If you love lemon desserts as I do, this is a must-try recipe! Picture a moist Gluten Free Lemon Poppy Seed Cake with a Lemonade Icing. It is perfect with a cup of coffee, tea, or for dessert!
One bite and you will be hooked on this easy to make dessert. You can also do what I like to do, make a double batch and freeze one gluten free lemon loaf for another time. And a bonus, this gluten free dessert is also dairy-free!!
You may also like my Top Ten Gluten Free Lemon Desserts recipe roundup. And if you love pound cake...OMG you need to try this Gluten Free Lemon Pound Cake recipe too!
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With this new recipe, you will notice I am baking a lot more quick bread types of loaves. They are perfect for snacking!
If you are a big make-ahead baker, you may also like this Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread or this Gluten Free Matcha Green Tea Banana Bread.
Loaf, Bread, or Cake...what do you call it?
Do you ever wonder what to call these sweetbreads? I always get confused if something is a loaf, a bread, or a cake. This lemon poppy seed recipe is definitely sweet enough to be a dessert so maybe bread isn't the right word here. You can even make this into gluten free lemon poppy seed muffins!
You can call this gluten free lemon poppy seed cake recipe anything you like, perhaps the bigger decision is what lemon poppy seed cake topping is best :-).
For this recipe, I created a simple lemonade icing. You don't need any topping if you don't want your poppy seed loaf to be too sweet.
Instructions:
Add the dry ingredients to a bowl and whisk to blend. In a separate bowl, add the wet ingredients and mix well.
Gluten Free Flours
Pour the wet ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix. Don't over mix because this will make your poppy seed cake not as fluffy!
Bake It
Next, pour the batter into a greased bread loaf tin and bake at 350 degrees F for 40 minutes, or until done.
You can test if your gluten free loaf is done by inserting a toothpick into the middle of the cake. If the toothpick comes out clean, it is finished baking!
Fun toppings:
- Lemon glaze (a much runnier version of my lemonade icing, you want the lemon juice and sugar to absorb into your cake.
- Vanilla frosting
- Cream cheese frosting
More delicious gluten free lemon desserts:
- This Gluten Free Lemon Layer Cake is the ultimate lemon cake recipe...it makes a great birthday cake.
- The lemon filling in this Gluten Free Lemon Tart is absolutely delicious.
- Love donuts? These Gluten Free Dairy Free Lemon Donuts are going to become your favorite!
Can you omit the poppy seeds?
The poppy seeds are completely optional so feel free to omit the poppy seeds if you don't have them on-hand.
Can you freeze this cake?
You can easily freeze this lemon loaf cake. To freeze it, wrap the cooled loaf in plastic wrap tightly. Next, wrap it in foil. Place the bundle into a freezer bag. It will keep about 3 months in the freezer.
If you love cakes baked in loaf tins, you will also love this gluten free peach cake recipe.
Tools:
- An easy to use lemon juicer makes getting fresh lemon juice a breeze!
- A simple zester can get the right amount of zest, and not the white bitter pith.
If you tried this recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave me a rating and a comment. I LOVE hearing from you!! You can also FOLLOW ME on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest to see even more delicious recipes!
📖 Recipe
Gluten Free Lemon Poppy Seed Cake
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups gluten free flour * see note
- ½ cup almond flour * see note
- ⅔ cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs
- ¼ cup coconut oil
- 4 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup almond milk
For Icing:
- ⅔ cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons almond milk
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice feel free to adjust this if you want your icing thicker or runnier.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350º F. Grease a bread loaf pan with coconut oil or butter.
- In a large bowl, add all dry ingredients and whisk to blend.
- In a smaller bowl, add all wet ingredients, including zest and whisk to mix.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix. Don't over mix or your cake will not be as light and fluffy.
- Bake for 30 minutes, or until done. Insert a toothpick into the top middle to test.
- Allow the cake to cool completely.
- In a bowl, add icing ingredients and mix. Drizzle on top of the cake and enjoy!
Notes
- I have tested this recipe with King Arthur Measure for Measure GF, Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 GF blend, and Authentic Foods Multi 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.
- I highly suggest using almond flour and not almond meal. Almond meal is more coarse and will make your cake grainy.
- To test for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of the lof. If the toothpick comes out clean, it is done baking. If you see batter or crumbs, the cake needs to bake longer.
- I used almond milk but other dairy-free kinds of milk will work but I do not recommend canned coconut milk.
- This cake will keep up to 4 days in an air-tight container, or up to 4 months in the freezer.
Nutrition
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(*This post was updated from an older April 2018 post.)
Mel
Can you sub in almond extract to make this almond poppy seed bread? How much would you add since you won't have lemon zest?
Sandi Gaertner
Hi Mel, you definitely can. I would use 1 teaspoon almond extract. Keep me posted how it turns out :-).
Annie
Hi! Would dairy milk/buttermilk work as a dairy substitute for the coconut milk in the cake? Thanks in advance!
Sandi Gaertner
Hi Annie, you can easily sub and use a different milk :-).
PAUL STEFEK
How would you change the baking time if you make mini loafs (to give as gifts)
Sandi Gaertner
Hi Paul, How deep are the mini loaf pans? I would bake 15 minutes, look with the oven light on to see if the top is rising and how it is doing. At 20-25 minutes, if the top feels more done, do the toothpick test to see if the middle is done baking.
Cee
What changes should I make for a round cake pan instead of a loaf pan?
Sandi Gaertner
Hi Cee, the only change really would be the baking time since a cake pan is much more shallow. I would shorten the bake time and check with a toothpick at the 25 minute mark.
Molly
Hello, do you have any substitutions for the coconut oil? Can’t tolerate coconut unfortunately.
Sandi Gaertner
Hi Molly, you can use a light oil like cannola or avocado. Thanks for writing!