Lemon Ginger Sponge Pudding {gluten-free}
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Lemon Ginger Sponge Pudding is a warm comforting dessert. The zealous lemon and spicy stem ginger flavour is enhanced with gorgeous sorghum flour making the cake happily gluten-free.
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If you are looking for a dessert which is easy to make but punchy with flavour then Lemon Ginger Pudding will not disappoint. The sponge pudding packs in the zing of fragrant citrus and the spicy warmth of ginger using both ground ginger and stem ginger.
Why you'll love this recipe
- The sponge is easy to come together.
- We use the zest of 3 lemons in the sponge for a sharp zesty taste.
- Gluten-free - using the perfect blend of alternative flours to compliment the flavour of the sponge.
- We use 3 types of ginger for maximum effect - ground ginger and stem ginger with crystallised ginger to decorate.
- Lemony custard. Please serve this cake with this amazing Lemon Custard Sauce - you won't be sorry!
Gluten-Free Flours
Sorghum flour
The flavour of sorghum matches well here with the lemon and ginger. The earthiness of the sorghum appealingly contrasts to the fresh lemon but buddies up close with the rustic notes of the ginger.
This is the sorghum flour I've been using recently and I've been really loving it. It's earthy, nutty and produces a fluffy and tender cake.
READ MORE >>> The Ultimate Guide to Sorghum Flour
Substitution: If you can’t find sorghum flour then you can substitute with oat flour or buckwheat flour.
Sweet rice flour
This starchy flour is also known as glutinous rice flour, even though it contains no xanthan gum. It binds really well and gives the cake a lovely bounce and great structure.
READ MORE >>> The Ultimate Guide to Sweet Rice Flour
Substitution: If you can’t find sweet rice flour then you can substitute with cassava flour.
Almond flour
Almond flour is used for taste and added moisture. The protein within the almonds helps give the cake excellent structure without density.
True almond flour is hard to find in the UK and I've only ever been able to source it from Amazon. It panics me when my bag is starting to look empty as I use it all the time. It's very finely milled and more powder-like than ground almonds or almond meal. However, it is very often out of stock and can vary wildly in price depending on availability. If you're finding it difficult to get hold of you can substitute with ground almonds.
READ MORE >>> The Ultimate Guide to Nut Flours
Gingerlicious
For this recipe I used Homemade Stem Ginger in the sponge batter since I had it to hand but by all means you can use it ready made from the supermarket. By the same token I decorated the top of the cake with Homemade Crystallised Ginger and although it isn’t necessary at all, it gave yet another dimension of ginger to the cake and was utterly delicious. Again, you can use shop bought or leave it off entirely.
Psst. If you love lemon flavour and want an easy natural way to add lemon flavour to your cakes, bakes and savouries then have you tried using homemade lemon powder?
FAQS
- Can you make the cake ahead? Absolutely. This cake is delicious warm or at room temperature. If you want to serve as a dessert with the custard then it's delicious if you warm it up in the microwave first (or in the oven covered in foil so the edges don't get crisp).
- Can you freeze this cake? Yes, double wrap the cooled cake in cling film then tin foil to avoid freezer burn. Remove from the freezer and let defrost fully. Then you can re-warm in the microwave (or oven) if you like and serve with the custard.
- How long does it keep for? The cake will keep up to 3 days in an airtight container, stored in a cool dark place (not the fridge). The custard should be kept in the fridge and will also keep for up to 3 days.
Lemon Sultana Cake
For a variation you can replace the stem ginger with sultanas. This version is absolutely gorgeous too.
If you want to serve your Lemon Ginger Pudding with something saucey then you will love this Lemon Custard Sauce. It's an easy homemade pouring custard, infused with lemon peel for a lovely zesty flavour that pairs perfectly with your pudding.
More gluten-free desserts you'll love
- Bramley Apple and Mincemeat Pudding
- Gluten-Free Raspberry Pudding
- Blackberry Lemon Pudding
- Sticky Toffee Pudding with Baileys
- Gluten-Free Bread and Butter Pudding
- Gluten-Free Steamed Chocolate Pudding
If you make this Lemon Ginger Pudding then please leave a comment below and/or give the recipe a rating. If you then go on to use this recipe as a launch pad for your own baking creation then I’d also love it if you’d share it and tag me on Instagram. It is so lovely for me to see your versions and variations of my recipes.
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Lemon Ginger Pudding {gluten-free}
Ingredients
- 200 g unsalted butter
- 200 g caster sugar
- 3 lemons
- 4 eggs - medium, see notes
- 90 g sorghum flour
- 75 g sweet rice flour - glutinous rice flour
- 35 g almond flour
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 70 g stem ginger - finely chopped, about 4 balls
- 100 g crystallised ginger - sliced to decorate (optional)
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/gas mark 4.
- Line and grease an 8 inch square baking tin.
- Cream the butter and sugar with the zest of the lemons for a few minutes until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing until thoroughly incorporated and stir in 2 tablespoons of the juice from the lemons.
- Sift together the flours, ground ginger, baking powder and salt then mix into the rest of the ingredients until just combined.
- Stir in the stem ginger.
- Pour the batter into the baking tin, smoothing the top and bake in the oven for around 30-35 minutes until the sponge has browned on top and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- Remove from oven, rest for five minutes then carefully turn out onto a wire rack. Either leave the cake to cool completely to reheat later or serve whilst still warm with the custard. Arrange the crystallised ginger over the top of the pudding if using.
Notes
Ingredient substitutions
- The eggs used in this recipe are medium size, 60g with shell and 50g without shell. If you can't get hold of medium eggs I suggest you weigh the amount.
- Sweet rice flour can be swapped for cassava flour.
- Sorghum flour can be swapped for oat flour or buckwheat flour.
- Almond flour can be swapped for ground almonds.
Ive noticed a lot of your recipes use almond flour. I've a friend who is gluten free, also allergic to nuts! What could I sub foraslmond flour in many of the recipes? Thx!
Hi Carol, it totally depends on the recipe. Sometimes you could sub out the total amount of flour for my homemade all-purpose blend. However, the reason I use almond flour a lot is because of its high protein content so you could swap for a flour with a similar amount of protein like chickpea flour, sunflower seed flour or soy flour. But it does depend on the recipe because sometimes I use the almond flour along with my all-purpose blend. If you are unsure for specific recipes then let me know. But rest assured there is usually an alternative to the almond flour.
Iced with light lemon glacé icing for tea and was totally delicious!
That's great to hear - thank you Janet!
oh this recipe looks great! I honestly love lemon related recipe, I made a lemon loaf the other day and it came out so good. I'm excited to give this recipe a try now too!
Great and thank you! Let me know if you do try it!