• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
The Bojon Gourmet logo
  • Recipes
    • Appetizers
    • Breakfast & Brunch
    • Desserts
    • Dips & Spreads
    • Drinks
    • Main Courses
    • Salads
    • Sauces & Dressings
    • Side Dishes
    • Soups
    • Recipe Finder
    • Recipe Index
  • About
    • In the Press
    • Learn with Me
    • Work With Me
    • Portfolio
  • Cookbook
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Cookbook
  • In the Press
  • Learn with Me
  • Work With Me
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home / Desserts

    Lofty Gluten-Free Lemon Poppy Seed Cake

    Published Jan 14, 2023

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Pillowy, moist, tender, and effortless to make in under an hour! Top this one-bowl GF lemon poppy seed cake with silky less-sweet cream cheese frosting for a bright and balanced dessert.

    Find more gluten-free cake recipes here!

    Look at that plush and tender crumb!

    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!

    Cake ingredients are arranged prettily on a gray plaster surface.
    INGREDIENTS: lemon zest & juice, sugar, sour cream, poppy seeds, oil, GF flours (sweet rice, millet, oat, tapioca), baking powder, baking soda, salt, eggs

    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!
    Lemon cake has been decorated with lemon wheels and poppy seeds and cut into 9 squares for the nomming.

    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.

    Vibrant lemon zest sits atop a bowl of sugar
    Grate the lemons directly into the sugar.
    A hand is rubbing the sugar and lemon zest together
    Rub with your fingertips until the sugar feels moist and clumpy to distribute the lemon oils. This makes the cake extra flavorful!
    The eggs and lemon sugar are side by side in a bowl
    Combine the lemon sugar with the eggs in a large bowl.
    The eggs and lemon sugar have been whisked together in a bowl
    Whisk to combine
    Oil is being poured into the bowl.
    Whisk in the oil, sour cream, and lemon juice until combined.
    cake batter is being stirred with a hand
    Sift in the flours. leavening, and salt, and stir or whisk to combine.
    poppyseeds are being whisked into the batter with a sexy swirl
    Whisk in the poppy seeds.
    closeup of the baked cake showing its airy crumb
    Spread the batter into an 8-inch square pan and bake for 30-35 minutes.
    icing is starting to be spread over the cake.
    Let cool completely, then remove from the pan.
    A hand is spreading creamy frosting over the cake in a satisfying swirl
    Spread with cream cheese frosting deliciousness.
    side view of a slice of moist gluten-free lemon poppy seed cake
    Decorate with poppy seeds, cut into squares, and serve!

    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!

    A square slice of cake has been cut into with a fork showing off its moist crumb

    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.

    two slices of lemon cake are on a gray plate on their side showing off their sexy layers of cake and icing
    Lemon poppy seed goodness!
    5 from 6 votes

    Lofty Gluten-Free Lemon Poppy Seed Cake

    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Pillowy, moist, tender, and effortless to make in under an hour! Top this one-bowl GF lemon poppy seed cake with my less-sweet cream cheese frosting for a bright and balanced dessert.
    Alanna Taylor-Tobin
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 35 minutes
    Total: 45 minutes
    Servings: 9 servings

    Ingredients

    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

    • 1 recipe less-sweet cream cheese frosting*

    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

    *Substitutions (sub by weight for best results):
    • 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
    Make ahead:
    • 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. 
    Pan sizes:
    • 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.
    Lemon Poppy Seed Layer Cake:
    • 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!
    Making this? I'd love to see!Tag your snaps @The_Bojon_Gourmet and #bojongourmet!

    You might also like...

    Cakes & CupcakesDessertsMillet flourOat FlourSweet Rice FlourTapioca flourDairy-FreeGluten-FreeRefined Sugar-FreeSpringWinterLemon
    « Gluten-Free Lemon Tart with Almond Flour Crust
    Oatmeal Teff Chocolate Chip Cookies (GF) »

    Get new recipes by email

    Please wait...

    Thanks for subscribing!

    the cover of the award-winning cookbook, Alternative Baker

    Hungry for more?

    Alternative Baker celebrates the unique tastes and textures of 14 gluten-free flours, from buckwheat flour to almond flour to sorghum and coconut! This cookbook will fill your kitchen with sweet treats that burst with flavor every month of the year.

    Learn more and find out where to buy →

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Satpreet says

      January 18, 2023 at 10:33 am

      Made this yesterday! It was so light and airy and moist, even without the cream cheese frosting!

      Thank you for another great recipe!

      Reply
      • Alanna Taylor-Tobin says

        January 20, 2023 at 9:10 am

        Aw I'm so glad you liked it! Thanks for trying my recipe and for the kind note!

        Reply
    2. Gloriana says

      January 20, 2023 at 8:13 am

      Really good! Excellent texture and moist, with just the perfect amount of sweetness.

      Reply
      • Alanna Taylor-Tobin says

        January 20, 2023 at 9:09 am

        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 :)

        Reply
    3. Gloriana says

      January 20, 2023 at 11:21 am

      ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

      Reply
      • Alanna Taylor-Tobin says

        January 21, 2023 at 8:54 am

        Aw thank you so much!!

        Reply
    4. Galen says

      January 29, 2023 at 1:10 pm

      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.

      Reply
      • Alanna Taylor-Tobin says

        January 31, 2023 at 3:34 pm

        Aw I'm so glad you love it. Thanks a bunch for the note and rating!

        Reply
    5. Laurie says

      March 14, 2023 at 12:16 am

      I am currently learning to make cake, this GF lemon poppy seed cake recipe is great!

      Reply
      • Alanna Taylor-Tobin says

        March 14, 2023 at 4:35 pm

        So glad it was a hit!

        Reply

    Leave a comment and rating Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Rate this recipe after you've made it:




    Primary Sidebar

    Welcome

    Alanna Taylor-Tobin smiling and holding her cookbook, Alternative Baker

    I'm Alanna, a recovering pastry chef-turned food photographer, stylist, videographer, and award-winning cookbook author. The Bojon Gourmet is a celebration of the sweet, savory, and occasionally boozy recipes that I create in my San Francisco kitchen. About →

    Get new recipes by email

    Please wait...

    Thanks for subscribing!

    the front cover of Alternative Baker, a cookbook by Alanna Taylor-Tobin, winner of the IACP Cookbook Awards

    My cookbook, Alternative Baker, contains 100+ recipes featuring corn, oat, chestnut, almond, buckwheat, sorghum, and other gluten-free flours. Find out where to get your copy! →

    Fresh from the blog

    Coconut Bacon Recipe

    4-Ingredient Vegan Coconut Flake Bacon

    Oatmeal Teff Chocolate Chip Cookies (GF)

    Gluten-Free Lemon Tart with Almond Flour Crust

    Soft and Chewy Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies with Brown Butter and Flaky Salt

    Soft & Chewy Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

    Footer

    Instagram

    Is quiche pie? I hope so because it's #piday and Is quiche pie? 

I hope so because it's #piday and I'm sharing this cheesy spinach & leek quiche in a flaky gluten-free crust! 

The trick to getting a crisp crust is 
1. parbake the crust before adding the filling
2. brush the crust with egg white – this creates a barrier between the crisp crust and custardy filling
3. bake on the lower rack of the oven (preferably on a pizza stone if you've got one)

You'll get a golden, crisp bottom crust that keeps well for a couple of days in the fridge. 

Quiche filling & crust recipe linked @the_bojon_gourmet 

Happy #pieday my friends! 

https://bojongourmet.com/gluten-free-quiche/
    Next up for #piday: luscious GF & vegan chocolate Next up for #piday: luscious GF & vegan chocolate pie! 🍫

This recipe starts with a GF graham cracker crust (bonus points if you make it with my GF teff grahams!) 

Next add a creamy chocolate filling made in a blender with peanut butter (or cashew butter, almond butter, hazelnut butter, or tahini) 

Pipe the top with cashew cream and shower with chocolate shavings and graham crumbles. 

Recipe linked @the_bojon_gourmet 
https://bojongourmet.com/vegan-chocolate-pie-gluten-free/

#chocolatepie #veganbombs #plantbaseddesserts #pieday #veganpie #veganpies
    Counting down to #piday (3.14) with this GF & vega Counting down to #piday (3.14) with this GF & vegan key lime number. 💚

This no-bake pie tastes so fresh and bright. There's a toasty crust laced with cinnamon, coconut, and macadamia nuts. The creamy cashew filling is toe-curlingly tangy and just sweet enough. 

Both components are made in a blender with just a few minutes of active time and the pie keeps like a dream for days. 

Recipe linked @the_bojon_gourmet 

#keylimepie #plantbasedfoods #glutenfreepie #nobakedessert #paleodessert #f52farmstand 

https://bojongourmet.com/vegan-key-lime-pie-paleo/
    Twas a good week for cookies - but not much else! Twas a good week for cookies - but not much else! 

I had a pinched nerve in my ribs which felt like being stabbed in the side with a knife - so painful! This was probably caused by some overzealous (on my part) chiropractic work that had unintended consequences. 

Thank goodness for muscle relaxants and non-force chiros, I'm feeling much better after a very painful ~10 days! 

In other news, COOKIES. These oatmeal teff chocolate chip cookies were a late addition to my book, and I shared them on TBG 7 (!) years ago. 

I've been craving these cookies lately and wanted to see if they could be made refined sugar-free with coconut sugar (they can!) and I made some updates to the post body as well. 

Love love love the butterscotchy flavor of teff here, which pairs beautifully with chewy oats, toasty walnuts, and bittersweet chocolate. When perfectly underbaked, these stay moist and chewy for days. Or chill the dough balls and bake them off to order for warm, fresh cookies every day. Bojon appétit!

Recipe linked @the_bojon_gourmet. 
https://bojongourmet.com/gluten-free-oatmeal-teff-chocolate-chip-cookies-cookie-mix-gift-in-a-jar/

#teff #teffflour #glutenfreecookies #alternativeflours #alternativebakerbook #alternativebaking
    Wishing everyone a sweet and snuggly day 💞

💘Beet-tinted ombré cream cheese frosting for all-natural GF red velvet cake 
💘Zeppo & Hank adorableness

Cake recipe linked @the_bojon_gourmet 

Cat lovers here until purrther notice 😸😸

https://bojongourmet.com/gluten-free-red-velvet-cake-natural/

#valentinesday2023 #lovecatsforever #redvelvetcake #gfbaking
    Is chocolate your love language? It's mine for sur Is chocolate your love language? It's mine for sure! 

I've rustled up 30 of my favorite GF chocolate treats on TBG. There's pie. There's cake. There are cookies, bars, and puddings.

Here are a few in no particular order:
-chocolate hazelnut tiramisu
-GF banana cake with coconut milk ganache
-fudgy GF chocolate bundt
-blender chocolate PB pie
-vegan chocolate tahini tart
-GF DF blondies
-chocolate almond olive oil cake
-red velvet cake (all-natural, tinted with beets!)
-chocolate tahini blender pudding
-GF brownie cookies

All recipes linked @the_bojon_gourmet 

https://bojongourmet.com/gluten-free-chocolate-desserts-recipes/

#chocolovers #chocolove #valentinesday2023

    Navigation

    • Recipe Finder
    • Cookbook
    • About
    • In the Press

    Get new posts in your inbox

    Please wait...

    Thanks for signing up!

    This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use. To find out more, see our Privacy Policy.

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest

    More Bojon

    • Learn with Me
    • Work With Me
    • Portfolio

    Copyright © 2023 The Bojon Gourmet | Site by Jaime Asatsuyu Hammack