Moist Gluten-Free Lemon Bundt Cake

Dive into the most delicious lemon dessert with this ultra moist gluten-free lemon bundt cake recipe. A mixture of lemon pudding mix, sour cream, and citrusy glaze make this the best gluten-free lemon cake ever!

The best gluten-free lemon cake recipe

Gluten-free lemon bundt cake outshines all recipes with a bright lemon flavor and ultra moist crumb. A combination of oil and sour cream avoids any displeasing dry texture, while lemon pudding mix, lemon juice, and lemon zest guarantees the best citrusy taste!

If love the combination of lemon and blueberries (best combo ever!), take inspiration from this lemon blueberry cake and mix in fresh or frozen berries into the batter. Alternatively, serve fresh berries on the side with a dollop of whipped cream.

If you love gluten-free lemon desserts, be sure to check out these gluten-free lemon bars and frozen lemon pie!

Ingredient Notes

• Lemon Pudding Mix – Just like in Gluten-Free Nothing Bundt Cake and gluten-free chocolate cake recipes, be sure to grab instant pudding and not “cook and serve.” If you cannot find lemon pudding mix, substitute vanilla, adding an additional 1 teaspoon lemon zest and replace the vanilla extract with lemon.
• Sour Cream – Adds moisture without the need for large amounts of liquids, which have a hard time being absorbed by gluten-free flour. This is a similar trick I use with cream cheese in gluten-free pound cake.
• Oil – While a lot of bundt cake recipes use unsalted butter, I prefer oil to create a more moist crumb.
• Gluten-Free Flour – The recipe was tested with Cup4Cup gluten-free flour blend, which is the one I use and recommend in my gluten-free cookbook. For alternative flours, see Best Gluten-Free Flour to Use section.

how to make gluten-free lemon Bundt Cake

(Below shows step-by-step photos and modified instructions. For the complete recipe, along with ingredient amounts, scroll down to the recipe card.)

1. Grease a nonstick 12-cup bundt cake pan and set aside. For bundt cake substitutions, see Bundt Cake Pan and Substitutions section.
2. In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer, combine the dry ingredients – flour, sugar, pudding mix, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix on low to combine.
3. Add the eggs, sour cream, oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Mix to combine, then increase the speed and beat for 1 minute.
4. Pour into the prepared bundt cake pan and spread evenly. Bake in a 350°F oven for 55 minutes, or until a long cake tester comes out clean.
5. Cool cake for 10 minutes in the pan before inverting onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
6. For the glaze, mix together the lemon juice and powdered sugar in a small bowl. The mixture should be just thin enough to drizzle on. Drizzle over the top of the cake.

bundt cake glaze and toppings

This gluten-free lemon cake recipe has a double dose of lemon flavor by drizzling a citrusy lemon glaze over the top. It is a simple mixture of powdered sugar and fresh lemon juice that hardens into a shiny glaze.

To amp up the lemon even more, sprinkle on a dusting of fresh lemon zest or decorate the top with candied lemon slices.

If you are looking for something different than a lemon glaze, substitute milk for the lemon juice. Adding a ½ teaspoon of vanilla or almond extract would also be a tasty addition!

Best gluten-free flour to use

Since there are a variety of gluten-free flours on the market, I have created an entire post dedicated to answering which is the best. To learn more, be sure to check out the Ultimate Guide to the Best Gluten–Free Flour.

Different flours work optimally in different types of baked goods. However, when making gluten-free cakes, I find Cup4Cup brand to work the best. The drawback of Cup4Cup is the allergens it contains. If you cannot have dairy or corn, King Arthur Measure-for-Measure seems to be a good runner up.

Generally I stay away from Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free flour because, although it is affordable and popular, I find it to have an off putting taste and grittiness compared to other brands.

bundt cake pan and substitutions

Bundt cakes can be any cake recipe baked in a bundt pan. Bundt pans have a decorative edge with a hole in the middle to make an almost doughnut shaped cake.

Since the cake batter makes more contact with outer and inner edges of the pan, bundt cakes conduct more heat and bake evenly throughout. If you love chewy cake edges with a moist interior, then bundt cakes are ideal!

Since bundt pans hold so much batter, you have to be careful when substituting another cake pan. Be sure to not overfill and leave at least 2 inches space, leaving room for cake to rise in the pan and not all over your oven!

You can make your own bundt cake pan using two 9-inch cake pans with a narrow glass jar in the middle to create the hole. A 9X13-inch pan may also be used, but you may have excess batter, which can be poured into muffin tins.

Alternatively, a tube pan, like the one used in gluten-free angel food cake, will also work interchangeably. Just be sure to grease it well so the cake releases.

Bundt cake pans are very deep, so they require a long baking time. If you plan on using a substitution, less time will be required for shallower pans. For either bundt cakes, or any other cake recipes, I recommend this cake tester because it’s more reliable than a toothpick.

Storing and freezing

Store leftovers, well covered, at room temperature up to two days. Gluten-free cakes tend to have a shorter shelf-life since the flour doesn’t absorb moisture as readily. Therefore, I recommend freezing any leftovers not consumed in a day or two.

To freeze the entire cake after frosting, place it on a baking sheet and freeze until the frosting is solid and hard to the touch. Then securely wrap the cake in several layers of plastic wrap, again in foil, and freeze up to 3 months.

Freeze leftover cake slices by wrapping in plastic wrap first. Transfer slices to a ziplock freezer bag. Thaw at room temperature for 30-60 minutes before enjoying.

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step-by-step web story instructions for this recipe!

more gluten-free cake recipes

• Moist Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake
• Gluten-Free Vanilla Cake
• Gluten-Free Ice Cream Cake

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