Gluten-Free Lemon Drizzle Cake

Gluten-Free Lemon Drizzle Cake is an allergen-friendly cake recipe made with fresh lemons and prepared in one bowl. It’s an adaptation of one of Mary Berry’s most popular recipes. And once you’ve made it yourself, you’ll see why it’s such a hit (in our house and elsewhere)! {Gluten-Free + Dairy-Free}

Omigosh, Spiriteds, I don’t know if I have ever been more excited to share a springy, summery cake with you than I am today. But this Gluten-Free Lemon Drizzle Cake is our family’s latest obsession. Literally four out of four of us LOVE this lemony cake. And given that two of us are textbook picky eaters, that’s saying something.  

It all came about when we discovered Dame Mary Berry’s cooking shows. She makes delicious, simple, family-friendly recipes, and we 1000% would love it if she adopted us. She’s upbeat and encouraging, and as I watch one episode after another, I find myself thinking about how I can adapt her recipes to our family’s dietary needs. 

When I saw her Lemon Drizzle Traybake, I thought, we might be able to do this! And it turns out we absolutely COULD and DID. Her cake is just that good. Lest you think I embellish, let me say the first few times I made it, I didn’t use enough butter. Because thank you, yes, eight ounces is NOT the same as eight tablespoons. Please don’t tell my home ec teacher. Yet the cake STILL turned out delicious. So when even the failures turn out mouthwatering, you know you’ve got a good recipe. 

Spiriteds, I could glom on about this cake. But let’s do this instead: let’s grab a baking dish, fresh lemons, and sugar, and bake our own cakes. If the proof isn’t in the pudding, it’s most definitely in the cake batter. 

Gluten-Free Lemon Drizzle Cake is

• Gluten-free and dairy-free
• Light and fluffy
• A little bit spongy
• Citrusy sweet
• Perfect for parties
• Easy to prepare 

Substitutions to the original recipe

To meet my family’s dietary needs, I made allergen-friendly swaps to create a gluten-free, dairy-fee lemon cake recipe. I’ve listed brand names, however please note these are not paid mentions and it’s important to read product labels to make sure you get the ingredients that will meet your needs. 

• Butter. I use an allergen-friendly margarine. Country Crock, Earth Balance, and Blue Bonnet allergen-friendly butters should work well. I used Country Crock olive oil plant-based butter for this. Although I have used tub butter in baking (and tried it once here), I found stick butters work best to create the ideal cake texture.
• Sugar. Regular granulated sugar is perfect. However, I used less sugar for the drizzle topping purely out of personal preference. You may need to adjust your amounts depending on the size of the lemons you use. More juice from larger lemons may also require more sugar.
• Flour. I used Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 Baking Flour. It’s an absolute favorite of mine to bake with, and it did the job here.
• Milk. I used unsweetened almond milk. You could likely used another milk alternative as well, including rice milk, cashew milk, or oat milk.
• Baking time: I use a 9×13 baking pan when I bake. So my cooking time was slightly different. Rather than baking for 35 to 40 minutes, I erred on the side of about 32 to 35 minutes. When a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, the cake is done.
• What I omitted: In one version of this cake, a lemon verbena is used. I didn’t have any on hand, however go for it, if you’d like!

Gluten-Free Lemon Drizzle Cake ingredients

• Butter, softened
• Granulated sugar, for the cake and the topping
• Gluten-free flour
• Baking powder
• Eggs
• Dairy-free milk
• Grated rind and juice of two lemons, separated 

How to make Gluten-Free Lemon Drizzle Cake

1. Set oven to 325 degrees. Lightly grease the bottom and sides of a 9×13 baking dish. Either allergen-friendly butter or coconut oil will work for this step. Line the greased baking dish with parchment paper and set aside.
2. In a mixing bowl, cream the softened butter and then add the sugar, continuing to mix until well combined. Next, add the gluten-free flour and baking powder to the butter-sugar mixture, continuing to mix the ingredients together until they are well combined. Next, add the eggs to the batter and beat on a MEDIUM speed until they are well blended. Add the milk and grated lemon rind and beat on a MEDIUM speed until the milk is blended and the lemon rind is evenly distributed throughout the batter.
3. Then transfer the cake batter to the lined baking dish. Bake for about 30-35 minutes, rotating the dish one time during the baking process.
4. While the cake is baking, combine the juice of two lemons and the remaining sugar and set aside. When a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean then remove the cake from the oven (above left). Let cool for about 5 to 10 minutes, and then drizzle the lemon sugar mixture over the top of the cake (above right).
5. Leave leftover cake in the baking dish and cover it tightly with a lid or plastic wrap. Alternatively, store individual pieces, separated by layers of parchment paper, in an airtight container. Tis cake will be at its best for about 1-3 days, especially if it is well sealed.

Quick tips

• I don’t over-grease the baking dish because this is a fairly moist cake on its own.
• To create the lemon sugar topping, I use the same lemons I used to grate the rind. Once the lemons are grated, it’s incredibly easy to juice them. 

More delicious sweet treats!

• Paleo Cranberry Cake
• Strawberry Jam Bars
• Gluten-Free Lemon Sugar Cookies

Spiriteds, stay well and stay wild. I’m glad you’re here! 🩷

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