Easy gluten free lemon drizzle cake recipe made with chickpea flour, tapioca starch, and drizzled with delicious icing for one amazing sweet treat that rivals Starbucks lemon loaf. Naturally vegan, dairy-free, and egg-free, too!
Move over Starbucks lemon loaf! This gluten-free lemon drizzle cake is most definitely my new favorite gluten-free dessert. It is sweet and decadent but not over-the-top-so. It has a satisfying texture and bite to it and best of all — you only need one bowl! I tested this recipe numerous to times to get it just right and I truly hope you enjoy it as much as we do.
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❤️ Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Fluffy, moist, rich, and flavorful.
- Perfectly sweet.
- Rich in fiber and protein.
- Super easy to make—one-bowl recipe.
- Naturally vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free, soy free, and can be made refined sugar-free!
🗒️ Ingredient Notes
Chickpea flour: Chickpea flour, also known as garbanzo bean flour, is a nutritious gluten-free flour that has wonderful binding properties, not unlike conventional flour. It eliminates the need for eggs, egg replacements, or xanthan gum. Having said that, if do not have or cannot eat chickpea flour, you can use brown rice flour or sorghum flour as a replacement, with similar results.
Tapioca starch: Tapioca starch, also known as tapioca flour, adds both a chewy texture and a lightness to the batter and works great in combination with other flours as a gluten-free flour blend, so to speak. If you do not have tapioca starch, you can replace it with corn starch, arrowroot starch, or potato starch.
Sugar: You can use regular white cane sugar, coconut sugar, or a granulated sugar-free alternative in this recipe. I prefer using golden coconut sugar, as it's a touch healthier, but also lighter in color than regular coconut sugar, resulting in a beautiful yellow loaf.
Baking soda: This adds some rising power to this loaf mixture. If you do not have baking soda, you can use baking powder as a replacement in a pinch.
Salt: As with most recipes, a touch of salt enhances all of the flavors.
Milk: If you are vegan or dairy-free, oat milk makes an excellent plant-based milk choice for this loaf, as does coconut milk or almond milk. If you are not vegan or dairy-free, you can use buttermilk for a more traditional touch or regular whole milk.
Butter or oil: Plant-based butter, regular salted or unsalted butter or oil works in this cake recipe. My top oil choices for this loaf are avocado oil, sunflower oil, or coconut oil.
Lemon juice and lemon zest: Using fresh lemon juice and fresh lemon zest results in wonderfully bright lemon flavors, but in a pinch, you can omit the zest and use store-bought lemon juice if need be.
Vanilla extract: A touch of vanilla mellows some of the sharper lemon notes, enhancing that perfect sweet lemon flavor.
Powdered sugar: If you choose to make the lemon glaze, powdered sugar will be needed. Conventional white powdered sugar works best, but if you are looking for a healthier alternative, you can use maple sugar powdered sugar instead.
🥣 How to Make Gluten Free Lemon Loaf
🥡 Storage
This gluten-free lemon cake keeps lightly covered at room temperature for about 48 hours. Any longer, I recommend slicing and storing in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to one week. If stored in the fridge, let the cake slices sit at room temperature for about ten minutes before eating.
💭 Top Tip
Let the loaf cool completely before glazing and/or slicing for the best results. Slicing gluten-free bread or cake before it has cooled results in a completely different textured result.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
After you mix the glaze, you can simply drip the glaze right out of the bowl while moving your hand in a zig-zag pattern over the cooled cake.
Absolutely! If you would prefer not to hand mix in a bowl, you can combine all of the ingredients in a stand mixer bowl instead. Low to medium speed is all that is needed and you can simply mix until smooth.
🍰 More Delicious Gluten Free Cake Recipes
Gluten Free Strawberry Shortcake
📖 Recipe
Gluten Free Lemon Drizzle Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons chickpea flour aka garbanzo bean flour
- 1 cup tapioca starch aka tapioca flour
- ¾ cup granulated sugar of choice I like to use golden coconut sugar
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup milk of choice I like to use oat milk
- ½ cup melted butter or oil of choice plant-based or conventional
- ¼ cup lemon juice fresh or bottled
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest optional
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Icing
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice fresh or bottled
- candied lemon slices for topping completely optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease or line a loaf pan (8½" x 4½") with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the chickpea flour, tapioca flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. Mix well.
- Add the milk, butter or oil, lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla extract. Mix well. the batter will be loose (that's okay!).
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour or until the loaf is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center pulls out clean.
- Let the loaf cool in the pan for 10 minutes before gently removing and then allow the loaf to cool on a wire rack or cutting board until completely cool (at least half an hour).
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine the powdered sugar and lemon juice to make the icing. Mix until smooth.
- When the loaf is cool, drizzle the icing evenly over the top of the cake. Optionally, top it off with some candied lemon slices or some lemon zest before slicing and serving.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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Alison says
This cake is super moist and full of bright lemon flavor.
Tavo says
The lemon cake was fantastic! Thanks for such a strong recipe!
Beth says
This post is wonderful! So many helpful substitutes to still create a delicious cake! I'm gluten and dairy free so this recipe is perfect!
Irena says
Love a good lemon cake, especially when I can find a gluten-free recipe for it.
Sara Welch says
Enjoyed this for an afternoon treat and it did not disappoint! So light, fluffy and perfectly delicious! Easily, a new favorite recipe!
Lynn Polito says
This recipe was so delicious! I will be making it all summer long!
Kristen Wood says
I'm so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing. 🙂
Jennifer says
Delish! I loved the lemon flavor in this cake and it was so moist and easy to make. Yum!
Kate says
I love that you don’t need an electric mixer to meme this cake, which makes it so easy! The chickpea flour adds a nice texture. Came out great, I will make it again.
Shelby says
Such a refreshing flavor and I actually had chickpea flour on hand that needed to be shed up, double win!
Glenda says
Delicious! We loved this yummy cake! I did add some extra lemon zest and it had just the perfect citrus zing! Thanks for sharing this wonderful gluten free recipe!
Andrea says
We are huge fans of lemon baked good. This lemon drizzle cake looks and sounds wonderful. Going on my must bake list.
Angela says
Love the texture you get from the chick pea flour here! Such a lovely lemon recipe, thanks so much for sharing!
Mairead says
I always love finding gluten-free versions of my favorite cakes. Lemon drizzle is one of my all time favorites, so I look forward to trying out this vegan recipe.
Lisa says
The perfect summer dessert! This is absolutely delicious...the lemon flavor is nicely balanced with the vanilla.
Liz says
This lemon drizzle cake came out perfect. It is so moist and has such bright fresh flavor. I love that it is vegan because I have so many family and friends with dietary restrictions and I'm so happy I found a recipe that will please everyone!