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Gluten-Free Vegan Lemon Drizzle Cake

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This Gluten-Free Vegan Lemon Drizzle Cake is easy to make, elegantly simple and incredibly delicious. It’s moist and fluffy, perfectly tangy and refined sugar free.

Photo of lemon cake on a cake stand with a spoon drizzling syrup over it

Why you’ll love this Lemon Drizzle Cake

If you’re looking for a truly undetectably vegan and gluten-free, look no further! It’s:

  • moist and fluffy
  • rich and buttery
  • bright and citrusy 
  • seriously moreish
  • just as delicious as its conventional counterpart
  • perfect for birthdays and other occasions!

Photo taken from above of cake batter in a glass mixing bowl

It’s made in one bowl and uses simple ingredients, which can easily be adapted to suit your needs:

  • you can use any type of oil: coconut oil, olive oil or vegetable oil
  • you can use any type of plant-based milk: almond milk, rice milk, soy milk, cashew milk, oat milk etc
  • you can use any type of liquid sweetener: maple syrup, agave syrup, brown rice syrup etc
  • you can substitute the ground almonds (almond meal/almond flour) with ground walnuts
  • for a nut-free version: substitute the ground almonds (almond meal/almond flour) with ground sunflower seeds or use 30g (1/4 cup) coconut flour instead of 150g (1 1/4 cup) ground almonds
  • you can use plain flour, wholemeal (whole wheat) flour or spelt flour instead of the gluten-free flour if you’re not gluten-free.

Photo of a lemon cake with a slice taken out of it on a blue cake stand with a bright pink background

Tips for making this Lemon Drizzle Cake

  • Make sure to use the right amount of baking powder – 2 heaped teaspoons! Use too little baking powder and your sponge won’t be fluffy, too much and it’ll have a bitter taste.
  • Make sure to use lemon juice as well as lemon zest for optimum lemon flavour. If you like a sharper lemon flavour, you may need to double the amount of lemon juice and lemon zest.
  • Make sure to use an all-purpose shop-bought gluten-free flour blend (or a homemade gluten-free flour blend), as opposed to just using any type of gluten-free flour you can find (such as almond flour, coconut flour, buckwheat flour etc).

As delicious as the sponge is, the main highlight (as with any other Lemon Drizzle Cake situation) is the drizzle! I used a simple 2-ingredient mixture of lemon juice and maple syrup, which works really well to lock in the moisture, and works to add extra sweetness and citrus aroma.

Tip: The trick to getting the full potential out of the drizzle is to pour it over the cake as soon as it’s out of the oven. The heat will help the sponge soak up all the flavour and keeps it extra moist. It may seem like a lot of liquid at the time, but it will all be absorbed into the sponge.

Photo taken from above of a lemon cake on a blue cake stand decorated with flowers around it

EQUIPMENT YOU NEED TO MAKE THIS Lemon Drizzle Cake:

How long does this Lemon Drizzle Cake keep for?

I found that this cake tastes best eaten on the day or day after it was made – just be sure to wait for it to cool completely before cutting, though! Any longer than that, it tasted best reheated in a dry frying pan or the microwave.

More gluten-free vegan cakes:

If you try out this recipe or anything else from my blog, I’d really love to hear any feedback! Please give it a rating, leave a comment, or tag a photo @rhiansrecipes #rhiansrecipes on Instagram! Thank you.

Photo of lemon cake on a cake stand with a spoon drizzling syrup over it

Gluten-Free Vegan Lemon Drizzle Cake

This Gluten-Free Vegan Lemon Drizzle Cake is easy to make, elegantly simple and incredibly delicious. 
4.54 from 30 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American, British
Keyword: gluten-free lemon drizzle cake, healthy vegan lemon cake, vegan lemon cake, vegan lemon drizzle cake
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 8
Calories: 315kcal

Ingredients

Metric - US Customary

For the cake:

  • 60 g coconut oil (or sub olive or vegetable oil)
  • 200 ml unsweetened almond milk (or any other plant-based milk)
  • 4 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons lemon zest
  • 8 tablespoons maple syrup (or sub any other sweetener)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Pinch of salt
  • 150 g ground almonds (almond meal) *
  • 150 g gluten-free flour blend (or sub plain flour if not gluten-free)
  • 2 heaped teaspoons baking powder (ensure gluten-free if necessary)
  • 1/4 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)

For the syrup:

  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 4 tablespoons maple syrup

Instructions

For the cake:

  • Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit)
  • Place the coconut oil in a large bowl and melt over a saucepan of boiling water or in the microwave (skip this step if using any other oil)
  • Once melted, add the milk to the same bowl along with the lemon juice, lemon zest, maple syrup, vanilla, salt and ground almonds
  • Sift in the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda
  • Mix well, adding a tiny splash more milk if it’s looking too dry
  • Transfer mixture into a greased baking tin lined with baking paper (I used a 7inch/18cm springform baking tin)
  • Bake in oven for around 30 minutes until risen and golden brown and an inserted skewer comes out clean

For the syrup:

  • Whilst the cake it baking, mix together the lemon juice and maple syrup
  • Drizzle it over the cake as soon as it's out of the oven - it will soak into the cake better when it's hot
  • Be sure to wait for the cake to cool completely before cutting
  • This cake tasted best eaten on the day it was made, and leftovers taste best reheated in a dry frying pan or the microwave

Notes

*You can alternatively use almond flour

TIPS FOR MAKING THIS LEMON DRIZZLE CAKE

  • If you like a sharper lemon flavour, you may need to double the amount of lemon juice and lemon zest.
  • Make sure to use an all-purpose shop-bought gluten-free flour blend (or a homemade gluten-free flour blend), as opposed to just using any type of gluten-free flour you can find (such as almond flour, coconut flour, buckwheat flour etc).
  • Pour the syrup over the cake as soon as it’s out of the oven. The heat will help the sponge soak up all the flavour and keeps it extra moist. It may seem like a lot of liquid at the time, but it will all be absorbed into the sponge.
I found that this cake tastes best eaten on the day or day after it was made – just be sure to wait for it to cool completely before cutting, though! Any longer than that, it tasted best reheated in a dry frying pan or the microwave.
Nutrition Facts
Gluten-Free Vegan Lemon Drizzle Cake
Amount Per Serving
Calories 315 Calories from Fat 153
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 17g 26%
Saturated Fat 7g 35%
Sodium 69mg 3%
Potassium 100mg 3%
Total Carbohydrates 37g 12%
Dietary Fiber 3g 12%
Sugars 19g
Protein 5g 10%
Vitamin C 7.6%
Calcium 12.6%
Iron 7.3%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Made the recipe?Tag @rhiansrecipes on instagram and use the hashtag #rhiansrecipes!

Disclosure: This posts contains affiliate links to Amazon. If you click through and purchase any of the products, a small percentage will come to me, with no extra cost to you! This income will go towards the running of this blog – thank you.

This Gluten-Free Vegan Lemon Drizzle Cake is easy to make, elegantly simple and refined sugar free. Perfect for birthdays, Easter, Mother's Day, brunch and baby showers. #vegan #glutenfree #dairyfree #eggfree #baking #lemon #dessert #cake
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Reader Interactions

Comments

    • Hi Emily, thank you! I think using oat flour or ground pumpkin seeds in place of the ground almonds could work, but I haven’t tested either of these so can’t guarantee results unfortunately…please let me know if you try anything out! Thank you

  2. What milk do you recommend? Almond milk? Coconut milk? etc. Any preferences for milk to use in your other cake recipes? Thanks!

    Reply

  3. Thank you! I tried this cake with coconut milk and it didn’t work – the cake was brown and crumbly on the outside but gooey on the inside and bottom, even though I extended the cooking time. If I try it again, I will definitely try almond milk instead.

    Reply

    • Ah thank you for sharing! So sorry to hear it didn’t work out! Did you use coconut milk from a carton or the thick, creamy stuff from a tin? If it was the coconut milk from a carton it should work. Perhaps there was another problem? Happy to help you troubleshoot 🙂

  4. Hm, it was from a carton, but it was pretty creamy. I guess it was not the right kind. I’m new to dairy-free baking so I’m really not familiar with all of these ingredients. I’ll try almond milk next time.

    Reply

  5. Great recipe! Someone mentioned a nut allergy – I tried with this with pumpkin seeds as recommended (I didn’t have almonds in the cupboard) and it worked really well

    Reply

  6. Anyone tried it with an alternative flour – e.g. coconut flour? ( maybe mixed with tapioca starch)
    I’d prefer to do it completely grain free

    Reply

  8. Just cooked this for our staff morning tea to cater for various dietary requirements. I was nervous as my previous gluten-free cooking attempts have been horrible. I am pleased to report this recipe was delicious, and everyone was very complementary. I used rice bran oil, maple syrup, almond milk, ground almond-meal and corn flour. Next time I will add in more lemon zest to give it a bit more lemony zing.

    Reply

  9. Made this for my daughters birthday today and followed the recipe exactly, it turned out wet, heavy and barely lemony. It was really expensive to make and was just terrible. Everyone said it was ok but nobody finished more than a one bite.

    Reply

    • Hi Sally, I’m so sorry to hear that and understand it must’ve been so annoying. May I ask what types of flour were in your gluten-free flour blend? Thank you for your feedback.

    • This was by far the best vegan and gluten-free cake recipe I have ever used. It was truly undistinguishable from standard baking. We taste tested the mixture throughout and added 1/2 an extra lemon in the end which was common sense as lemons vary in their strength/flavour/size/variety. My housemates devoured the cake in minutes! I now need to make another tomorrow! And it was CHHEEAAPP.

  10. I made this cake for my daughter’s birthday. I made a double batch and two layers – one 9-inch and one 8-inch round. I added a vegan lemon buttercream frosting and made a beautiful mandala circular design of cut strawberries, blueberries and raspberries on each layer. Absolutely delicious and gorgeous! Thank you so much for a great recipe!

    Reply

  12. This is the best vegan and gluten-free cake any of my flatmates and I have ever tasted! We had some mixture left over and it made great cupcakes too! They took 20mins in the oven and were just as delicious as the cake. We also added 1/2 teaspoon of Xanthan gum to the recipe which generally helps with gluten-free baking and the result was fantastic! Thankyou!

    Reply

    • Hi Alex, thank you so much for sharing, so glad you liked it! Cupcakes sound like a good idea too 🙂 and I’m sure other readers will find the comment about xanthan gum helpful! Thanks!

  17. Oooo just made this cake for my sons birthday tomorrow hope I can wait till then before testing it!?
    Think I will decorate with some vegan butter icing .
    Fingers crossed😬
    Suzi

    Reply

  20. This is the most delicious lemon drizzle i have EVER made! I served it to non vegans and they were shocked and asked for the recipe. So moist and soft and absolutely delicious. Thanks Rhian!

    Reply

  22. Hello! Just trying this recipe today for my dad. It’s actually in the oven right now. But I’m not sure it’s gonna work, the texture of the mixture came out super dry, I did try to add more milk, but since I don’t exactly know how it’s supposed to be, I don’t know if it was enough. Can anyone tell me how’s supposed to look before putting it in the oven? Thank you!

    Reply

    • Hi, thank you so much for sharing! I’m not sure why the mixture came out so dry, it is supposed to be quite liquidy – more so than a normal cake. What type of gluten-free flour did you use? So sorry you’ve had a problem with it and hope we can sort it out!

    • I used whole wheat flour. Is that the reason? Do you have an idea to make it better? I still have the same ingredients on hand and would like to try again tonight.

    • Ok, so the idea is to make a cake with no white flour (that’s the reason I used whole wheat) and sugar-free. Not necessarily needs to be vegan. And I can’t find a recipe like it. Sorry to have so many questions, I’m new to this kind of cooking, but I really want to bake something for my dad. Thanks again!

  23. i made this on the weekend and it turned out really well i actually used half oat flour,seed flours and it worked really well. thankyou so much for this recipe

    Reply

  24. Made this for a quick dessert. It turned out great! Way better than I expected! I used a brown rice flour mix and 3/4 tsp xanthan gum, soy milk, canola oil. Everything else’s was the same. Baked it in an 8×8 glass pan. I baked it closer to 45 minutes with a tin foil tent over it. (I am cooking it in an oven on a fishing boat and have less precise control over temp). Will be trying more cake recipes from you in the near future!! This is the first GF AND egg free cake I’ve made successfully (I usually end up just using eggs to make a good cake) Super excited it turned out and it was so easy. Thank you so much!!

    Reply

  25. I just made this, with a gluten free flour blend adapted from another recipe, fingers crossed, I hope it works out well. I added about a teaspoon of chia seeds, too because I didn’t have any poppy seeds on hand and wanted that kind of look in the lemon cake, so I will update with how it turns out, the batter, was quite thick, which worried me a little, time will tell.

    Reply

    • Thank you so much for sharing – chia seeds do act as a thickener so might need some extra milk so that the texture doesn’t get too thick. Hope it turns out ok. Would love to hear how you got on. Thank you!

  28. Hi! Do you think it would work to freeze it after I’ve poured in the drizzle? Im going to make it into a layer cake and I always frost my cakes when they are frozen. Excited to try this!

    Reply

  29. hello Rhian….WOWSA is all I can say. I was really nervous about baking this as most GF recipes that I’ve made have been mostly throw away worthy. I made this as a test cake, I used some leftover hazelnut meal and did everything else exactly per the recipe. Even my husband who is not a lemony anything fan said it was really good, he’s now eating his second piece. I will make another one tomorrow with white almond meal and taking it to a party. Can’t wait to see/hear the reactions. Thank you again and I now I’m looking forward to GF baking.

    Reply

    • I’m so sorry to hear that but thank you for the feedback. The taste of baking powder can really vary between brands, some I have used have a strong taste of baking powder. One of my favourites is Dove’s Farm baking powder which doesn’t taste of it at all!

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