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lemon drizzle cake for Easter shaped like a nest topped with chocolate hen, macarons and eggs

Gluten Free Lemon Cake

Jill Colonna
A moist gluten free lemon cake with almond flour. Drizzle with a fresh lemon syrup and bake in a bundt tin to make an Easter nest cake or for Mother's Day - otherwise enjoy at any time of year.
5 from 9 votes
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course Breakfast, Dessert, teatime
Cuisine British, French
Servings 12
Calories 311 kcal

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • 175 g (6oz/ ¾ cup) butter, unsalted (softened)
  • 150 g (5.25oz/¾ cup) sugar
  • 4 eggs (organic)
  • 250 g (9oz/ 2¼ cups) ground almonds (almond flour)
  • 2 tablespoon cornflour
  • 2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 large lemon, finely grated zest unwaxed/organic (see Notes)

Lemon Syrup for Drizzle

  • 50 g (1.75oz) lemon juice (from the rest of the lemon)
  • 40 g (1.5oz/3 tbsp) sugar

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 180°C/360°F (160°C fan/Gas 4).
    Cream together the butter and sugar in a large bowl, either using a balloon whisk or mix together in a mixer until pale, smooth and creamy.
  • Continue to mix together, gradually adding the eggs, ground almonds, cornflour, baking powder and lemon zest until the batter is smooth.
  • Pour the mixture into a bundt tin (23cm/9.5-inch), or a greased normal cake tin.
    Bake in the oven for about 30-40 minutes or until golden and when a knife inserted comes out clean.

Lemon Syrup

  • Meanwhile, make the syrup: squeeze out the juice in a bowl via a strainer to sift out the pips then weigh the juice and sugar together in a saucepan. Stir over a medium heat until it thickens slightly for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
  • Cool the cake in the mould for about 10 minutes then take out of the tin and cool on a wire rack. Drizzle the syrup evenly, all over the cake.

Notes

Storage: Keeps for up to 5 days in an airtight container in a cool place. Freezes well.
Lemon Zest Tip: Use unwaxed or organic lemons if possible, as this cake uses the zest. If using waxed lemons, soak in warm water for 10 minutes with a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda, then scrub under running water and dry well before zesting. Scrubbing helps remove surface wax and residues more effectively than soaking alone.
Decoration (optional): Bake in a bundt tin and decorate as an Easter nest with mini eggs, chocolate, mendiants or macarons (also gluten free). Add sugared edible flowers for Mother's Day or birthdays (details are in the post above).
Remove the decorations and it’s a simple lemon drizzle cake for any time of year.
Measurements: For best results, use digital kitchen scales and weigh ingredients in grams. Cups and ounces are approximate guides only.
 

Nutrition

Calories: 311kcalCarbohydrates: 22gProtein: 6gFat: 24gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.5gCholesterol: 86mgSodium: 186mgPotassium: 29mgFiber: 2gSugar: 17gVitamin A: 444IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 96mgIron: 1mg
Keyword easter nest cake, French lemon cake almonds, gluten free lemon cake, gluten free lemon drizzle cake, lemon cake almond flour
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