This gluten free lemon cake, bursting with lemon taste, has the sleek and fluffy lemon cream topping that tastes like everybody’s favourite Olive Backyard cake!
What makes this cake particular?
Extremely tender and moist white cake with tons of lemon taste, this cake is crammed and topped with mild and vibrant lemon cream frosting. There’s additionally an optionally available lemony crumb topping, identical to the Olive Backyard cake.
The crumb topping is one other step, and it is best to be happy to skip that portion of the recipe. I largely included it for those who actually miss Olive Backyard and wish the total expertise.
There are greater than a pair elements to this cake, significantly with the topping. That is as a result of we have made it from scratch, not like most different copycat lemon cream cake recipes I’ve seen.
what’s in it
Recipe elements
- Gluten free flour: Use one in all my advisable gluten free flour blends right here, including xanthan gum in case your mix does not already comprise it. Make sure you measure by weight, so your measurements are correct. You may want a gluten free flour mix right here, since no single flour like almond flour will work to make this basic lemon cake.
- Salt: Brightens the lemon and different flavors within the cake, balances sweetness.
- Baking powder/baking soda: Add rise and support in browning within the oven.
- Butter: For richness and mouth really feel. We use unsalted butter as a result of it has much less moisture than salted butter and that permits us to manage the quantity of salt within the recipe.
- Sugar: Provides sweetness and tenderness. Do not cut back the sugar or your cake might be dense.
- Egg/egg whites: For construction, rise, and a few richness. We use 1 entire egg and three egg whites so the cake is mild and vibrant in colour.
- Vanilla: Provides depth of taste.
- Milk: For moisture and richness, I desire entire milk right here.
- Lemons: We’d like 3 to 4 lemons complete for each lemon zest and freshly-squeezed lemon juice. Create the zest by finely grating the peel (with out the bitter white half beneath) proper off the lemon. Then minimize the lemons in half, squeeze the juice and pressure out the pits.
Find out how to make gluten free lemon cake
This recipe makes two spherical desserts, which we then assemble into layers with frosting. If you would like to make a single spherical or sq. cake, simply cut back the yield to “4 slices” and use only one pan.
Make the cake batter
- To make the gluten free cake, whisk the dry elements (gluten free flour mix (with xanthan gum), baking powder, baking soda, salt, and loads of lemon zest).
- Cream collectively the butter and sugar first, to include air that can create an open, tender crumb within the oven.
- Add the egg, egg whites, and vanilla, and beat to mix.
- Combine collectively the milk and three tablespoons of freshly-squeezed lemon juice.
- To the blending bowl, add the dry elements in 3 batches and the milk combination in 2 batches, alternating between the moist elements and the dry elements. Beating simply to mix after every addition.
Bake, cool, then brush with lemon juice.
- The cake batter might be fluffy, however fairly thick.
- Divide the batter between the 2 spherical cake pans that you’ve got greased nicely, and clean the tops.
- Bake at 350°F or till a toothpick comes out largely clear (and never moist).
- Let the desserts cool for a couple of minutes, then flip over onto a wire rack and take away pans.
- Brush the bottoms of desserts with 1 tablespoon lemon juice every whereas nonetheless barely heat.
For the (optionally available) crumb topping
If you would like, it’s also possible to make the lemon crumb topping, which is a lightly-colored, extra tender and lemon-flavored model of a brown sugar crumble topping you may discover on a gluten free berry crumble or a gluten free espresso cake.
The crumb topping is simply fabricated from softened butter, vanilla, and contemporary lemon juice combined with confectioners’ sugar and flour right into a comfortable dough. Instead of confectioners’ sugar, it’s also possible to use powdered sugar (which does not have added starch). You may roll out the dough shortly and roughly (perfection shouldn’t be mandatory!), after which bake it till it is simply baked by way of.
Let the baked dough cool for about 10 minutes, after which crumble it in your palms. This a part of the cake is supposed to match the lemon cake crumble that Olive Backyard provides to its lemon cake. It is actually very optionally available, however provides some very nice texture.
Make the lemon cream filling/frosting
That is primarily a cream cheese frosting, not a basic buttercream frosting, however it’s even softer than a cream cheese frosting as a result of it is made with whipped cream as a base.
Beat softened cream cheese and butter along with confectioners’ sugar like a cream cheese frosting, however then fold in contemporary whipped heavy cream. Add lemon juice and lemon zest for that vibrant tangy lemon taste.
Assemble the cake
Like some other layer cake, we start by turning one of many cooled spherical lemon desserts on a cake plate or different serving platter and including about half of the ready lemon cream filling/frosting on prime. Unfold the filling all the way in which to the perimeters, after which prime with the opposite cake, inverted (so the highest of the layer cake is flat).
Frost throughout the edges and prime with the remaining filling, after which add the optionally available crumbled topping to the highest and sides of the cake. Press within the crumbles so that they adhere. Slice and serve!
Frosting choices
The cake has fairly a little bit of lemon taste, so you do not have to serve it with the lemon cream simply to make sure that it tastes, nicely, like lemon cake. There are different choices for frosting and even icing that style nice with this cake.
Swiss meringue buttercream
You’ll be able to’t ever go unsuitable with a Swiss meringue buttercream. The short, foolproof recipe I exploit and advocate is by SugarHero. She does not prepare dinner the sugar, which makes all the pieces a snap! You may as well add some lemon zest to it, or lemon extract.
Find out how to make a easy lemon icing
You’ll be able to at all times make a easy glaze to pour over every particular person slice, or the entire cake. Place 1 cup (115 g) confectioners’ sugar in a medium-size bowl and add about 1 1/2 teaspoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice (or water).
Combine till you will have a really clean, thick paste. Add extra lemon juice till you will have a really thickly pourable glaze.
Add the liquid slowly, as a result of it’s a lot simpler to skinny it than to thicken if when you’ve added an excessive amount of liquid. Pour or spoon the glaze over the cooled cake or every slice earlier than serving.
Find out how to make buttercream frosting
This is the way to make sufficient frosting for a 2 layer cake like this gluten free lemon cake:
- Traditional vanilla buttercream: Beat 16 tablespoons (224 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature till mild and fluffy. Add 4 cups (460 grams) sifted confectioners’ sugar, 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, and beat till well-combined. Add milk by the teaspoonful, at room temperature, till the . That can make about 4 cups of buttercream, simply sufficient for a layer cake.
- Lemon buttercream: The identical as vanilla buttercream, however add 1 teaspoon of contemporary lemon juice instead of vanilla extract and 1 teaspoon of lemon zest.
- Cream cheese frosting: Similar as vanilla buttercream, however as an alternative of 16 tablespoons room temperature unsalted butter, use 8 extra tablespoons unsalted butter and eight ounces of cream cheese, at room temperature. You will want 1/2 to 1 cup extra confectioners’ sugar to make the frosting as agency as it might be with all butter.
Ingredient substitutions
Dairy free
There’s dairy on this recipe in just a few varieties: milk and butter within the cake, butter within the cream filling/frosting, and cream cheese and heavy whipping cream within the filling. I’ve solutions for the way to exchange all of it with non-dairy alternate options—even the frosting.
For the butter in all circumstances, I extremely advocate a vegan butter various. Soften and Miyoko’s Creamery manufacturers are my favorites.
For the milk, any nondairy milk will work. Even water works right here, however milk with some fats makes for a richer, extra tender outcome.
For the cream cheese, Miyoko’s Creamery has a block vegan cream cheese which tastes actually good. Tofutti additionally makes a dairy free cream cheese that is good, however fairly comfortable. You may want extra confectioners’ sugar to get it to agency sufficient to make use of, however it tastes nice.
Egg free
This recipe requires 1 entire egg and three egg whites in order that it is solely made yellow by the lemon. In any other case, it tends to be rather a lot darker yellow. In the event you’d desire, you should utilize 2 entire eggs + 1 egg white as an alternative.
For the entire egg, attempt changing it with one “chia egg” or a “flax egg” (though the flax egg will add a competing taste). For the egg whites, attempt utilizing an equal quantity, by weight, of aquafaba (the brine in a can of unsalted chickpeas).
What gluten free flour mix works greatest on this recipe?
This recipe works particularly nicely with my Higher Than Cup4Cup mix, which is a much less starchy variation of Cup4Cup gluten free flour mix. In the event you do not wish to make that mix, you should utilize Higher Batter or Nicole’s Greatest (however remember to add xanthan gum as indicated within the recipe).
I not advocate utilizing Cup4Cup’s multipurpose mix as an all goal gluten free flour mix. They just lately modified the system to exclude milk powder, and it simply does not carry out the identical any extra.
FAQs
When desserts rise within the oven after which fall as they cool, they are not baked all through. Your oven could also be operating too sizzling, which browned the surface of the cake too shortly, lengthy earlier than the middle had an opportunity to bake sufficient to carry its form because the steam escaped. Subsequent time, use a standalone oven thermometer since most ovens run sizzling, and bake for longer.
I have never tried making these as cupcakes, however it may work. You’ll be able to normally make cupcakes into cake and cake into cupcakes, however you will not at all times get the very best model of both.
After all! Simply observe the directions as written, however you may want to cut back the baking time as a result of baking in a bigger pan means that there’s extra of the batter uncovered to the warmth of the oven always. Begin to verify the desserts at about 22 minutes.
Certain! You should use lime zest instead of lemon zest, and lime juice instead of lemon juice. Similar goes for orange.
leftovers/make forward
Make forward & storage directions
Make forward
I normally make the undecorated spherical lemon desserts forward of time. Simply allow them to cool fully after brushing with lemon juice, wrap tightly, and freeze, after which defrost at room temperature earlier than serving. Do not refrigerate the desserts, although, because the fridge tends to be drying.
In the event you do make the crumb topping, it may be made forward, too. Simply retailer it lined at room temperature for a day, or wrapped very tightly and frozen for weeks, and permit it to come back to room temperature earlier than serving.
The cream filling is sort of a bit softer than a standard buttercream frosting, so I actually do not wish to fill and frost the cake till the day I plan to serve it. Cream cheese frosting is softer than all butter frosting, and folding in whipped cream softens it additional.
Assemble the cake quickly earlier than you serve it, and for those who retailer it within the fridge remember to permit it to sit down at room temperature for at the very least half-hour earlier than serving. Truffles made with butter style dry when chilly.
Storing leftover cake
You probably have leftovers, I like to recommend wrapping every slice individually in a freezer-safe wrap like Glad Press n Seal. Do not press the wrap firmly onto the frosting however cinch it closed tightly.
Freeze in a single layer on a baking sheet, then place in a freezer-safe bag till able to serve. It should preserve within the freezer for as much as 3 months for those who squeeze all of the air out of the bag.
Defrosting frozen slices
You’ll be able to’t microwave frozen cake, as a result of the frosting will soften right into a puddle. Let every slice defrost, nonetheless wrapped tightly, at room temperature. It should defrost inside about 1 hour.
For the desserts
- 2 ½ cups (350 g) all goal gluten free flour mix, please click on via for full data on applicable blends
- ¾ teaspoon xanthan gum, omit in case your mix already incorporates it
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- Finely grated zest of 1 lemon, at the very least 1 tablespoon
- 12 tablespoons (168 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 1 (50 g (weighed out of shell)) massive egg, at room temperature, crushed
- 3 (75 g) egg whites, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup milk, at room temperature
- 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, for the cake batter, at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, for brushing
For the optionally available crumb topping
For the lemon cream filling/frosting
Forestall your display screen from going darkish
First, make the desserts.
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In a big bowl, place the flour mix, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and lemon zest, and whisk to mix nicely. Break up any lumps within the lemon zest.
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Within the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a big bowl with a hand mixer, place the butter and sugar, and beat on medium-high pace till mild and fluffy (about 3 minutes).
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Add the egg, egg whites, and vanilla, and beat on medium-high pace till well-combined.
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Add 3 tablespoons of lemon juice to the milk, and blend to mix.
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Add the dry elements and the milk combination, alternating between the dry elements and milk, and starting and ending with the flour. Beat on medium pace to mix after every addition. The batter might be fluffy however fairly thick.
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Divide the cake batter evenly among the many two ready cake pans and unfold it into a good layer in every.
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Place within the middle of the preheated oven and bake, rotating as soon as, till a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out with just a few moist crumbs connected (about 25 minutes).
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Take away the desserts from the oven and permit to chill within the pans for 10 minutes earlier than inverting onto wire racks to complete cooling.
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As soon as the desserts are on the wire rack, whereas they’re nonetheless heat, use a pastry brush to color the underside of every cake with one of many remaining 2 tablespoons of lemon juice.
Make the (optionally available) crumb topping.
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Whereas the desserts end cooling, make the optionally available crumble topping.
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Place the flour and confectioners’ sugar in a medium-size bowl and whisk to mix nicely. Add the butter, vanilla and lemon juice and blend to mix. The dough might be thick.
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Place the dough between two small sheets of unbleached parchment paper and roll out right into a rectangle about 1/4-inch thick.
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Take away the highest sheet of parchment paper and switch the dough nonetheless on the underside sheet of parchment to a small rimmed baking sheet.
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Place within the middle of the preheated oven and bake for 7 minutes, or till simply starting to brown on the perimeters.
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Take away from the oven and permit to chill on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes earlier than breaking and crumbling into small items. Put aside.
Make the lemon cream filling/frosting.
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Within the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or a big bowl with a hand mixer, place the heavy whipping cream and beat on medium-high pace till stiff peaks kind (about 5 minutes).
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Scrape the whipped cream right into a separate bowl and place it within the fridge to relax.
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In the identical mixer bowl, place the cream cheese and butter and beat (with the paddle attachment if utilizing a stand mixer) till mild and fluffy (about 3 minutes).
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Add the salt and confectioners’ sugar, and beat on low pace till the sugar is absorbed into the cream cheese-butter combination.
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Add the lemon juice and lemon zest, flip the mixer as much as excessive pace and proceed to beat till the frosting is mild and fluffy (about 3 extra minutes).
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Take away the whipped cream from the fridge and fold it into the cream cheese frosting.
Assemble the cake.
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Place one of many cooled 8-inch desserts, nonetheless the wrong way up, within the middle of a serving platter.
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Place about one-half of the lemon cream filling on prime.
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Unfold into a good layer all the way in which as much as the sting of the cake, and prime with the opposite cooled 8-inch cake, nonetheless the wrong way up.
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Brush the uncovered facet of the highest cake with lemon juice and canopy the entire cake, prime and sides, with a really skinny layer of the filling.
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Cowl with the remaining filling on the highest and as a lot of the edges as you want.
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Sprinkle the highest and sides of the cake with the optionally available crumb topping, urgent the crumbs gently into the frosting/filling to stick.
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Chill the cake for 10 minutes to make slicing and serving simpler.
Diet data excludes crumble topping, and consists of lemon cream filling. It’s an estimate for one slice of crammed and frosted layer cake.
Serving: 1slice | Energy: 756kcal | Carbohydrates: 128g | Protein: 8g | Fats: 52g | Saturated Fats: 32g | Polyunsaturated Fats: 2g | Monounsaturated Fats: 13g | Trans Fats: 1g | Ldl cholesterol: 167mg | Sodium: 674mg | Potassium: 176mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 29g | Vitamin A: 1860IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 166mg | Iron: 0.3mg
Diet data is routinely calculated, so ought to solely be used as an approximation.
