- but how much please? Thanks in advance ! X
Hi Natalie, there should be two tablespoons lemon juice added to the wet ingredients. I adjusted the directions to show this. Thank you so much and I hope you like this cake :-).
I’ve just looked again and thought I was going crazy as it’s popped up there now- thanks for that!
Will be making this today and can not wait to see how it turns out. Thank you x
🙂 Glad you are trying it, this is one of my favorite cakes.
What substitutions would you use in place of almond flour and almond milk for those with a nut allergy?
Hi Kristen, you can use flaxmilk, soymilk, or the coconut milk in the refrigerated section of the store. I haven’t made this recipe without almond flour, but I suggest upping the gluten free flour blend to 1 1/2 cups and don’t use the almond flour. You may need to add more moisture so the cake isn’t dry. Thank you. Please do come back and let me know what you used and how it turned out.
I ended up using coconut milk and the Bobs Red Mill 1 to 1 flour and I also ended up using 3 eggs and it came out really good!!! Thank you!
I made this cake yesterday. I only had 2, 8″ round pans and ended up with 2, much thinner layers (I had to adjust cooking time). Next time I would double the batter. The cake batter produced a very nice and moist cake. My husband is not GF and dislikes that “rice-flour” taste but really enjoyed this cake! I made my own lemon curd and then topped it off with lemon, cream cheese icing and raspberries. It was a major hit with my family. I would definitely make this again! Thank you for the recipe!!
I am so glad you liked this cake recipe Kendall, you made my day 🙂
I need to make this to feed 75 people and want to do a 3 layer cake, each layer a little smaller than the next. I have been reading a lot of lemon GF recipes, but yours seems to be the best. What are your suggestions for me? Please and thank you for any help you can give me!!
Hi Greta, I am just seeing your note. I would watch to make sure your cake doesn’t get too heavy with thick layers. The cake I made is small with thinner layers.
Is there a way to make it without sugar by substituting ground dates or something without that sugar. Does stevia work? What would be the ratio. My husband has a weight problem and we avoid sugar.
This cake looks wonderful and I’d like to find a way to make it.
Hi Bebe, that is a great question. You could use coconut sugar, but that will make the cake brownish. There is a blond coconut sugar that is more golden in color that may be better. I haven’t baked with dates or stevia before. Let me ask around and see what I can find out
How would you store this cake overnight? I am trying to make it today for tomorrow.
Hi Natalia, I would store the cake in the refrigerator overnight. Good luck :-).
I made this cake yesterday for my son’s birthday and everyone LCVED it!!! It was so moist and had great flavor! I wanted to make enough for a crowd, so I adjusted your ingredients to 8 and the batter fit perfectly into 2 8-inch round cake pans. I baked for a little over 20 minutes. I didn’t have raw sugar so used cane and it worked out great. Thanks so much for the fantastic recipe. We hosted a dinner for 10 and everyone said I need to make this again! Good stuff!!!
I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe Christie. Can you let us know what flour blend you used? Another reader used a very starch based flour and it didn’t work out as well. Maybe she can try what you used?
Need Gluten Free Layer Cake Recipe Urgent Please,,,
All you have to do is scroll down. The recipe is in the post. https://www.fearlessdining.com/2016/05/17/gluten-free-lemon-layer-cake/
hi,
I didn’t see a pan size in the recipe. Could you please let me know, as I love anything lemon!
Yes, I am gluten free. The cake looks fantastic!!!
Hi Iris, Thank you for your note. The pans I got at Target are 6″ wide by 1 1/4″ deep. I did 4 layers. If you have a bigger pan, you may only get 2-3 layers. Take care,
Sandi