This gluten-free lemon pound cake is rich, buttery, and bursting with fresh lemon flavor. Made with gluten-free flour, real lemon juice, and lemon zest, then finished with a tangy lemonade icing. Ready in under an hour. It is celiac-safe, nut-free, soy-free, and easy to make dairy-free with plant-based butter and milk.
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❤️ Sandi’s Recipe Summary
The Quick Bite: This gluten-free lemon pound cake is rich, buttery, and packed with real lemon flavor from both the juice and the zest. Topped with a tangy lemonade icing, it comes together in under an hour with everyday ingredients. I tested it with Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 and King Arthur Measure for Measure, and share exactly what to expect from each.
This recipe is an absolute hit. I have used King Arthur brand and the Walmart GF brand. I think as long as it’s a white/brown rice flour blend with xanathan gum, it will work.”
crystal, blog comment
If you have been reading my blog for any length of time, you know we have a small, prolific lemon tree in our backyard. It produces lemons almost year-round, thanks to the beautiful California weather! Our lemons are not normal-sized lemons; they often look like small grapefruits, and they provide lots of juice to make my gluten free lemon recipes!
Testing this gluten free lemon loaf recipe was fun, and it helped me use up some of the lemons I picked. I tested King Arthur Measure for Measure first, because that is my go-to store-bought gluten free flour blend for creating gluten free cake recipes. It is reliable and has no gritty texture. The biggest challenge is getting the right ratio of flour to keep the cake moist, but soft. After a couple of tries, I felt confident testing Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 next.
Bob’s blend worked just as well as King Arthur’s, but I found it was more important to rest the batter for 15 minutes to allow time for the rice flour to soften. It helped the texture and crumb stay soft and tender. I also tested this recipe using Earth Balance and Oatly Four-Ingredient Oat Milk and found these dairy-free ingredients worked well to keep the flavors.
We love our desserts here in the Fearless Dining household, including these Gluten-Free Lemon Donuts, and this easy Gluten-Free Lemon Poppy Seed Loaf, which is perfect for breakfast or dessert. Or if you need more inspiration, see all of my gluten-free cake recipes.
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 using Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 and King Arthur Measure for Measure. Other blends will work, but you may need to adjust the moisture level of your cake batter. Every brand’s blend has a different starch-to-grain ratio, and this affects the moisture. Read Why Gluten Free Flour Blends Vary to learn more. If you are gum-free and can’t have xanthan or guar gum, try my DIY Gluten Free Flour Blend or my Gluten-Free Cake Flour Blend.
- Binder – Binders are what hold together your gluten free baking. If your gluten free flour blend doesn’t contain xanthan gum or guar gum, please add 1 teaspoon. Read Why Binders are Important in Gluten Free Baking to learn more.
- Butter – I tested this recipe using unsalted butter. If you use salted butter, omit any other added salt.
- Eggs – Use large eggs.
- Milk – I used milk, but plant-based non-dairy milk also works well in this recipe.
- Lemon Juice – Use either freshly squeezed or bottled lemon juice.
- Powdered Sugar – If your powdered sugar is lumpy, strain it for best results.
I share all of my easy-to-follow Gluten Free Baking Tips so you can bake gluten free like a pro! I also share tips on what my go-to gluten free flour blends are and what recipes are best for different gluten free flour blends. See these gluten free lemon dessert recipes for more inspiration and recipe ideas!
How to Make a Gluten Free Lemon Pound Cake (Step-By-Step)
Step 1: Add your dry ingredients to a bowl and whisk to blend.
I recommend using the spoon or leveling method to measure your gluten-free flour. In a perfect world, people weigh their flour, but most do not own a kitchen scale. 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.
Use a spoon to fill the measuring cup. Use a knife to level along the top to remove the extra flour.
Step 2: Grab a lemon and a zester. Zest the whole lemon, as you need 2 tablespoons of zest for this recipe!
👀 Sandi Says: I do not recommend using a mixer. They tend to overmix your batter, removing the air bubbles you get from stirring. This can result in a denser cake.
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Step 3: In a smaller mixing bowl, add your wet ingredients and use a whisk to blend.
Step 4: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Mix just until the ingredients are barely combined. Be careful not to over-mix your batter, or your cake will be denser.
👀 Sandi Says: If you think your gluten free flour blend has a gritty texture, I highly recommend letting the cake batter sit for 15-20 minutes. This allows the ground rice flour to soften.
Step 5: Spray gluten free baking spray into two loaf pans. (Note: PAM baking spray is NOT gluten-free!) Add the batter to two one-pound bread loaf pans and spread the pound cake batter around the pans so that it is evenly distributed.
Step 6: Bake the cakes at 350º F for 45 minutes.
Step 7: Remove the cake from the oven and insert a toothpick in the middle. If the toothpick comes out clean, your cake is fully baked. If you see crumbs or batter, you must bake it a little longer.
Step 8: Now, it is time for the homemade lemonade icing. Combine powdered sugar and lemon juice in a bowl. You can easily control how thin or thick your icing is by the quantities you use. Drizzle the icing over the cake.
Store this cake in an airtight container. You can also freeze this cake quickly in your freezer. This cake will keep for up to 4 days in an airtight container or up to 4 months in the freezer.
Use any leftover lemon cake in my Gluten Free Cakesicles recipe. If you love citrus flavors, you will want to try this Gluten-Free Orange Poppy Seed Cake recipe.
Frequently Asked Questions:
You can easily use bottled lemon juice, but a fresh lemon is better, so you can also use lemon zest.
Yes, you can make this cake dairy-free, and in fact, one of my readers already tested this out and had great success! She used soy milk (you can also use almond milk) and vegan butter from a brand called Smart Balance.
If your lemon cake turned out heavy, it is due to a couple of reasons. Using a grain-heavy gluten-free flour blend or over-mixing the cake batter can make your cake heavy and dense. To fix these issues, be sure your cake batter isn’t too thick. Add more milk so that the batter is like thick muffin batter. Mix by hand so the wet and dry ingredients are not overmixed together. You can read more about troubleshooting in my Gluten Free Cake Troubleshooting Guide.
A gummy cake may not have been baked enough, or you used a starchy gluten free flour blend, creating a wet batter. If your batter seems too thin, add extra flour 1 TBSP at a time until it has thickened.
More Gluten Free Lemon Dessert Recipes:
- If you love ice cream, try this No-Churn Lemon Ice Cream recipe!
- Need a special cake? This Gluten Free Lemon Bundt Cake with lemonade icing is your cake!
- Grab some lemon curd and learn how to make this Easy Gluten Free Lemon Filled Cupcake recipe.
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 Pound Cake (Rich and Buttery!)
Ingredients
- 3 cups gluten free flour blend * see note
- 1 ½ cups cane sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted melted butter
- 3 large eggs
- 1 ⅓ cups milk or non-dairy milk
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- ⅓ cup powdered sugar
- 2-3 teaspoons lemon juice depending on how thick you want your icing
Method
- Preheat the oven to 350º F.
- In a large mixing bowl, add 3 cups gluten free flour blend, 1 1/2 cups cane sugar, 1 teaspoon baking soda, and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Use a wire whisk to blend.
- In a smaller bowl, add 1 cup unsalted melted butter,3 large eggs, 1 1/3 cups milk or non-dairy milk, 2 tablespoons lemon zest, and 3 tablespoons lemon juice and mix well.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until the batter is barely mixed. Over mixing can cause the cake to become denser.
- Spoon the batter into two greased bread loaf tins. Optional: sprinkle the tops with coarse sugar.
- Bake for 45 minutes until done. Check doneness with the toothpick test (see Notes).
- Remove from the oven to a cooling rack and allow cooling.
- Add 1/3 cup powdered sugar and 2-3 teaspoons lemon juice to a bowl and whisk to make the icing. Add the lemon juice slowly until you get the consistency you want. Drizzle the icing over the cake.
Nutrition
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 butter for vegan butter and use plant-based milk.
- Other dairy-free kinds of milk will work, but I do not recommend canned coconut milk.
- Check the cake’s doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of the cake. If the toothpick comes out clean, your cake is ready. If there is batter or crumbs on the cake, it needs to be baked a little longer.
- This cake will keep fresh for up to 4 days in an airtight container, or up to 4 months in the freezer.
Private Notes
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!
This post was updated from an older January 2020 post with more detailed information.
I truly hope you enjoy this recipe. I have been testing and creating gluten-free recipes for over 15 years. Creating gluten-free recipes that do not taste gluten-free is my goal for every recipe. Sometimes I only have to test a new recipe a couple of times, and others it takes multiple times. I do this so you get reliable, delicious results every time!
This tastes just like a cake with regular flour! However, the cake took almost two hours to cook… not sure why. But this is a great recipe!
I am thrilled you loved the recipe. Two hours is a very long time. What flour blend did you use, and what kind and size of cake pan?
can this be made dairy free?
Hi Ella, some readers use dairy-free butter (Smart Balance) and plant-based milk. It should work fine.
Has anyone tried this with an egg substitute?
Hi Colleen, I checked my spreadsheet and I don’t have any readers who have written in to say they tried an egg replacer. If you try one, please write back or come comment and let us know hhow it turned out.
The best lemon pound cake, gluten or not! I used a Pyrex dish to make a sheet cake for a birthday. All enjoyed, no one was disappointed even the gluten eaters. Thank you for an excellent recipe! Terry
I am so glad you loved the recipe. Thank you!!
This recipe is an absolute hit. I have used King Aurther brand and the Walmart GF brand. I think as long as it’s a white/brown rice flour blend with xanathin gum, it will work.
Made a regular batch that produced 2 loaves in regular metal bread pans. Everyone loved them and they went fast.
Doubled the recipe this time and got disposable bread pans so I can give them away in the tins. Wound up making 5 loaves as these were smaller than the heavy pans I used last time.
Pro tip for lemon zest. I don’t have a seater so I used a paring knife to peel the yellow off the lemons. I added some lemon juice and blended it in the ninja to make mix better. Got four full tablespoons this time around!
Thank you for the recipe. Before this, I had never attempted to make pound cake even though it’s been my favorite!
I am so glad your first gluten free pound cake baking experience! Thank you for coming back to let me know you all loved it!
I made this for my mother’s bday and it turned out looking like the picture!! She loved it, and so did the four of us who are not GF!
I am thrilled everyone loved this cake, even the non-gluten free people!!
Omgoodness my husband loves this!! Thank you for this wonderful recipe. Merry Christmas and God bless.
I am so glad he loves this lemon cake. It is one of our favorites and I often have one frozen in the freezer for cravings :-).
Which size of loaf pan is best for this recipe?
I would say 8 1/2 to 9 inches loaf pan is best.
Thank you for a very quick response!
Thank you for a very quick response!
thank you for a very quick response
You are very welcome. Have a great Thanksgiving!
Thank you for this fantastic gluten-free recipe. I am usually disappointed by some recipes I’ve tried but hands down this is the best I’ve baked. It is light, fluffy, and amazingly delicious. I changed the amount of sugar to 1 cup and used a different flour (CUP4CUP). I actually could not wait to try it so 2 pieces became my breakfast (LOL).
Thanks again, I will recommend this to all of my friends and family.
Thank you, Jeanie. I am glad to hear that Cup4Cup flour blend worked in my recipe…and LOL, I ate mine with breakfast too.
I made this lemon loaf and it is divine! My coworkers gobbled it up and asked for more! So I’ve made it twice now. Definitely recommend!
I am so glad you loved the recipe. It is my go to recipe when we need a hostess gift :-).