Pillowy, moist, tender, and effortless to make in under an hour! Top this one-bowl gluten-free lemon poppy seed cake with silky less-sweet cream cheese frosting for a bright and balanced dessert.
Find more gluten-free cake recipes here!
There's a reason lemon and poppy seeds are a classic combination. Lemon's bright citrus notes complement poppy seeds' nutty, floral flavor. And when the two meet in moist and tender cake batter, magic happens.
I originally shared this gluten-free lemon poppy seed cake recipe on social media in collaboration with La Tourangelle a couple of years ago. It became a favorite in my kitchen as well as some of my readers, so I'm giving it a home here on TBG!
This cake could hardly be easier to make. The batter is whisked up in a single bowl and baked in a pan in under an hour. It's a casual cake that's quick to whip up on a weeknight. It makes enough to share with a small gathering or family but it doubles easily to feed a crowd.
As with all of my recipes, I use a blend of gluten-free flours to add big flavor and create the perfect fluffy & tender texture without the use of any gums. You can find more info about baking with alternative grains and flours in my cookbook.
Now let's make GF lemon poppy seed cake!
Ingredients & Substitution Suggestions
Gluten-Free Flours
A blend of GF flours gives this GF lemon poppy seed cake a lofty texture and plush, tender crumb. I've included substitution suggestions; it's always best to sub by weight when it comes to GF flours! This is the kitchen scale I use.
- Sweet rice flour makes the cake lofty and cohesive.
- sub GF AP blend (such as Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1)
- Millet flour adds buttery flavor and whole grain goodness.
- sub sorghum flour
- Oat flour adds tenderness and a bit of earthy flavor.
- sub sorghum flour
- Tapioca flour makes the cake bake up light and fluffy!
- sub arrowroot flour
Other Ingredients
- Lemon zest and juice add bright citrus notes. I love using Meyer lemons for their sunny, floral flavor but regular lemons are lovely here too. Or use half lemons and half tangerines for Meyer lemon-ish flavor!
- Sugar sweetens the cake and adds moisture. I used organic granulated sugar here. For refined sugar-free, sub by weight maple sugar or coconut sugar (the cake will be darker if you use coconut sugar).
- Oil adds moisture and keeps the cake soft and tender even when chilled. I used grape seed oil here, but sunflower or mild olive oil work well too.
- Sour cream adds richness, tanginess, and the acidity affects the texture of the cake too. You can use crème fraîche, Greek yogurt (the cake will be slightly less rich/moist), or for dairy-free use rich coconut yogurt or DF sour cream.
- Baking powder and baking soda add lift.
- Salt sharpens the flavors.
- Poppy seeds add a bit of crunch and a beguiling nutty/floral flavor. You can leave them off for a simple GF lemon cake!
How to Make GF Lemon Poppy Seed Cake
This cake is made using just 1 bowl and a whisk or spatula. The recipe takes about 10 minutes of prep and 35 minutes to bake, meaning it can be in and out of the oven in under an hour.
This recipe makes enough batter for one 8-inch square cake which can be cut into 9 squares or 12 smaller slices. The batter can also be baked in a loaf pan, a 9-inch round pan (or 8-inch round for a thicker cake), or in 10-ish muffin tins for cupcakes.
To feed a crowd, double the batter and bake it in a 9x12-inch pan, multiple layers, or a bundt pan.
Lemon Poppy Seed Cake for Everyone
Whether you need to avoid gluten, dairy, refined sugar, or all of the above, this cake is for you! It's lovely alongside a cup of tea or coffee for a dessert or afternoon snack.
One time I doubled the recipe and divided it between three 8-inch round pans. I brushed each baked layer with limoncello liqueur and layered the cake with cream cheese frosting. It made a festive layer cake for a family member's birthday party. The cake was a huge hit and nobody could believe it was GF!
Whether you make this gluten-free lemon poppy seed cake to share at a gathering or just for yourself, I hope you love it as much as we do!
Bojon appétit! For more Bojon Gourmet in your life, follow along on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest, purchase my gluten-free cookbook Alternative Baker, or subscribe to receive new posts via email. And if you make this gluten-free lemon poppy seed cake, I’d love to know. Leave a comment and star rating below, and tag your Instagram snaps @The_Bojon_Gourmet and #bojongourmet.
Lofty Gluten-Free Lemon Poppy Seed Cake
Print Recipe Pin RecipeIngredients
Wet Ingredients
- ¾ cup (150 g) organic granulated sugar*
- zest of 2 large lemons (Meyer or regular)
- 2 large eggs
- 6 tablespoons neutral oil (grape seed, sunflower, or mild olive oil)
- 2 tablespoons strained fresh lemon juice
- ½ cup (115 g) sour cream, crème fraiche, or Greek yogurt*
Dry Ingredients
- ½ cup (78 g) sweet rice flour* (Mochiko)
- ½ cup (65 g) millet flour* (Bob's Red Mill)
- ½ cup (50 g) GF oat flour* (Bob's Red Mill)
- 2 tablespoons (14 g) tapioca flour* (Bob's Red Mill)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
For Serving
Instructions
- Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350ºF.
- Line an 8-inch square pan with parchment paper on all sides.
- In a large, deep bowl, rub the lemon zest into the sugar until the sugar feels damp.
- Whisk in the eggs to combine, then whisk in the oil, sour cream, and lemon juice until smooth.
- Place a strainer over the bowl and sift in the sweet rice, millet, oat, and tapioca flours with the baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Whisk until combined, then whisk in the poppy seeds.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread smooth.
- Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, 30-35 minutes.
- Let the cake cool to room temperature, 1-2 hours. Turn the cake out, peel away the parchment, and place the cake upright on a serving platter or board.
- Spread the cake with the frosting, decorate the top with poppy seeds, lemon zest, or lemon slices, and serve!
Notes
- Sugar: sub maple sugar or (for a darker cake) coconut sugar
- Sour cream: sub rich coconut yogurt such as Culina or Cocojune, or plant-based sour cream (for dairy-free)
- Sweet rice flour: sub GF AP blend (such as Bob's 1 to 1)
- Millet flour: sub sorghum flour
- Oat flour: sub sorghum flour
- Tapioca flour: sub arrowroot flour
- Frosting: sub vegan cream cheese frosting for dairy-free or paleo cream cheese frosting for DF & refined sugar-free
- The cake can be made up to 2 days ahead. Store at cool room temperature or refrigerate.
- The frosting can be made up to 3 days ahead. Refrigerate until needed, then soften to room temperature before serving.
- Frosted cake can be stored airtight for up to 4 days in the fridge.
- Bake a single recipe in an 8x8-inch pan, a 9-inch round pan, 10-ish muffin cups, or a 8x4 or 9x5-inch loaf pan.
- Double the recipe and bake in three 8-inch pans, two 9-inch pans, one 9x12-inch pan, or in a bundt pan.
- Double the cake recipe and divide it between three 8-inch round pans (or two 9-inch pans) lined on the bottoms with parchment.
- Shorten the baking time as needed.
- Brush the baked cake layers with limoncello liqueur.
- Double or triple the cream cheese frosting and use it to spread between the layers and to decorate the cake.
- Lemon cake decorating inspo can be found in my paleo lemon cake recipe post!
Satpreet says
Made this yesterday! It was so light and airy and moist, even without the cream cheese frosting!
Thank you for another great recipe!
Alanna Taylor-Tobin says
Aw I'm so glad you liked it! Thanks for trying my recipe and for the kind note!
Gloriana says
Really good! Excellent texture and moist, with just the perfect amount of sweetness.
Alanna Taylor-Tobin says
Oh I'm so glad you liked it! Thanks very much for the note. Feel free to add a star rating if you like! It helps others find and make the recipe :)
Gloriana says
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Alanna Taylor-Tobin says
Aw thank you so much!!
Galen says
Delicious! It really comes together quickly. The less-sweet cream cheese frosting is delicious, too, and easy with a stand mixer. It’s all so light and fresh tasting. Lemon poppyseed is one of my favorites and this version is superb.
Alanna Taylor-Tobin says
Aw I'm so glad you love it. Thanks a bunch for the note and rating!
Laurie says
I am currently learning to make cake, this GF lemon poppy seed cake recipe is great!
Alanna Taylor-Tobin says
So glad it was a hit!
Alene says
Hi! I can't even have Bob's 1 to 1 as it has rice flour in it. Cassava? Or just forget about making it? I an actually getting a blood test soon to check if there's any arsenic left in my bloodstream. I haven't had a drop of rice in any form in a year or two, whenever it started. Hope you are well!
Alanna Taylor-Tobin says
Oh amazing, please let me know what the results are. I'll be crossing fingers and toes for you!
For the cake, I did develop a grain-free lemon cake with cassava and coconut flours (you could add in poppy seeds if you like!) You could definitely try cassava here in place of sweet rice, or a rice-free AP blend that you like. I'm actually curious what almond flour would do; maybe swap in some almond flour and more tapioca?
As always, please LMK what you experiment with!
Amelia says
Love this recipe!!! Made it a few weeks ago and haven’t stopped thinking about it despite your temptations with macaroons and rhubarb cakes. It’s easy to make and so delicious, one of those things I’ll bake to share but it hurts to give away because I actually want all of it for myself. Thank you for sharing!!!
Alanna Taylor-Tobin says
Aw I'm so glad you love it A. Thanks for trying my recipe and for the sweet note! I also totally know that feeling – the struggle is real lol!
Krista says
I’ve haven’t made this exact recipe, but I’ve used the base numerous times in different variations. Blueberry lemon muffins, raspberry rose tea cakes, lavender earl grey cake. The cake is moist and airy which is hard to accomplish gf. I have consistent results with this recipe each time. Highly recommend!!
Alanna Taylor-Tobin says
Hi Krista,
Oh wow, those flavors sound AMAZING - totally up my alley. If you want to share any of your modifications here, I'd love to see! In any case, I'm so glad you love this cake base. I've wanted to share some more recipes that use it, so this is a good nudge. Thanks a bunch for the sweet note!
-Alanna
Chelsea says
Thanks for your fantastic recipes! I use them in the food co-op bakery where I work and they're always a hit! I try to make things gluten free and vegan when I can- do you think I could successfully use flax eggs instead of the eggs? Thanks!!!
Alanna Taylor-Tobin says
Hi Chelsea,
Aw I'm so honored that you use my recipes at your co-op! Which recipes have you made and which co-op is it?
You could definitely give flax egg a try here. Sometimes they make gluten-free baked goods kinda gummy, and other times they work great! You might try testing a half batch first to see how you like it. Other things to try are applesauce, aquafaba, or (if you have access to it and if it's affordable) Just Egg. One of my egg-free readers says she likes to use a combination of egg replacers, for example some applesauce and some flax egg.
Please let me know what you try and how it goes!
-A
Chelsea says
Awesome yeah that's what I've found too that it just depends on the recipe! Thanks your recommendations are really helpful, I'll try those out. I always at least quadrouple the recipes and make minor changes and they still turn out great. I'll just have to experiment with a smaller batch first.
The co-op is Maple City Market in Goshen, IN. We're small but prioritize delicious healthy foods! Honestly your blog has the tastiest dependable gluten-free recipes I've ever found, I can read your recipes for hrs lol. I regularly make a version of your rhubarb almond flour cake, tahini oat chocolate chip cookies (LOVE these), and we'll soon have vegan gf tarts on the regular. Today I made raspberry coconut tarts inspired by your cookbook recipe (just posted a photo of this on my farm Instagram account @joyfarm23), I used maple syrup & coconut sugar and was delishh! Love your almond scones and banana buckwheat pancakes too and can't wait to try a million more of your recipes. Your gf flour guide is amazing as well. THANK YOU Alanna for all your hardwork!
Alanna Taylor-Tobin says
Ok those tarts look glorious! That's great to know that the recipe works well with maple and coconut sugar – brilliant.
Awwww I'm so glad you're enjoying all of these recipes - many of my favorites too. Thanks so much for the sweet note, and happy baking to you!
Gretchen says
I made this recipe a few months ago and it was a hit. I chose to skip the poppy seeds and doubled the recipe in 9 inch cake pans. I had some lemon curd that turned out a little sweeter than I hoped. But I still wanted to use it as a filling. So I chose unsweetened whipped cream (thickened with creme Fraiche) as the frosting. It went to a pot luck with me, and some people had 2 slices. Thanks for all your work Alanna.
Alanna Taylor-Tobin says
I'm so glad the cake was a hit! Good call on pairing the sweet curd with the less-sweet creme fraiche whip, that's exactly what I would have recommended. Thanks so much for the note and rating!