This post contains affiliate links. Please read my disclosures.
This Gluten-Free Lemon Raspberry Cake is a wonderfully indulgent cake for a special occasion. The very lemony sponge is made from almond flour (ground almonds) and plain gluten-free flour so it is incredibly accessible for novice gluten-free bakers. Fresh raspberries are baked into the sponge but also fill the cake along with a lemony mascarpone cream.
Jump to:
If you are new to gluten-free baking or just want a break from any complicated recipes using a multitude of alternative flours or weird gums then this is the cake for you.
Wonder why I don't like to bake with xanthan gum? READ MORE >>> Why I never Bake with Xanthan Gum
Why you'll love this recipe
- Beautifully moist and light texture.
- Bright tangy flavour from lemon zest and raspberries.
- Extra special gentle hint of Limoncello.
- Easy to make – no special gluten-free flours, just a regular supermarket blend.
- No xanthan gum!!!
- Creamy lemony mascarpone filling – so full of flavour.
- Make ahead. This cake needs an overnight stay in the fridge right at the end of the process, making it perfect for advance baking.
Two secrets of gluten-free cakes
The sponges are incredibly light and moist since they use two of my favourite techniques for successful gluten-free baking.
Want to know what they are??
1. Almond flour
Almond flour is the secret weapon of any gluten-free baker. They add fantastic moisture and texture to gluten-free cakes and bakes. If you find certain brands of all-purpose gluten-free flour lead to dry and crumbly cakes then swap in half of the quantity with almond flour. You’ll be thrilled at the difference this makes.
Almond flour specificity: You are looking for blanched 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.
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.
2. Egg whites
For this Lemon Raspberry Cake we add in 2 extra egg whites along with the whole 5 eggs.
This adds air and lightness into the sponge.
Sometimes gluten-free cakes are accused of being too dense or heavy. By adding in some extra egg whites we are lifting the cake. It works well here as the creamy raspberry filling needs a lighter sponge.
Baker’s tip
Adding in the egg whites does add more moisture into the cake so be careful that you don’t just add egg whites into your cakes willy nilly. Start with one egg white in a cake batter you find particular dense and take it from there.
If you want more tips on how to make perfect gluten-free cakes with loads of tips and tricks, then visit the Ultimate Guide to Gluten-Free Cakes.
Which gluten-free flour to use
The beauty of using the almond flour is that it provides so much stability that you can use any brand of all-purpose gluten-free flour you like without the need for any xanthan gum. This recipe was tested with Doves Freee Plain White Gluten-Free Flour. You also 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.
How to make a cake more lemony
There is nothing more disappointing than a lemon cake which doesn’t taste of lemon. These are a few methods to add lemon flavour to a cake
- Lemon zest and juice - These are the most obvious choices. Quite often you need a lot of juice though to really come through so I prefer lemon zest as too much juice messes around with the liquid ratio too much. In this Lemon Raspberry Cake we use the zest of 2 lemons in the sponge.
- Lemon extract makes the most intense flavour as it is really distilled. If you go this route use a really good shop bought organic extract.
- Lemon syrup or Limoncello (!) These are excellent flavour enhancers. In this recipe we use Limoncello to brush over the sponges fresh out of the oven which intensifies the flavour. We also use some Limoncello in the Lemon Mascarpone Cream but if you need an alcohol-free version then just substitute with homemade lemon syrup (see method in recipe card).
How to make a Gluten Free Lemon Raspberry Cake
For full recipe instructions go to the recipe card at the end of this post.
1. First whip the egg whites so they are stiff.
2. Beat the sugar with the lemon zest and butter.
3. Add the whole eggs one at a time then the vanilla.
4. Whisk the gluten-free flour, almonds, baking powder and salt. Then add into the batter.
5. Fold in the egg whites.
6. Divide into two 8 inch round cake tins and press in some fresh raspberries.
7. Bake for 50 minutes at 160°C fan assisted.
8. Once cakes are cool, cut in half to create 4 cake layers.
9. Whip the double cream until thick but runny.
10. Add the mascarpone and Limoncello or lemon syrup.
11. Assemble the cake with sponge, then â…“ cream then â…“ fresh raspberries.
12. Smooth out the cream around the sides to create the naked look.
13. Wrap the cake in cling film and place in the fridge overnight.
14. Unwrap the cake, sprinkle over icing sugar and serve.
Expert Tips
- Whisk the egg whites first. It saves washing up the food mixer. Egg whites require a good clean mixing bowl. So whisk them first, tip them into a bowl to set aside. Change the attachment on your mixer from a whisk to a paddle beater then start beating your sugar and butter right in the same mixing bowl, you don’t need to wash it out.
- 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.
- By all means, if you can’t be bothered with Limoncello or lemon syrup then just add zest of a whole lemon. It won’t be as smooth but still delicious.
- To cut the cakes in half I really recommend a cake leveller. These are also excellent for cutting the tops off of domed sponges.
- Don’t skip the step of wrapping and resting the cake in the fridge before serving. This is so the raspberries have a chance to sink into the cream and the cake adheres together.
How to store
The cake will keep up to 3 days wrapped up well in the fridge. Since the cake has fresh cream it should not be left out in the sun or a warm kitchen for any length of time.
Can I freeze Lemon Raspberry Cake?
You can’t freeze the whole finished cake. But you can freeze the initial two cake sponges once cooled. Double wrap well in cling film and tin foil. Remove from the fridge to defrost overnight. Then you can cut the cake halves and make the cream for assembling the cake.
Variations
- Fruit – this cake is amazing with the raspberries but you can try any berry. Blackberries or blueberries are also particularly good. Or maybe a mixture?
- Icing – I like this cake with a simple powdered icing sugar top but a raspberry drip, like in this Raspberry Pistachio Cake would look amazing!
- Cream Cheese Buttercream – swap out the Lemon Mascarpone cream for a simple cream cheese buttercream. Use the recipe from this Carrot Cake.
More gluten-free cakes you'll love
- Whole Lemon Thyme Drizzle Cake
- Raspberry Pistachio Cake
- Lemon Drizzle Cake
- Lemon Blueberry Cake
- Strawberry Honey Cake with Honey Buttercream
- Blueberry Basil Lemon Drizzle
- Chocolate Raspberry Cake
- Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
- Raspberry Doughnuts
✨Have you tried this Gluten-Free Lemon Raspberry Cake? If you liked it, 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✨
Gluten-Free Lemon Raspberry Cake
accessible for novice gluten-free bakers. Fresh raspberries are baked into the sponge but also fill the cake along with a lemony mascarpone cream.
Ingredients
- 320 g caster sugar
- zest of 2 lemons
- 240 g unsalted butter - room temperature
- 5 eggs - medium
- 2 egg whites - medium
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 180 g gluten-free all-purpose plain flour - + 1 tablespoon extra
- 180 g almond flour - ground almonds in the UK
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 300 g raspberries
- 25 g limoncello - or Homemade Lemon Syrup
Homemade Lemon Syrup (optional substitution for the Limoncello)
- 6 tablespoons caster sugar
- 6 tablespoons water
- juice of 2 lemons
Lemon Mascarpone Cream
- 300 g double cream
- 250 g mascarpone
- 1 tablespoon limoncello - or lemon syrup
- 2 tablespoons icing sugar
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/160°C/gas mark 4 and line and grease a 2 x 8 inch round cake tins.
- Whisk the egg whites until stiff in a very clean bowl and set aside.
- 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.
- Whisk together the flour, almond flour, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl then beat into the rest of the ingredients.
- Finally fold in the egg whites.
- Divide the cake mixture between the two tins.
- Sprinkle the extra tablespoon of gluten-free flour over the raspberries and shake the bowl until the raspberries are well coated in the flour.
- Drop 75g of raspberries into each tin, smoothing the cake batter over the top.
- Bake for 50 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- Remove the cakes from the oven, leave in their tins for 5 minutes before inserting them out onto cooling racks.
- Brush 2 tablespoons of limoncello liberally over the top surface of the cakes.
Homemade Lemon Syrup
- Pour the caster sugar and water into a small saucepan and heat until the sugar has dissolved.
- Whisk in the lemon juice and simmer for a couple of minutes.
- Remove the lemon syrup from the heat and leave to cool.
Lemon Mascarpone Cream
- Whip the double cream in a medium sized bowl until thick but still a little runny.
- Add the mascarpone and limoncello (or lemon syrup) and mix in until smooth.
Assembly
- Cut both cakes in half so you end up with 4 cake layers.
- Place one of the cake layers on a round 8 inch cake card for support.
- Take â…“ of the Lemon Mascarpone Cream and completely cover the top of the cake to the very edges of the sponge.
- Sprinkle over the cream 50g of raspberries, pressing slightly into the cream.
- Lay the second cake layer over the top, pressing down gently so the cake layer is even. Cover with another â…“ of the cream and sprinkle over another 50g raspberries.
- Lay the third cake layer over the top and repeat with the last of the cream and raspberries.
- Finally place on the last cake layer, pressing gently so the cake have an even straight top.
- Using a palette knife, smooth the cream, which will have burst out of the sides of the cake, along the sides of the cake creating the ‘naked’ look.
- Wrap the cake in cling film and place in the fridge for at least 4 hours or up to overnight to settle.
- Just before serving unwrap the cake, place on a serving plate and sieve some icing sugar over the top surface.
Notes
Gluten-Free Flour
- I used Doves Farm Gluten-Free Plain White Flour.
- This recipe also works really well with this Homemade Gluten-Free Flour Blend.
Limoncello or Lemon Syrup
- If you don’t want to include any alcohol in this cake then you can substitute the Limoncello with the Homemade Lemon Syrup outlined in the recipe above. If you are using the Limoncello then you don’t need the Lemon Syrup
Lemon Mascarpone Cream
- Use a balloon whisk to whip the double cream and always whisk by hand for maximum control. The cream can be overwhipped in a matter of moments. The double cream will continue to be whipped when you are mixing with the mascarpone so if anything underwhip the double cream at first.
Assembly
- Use a sharp knife or a special cake cutting tool to cut the cakes in half.
- It’s important to wrap the cake up and leave to rest before serving. This is so the raspberries have a chance to sink into the cream and the cake adheres together.
Store
- The cake will keep up to 3 days wrapped up well in the fridge. Since the cake has fresh cream it should not be left out in the sun or a warm kitchen for any length of time.
Freeze
- You can freeze the initial two cake sponges once cooled. Double wrap well in cling film and tin foil. Remove from the fridge to defrost overnight. Then you can cut the cake halves and make the cream for assembling the cake.
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
Jukia says
I’ve tried this recipe several times & love it.
The last time however, when I added the home made lemon syrup to the cream & marscapone, unfortunately it turned the cream sour.
Has this happened to anyone else?
Or does it normally do this and I’ve just not noticed before?
Alexi says
Turned out amazing, I cannot recommend enough! My first ever layered cake. Excited to try more of your recipes!
Georgina Hartley says
That's great to hear!! Thank you for letting me know how much you enjoyed it.
Anna says
Still the top favourite special occassions cake recipe in our house! Both for gluten and non gluten eaters. One question, I never quite sure how to read your recipe, do you put the raspberries in the tin and then add the cake mix on top?
Or cake mix first and then raspberries? Thanks for clarifying! It is the instruction: "Divide the cake between two tins" that makes me thing cake mix goes in first?
Thanks for creating such a wonderful recipe!
Georgina Hartley says
That's great to hear - thank you for letting me know how much you enjoy it! The cake mixture goes into the tins first, before the raspberries, and then you coat the raspberries with the flour and drop into the cake mixture, pressing them down until the raspberries are just submerged into the batter and then, using a spatula, you smooth the cake mixture over the raspberries. It's basically as you want them sitting just on the surface of the cake to avoid as much sinkage as possible.
Elona says
Can i use coconut sugar instead of caster sugar? I try to stay away from white and brown sugar. And can i use frozen raspberries? Fresh ones are too expensive where i live.
Georgina Hartley says
Hi Elona, I haven't tried using coconut sugar - it has a little more moisture content than caster sugar so you just need to bear that in mind. Otherwise it shouldn't be a problem. Yes absolutely to frozen raspberries!! As long as they are used directly from the freezer and don't have excess ice clinging to them which will make the cake mixture too wet.
Bek says
Hi! I was wondering if it would be okay to use almond flour? If so, would it the total measurement of the gluten free flour and ground almonds, 360 g? Thanks!
Georgina Hartley says
You can switch out the ground almonds for almond flour but it will make the cake a little denser. However, I have not tried switching out the gluten-free flour + ground almonds for just almond flour. I would prefer a blend of flours as relying on a single flour won't achieve the light fluffy result I had intended.
Jaq says
I’ve loved making this cake I’m a convert through choice to gluten free cooking, would this cake be suitable to have icing put on - I’m making this cake for a baby shower and wanted to do a different cake to normal Victoria sponge
Georgina Hartley says
Yes you could switch the cream for a buttercream or a different kind of frosting if you prefer.
Jeana Holmquist says
Hi Georgina! I am so grateful to have stumbled upon your beautiful mouth-watering gluten-free pastries, etc... I trust what you share with the public, as it is very evident that you've put your heart and soul into your tried-and-true recipes!
My question for you is when baking these cakes, such as the Lemon Raspberry and Vanilla Almond cakes, would you know if egg substitutes would work? I usually opt. for a flax meal/water mix. I can't wait to try these cakes! Thanks so much!
Georgina Hartley says
Hi Jeana, thank you so much!! Unfortunately I haven't tested this cake with egg substitutes so I can't say for sure whether it will work.
Jeana Holmquist says
Okay, Georgina, I'll let you know what happens when I experiment with it. Thank you for replying back.
Kate says
Hi! I am going to be making this but I am American. There are a lot of mixed opinions on how many grams convert to cups it seems like with varying ingredients So I don’t want to just start guessing. Do you happen to know the conversions? Thanks!
Georgina Hartley says
Hi Kate, I am sorry but I have to give you a very frustrating answer. It is so difficult to give you an accurate conversion into cups because of the ingredients used. In particular the gluten-free flour which will have a very different measurement depending on which brand you use. Using weight measurements is the only accurate way of achieving the exact same results in your cake as the recipe developed here. If you don't want to purchase a set of digital weighing scales (which you can get for less than $10) I completely understand and I urge you to experiment with the conversion tools you find on the internet. Where possible I do include cup conversions in my recipes but I wouldn't feel comfortable publishing a conversion for this one as the results from the different brands of gluten free flours would be too inaccurate.
Kate says
Thank you so much for responding! I ended up buying a scale and it turned out perfectly! My whole family was impressed and this was such a fun bake for a special occasion.
Georgina Hartley says
Hi Kate - I'm sure you won't regret the investment in a scale. Thank you for your feedback!
Dara says
Loved the recipe, though mine didn't rise as much as expected. I attempted to put raspberries in the batter, so maybe that's why? Either way, it still turned out very moist! Thanks so much!
Georgina Hartley says
Hi Dara, yes adding the raspberries to the batter would be too much moisture for this sponge - as it's quite delicate - so you are right, that would be why it didn't rise as much. That's lovely to hear that you liked the recipe!
Helen Walsh-Patient says
Just made this lemon and raspberry cake as a single layer cake, minus the buttercream, with extra limoncello drizzled over the sponge. Great to have a GF cake that doesn’t sink in the centre and a cake where slices can hold their shape and not collapse into a mound of crumbs. The taste is divine. Thanks for this lovely recipe!
Georgina Hartley says
Thank you Helen - I'm so happy you liked the recipe!!
Anna says
You have taken gluten free making to another level. This is the best gluten free cake I have ever made! Moist, lemony, the prefect mix of layers. Even more amazingly, unlike most gluten free baking, it lasts beyond day one. Well, due to popular demand we only have a small slither left on day three, but it still tastes great. Would be an amazing cake for convincing wheat eaters. I can't wait to surprise someone with this on a special occasion! Thank you! Just found it by chance on Pinterest, but will be looking out for your repipes!
Georgina Hartley says
Hi Anna, I'm so happy you liked the cake - it's definitely one of my favourites too!!
Aly says
Hi! I’m allergic to almonds and most tree nuts. Is there a replacement you can suggest?
Thank you!
Georgina Hartley says
Hi Aly, there isn't a replacement flour which works in the same way as the almonds. So instead what I would suggest is swapping out the recipe for the sponge with the sponge in this Best Vanilla Cake. The only difference being you will still want to add the lemon zest and raspberries as per the original recipe. I hope that helps.
Lea Maria says
The best cake I ever made. Everybody absolutely loved it!
Georgina Hartley says
That's great - thank you for your lovely feedback!
Jenn Fein says
Lovely and delicious! Great texture and flavor, perfect amount of sweetness (not overly sweet). Fresh raspberries are divine. Making it again for Mother's Day 🙂
Georgina Hartley says
That's brilliant - thank you for your lovely feedback!
Lilly says
Hi! I was wondering what you mean by "plain gluten free flour?" Would this be a potato, tapioca, rice, etc flour? Thank!
Georgina Hartley says
In the UK you can buy plain gluten-free flour which is a flour mix meant to replicate plain flour (all-purpose flour in the US). I used Doves Farm 'Free From Gluten' Plain White Flour but you can use any gluten-free flour blend.