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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.
Jump to:
- Is lemon curd gluten-free?
- Top gluten-free baking tip
- Why you'll love this Gluten-Free Lemon Cake
- Main ingredients
- How do you make Gluten-Free Lemon Curd Cake?
- Expert tips for best results
- The best buttercream for a Gluten-Free Lemon Layer Cake
- How do you make Lemon Curd Swiss Meringue Buttercream?
- Swiss Meringue Buttercream Tips
- FAQs
- Variations on Lemon Curd Cake
- More Gluten-Free Lemon Cakes You'll Love
- Lemon Curd Cake (gluten-free)
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.
✨If you want more tips on how to make perfect gluten-free cakes with loads of tips and tricks, then visit this Ultimate Guide to Gluten-Free Cakes.✨
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.
✨Have you tried this Gluten-Free Lemon Drizzle Cake yet? Made with sorghum flour and almond meal (no xanthan gum) for an easy lemon loaf recipe which is decorated with a simple lemon glaze✨
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. As above.
- Butter. As above.
- 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 do you make Gluten-Free Lemon Curd Cake?
- 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 for best results
- 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 are perfect. If you grind them yourself the almond flavour will be more pronounced.
- 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 do you 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. (Try the buttercream from this Carrot Cake recipe and add in a couple of spoonfuls of lemon curd).
More Gluten-Free Lemon Cakes You'll Love
✨Have you tried this Gluten-Free Lemon Curd Cake? Please leave a 5-star ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ rating on the recipe card and consider leaving a comment as well! I would love to hear about how your recipe turned out and your feedback also helps other readers✨
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 plain 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/gas mark 4 and line and grease 2 x 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 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.
Notes
Ingredient measurements
- Please note when you see ‘grams’ listed as opposed to ‘millilitres,’ or any other term of measurement, that is not incorrect. I weigh all of my ingredients, including liquids, for accuracy.
- US customary measurements for the ingredients provided are based on a conversion calculator. This recipe was tested with metric measurements and I recommend using a digital scale to weigh ingredients for the most accurate results. READ MORE >>> Why you should always weigh vs measuring with cups
Liz Robertson says
Thank you for this recipe. I used oat flour when I made it for a work colleagues retirement cake. Instead of lemon curd filling I put in a layer of lemon mousse. It went down a storm with everyone especially the person it was made for. Will definitely use this recipe again x
Georgina Hartley says
Ooh - lemon mousse sounds like a game changer - how delicious!
Kate says
Cake delicious, moist and tasty and great texture for gf - loved it.
Don’t know if my chickens lay huge eggs but got a ton of icing left …..could have done half measures and it would be fine.
Georgina Hartley says
Thank you for your feedback Kate, I'm happy you liked the recipe.
Samantha Williams says
This recipe was absolutely brilliant!! Thanks so much for sharing it!
Georgina Hartley says
Such a pleasure - thank you for your feedback!
Danielle says
Excellent cake. A gourmand friend suggested it was 'outstanding'. The density means it lasts very well indeed for days after it's made. I used cream cheese icing with lemon and highly recommend it. And while you're at it, double the amount of curd - you'll probably make this again!
Georgina Hartley says
Hi Danielle, that's lovely to hear - thank you for your feedback!
Tammi Dellapina says
I must have just missed it, but how much salt goes in the buttercream?
Georgina Hartley says
It's 1/4 teaspoon. You didn't miss it - it hadn't made it onto the ingredients list for some reason. Thank you!
Margie says
Can I replace Almonds with rice flour?
Georgina Hartley says
Hi Margie, that wouldn't be a good substitution here. The almonds are there to provide protein which gives the cake structure and stops it crumbling. Rice flour doesn't have enough protein. You would need to substitute for another nut flour, seed flour or a legume flour like chickpea flour. However, those flours are all more flavourful so wouldn't have the same neutrality as almond flour. Not that it wouldn't be delicious - it's just the flavour would be different. I haven't tested the cake with a substitution for the almond flour so I can't guarantee the results.
Laura says
I’m here to tell everyone that the frosting can not be made ahead. At least it didn’t work for me. I left it in the fridge overnight so the cake would have time to cool before frosting it in the morning. It had hardened as expected so I put it make in the stand mixer for a few minutes but it didn’t smooth out. I continued mixing and now it’s lost the air from the merangue and is soup. Start again! Bummed about wasting ingredients. But the cake itself looks great.
Georgina Hartley says
Hi Laura, swiss meringue buttercream is such a great buttercream as we can mess it up a whole bunch but it always bounces right back. When you are making SMB ahead you will need to bring it up to room temperature naturally rather than whipping it straight from the fridge. However, don't worry we can rescue soupy SMB and you don't need to waste the ingredients. When it turns to soup it just means that the butter has got too warm so you need to place it back in the fridge for 30 minutes and then remove and re-whip.
Annette says
How can you convert this recipe to USstandards? Cups, tsp etc??
Sounds lovely
Georgina Hartley says
Hi Annette, I'm afraid I haven't tested this recipe with US measurements so I couldn't give you an accurate conversion. My best advice is to find a conversion site you trust and experiment. I know it's not for everybody but I highly recommend buying digital scales if you do a lot of gluten-free baking as the ingredients vary in volume so much. You can buy them for around $10 and they will make every recipe you make 100% accurate.
Louisa says
Hi Georgina, this looks like the perfect GF lemon cake! If I was going to use doves Self raising flour instead of plain, would you add any additional raising agent to account for the ground almonds part or do you think the self raising flour would have enough? Thanks so much
Georgina Hartley says
Hi Louisa, I have never baked with Doves self raising flour so I wouldn't be able to guarantee it. If you do have baking powder I would add even just 1/2 teaspoon in just in case.
Louisa says
Amazing, thank you, I’ll try that!
Rosa villella says
I also meant to ask if you have a recipe for a crusty artisan boule bread and i'am also allergic to yeast
Georgina Hartley says
Hi Rosa, I'm currently working on a sourdough bread recipe which I will hopefully publish really soon. In the meantime I have this lovely Irish Soda Bread recipe which doesn't contain any yeast.
Rosa villella says
Hi Georgia i like yr recipes but I can't have sugar and you don't seem to have have an alternative
Georgina Hartley says
Hi Rosa, if there is an alternative to sugar which I have tested for my recipes then I include it in the recipe notes. I do though have a number of refined sugar-free recipes like these Healthy Banana Flapjacks, this Leftover Porridge Cake and this Apple Blueberry Cake, this Banana Oat Bread. There are many more.
Amanda Smith says
Hi
Just a question. Do you think I could replace almond meal for sunflower meal to make the cake nut free?
Cheers Amanda
Georgina Hartley says
Hi Amanda, I have actually never tried baking a sponge cake with sunflower meal. I'm going to investigate this.
Laura says
In the recipe you have included 150g of lemon curd. Does this actually go into the cake batter?
Thdnk you
Georgina Hartley says
Hi Laura, no the lemon curd doesn't go in the batter but is instead used to sandwich the 2 cake layers together.
Laura says
Thank you so much for your reply. I'm currently whipping up the swiss meringue buttercream- what a way to spend a Saturday night!
Would you recommend adding lemon zest to the swiss meringue as I'm using shop bought lemon curd?
Georgina Hartley says
You could do but the zest in the buttercream would make buttercream not as smooth. Shop bought lemon curd will have a good enough flavour that I shouldn't think it would be necessary.
Antonia Tomlinson says
It turned out really well, i halved the cake mix as I only had 2 shallow cake tins but it was so light a fluffy, we all ate some and went back for second, bit of a mistake for me as the frosting i used was a white chocolate cream cheese to cut through the very tart lime curd, also I have never tried a meringue frosting before and was a little apprehensive, maybe next time. Thankyou for a great tasting gluten free cake recipe.
Georgina Hartley says
You are most welcome - I'm happy you enjoyed it - that white chocolate cream cheese frosting sounds wonderful!!
Antonia Tomlinson says
hi Georgina, i have some homemade lime curd and wondered if you think that it would work in the delish looking cake, if i use lime in place of any lemon, im asking as i have successfully made a no bake lemon cheesecake on numerous occasions but when i have tried to make the same recipe but both times with limes it has not set properly, i don't know if its something i have done wrong or if there is something in limes that's not in lemons. I would be grateful for any help as i want to make a celebration cake as i just got a job.
Georgina Hartley says
Yes lime curd will definitely work in this cake. The curd is only used for the filling and the buttercream so there will be no problem with it. Let me know how it goes!
Cassie says
My 9 yr old and I made this today! I wish I could post a pick for you if her face- so proud and excited. I love to cook, and do A LOT but baking has never been my thing. She was so excited when I said she could pick a recipe for homeschool today to make. She chose yours and it was a huge hit. Thanks so much from our little gluten free family.
Georgina Hartley says
That's great - I'm happy you all enjoyed it! Thank you so much for the lovely feedback!
Nicole says
Hi From The Larder,
I was wondering do you think you will be able to pipe the buttercream? I was hoping to make it for my wedding cake across two tiers with a 10" bottom tier.
Thanking you in advance for your help, I hope my question isn't too silly.
Can't wait to make this cake! It looks delicious.
Thanks,
Nicole
Georgina Hartley says
Hi Nicole, absolutely you can pipe the buttercream. It pipes like a dream!! Congratulations on your upcoming wedding - how exciting!
Sandra Amos says
Hi Georgia - it's me again. I just wanted to let you know I have used this recipe again with lemon curd in the mix to make a one layer cake topped with fresh gooseberries from the garden. It is such a lovely textured cake and know I will be using the recipe over and over in various guises. Thank you for such a successful recipe and I can honestly say I don't believe a gluten eating person would notice the difference
Georgina Hartley says
That sounds lovely with the gooseberries!! Thank you so much!
Sandra Amos says
This relates to the previous comment as forgot the star rating and also website?
Linda Loder says
Can you use almond flour instead of ground almonds in this recipe?
Georgina Hartley says
Hi Linda, yes you can. The cake will be a little denser but will still be delicious.
Sandra Amos says
Hi Georgia - I have just made this cake - cake part only - and it is just out of the oven looking and smelling really good.
I did make a couple of tweaks, the first being that I scaled down by half and used 2 x 6" sandwich tins. When I read the recipe for the first time I assumed the lemon curd was actually added to the cake mix and it was just this morning when reread I realised this is not the case but I carried on and added it anyway. I also added a tsp vanilla bean paste and a couple of drops of almond extract. I sprinkled the top of each layer before baking with flaked almonds and it took about 30 mins to bake. I made up the 180 g of flour with 80g gf flour blend, 80g almond flour and 20g oat flour. I will fill with a mix of lemon curd, mascarpone and double cream as I just want to dredge icing sugar over the top when assembled.
Thanks for such a successful lemon cake recipe and I want to try the Swiss meringue buttercream another time when making the larger cake.
Sandra
Georgina Hartley says
Ooh - your cake sounds wonderful! I did toy with adding the lemon curd to the actual batter when I originally developed the recipe so that's interesting to know it worked that way too. You're more than welcome for the recipe!