This gluten-free iced lemon pound cake is moist, tender, and sweet—just like the thick slices you see in a coffee shop case.
What makes this gluten free lemon pound cake recipe special
This classic-style loaf relies on eggs for lift—there’s no baking powder or baking soda. The bright lemon flavor comes from fresh lemons: both zest and juice. I kept the glaze tangy by adding lemon zest to it and reduced the granulated sugar in the cake from 1 1/2 cups to 1 cup to let the lemon shine.
The combination of butter and cream cheese in the batter gives the cake a rich, tender crumb that elevates this version above a plain pound cake. A traditional pound cake contains equal weights of butter, sugar, eggs, and flour; here the texture is denser and more luxurious thanks to the cream cheese addition.
Do I need a stand mixer to make this gf lemon pound cake recipe?
No. A stand mixer speeds things up and makes it easy to cream the butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy, but a hand mixer with regular beaters works well too—use a large bowl to avoid splatter. If you don’t have any electric mixer, you can still make this cake by whisking vigorously by hand. Cream the butter and cream cheese until noticeably lighter in color and texture; the batter is dense by nature, but you still want some air incorporated for the right crumb.
Does Starbucks have gluten free desserts?
Generally, no. Although Starbucks’ baked goods are popular, most of their pastries and cakes are not gluten-free. A few gluten-free items have appeared on and off menus over the years, but they’re not consistently available. That means for many people who avoid gluten, making a reliable homemade version is the best way to get that coffee-shop-style lemon pound cake experience.
Gluten free lemon pound cake: Ingredients and substitutions
This recipe contains dairy and eggs, so it’s not suited to dairy-free or egg-free diets without significant changes.
Can you make this into a gluten free dairy free lemon pound cake?
You can swap the butter for a vegan butter (brands like Miyoko’s or Melt work well), but replacing the cream cheese is difficult. Most nondairy cream cheeses don’t mimic the exact texture and flavor of dairy cream cheese, so the cake’s texture and taste will change if you use alternatives.
Can you make this into a gluten free egg free lemon pound cake?
No—this recipe depends on eggs for all of its rise. It uses four whole eggs, and because there is no chemical leavening, egg replacers are unlikely to produce the same dense, tender pound cake structure.
About the cornstarch in this gf lemon pound cake, and how to replace it
If your gluten-free blend already contains extra starch (for example, Cup4Cup), simply replace the cornstarch with more of that blend. If you need a corn-free option, arrowroot or potato starch work well as substitutes for the cornstarch called for here.
Gluten free iced lemon pound cake recipe, step by step
Gluten Free Lemon Pound Cake Recipe
Ingredients
For the pound cake
- 1 1/4 cups (175 g) all-purpose gluten free flour blend (I used Better Batter)
- 3/4 teaspoon xanthan gum (omit if your blend contains it)
- 1/4 cup (36 g) cornstarch (or arrowroot/potato starch)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
- 12 tablespoons (168 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 4 eggs (200 g weighed out of shell), at room temperature, beaten
- 2 tablespoons (1 fl oz) freshly squeezed lemon juice
For the glaze
- 1 1/2 cups (173 g) confectioner’s sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon (1/2 fl oz) freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus more as needed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Grease a loaf pan no larger than 9″ x 5″ and set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, xanthan gum, cornstarch, salt, and about 3/4 of the lemon zest; work to break up any clumps of zest.
Make the pound cake batter.
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle (or in a large bowl with a hand mixer), beat the butter and cream cheese on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
- Add the granulated sugar and mix to combine. Add the beaten eggs and lemon juice, mixing well after each addition until smooth.
- Add the flour mixture in three parts, beating well after each addition. The batter should be smooth, thick, and relatively light.
- Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top with a wet spatula.
Bake the pound cake.
- Place the loaf pan in the center of the oven and bake until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 50 minutes.
- If the top browns too quickly, tent with aluminum foil.
- Remove from oven and cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the glaze & assemble the cake.
- When the cake is nearly cool, whisk together the confectioner’s sugar, salt, and remaining lemon zest in a small bowl to break up any lumps.
- Add the lemon juice one teaspoon at a time, stirring until the glaze is thick but pourable.
- Pour the glaze over the cooled cake and let it set at room temperature. Slice and serve.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
| Calories: 339kcal
| Carbohydrates: 57 g
| Protein: 4 g
| Fat: 19 g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximation.
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