Lemon Curd Cake (gluten-free)
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This Gluten-Free Lemon Curd Cake is a real special occasion cake with bright fresh citrus flavour. Homemade lemon curd is sandwiched between lemon and vanilla infused sponges which are covered with a cloudlike lemon curd swiss meringue buttercream. I’ll take you through the recipe step by step, offering tips and advice on how to make this the best gluten-free lemon cake recipe you will have ever tasted.
Everyone is still talking about this Gluten-Free Lemon Cake made with homemade lemon curd, two weeks after I made it and shared it with friends and family. There are some cakes that you know are going to be a hit and anything lemony is usually an absolute winner. The fact that it was gluten-free was never on anyone’s radar.
It doesn’t hurt that this cake makes the most of delicious homemade Easy Lemon Curd which provides a real zing to the proceedings. Paired with the swiss meringue creamy lemon buttercream frosting this cake is taken to the next level and beyond.
Is lemon curd gluten-free?
Yes, lemon curd is usually gluten-free, especially if you're making it the traditional way. Most recipes require just lemons, sugar, eggs, and butter. None of those things have any gluten in them naturally. But it's always a good idea to double-check the brand or recipe you're using. Sometimes those store-bought lemon curds might have extra ingredients that could sneak in some gluten or be made in places that handle gluten stuff. So, keep an eye out for that, just to be safe!
Or better yet, use my Gluten-Free Lemon Curd recipe to make this delicious cake. It's so easy and tastes so much more delicious than store bought.
Top gluten-free baking tip
This Gluten-free Lemon Curd Cake utilises my favourite easy gluten-free flour blend for achieving an easy drop jaw yummy gluten-free cake with the perfect tender crumb.
✨All-Purpose Gluten-Free Flour + Almond Flour✨
If you are in the UK then almond flour is sold as 'ground almonds' in most major supermarkets. These are blanched and ground almonds - if you are confused then check out this post which discusses how you know you are using the right almond flour for your recipe.
This flour combo means you don’t get the dry, slightly gritty or crumbly drawbacks that affect some gluten-free offerings. There is also no gummy mouthfeel. It’s gluten-freeness will be totally undetectable.
The best thing is you can use pretty much any gluten-free flour blend from the supermarket. I use Doves Farm Plain Gluten-Free White Flour as that is the most widely available in the UK and is xanthan gum free which suits my intolerances. However, this recipe will work with Bob’s Red Mill or even a home DIY blend.
Why You’ll Love This Gluten-Free Lemon Cake
- The lemon sponges are a doddle to make with no complicated method. They use shop bought plain gluten-free flour and ground almonds.
- No xanthan gum. READ MORE >>> Why I don't bake with xanthan gum.
- Homemade Easy Lemon Curd. So bright, with a zesty lemon flavour. It’s sandwiched between the cake layers and used copiously in the buttercream.
- Swiss Meringue Buttercream. This incredibly buttery cake frosting is a perfect contrast to the light zingy lemon flavours. It’s easier to make than you think and all the tips and tricks are below.
Main ingredients
For the cake
Fresh Lemons. Make sure they are unwaxed and organic otherwise you need to scrub off the wax.
Caster sugar. It’s a fine white baking sugar. If you can only get hold of granulated sugar you can grind more finely in the food processor before you use it in the recipe.
Butter. Unsalted is the best choice here. Make sure it is at room temperature.
Eggs. This recipe uses medium size, about 60g each with shell (50g each without shell).
All-Purpose Gluten-Free Flour. You can use any. I recommend Doves Freee Plain White Gluten-Free Flour. You don't need a brand which contains xanthan gum, but if it's included then don't worry about that either. I also particularly recommend my Homemade Gluten-Free Flour Mix which gives great results.
Almond flour. You are looking for blanched and ground almonds. There is a bit of labelling confusion over almond flour which is sold as ‘ground almonds’ in most major UK supermarkets and found in the baking aisle. If you want to know what exactly you are looking for then check out this post >>> Is Almond Flour The Same As Ground Almonds. This cake can be made with finely ground almond meal too. The almonds add stability and moistness to the recipe. Nut allergy? If you are allergic then use my Homemade Flour Blend for the whole amount of the almond flour + the flour – but not any other gluten-free flour, my mix is specifically developed as a stable blend which doesn’t need xanthan gum.
Vanilla extract. Use a good quality extract, I like Nilsen Massey.
Baking powder. A leaving agent which causes the cake to rise and become light and fluffy. Do check your baking powder is gluten-free before use.
Salt. I like to use kosher salt in my baking as it has a round gentle flavour. Using salt in your baked goods lifts and sharpens all the other flavours.
For the buttercream
Egg whites. This recipe uses about 7 medium egg whites. You can use fresh eggs or egg whites from a carton like the Two Chicks brand.
Caster sugar. Using caster sugar as opposed to ordinary granulated sugar does allow the sugar to dissolve quicker and smoother into the buttercream.
Butter. Use unsalted butter here.
Lemon curd. You can use shop bought but I highly recommend a homemade version for superior flavour. Try this Easy Gluten-Free Lemon Curd recipe.
How To Make Gluten-Free Lemon Curd Cake
For full recipe instructions go to the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Beat the sugar with the lemon zest and butter in a large bowl or a stand mixer.
- Add the whole eggs one at a time then the vanilla.
- Whisk the gluten-free flour, almonds, baking powder and salt. Then mix well into the batter.
- Divide into two lined and greased 8 inch round cake tins and bake for 30 minutes at 160°C fan assisted.
- Remove from the oven, carefully insert cakes out of the cake tin and cool on wire cooling racks.
- Spread the lemon curd over one of the sponge surfaces then place the other on top.
- Cover the cake with lemon curd swiss meringue buttercream.
Expert Tips
Make sure to add the whole eggs one at a time. It makes the sponge lighter. If the eggs are dumped in all at once you risk losing the air you just whipped into the butter and sugar.
I use Doves Farm Gluten-Free Plain White Flour. It’s the most widely available in the UK. However, any gluten-free flour blend will be fine here.
You don’t want the almond taste to be too strong or compete with the lemon. The almonds are used to give the cake texture and bind it together so ready ground almonds from the supermarket (aka almond flour) are perfect.
You can use shop bought lemon curd which is lovely if you buy a good brand. However, why not take it the extra mile and make this homemade Easy Lemon Curd. You won’t be disappointed.
The Best Buttercream For a Gluten-Free Lemon Layer Cake
It’s all very well having deliciously lemony sponge with perfect texture and taste but we want to make this cake really special. So let’s take it up a notch and make a Lemon Curd Swiss Meringue Buttercream to really impress.
If you haven’t made Swiss Meringue Buttercream before you might find the equipment needed (sugar thermometer, double boiler and food mixer) a bit intimidating.
Plus the number of steps required are also a couple more than your regular icing sugar + butter method.
Please though don’t let it put you off. Try it once and I guarantee it’s pretty hard to mess up as long as you follow my troubleshooting tips below. You’ll also find it hard to go back to icing sugar, the taste and texture is pretty unbeatable.
How To Make Lemon Curd Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- Heat the egg whites and sugar in a bain marie or double boiler, whisking all the time.
- When the sugar has completely melted and the temperature reached 71°C then remove from the heat and immediately pour into a stand mixer.
- Whisk on a medium setting for about 10 minutes until a glossy meringue has formed and the temperature has lowered to about 32°C.
- Change the whisk attachment to a paddle beater and beat on low adding the butter one cube at a time.
- Once all the butter has been added and the buttercream looks beautifully smooth then add the lemon curd and salt and mix in until thoroughly combined.
Swiss Meringue Buttercream Tips
I recommend buying liquid egg whites in a carton as it saves wasting the yolks or finding a use for them. You will only need about half the carton but you can freeze the other half for your next foray into SMB.
The temperatures here are important. If you have made SMB a few times then you can intuit when the sugar has melted into the egg whites or when the meringue has cooled enough to add the butter. However for newbies a sugar thermometer is invaluable.
The butter must be at room temperature before you add it. Slightly soft to the touch but not melty.
If your butter is too cold then just keep on mixing the buttercream once it’s all added, the butter will soon warm and melt into the buttercream. If that doesn’t work then warm slightly over a bowl of boiling water. Once the edges of the buttercream start to soften then start whipping again off the heat.
If your butter is too warm place in the fridge for 15 minutes to chill then try re-whipping it.
As you are adding the butter your buttercream will look a bit curdled. This is absolutely normal. Keep on mixing the buttercream and don’t lose faith, it will always come together in the end.
If your buttercream does not come together and looks too soupy that means your butter was too warm – see above on how to fix.
✨If you are still worried about making the buttercream then visit this helpful post on How To Make Perfect Swiss Meringue Buttercream which breaks down every step with loads of tips, tricks and a video to ensure a foolproof result.
FAQs
You certainly can. I recommend chilling the whole finished cake first in the fridge so that the buttercream gets quite firm. Wrap well in cling film then tin foil and freeze for up to 2 months. Remove from the freezer and allow to defrost thoroughly before removing the tin foil and cling film.
Yes. Usually you'll want to use about 1 teaspoon of lemon extract for every 1 tablespoon of lemon zest. So for this recipe about 1 -1 ½ teaspoons should work. Start with the smaller amount, give it a taste, and add more if you want.
Variations on Lemon Curd Cake
You can replace the lemon curd with any curd of your choosing. Passion Fruit Curd Cake? Raspberry Curd Cake?
If the Swiss Meringue Buttercream still seems intimidating to you then why not swap it out for a simple cream cheese buttercream which would be amazing.
More Gluten-Free Lemon Cakes You'll Love
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Lemon Curd Cake (gluten-free)
Ingredients
- 320 g caster sugar
- zest of 2 lemons
- 240 g unsalted butter - room temperature
- 6 eggs - medium
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 180 g gluten-free all-purpose flour
- 180 g almond flour - (ground almonds in UK)
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
Lemon Curd Filling:
- 150 g lemon curd
Lemon Curd Buttercream:
- 210 g egg whites - about 7 medium egg whites
- 350 g caster sugar
- 490 g unsalted butter
- 150 g lemon curd
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 180°C / 160°C fan assisted /gas mark 4 / 350°F and line and grease 2 x 20cm (8 inch) round cake tins.
- Beat the sugar with the lemon zest and butter until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well between additions.
- Add the vanilla extract.
- In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, almond flour, baking powder and salt then beat into the rest of the ingredients.
- Divide the cake batter between the two tins and bake for 30 minutes.
- Remove from the oven. Allow the sponges to rest for 5 minutes before carefully removing from the tins and cool completely on wire racks.
Lemon Curd Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- Heat the egg whites and sugar in a bain marie or double boiler, whisking constantly until the temperature has reached 71°C.
- Remove from the heat and pour into a stand mixer with a whisk attachment. Whisk until the mixture forms stiff peaks and the temperature has reduced to about 32°C.
- Change the attachment to a paddle attachment. On a low speed add the butter slowly cube by cube. When you have almost added all the butter the mixture will look curdled. Do not fret – this is supposed to happen and just means you are nearly done, just continue to add all the butter. Once the butter is totally incorporated the buttercream will miraculously become a smooth velvety consistency.
- Add the lemon curd and salt and mix until thoroughly combined.
Assembly
- Place one of the sponge layers on an 20cm (8 inch) cake board and spread the lemon curd from the centre of the top of the sponge almost to the edges.
- Place the second sponge layer on top and cover the top and the sides of the cake with the buttercream.
Hi there!
I would like to know how far in advance I could make the lemon curd swiss meringue buttercream. frosting? Do you think it would be alright to make it a day ahead of time and then put it in the fridge until I use it?
Thanks!
Yes you can make it a day ahead. However, when it comes out of the fridge it will be firm. You can leave it to achieve room temperature to get to the right consistency and then re-whip it to get to the correct smooth consistency. You might need to employ some of the troubleshooting tricks from the 'Swiss Meringue Buttercream Tips' in the main part of the post at this stage but do be assured that the buttercream will always come back to the right consistency.
Hi there,
I wondered how I would measure out the cake if I used a bigger cake tin such as a 10 inch. I want to make a tier cake with a few different sizes and not sure how to get the amount right? Could you help?
Thank you
This is a great article with information on how to scale a recipe up or down >> How to resize cake recipes
I would like to make the cake without the almond flour as my friend is allergic to nuts - can you recommend another flour that might be a replacement? What about tiger nut flour?
Hi Cindy, the almond flour is important here as the high protein content of the almonds provides the cake with the right structure and texture. Tiger nut flour only has half the amount of protein that almond flour has so it won't work as a swap for this recipe. In fact, I can't recommend a straight swap of any flour for the almond flour alone as the role it provides is unique. The option I do suggest is to swap the full amount of all-purpose flour and almond flour with my Homemade Gluten-Free Flour Blend which works really well in this cake and doesn't contain any nut flours. See the recipe here >>> Homemade Gluten-Free Flour Blend.
Hi, I was wondering if this cake will hold up as the bottom tier of a two tier cake? I would probably do 1.5x the recipe to get 3 layers. Thanks in advance
Honestly, I don't know. I haven't tried it in a tiered cake. It isn't a particularly fragile cake but it isn't as robust as a similar cake made with regular gluten flours - as gluten is just much stronger.
Thank you. I guess I will have to try & let you know . Hopefully extra dowels will do
Hi I was wondering how much lemon curd to put in the icing? And how much to put in between the layers? The recipe says half a cup and 1 tablespoon, I’m assuming that means 1 tablespoon is for the icing and half a cup is for in between the layers? Just wanted to clarify that before I do it. Thank you
Hi Jen, sorry for the delayed response to this question. You need 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons for between the cake layers (it's in the section of the cake) and 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon for the buttercream.
If I only have large eggs and you use medium eggs ,do I leave one out when I make the lemon cake?
Hi Carole, I recommend weighing your eggs without the shell to achieve the right amount of egg for this recipe. So this cake calls for 6 medium eggs. That works out as 300g egg (without shell). I hope that helps.
Hi, apologies is I’m missing it, however I can’t see how the lemon slices are done? It looks like they might be covered in sugar, however wanted to check. Thanks.
Don't worry you are not missing something. Actually I haven't included my method for the caramelised lemon slices - I will definitely write it up in due course. However you just simmer thin lemon slices in lemon syrup (1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 cup water melted together) for 5 minutes, then remove and heat in a low oven (on baking parchment) for about 30 minutes until caramelised.