This moist and delicious gluten-free yogurt cake is full of fresh lemon flavor, making it perfect for dessert. If you haven’t tried a lemon yogurt cake recipe yet, you are in for a real treat! This is a great cake to make as an individual-sized cake or one big cake.
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our Disclosure Policy.
If you love lemons, these decorative gluten-free lemon yogurt cakes are for you. Anytime you combine lemon and yogurt, you get a treat! You can use Greek yogurt or whole plain yogurt, and your gluten free lemon cakes will stay moist. (I suspect a dairy-free yogurt, like coconut yogurt, will also work well in this cake.)
I have several delicious gluten-free lemon desserts on my blog to help use up extra lemons. Give this Gluten-Free Lemon Bundt Cake or these Gluten-Free Dairy Free Lemon Donuts a try!
Allergen Notes:
This recipe is gluten-free, soy-free, and nut-free. To make it dairy-free, use dairy-free yogurt like the ones by So Delicious, Kite Hill, or Daiya.
Tips For Success
1. Use a stand or electric mixer to whip the egg whites, but don’t use it to mix the cake batter. It will overmix your cake batter, leaving you with a denser cake.
2. Do not use flavored yogurt in this recipe.
Here is a similar recipe example: a Gluten-Free Turkish Yogurt Fig Cake that I baked in a springform pan. For more cake tips, check out my Gluten-Free Cake Troubleshooting Guide.
Ingredient Notes:
For the full list of ingredients and amounts, please go to the recipe card below.
- Gluten-Free Flour Blend – I tested this recipe with Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 GF Flour, but other blends should also work.
- Xanthan Gum – If your flour blend doesn’t have a binder, add 1/2 teaspoon of xanthan gum.
- Sugar – I recommend cane sugar.
- Coconut Oil – I love the flavor of coconut oil in this recipe, but other light oils will also work well.
- Eggs – Use size large.
- Yogurt – Use Greek or plain yogurt.
- Non-Dairy Milk – You can use any, but I do not recommend canned coconut milk.
- Lemons – Fresh is best.
Step-By-Step Photos and Directions:
Email This Recipe To Me!
I will email this recipe to you, so you can come back to it later!
Step 1: Use an electric hand-held mixer or a stand mixer with a whisk attachment to whip the egg whites until they form stiff peaks. (Sorry, this picture isn’t great. It was dark in our kitchen today!) You will know when your egg whites are ready when you see very stiff peaks.
Step 2: Add the dry cake ingredients to another
Step 3: Add the whipped stiff egg whites to your lemon yogurt cake batter. Gently fold them together to preserve the air bubbles from the whipped egg whites.
Step 4: Spray the cake pan(s) with gluten-free baking spray. Add the cake batter to the mini cake pans or into a large springform pan. Bake at 350º F for 25-40 minutes, depending on what cake pan(s) you use to make this recipe.
Step 5: Remove the cakes from the oven to a cooling rack and cool to room temperature before serving. To test for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of the cake(s). If the toothpick comes out clean, it is done baking. If you see batter or crumbs, the cake needs to bake longer.
Frequently Asked Questions:
You can use fresh or jarred lemon juice in this recipe.
These cakes will stay fresh for up to 4 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator or up to 4 months in the freezer.
More Gluten-Free Lemon Recipes:
- No Churn Lemon Ice Cream
- Gluten Free Lemon Layer Cake
- 3 Minute Gluten Free Lemon Mug Cake
- Gluten Free Lemon Shortbread Cookies
- The Best Gluten Free Lemon Brownies
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 Yogurt Cakes
Equipment
- Electric mixer
- Mixing bowls
Ingredients
- ¾ cup gluten free flour blend * see note
- ⅔ cup sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 5 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- dash salt
- 8 ounces yogurt * see note
Email This Recipe To Me!
I will email this recipe to you, so you can come back to it later!
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350º F.
- Whisk flour and sugar in a medium bowl.
- Whisk egg yolks and melted coconut oil together in a small bowl.
- Whisk in the milk, yogurt, lemon juice and zest into the egg yolk mixture.
- Pour the lemon mixture into the flour and sugar and whisk to blend.
- Add the egg whites to a mixing bowl. Mix on high speed until they form stiff white peaks.
- Gently fold the egg whites into the lemon cake batter.
- Lightly grease mini bundt pans, or a springform pan.
- Put the pans into a larger pan with 1/2 inch of water. (*If you use a springform pan, wrap the bottom in foil so no water gets in the bottom.)
- Bake 25 minutes for the small bundt pans and around 40 minutes for the springform pan. (I didn’t make this in a large pan so you will need to keep an eye on it if you use this size pan.)
Notes
- I have tested this recipe with King Arthur Measure for Measure GF and Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 GF blend. That doesn’t mean others will not work, I just have not tested other flours.
- If your gluten free flour blend doesn’t contain Xanthan Gum or Guar Gum, please add 1 teaspoon.
- To make this recipe dairy-free, substitute the yogurt for dairy-free yogurt.
- Other dairy-free kinds of milk will work but I do not recommend canned coconut milk.
- To test for doneness, 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.
- This cake will keep up to 4 days in an air-tight container, or 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.
This post was updated from an older March 2017 post with more recipe details.
This looks so good! Can I make them very far ahead of time?
I have made it a day ahead, I am not sure how it would be more than that. If you try, please come back and let us know :-).
When the recipe calls for coconut milk, did you mean ‘canned’ coconut milk? I made it with the full fat canned coconut milk. The texture came out more like a creamy cheesecake and we love it! Although I’m the gluten-free, dairy-free person in our house, my fiance’ gobbled it up!
Hi Maria, I used regular coconut milk (in a carton), but it sounds like full fat coconut milk works really well too. That sounds incredible that it was so creamy. I am trying that next. Thank you so much for writing :-).
Hope you love it as much as we did. I definitely plan to make it again! Thanks again, Sandi!
I am so glad you liked it Maria. Thank you so much for your note :-).
H, having friends for dinner on Saturday and this looks like the perfect dessert. Your recipe says to combine the yolks and butter, I assume you mean yolks with the coconut oil?
Looks so yummy!
That is correct Lori, I will fix that so it is more clear :-).
Can I use veg oil or sunflower oil
Hi Kim, I would use a light oil that doesn’t have much flavor. Some vegetable oils have a specific flavor that you wouldn’t want in your baking.
Lemon cake is one of my weaknesses, no doubt. Coconut oil has too much saturated fat for me, so I’ll have to find another work around for this yummy recipe.
Hi Rae, you could try avocado oil instead of the coconut oil. Thank you 🙂
I just made these and although the taste was great I didn’t get a cake like finish more like a sponge pudding
Hi Dee, thanks for your note. Can I ask which gluten free flour blend you used?