These creamy gluten free lemon sour cream cakes are light and fluffy and full of fresh lemon flavors. Just like a souffle! Dip a fork in and savor every bite as it melts in your mouth!
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You are going to love these delicious, moist gluten free lemon sour cream souffle cakes. These little lemon cakes hover somewhere between a gluten free pound cake and a souffle. I guess that is mostly because they are buttery and moist like a pound cake, but they also have a lot of fluffy characteristics of a souffle.
Our lemon tree is full of lemons again. If you have read my blog for some time, you will know how much of a struggle it is to use up fresh lemons. Our neighbor’s trees are also full, so it is hard to find people to give lemons to. If we don’t pick them fast enough, the lemons get so heavy the branches break off.
If you love lemon as much as we do, you will want to check out all of the delicious Gluten Free Lemon Desserts on the blog! If you miss lemon desserts, check out some favorites Gluten Free Lemon Bundt Cake or Gluten Free Lemon Donuts.
Allergen Information:
These lemon sour cream cakes are gluten-free, soy-free, oat-free, and nut-free.
Flour Blends Tested:
- King Arthur Measure for Measure—This blend works really well in my cake recipes. I don’t have to let the flour blend rest in the batter.
- Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Blend—This blend also worked well, but this flour blend does benefit from resting the batter for 15 minutes before baking. The rest allows the rice flour in this blend to soften, so you don’t have gritty baked goods.
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 the two blends listed above. Other blends should work, but you may need to tweak the moisture levels. If your blend doesn’t have a binder, you need to add 1 teaspoon of xanthan or guar gum.
- Sugar – Use cane sugar.
- Baking Soda and Salt
- Eggs – Size large.
- Butter – Use unsalted butter.
- Sour Cream – Full fat is best.
- Non-Dairy or Regular Milk – I used almond milk, but any non-dairy or regular milk will work.
- Lemon Juice – If you don’t have any fresh lemons on hand, you can easily substitute bottled lemon juice in this recipe.
You will LOVE how easy this gluten free lemon souffle recipe is to make. (Keep your kids out of your kitchen until after you photograph them!!) If you need a healthier lemon dessert option, try these Paleo Lemon Bars. They have a ton of lemon flavor without refined sugars.
Is sour cream gluten free?
Many ask if sour cream is gluten free. I haven’t seen any brand add flour to sour cream, but given some odd things I have seen over the years, I definitely read the labels to make sure! I did quite a bit of research to see if sour cream gluten free.
Step-By-Step Photos and Directions:
Step 1: Separate the eggs and add the egg whites to a large
Step 2: In another bowl, add the dry ingredients and whisk to blend. Add the wet ingredients to a large bowl and whisk. Combine the wet and dry ingredients and mix.
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Step 3: Slowly pour the egg whites into the lemon batter.
Step 4: Gently fold the egg whites into the lemon cake batter with a rubber spatula. You need to stir gently to keep the air bubbles so the cake stays light and fluffy!
Step 5: Transfer the mixture to the lightly greased ramekins and bake at 350º F for 30-40 minutes until done. Mine baked and were done at 30 minutes, but some gluten free flour blends are more starchy and may need extra time to bake.
Making this gluten free lemon sour cream cake recipe is so easy. These cakes will rise up like souffles when you bake them, but surprisingly, they don’t fall too far down as they cool.
You can test to see if these lemon cakes are done baking with a toothpick. Insert the toothpick into the middle of a cake. If the toothpick comes back clean, your cakes are done baking. If there is batter or crumbs on the toothpick, your cakes need to bake a little longer.
Step 6: Move the cakes to a cooling rack. When they are fully cooled, dust them with powdered sugar or top them with fruit sauce.
If you need cake in a hurry, this gluten free dairy free lemon mug cake is ready in just 3 minutes!!
How long will these cakes last in the refrigerator?
These gluten free lemon sour cream cakes will keep up to 3-4 days in the refrigerator. Note that these cakes will become a bit denser in texture after refrigeration.
More Gluten Free Lemon Recipes:
- Make breakfast great with this Gluten Free Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins recipe!
- If you love lemon flavor, this Gluten Free Lemon Pound Cake is absolutely irresistible.
- This Gluten Free Lemon Bundt Cake makes a great dessert anytime.
- You will love these Easy Gluten Free Lemon Cupcakes. They are perfect for a bake sale!
Tools:
- Electric mixer to whip your egg whites.
- Ramekins to fill with the lemon batter.
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 Sour Cream Souffle Cakes
Equipment
Ingredients
- ¾ cup gluten free flour blend
- 3 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
- 8 ounces sour cream
- ⅔ cup cane sugar
- 1 cup non-dairy or regular milk
- 5 tablespoons lemon juice
- dash salt
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
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Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a large bowl, add 2/3 cup cane sugar, 3/4 cup gluten free flour blend, and a dash salt. Whisk to blend.
- Separate the egg whites from the egg yolks in separate bowls
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk 3 egg yolks with the melted 2 tablespoons unsalted butter.
- In a medium-sized bowl, add 1 cup non-dairy or regular milk, 8 ounces sour cream, 5 tablespoons lemon juice, and 2 teaspoons lemon zest. Whisk.
- Pour the lemon mixture into the egg yolk mixture and whisk.
- In another large mixing bowl, add the 3 egg whites. Mix with a hand mixer on high speed until they form stiff white peaks. Gently fold this fluffy egg whites mixture into the lemon mixture.
- Spray ramekins with coconut oil. Pour batter into each ramekin.
- Fill a baking dish with hot water about 1 inch deep. This will prevent the cakes from cracking. Add the ramekins to this dish.
- Bake for 30 minutes and check them. Mine cooked in small ramekins for 30 minutes, but readers who have used different gluten free flour blends have needed to cook these a little longer. When done, remove carefully from the oven so you don't spill the hot water.
- Cool then dust with powdered sugar, or top with fruit.
Notes
- I tested this recipe with King Arthur Measure for Measure and Bob’s Red Mill 1:1. Other blends should work, but you may need to adjust the moisture level depending on how starchy your flour blend is.
- If your flour blend doesn’t contain a binder, you will need to add 1 teaspoon of xanthan or guar gum.
- These lemon cakes are like soufflés in that they do rise and fall. If you make one larger soufflé, the baking time will be much longer. I have not tested this as a bundt cake as the falling may affect the shape.
- To tell if these are finished baking, stick a toothpick into one of the cakes. If the toothpick comes out clean, they are done baking. If your toothpick has batter or crumbs on it, it will need to bake a little longer.
- Store in an airtight cake container in the refrigerator. I have not tested freezing these lemon cakes.
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 5/2018 post.)
these were good. good texture, good flavor. I found the instructions awkward, partly because of having to convert out of cups, but also because it (still) doesn’t say at which point you add the dry ingredients… it might do in the pictures or discussion, but it doesn’t in the main “Instructions”. 30m for small ramekins 40m for the medium souffle bowl. much to much mixture for 8 small ramekins… more like 12
HI Jackie, You are correct. I went in and clarified the directions so it is much easier to follow. Thank you for the feedback!
The directions don’t include when to add the flour and sugar, but I made an educated guess, and mixed them in with the lemon/milk/egg yolks before folding in the egg whites, and it seemed to work. They tasted great, and were very light and fluffy, despite deflating after coming out of the oven. Some kind of berry sauce would fantastic with them!
I am so glad you liked this recipe. A berry sauce sounds amazing! I will clarify the instructions, thank you!
I love the recipe but need to ask whether can I use this recipe for layered cake. Filling is cream cheese. And also can I add macadamia nuts in the recipe.
Hi Felicia, I have not used this recipe for a layerd cake. In theory it should work. Please let me know how it turns out. When you mention macadamia nuts, do you mean as a flour or nuts in the cake? I haven’t made this cake with nuts.
Perfect Summer dessert, but when do you mix in the flour and sugar. Instructions call for three bowls, but only two are combined together
There’s even a fourth bowl brought in, but still no flour/sugar. Thanks so much… I can’t wait to try these for our first small get-together since the start of the pandemic!!
Hi Debra, sorry for the delay, I was out of town. Mix in the flour and sugar with the dry ingredients. I think you were going by step photos, but in the recipe card at the bottom, it says when to add it all. I hope this helps.
These were good. The recipe doesn’t say when to add the flour and sugar mixture. I added in the end but think it should have been mixed with the lemon before adding the egg whites. Also mine took longer to cook than 24 min. More like 40 and the tops didn’t get golden
I have a delima, I am not only gluten free but also dairy free! Was wondering if I can replace the sour cream, with a coconut base yogurt? And also the almond milk with coconut milk? Will it all still work with the lemon notes? I’m hoping so…and I will try it out on a large bunt pan and mini ones too. ( of course they each take different times to cook- mini ones are about 20min. And large bunt about 35-45!
Thanks if you think I should give it a try give me some encouragement !!!
Lulu
Hi Lulu, you can definitely use yogurt instead, I haven’t specifically tried a coconut-based yogurt though. Please let us know how it turns out.
Just wondering, if you stick a tooth pick in, is the cake supposed to be done? Or just golden brown? Didn’t know how to tell they were done.
Hi Janna, your toothpick should come out clean when these are done. If you see the pictures, the cakes are a little golden, but not much. They should be firm.
Anyone tried this in a bundt pan? I did try in a large dish that you would typically see a full sized souffle. I thought I cooked long enough, but I think I needed another 15-20 mi. Thought the toothpick came out clean at 45 min, but after cooling, hadn’t come together on the bottom; was cooked part way Really good flavor though!! I want to try again. I only have 2 small ramikins, that’s why I am going to try a bundt style pan. Let me know on the timing. Thanks!!
Hi Janna, I haven’t tried it in a bundt pan so I am hoping someone else has possibly tried it and can answer your question.
Are these eaten hot or cold and will they keep a day or so?
Hi Shelly, we eat them room temperature, but if you refrigerate them, they will be delicious and keep for 2-3 days.
You still need to update recipe for when to add flour and sugar. Also where does the pin h of salt go? I put it in with the egg white.
not sure I will be making this again though.
Hi Wanda, I updated to mention the rest of the dry ingredients. I appreciate your feedback.
Going to try this recipe tonight! Love everything lemon!!
Please come back and let me know how you like these Jan 🙂
These look divine! I just printed the recipe. 🙂 We love lemon in our house! ~Adrienne
Thank you Adrienne…wish you lived closer so I could give you lemons from our tree.