When I first began ideating and testing this cake, I didn’t envision it to be gluten-free- I just wanted to have a recipe for the perfect lemon poppyseed cake! I wanted to make it for my little Aunt Dina’s birthday, and seeing that she can’t eat gluten, I thought - why not make something everyone can enjoy? Once we started tweaking it to be gluten-free, I actually began to love this version much more than the original.

You would never guess it’s gluten-free, and with ingredients like almond flour, rice flour and Greek yogurt, it's more nutritious too. This cake is so moist and flavorful, and the zingy lemon glaze is what really makes it special. I coated Dina’s cake with fun sprinkles, but a bit of lemon zest is a nice touch, too!

Gluten Free Lemon Poppyseed Cake
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Gluten Free Lemon Poppyseed Cake

Category

Dessert

Servings

10

Prep Time

15 minutes

Cook Time

45 minutes

Image of Gluten Free Lemon Poppyseed Cake

Ingredients

    For The Cake:

  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest (from 1 lemon)
  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil (such as grapeseed or canola)
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup 2% Greek Yogurt (such as Fage)
  • 1 cup cane sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup fine almond flour
  • 1 cup rice flour
  • 3/4 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 Tablespoons poppy seeds

    • For The Glaze:

  • 2/3 cup powdered sugar
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla
  • 1-2 tablespoons lemon juice (as needed)

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly brush the inside of a 10x5 inch loaf pan with oil or nonstick spray, and line with a strip of parchment paper so that some is overhanging on the two long sides of the pan. Set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, mix together the lemon zest, lemon juice, vegetable oil, eggs, yogurt, sugar and vanilla with a whisk. Mix for about 1 minute until the mixture is very smooth and there are a few bubbles. Add the flours, salt, baking soda, baking powder and poppy seeds to the batter. Continue to whisk the mixture until just combined, and no more clumps of dry mix remain.
  3. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake in the oven for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for at least 30 minutes before transferring to a rack or plate to continue cooling.
  4. To make the glaze, add the powdered sugar and vanilla together to a small bowl. Add 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and mix in more as needed for a smooth texture. Drizzle the glaze back and forth over the cake. Slice and serve.
gluten free
vegetarian