Gluten Free Lemon Pound Cake

Name: Gluten Free Lemon Pound Cake
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 185 min
Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups gluten free flour blend; 1 teaspoon baking powder; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1 cup unsalted butter, softened; 1 cup granulated sugar; 3 large eggs, room temperature; 1/4 cup sour cream, room temperature; 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice; zest of 1 lemon; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar; 1 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice; 1 tablespoon milk

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This Gluten Free Lemon Pound Cake, topped with lemon glaze, is bursting with lemon flavor. If you’re a lemon lover, this gluten free pound cake won’t disappoint.

Overhead view of a slice of gluten free lemon pound cake and a fork on a small white plate with more cake, forks, and plates in the background.

Here’s a cake recipe with just the right amount of sweet tart lemon flavor packed into a soft-yet-dense pound cake. Top it with a lemon glaze, and you’ll be in lemon paradise.

The secret to the tasty lemon flavor is using freshly squeezed lemon juice and lemon zest. There’s a time and place for using bottled lemon juice, but not with this recipe.

Why this Recipe Works

Using fresh lemon juice and zest gives the cake a bright lemon flavor.
The sour cream gives richness and tenderness to the cake.
Adding lemon juice to the glaze adds an extra layer of flavor.

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Ingredients You’ll Need:

Pound Cake

Gluten free flour blend - Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1 to 1 baking flour is my go-to brand. I like that it already contains xanthan gum, so I don’t need to add any more to the recipe.
Baking powder - The baking powder gives lift to the batter so the cake will rise.
Salt - Table salt.
Butter - I always use unsalted butter when baking. The butter should be at room temperature so it will easily cream together with the sugar.
Sugar - Granulated sugar also known as white sugar.
Eggs - The eggs should be at room temperature to more easily combine with the other ingredients. Take the eggs out of the fridge about 30 minutes before you’re going to use them.
Sour cream - The sour cream should be at room temperature, so take it out along with the eggs about 30 minutes before use. Sour cream adds extra moisture to the cake.
Lemon juice - Freshly squeezed lemon juice gives the cake a bright, distinct lemon flavor. Bottled lemon juice just won’t give you the same flavor.
Lemon zest - Fresh lemon zest gives a little boost to the tangy lemon flavor.
Vanilla extract - The vanilla adds depth of flavor to the cake

Lemon Glaze

Powdered sugar - It’s also known as confectioners’ sugar. Powdered sugar combines easily with the other ingredients and gives the glaze a silky consistency.
Lemon juice - Freshly squeezed juice will add a subtle lemon flavor to the glaze.
Milk - I use regular milk to keep the color of the glaze bright white. You could use nut milk, but the color of the glaze may not be as bright.

How to Make Gluten Free Lemon Pound Cake

Whisk together dry ingredients and set aside.
Cream together butter and sugar, then beat in eggs, one at a time.
Add sour cream, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla, and beat until combined.
Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.
Transfer batter to prepared pan.
Bake at 350° F. for about 50 minutes.
Allow the cake to cool completely.
Stir together the glaze ingredients and pour over the cooled cake.

Step by Step Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the gluten free flour blend, baking powder, and salt.

Overhead view of medium glass mixing bowl containing whisked together dry ingredients, gluten free flour blend, baking powder, and salt, and wire whisk.

Using an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl.

Large glass mixing bowl containing creamed together butter and sugar with electric hand mixer on the right.

Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat until completely combined.

Add the sour cream, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla extract and beat until completely combined. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Overhead view of large glass mixing bowl with unmixed wet ingredients for making gluten free lemon pound cake.

Stir in the flour mixture, one-half at a time, until just combined.

Overhead view of glass mixing bowl containing ½ the dry ingredients for gluten free lemon pound cake being added to the wet ingredients with a wooden spoon.

Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and spread evenly.

Overhead view of gf lemon pound cake batter and rubber spatula in loaf pan.

Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

Overhead view of baked lemon pound cake in pan, cooling on wire rack.

Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for 1 hour, then remove the cake from the pan. Allow the cake to finish cooling on the wire rack.

In a small mixing bowl, stir together the glaze ingredients until smooth. Pour the glaze over the cake and allow to set up for a few minutes before serving.

Overhead view of gluten free lemon pound cake on an white, oval, serving plate.

Baker’s Tips

Zest the lemons before juicing them. It’s much easier to zest the whole lemon before slicing it in half to juice.
Use room temperature butter, eggs, and sour cream. Room temperature ingredients combine together more easily and completely.
Cool the cake completely before adding the glaze. The glaze will slide right off a warm cake.

FAQs

Does Lemon Pound Cake need to be refrigerated?

Gluten Free Lemon Pound Cake can be stored at room temperature, in an airtight container, for up to 3 days.

If you need to keep the cake longer, cover in foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 1 week.

What’s the best way to slice a pound cake?

Using a bread knife makes it easy to slice through the dense cake.

Close up view of a slice of gluten free lemon pound cake and a fork on a stack of 2 white dessert plates with more cake and plates in the background.

This recipe for Gluten Free Lemon Pound Cake makes a tasty, sweet dessert filled with lemon flavor. The rich, dense cake, topped with lemon glaze, is sure to be a hit.

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