Gluten-free lemon poppyseed cake is a light and delicious gluten-free dessert that will have all who try it coming back for more. If you do not believe me, try it yourself!
Our gluten-free lemon poppyseed cake is like summer in a cake. It is perfect year round, but is definitely my favorite to eat in the summer. This fluffy cake has a bright lemon flavor and is great for any special occasion. It’s great with our 15-minute gluten free lemon crinkle cookies.
Growing up, this gluten-free lemon poppyseed cake was one of the only cakes I enjoyed. I would always look forward to having my step mama Sheila make it for me when I would go visit my birth dad.
She knew that I loved it and was so thoughtful to make it (along with her incredible Gluten-Free Gingerbread Men at Christmas time) specifically for me. This little act of kindness made me feel super special.
Now, back when I enjoyed it in their home, it wasn’t gluten-free. I wasn’t diagnosed with celiac disease until I was an adult. It was one of the first recipes I wanted to adapt to meet my new dietary needs. Luckily, my mamma Tana is an incredible baker so she helped me do just that.
I was thrilled that it tasted just like the nostalgic dessert I remembered but now it was a gluten-free lemon poppyseed cake. Luckily, gluten-free recipes are luckily super easy and super delicious! Especially this lemon drizzle cake, which is perfect for a lemon lover.
This gluten-free lemon poppy seed bundt cake is so addictive and delicious that everyone will be coming back for more! It is made from scratch and is a dessert that you will treasure for years to come just like I have. It can even be used to make these cakesicles. Another cake my family loves is this Chocolate Orange Cake with Marshmallow Frosting and our drip cake.
One cake that has become a tradition in my house is this yummy Dr Pepper Cake (BEST EVER!). It has the perfect balance of soda and cake. And if you aren’t a Dr Pepper fan, you can try our bento cake and gluten free apple cake.
What you need
Even though this gluten-free lemon poppy seed cake is homemade, it is super easy. You pretty much mix everything up and throw it in a bundt pan. It is much easier than you think it is and it does not take long to taste the fresh lemon flavor of this cake.
Gluten-Free Flour
For this recipe, you will use four different flours, but do not worry! You will need sorghum flour, white rice flour, brown rice flour and coconut flour. The mix of all four create the most perfect gluten-free cake.
Do not stress about all of the flours. But if you are, you should read my Gluten-Free Flour and Starches: A Resource Guide + Recipe post to learn everything you need to know about gluten-free flour.
Xanthax Gum
Xanthax gum is key in gluten-free baking. It helps create stickiness and elasticity in the dough to keep everything together. For the best results, use xanthax gum, so the gluten-free flour blend to sticks together.
Poppy Seeds
Poppy seeds are one of the staple ingredients in this recipe. You only need two tablespoons, but they are a necessity. When mixing together the cake batter, you will slowly mix in the poppy seeds by hand.
How to make it
- Preheat oven to 350°
- Mix all dry ingredients and wet ingredients but the poppy seeds in a large bowl on medium speed with a handheld mixer or a stand mixer, making sure not to over mix
- Stir in poppy seeds gently by hand
- Butter and sugar the bottom of a bundt or angel food cake pan with 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons of sugar
- Pour batter into the bundt pan and bake 35-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean
- Let the cake cool to room temperature then gently removed slices from the cake tin
- Enjoy as is or with a glaze of powdered sugar and milk mixed to your desired consistency. It can also be enjoyed in a bowl with milk.
Poppy seeds have a lot of nutrients, such as fiber and protein. They are similar in fiber content with chia seeds, but chia seeds seem to be consumed more.
To store your lemon cake leftovers, you will want to put the bundt cake in an airtight container. If you do not have one, wrapping the cake in plastic wrap will do. If you put a glaze on the cake, you will want to put toothpicks on top to keep the plastic wrap from sticking to the icing.
Let the bundt cake cool to room temperature after baking. Then, wrap in cling wrap. After that, you will want to wrap the cake in aluminum foil. For extra protection, place the already-wrapped cake in a freezer safe container. It can last up to three months in the freezer.
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Gluten-Free Lemon Poppyseed Cake
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups sugar
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup sorghum flour
- 2/3 cup white rice flour
- 2/3 cup brown rice flour
- 2 tablespoons coconut flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons xanthan gum
- 1 teaspoon gelatin
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup oil
- 4 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons gluten-free lemon extract
- 2 tablespoons gluten-free almond extract
- 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°
- Mix together everything but the poppy seeds, 2 T butter and 2 T sugar making sure not to over mix
- Stir in poppy seeds gently by hand
- Butter and sugar the bottom of a bundt or angel food cake pan with 2 T butter and 2 T sugar
- Pour cake mix into the pan and bake 35-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean
- Let the cake cool then gently removed slices from the pan
- Enjoy as is or with a glaze of powdered sugar and milk mixed to your desired consistency. It can also be enjoyed in a bowl with milk.
Notes
How should I store leftovers?
To store your lemon cake leftovers, you will want to put the bundt cake in an airtight container. If you do not have one, wrapping the cake in plastic wrap will do. If you put a glaze on the cake, you will want to put toothpicks on top to keep the plastic wrap from sticking to the icing.How do I freeze this lemon bundt cake?
Let the bundt cake cool to room temperature after baking. Then, wrap in cling wrap. After that, you will want to wrap the cake in aluminum foil. For extra protection, place the already-wrapped cake in a freezer safe container. It can last up to three months in the freezer.Nutrition
*Recipe originally posted here in 2017. It has been updated in in 2022 with new tips and information.
Monica says
Oh my gosh. This cake melted in my mouth it was so yummy!