Gluten-Free Vegan Lemon Drizzle Cake

Gluten-free vegan lemon drizzle cake - this is the ultimate vegan and gluten free lemon cake recipe! (Or it can be made with regular flour if you prefer).

This is a soft, moist, easy to make and intensely lemony cake soaked in tangy lemon syrup and topped with lemon glaze. This delicious cake is a real crowd pleaser and is sure to become a favourite!

I believe that just because something is gluten-free and vegan, it doesn't mean it has to sacrifice taste or indulgence. That's why I'm excited to share with you my latest recipe for a delicious gluten-free vegan lemon drizzle cake.

Lemon drizzle is one of my absolute all-time favourite cakes and this version is just as satisfying as the original.

It is bursting with zesty lemon flavor, and has the perfect balance of sweet and tangy. It is the perfect cake for any occasion, whether it's a special birthday celebration or a casual weekend treat, and it is sure to satisfy your sweet tooth without any worries about gluten or animal products.

What Do I Need To Make Gluten-Free Vegan Lemon Drizzle Cake?:

Gluten-free flour blend: You need to use a plain gluten-free flour blend such as Doves Farm rather than using a single type of flour. If you don't need the cake to be gluten-free then just use plain (all-purpose) flour.

Ground almonds: Adding some ground almonds as well as the gluten-free flour gives the cake a better texture.

Cornflour (cornstarch): Adding a bit of cornflour (cornstarch) gives the cake a lovely light texture. You can swap it for more plain flour if you don't have any.

Xanthan gum: Xanthan gum is a very common ingredient in gluten-free baking to help reduce crumbling. You cannot omit it (unless you are making the non gluten-free version OR your gluten-free flour blend already contains it).

Plant milk: You can use any kind you like but it should ideally be unsweetened and soy milk is best as it has the highest protein content.

Non-dairy yogurt: I love using plant yogurt in vegan cakes, it is a great egg replacer and keeps the cake moist as well as adding flavour.

Either soy or coconut yogurt will work, ideally unsweetened. I haven't tested any substitutes for the yogurt I'm afraid but you could probably get away with just using more milk instead.

Vegan butter OR oil: Use a block butter for the best results. You can also use oil instead of the melted butter, in this case I like to use olive oil. The texture of each cake is different - the butter version is a little more sturdy, but both are delicious!

Sugar: Caster sugar is the best choice for the cake batter though granulated will also work; you will also need icing (powdered) sugar for the glaze. Don't swap the sugar for sweeteners or liquid sugars as that will affect the texture of the cake.

Baking powder and bicarb: Using both baking powder and bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) will give you the best rise and texture. Don't swap one for the other, you will not get the same result.

Be aware that not all baking powder is gluten-free so check the tub just in case!

Lemons: You will need both lemon zest and juice so make sure that you buy unwaxed lemons. Don't use bottled lemon juice instead, the flavour is not as good. I also add some lemon extract to really amp up the lemon flavour; you can omit this if needed however.

How To Make Gluten-Free Vegan Lemon Drizzle Cake:

(Full measurements and instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the page)

Whisk together the flour, cornflour, ground almonds, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, xanthan gum, salt and sugar in a large bowl.

Add the lemon zest and juice, milk, yogurt, melted butter or oil and lemon extract and stir with a balloon whisk until smooth.

Pour the batter into a greased and lined 20cm square tin and spread it level.

Bake for 30-40 minutes until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

While the cake is baking, mix together the lemon juice and sugar.

Poke holes in the top of the baked cake with a skewer and drizzle over the lemon sugar mixture.

Allow to cool then glaze if you like.

Top Tips:

I have not provided US cup conversions for the flour as they are too inaccurate for this recipe. Different gluten-free flour blends weigh different amounts per cup. Please use a scale. I highly recommend weighing out all of the ingredients rather than using cup conversions.

For the best results follow the recipe closely and make it exactly as written. Changing any of the ingredients could affect the outcome of the cake.

Make sure that you buy unwaxed lemons as the wax used is not usually vegan and probably isn't good to eat anyway!

I prefer the texure of this cake on the day it is baked (it's fluffier), but it will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for around 4 days.

It can also be frozen. Make sure that it is well wrapped to avoid freezer burn.

Can I Make It With Regular Flour?:

Yes, if you don't need this cake to be gluten-free then you can just swap the gluten-free flour for an equal weight of plain (all-purpose) flour.

You should also omit the xanthan gum if you are using regular flour.

More Gluten-Free Vegan Treats:

• Coffee and walnut cake
• Lemon blueberry polenta cake
• Gluten-free vegan Christmas cake
• Pistachio cranberry rocky road
• These fudgy vegan brownies can be made with gluten-free flour
• Simply use gluten-free cookies in the biscuit base to make this vegan key lime pie GF.

If you tried this recipe let me know how it went! Rate it, leave a comment or tag @domestic_gothess on Instagram and hashtag it #domesticgothess

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