Gluten Free Lemon Pound Cake | Dairy-Free Option

Traditional, moist, and iced gluten free lemon pound cake. This lemon pound cake recipe is tangy and decadent that it will leave your guests wanting and asking for more. 

Pound cakes are classic, and I’m yet to find someone who doesn’t know what pound cakes are. They are well known in almost most countries, and each country has its own variation. Meanwhile, the origins of pound cakes date back to the 18th century. They were called Pound cakes as they contained a pound of each ingredient, such as flour, butter, sugar, and eggs. This led to the cakes being huge. Nevertheless, today’s pound cakes have been altered to achieve a less dense cake and smaller quantities. Most pound cakes are either baked in a loaf pan or Bundt.

This gluten free lemon pound cake is moist, dense, and has the right lemon flavor. It is baked in a loaf pan for ease and is glazed with homemade lemon glaze. I like to make this cake when I’m expecting visitors because who does not love a homemade lemon cake? 

Gluten Free Lemon Pound Cake Essentials

Achieving the right texture all comes down to the ingredients used and how they are measured. Therefore, when making this gluten free lemon pound cake, I highly suggest using a scale to measure your ingredients. Furthermore, try not to substitute any ingredients. 

So, here is a list of what you will need! 

• Gluten Free Flour Mix: The gluten-free flour mix for this recipe consists of white rice flour, tapioca starch, corn starch, and brown rice flour. Furthermore, to create structure and bind the ingredients, the use of xanthan gum is essential. 
• Baking Powder: The baking powder will lift the gluten free lemon pound cake and make it airier.
• Salt: To provide flavor 
• Unsalted Butter: Make sure that the butter is at room temperature. The butter will provide fat to the cake and make it moist. 
• Sugar: Granulated white sugar will be used as the sweetener in this recipe. 
• Eggs: This recipe requires three eggs. The eggs will create structure and help the cake rise in the oven. Nobody wants a dull and flat cake! 
• Sour Cream: The sour cream provides fat to the cake and makes it moist. It also gives the cake a delicious tangy flavor. 
• Lemons: To flavor the pound cake, I recommend the use of fresh lemons. You will need the zest of the lemon along with the juice. 
• Vanilla Extract: The vanilla extract will be used to flavor the cake. 
• Powdered Sugar: If you want to glaze the cake with lemon glaze, you will need powdered sugar. Powdered sugar melts directly when liquid is added and creates a smooth glaze. 
• Milk / Heavy Cream: I recommend using milk or heavy cream for the glaze to make it thicker. The milk works great, but the heavy cream provides it with thick white color. Meanwhile, you can also use water instead. However, the glaze will be thin but still delicious! 

Making the Pound Cake 

The process of making this gluten free lemon pound cake is relatively easy. The equipment you will need is simply three bowls, a stand-alone mixer or hand-held mixer, a loaf pan, and an oven! 

Now that the equipment are out of the way, here is what you need to do: 

• Preheat the oven to 180°C (350 °F)

• Mix the dry ingredients: Start by combining the dry ingredients such as white rice flour, tapioca starch, corn starch, brown rice flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Using a whisk, mix the ingredients and make sure they are well incorporated. 
• Beat the butter and sugar: In another bowl, add the butter and sugar. Then using your stand-alone mixer or hand-held mixer, beat the butter and sugar at medium-high speed until light and fluffy (2-3 minutes). If you are using a stand-alone mixer, use the paddle attachment and not the whisk. Then, add the eggs, sour cream, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla extract. Beat for another 1-2 minutes or until creamy. 

• Create the cake batter: Now, add the dry ingredients to the butter and sugar mixture and beat at low speed until combined (2-3 minutes). If your hand-held mixer is not strong enough, you can also use a spatula to mix the dry ingredients with the butter and sugar. If you are using a stand-alone mixer, you shouldn’t face any issues. 

• Bake the cake: Grease a 20 x 10 cm (8 x 4 inch) loaf pan with butter. Then transfer the cake batter to it. Bake the cake at 180°C (350 °F) for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted at the center comes out clean. 

• Make the glaze: To make the lemon glaze add the powdered sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, and heavy cream to a bowl. Using a whisk, combine until you have a pouring consistency. If the glaze is too thick, add more milk/ heavy cream; on the other hand, add more powdered sugar if the glaze is too thin. Once the cake is cooled, pour the glaze on the cake and let it sit for 30 minutes. This will ensure that the glaze is absorbed by the gluten free lemon pound cake. 

Dairy-Free Option 

To all my celiac and gluten-intolerant friends, that can’t have dairy, you can easily make this cake dairy-free. Use vegan butter instead of unsalted butter, and substitute sour cream with soy-based sour cream. 

Meanwhile, for the glaze, use water instead of milk or heavy cream. The glaze won’t be as thick, but it will still taste delicious. Nonetheless, if you want a thick glaze like the one you see in the photos, use cashew or full-fat coconut milk (canned coconut milk). 

Commonly Asked Questions

Check Out Other Dessert Recipes!

• Gluten Free Strawberry Jam Cake
• Orange Bundt Cake Recipe - Gluten Free
• Gluten-Free Coconut Cupcakes
• Gluten Free Cinnamon Rolls Recipe

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5 from 31 votes

Gluten Free Lemon Pound Cake

Traditional, moist, and iced gluten free lemon pound cake. This lemon pound cake recipe is tangy and decadent that it will leave your guests wanting and asking for more.

Prep Time20 mins

Active Time45 mins

Total Time1 hr 5 mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: gluten free lemon cake, gluten free lemon pound cake, lemon pound cake

Yield: 12 Slices

Calories: 377kcal

Ingredients

Metric - US Customary

Gluten Free Lemon Pound Cake

• ▢ 112 grams of White Rice Flour (Sifted)
• ▢ 45 grams of Tapioca Flour (Sifted)
• ▢ 23 grams of Corn Starch (Sifted)
• ▢ 45 grams of Brown Rice Flour (Sifted)
• ▢ ½ teaspoon of Xanthan Gum
• ▢ 1 teaspoon of Baking Powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon of Salt
• ▢ 270 grams of Unsalted Butter at room temperature
• ▢ 220 grams of Granulated White Sugar
• ▢ 3 Large Eggs
• ▢ 70 grams of Sour Cream at room temperature
• ▢ 55 ml of Lemon Juice
• ▢ 1 tablespoon of Lemon Zest
• ▢ 1 teaspoon of Vanilla Extract

Lemon Glaze

• ▢ 130 grams of Powdered Sugar
• ▢ 1 tablespoon of Lemon Juice
• ▢ ½ teaspoon of Lemon Zest
• ▢ 1 tablespoon of Heavy Cream or Milk

Instructions

Gluten Free Lemon Pound Cake

• Preheat the oven to 180°C (350 °F).
• In a bowl, add the white rice flour, tapioca flour, corn starch, brown rice flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, and salt. Then using a whisk, gently mix the ingredients to combine.
• In a separate bowl, add the unsalted butter and sugar. Using a stand-alone mixer, with the paddle attachment attached, at medium-high speed, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (2-3 minutes). You can also use a hand-held mixer.
• Then, add the eggs, sour cream, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla extract to the butter and sugar. Beat at medium-high speed until creamy (1-2 minutes).
• Next, add the flour mixture to the butter and egg mixture and combine at low speed (2-3 minutes). Try not to over mix the batter.
• Transfer the lemon pound cake batter to a greased loaf pan of size 20 x 10 cm ( 8 x 4 inches). Bake, the gluten free lemon pound cake for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted at the center, comes out clean.

Lemon Glaze

• In a bowl, add the powdered sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, and heavy cream. Then using a whisk, combine the ingredients. If the glaze is too thin, you can add more powdered sugar, and if the glaze is too thick, add more heavy cream.
• Once the cake has cooled down, pour the glaze on the cake and let it sit for about 30 minutes.

Notes

• Storage & Freezing: The gluten free lemon pound cake can be stored at room temperature for up to three days in an air-tight container. To increase the lifespan of the cake, you can keep it in the refrigerator for up to a week. Moreover, you can tightly wrap the cake with plastic wrap and store it in the freezer for up to a month.
• Tips: The use of heavy cream for the lemon glaze allows the glaze to become thicker.

Nutrition Facts

Gluten Free Lemon Pound Cake

Amount Per Serving (1 Slice)

Calories 377 Calories from Fat 189

% Daily Value*

Fat 21g32%

Saturated Fat 13g81%

Trans Fat 1g

Polyunsaturated Fat 1g

Monounsaturated Fat 6g

Cholesterol 94mg31%

Sodium 320mg14%

Potassium 60mg2%

Carbohydrates 46g15%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 29g32%

Protein 3g6%

Vitamin A 678IU14%

Vitamin C 4mg5%

Calcium 42mg4%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.