Gluten Free Lemon Cake with Almonds

Published: Mar 25, 2022 · Modified: Feb 13, 2026 by Jill Colonna26 Comments · This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy

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This gluten free lemon cake is moist, and naturally made with almond flour - no xanthan gum needed. Drizzled with fresh lemon syrup, it works beautifully as an everyday lemon drizzle cake or dressed up as an Easter nest or for Mother's Day.

Take away the chocolate hens and macarons and you've got a simple, elegant lemon almond cake for any time of year.

Easy recipe to follow with amazing results! My mum is intolerant to gluten and she really enjoyed it! Super soft and moist with a perfect balance of tangy and sweet, went down a treat! Definitely recommend. - Elena

lemon drizzle cake like a nest topped with chocolate hen and macaron eggs

Why This Gluten Free Lemon Cake Works

Instead of wheat flour, this cake uses ground almonds (almond flour) with a little cornflour for lightness. The result?

Naturally gluten free
Extra moist thanks to the almonds
Delicately nutty with bright lemon flavour
Soft without needing xanthan gum

Almond flour keeps the crumb tender while the lemon syrup soaks in for that classic drizzle effect.

close-up of a lemon drizzle cake with flowers and Easter eggs

Ingredients for Gluten Free Lemon Cake

You'll find full quantities in the recipe card below, but here's what makes this lemon drizzle cake special:

Butter - French or European if possible
Sugar - I've added the least I can to balance the lemon's acidity
Eggs - always organic or free-range
Ground almonds (almond flour)
Cornflour
Baking powder - most baking powders are gluten free but there are some sneaky ones that may contain wheat starch so check the label if following a strict diet.
Fresh lemon zest - untreated, organic (see recipe notes below)
Lemon juice for the syrup drizzle

That's it. No gluten-free blends, no xanthan gum needed. I recommend you use a kitchen scale to measure in grams for the best results - used in Europe and the UK.

Is Almond Flour Good for Gluten-Free Cakes?

Almond flour is one of my favourite flours to bake with, and used frequently in French baking, as it

Adds moisture naturally
Provides healthy fats and protein
Has a lower glycemic index than refined wheat flour
Creates a beautifully tender crumb

Combined with eggs and lemon zest, it produces a cake that feels rich but still fresh and spring-like.

If you love baking with almonds, try my French financiers too (they contain a little wheat flour but can be adapted with a little rice flour).

arial view of chocolate hen sitting on a gluten free easter cake with lemon drizzle and decorated with eggs and lemon macarons

Gluten Free Lemon Cake Recipe

Full recipe instructions are below.
Cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, then fold in the ground almonds, cornflour, baking powder and lemon zest.

Transfer to a greased 23cm (9.5 inch) bundt or savarin tin - or a regular cake tin.

Bake at 180°C (360°F) for 30-40 minutes until golden and a knife inserted comes out clean.

Almond Lemon Easter Cake Method — How to make an almond lemon cake

Cool briefly in the tin, then turn out and drizzle generously with freshly squeezed lemon syrup while still warm.

That's your base cake.

Everything else is optional decoration.

lemon cake shaped like a nest with eggs and chocolate as decorations for Easter

Make it an Easter Nest Cake

For Easter, I shape the cake in a bundt tin and decorate it like a nest with:

Sugared edible flowers
Mini chocolate eggs & a traditional French chocolate hen
Mendiants, decorated with nuts and dried fruits
French macarons

In France, Easter chocolates include hens, bells and fish - not just bunnies. It's quite the parade in chocolateries every spring.

If you'd like more on French Easter traditions,
see my guide to Chocolate Easter in Paris.

finely grating the lemon zest without the white pith underneath

Lemon Zest Tip - How to Remove Wax & Chemicals

As this cake uses lemon zest, unwaxed or organic lemons are best to avoid wax and chemicals. If you only have waxed lemons:

Soak them in warm water for 10-15 minutes with a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda - this helps loosen residues.
Scrub gently under running water with a clean brush and dry thoroughly before zesting.

Nutritionists generally recommend scrubbing rather than relying on soaking alone. This removes surface wax and pesticide residue more effectively.

If lemons are out of season and less fragrant, simply use zest from two instead of one.

Easter nest shaped cake with shiny glaze and a chocolate hen sitting on top with macaron cookies

Decoration - How to Make Edible Sugared Flowers (optional)

Sugared edible flowers are ideal cake decorations for Mother's Day, Easter and birthdays and are simple to prepare:

Choose untreated edible flowers such as primroses or violas.
Lightly brush with egg white.
Sprinkle with caster sugar.
Leave to dry in a cool, dry place.

They'll keep for up to a month.

More Gluten-Free and Lemon Recipes

If you enjoy baking without wheat flour, try my gluten-free buckwheat muffins, caramel macarons (also gluten free), or Scottish gluten-free shortbread.

For gluten-free recipes, try this lemon posset or homemade orange curd.

For more lemon recipes, see the market guide to lemons and limes
and more gluten-free desserts

Gluten Free Lemon Cake

Jill Colonna

A moist gluten free lemon cake with almond flour. Drizzle with a fresh lemon syrup and bake in a bundt tin to make an Easter nest cake or for Mother's Day - otherwise enjoy at any time of year.

5 from 9 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 35

Total Time 1

Course Breakfast, Dessert, teatime

Cuisine British, French

Servings

Calories 311 kcal

Equipment

savarin/bundt tin 23cm/9.5in (non-stick - or a regular greased cake tin)
digital kitchen scales
lemon strainer optional
balloon whisk
cooling rack

Ingredients

175 g (6oz/ ¾ cup) butter, unsalted (softened)
150 g (5.25oz/¾ cup) sugar
4 eggs (organic)
250 g (9oz/ 2¼ cups) ground almonds (almond flour)
2 tablespoon cornflour
2 teaspoon baking powder
1 large lemon, finely grated zest unwaxed/organic (see Notes)

Lemon Syrup for Drizzle

50 g (1.75oz) lemon juice (from the rest of the lemon)
40 g (1.5oz/3 tbsp) sugar

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 180°C/360°F (160°C fan/Gas 4).
Cream together the butter and sugar in a large bowl, either using a balloon whisk or mix together in a mixer until pale, smooth and creamy.
Continue to mix together, gradually adding the eggs, ground almonds, cornflour, baking powder and lemon zest until the batter is smooth.
Pour the mixture into a bundt tin (23cm/9.5-inch), or a greased normal cake tin.
Bake in the oven for about 30-40 minutes or until golden and when a knife inserted comes out clean.

Lemon Syrup

Meanwhile, make the syrup: squeeze out the juice in a bowl via a strainer to sift out the pips then weigh the juice and sugar together in a saucepan. Stir over a medium heat until it thickens slightly for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
Cool the cake in the mould for about 10 minutes then take out of the tin and cool on a wire rack. Drizzle the syrup evenly, all over the cake.

Notes

Storage: Keeps for up to 5 days in an airtight container in a cool place. Freezes well.

Lemon Zest Tip: Use unwaxed or organic lemons if possible, as this cake uses the zest. If using waxed lemons, soak in warm water for 10 minutes with a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda, then scrub under running water and dry well before zesting. Scrubbing helps remove surface wax and residues more effectively than soaking alone.

Decoration (optional): Bake in a bundt tin and decorate as an Easter nest with mini eggs, chocolate, mendiants or macarons (also gluten free). Add sugared edible flowers for Mother's Day or birthdays (details are in the post above).
Remove the decorations and it’s a simple lemon drizzle cake for any time of year.

Measurements: For best results, use digital kitchen scales and weigh ingredients in grams. Cups and ounces are approximate guides only.

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This post was originally published in March 2018 but is now completely updated.

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