With a beautifully soft sponge, lemon icing and lashings of raspberries, this gluten free lemon & raspberry loaf cake is a seriously dreamy bake. It’s also easily made dairy free or lactose free, making it a wonderful crowd-pleaser cake.
What’s more, this gluten free lemon & raspberry loaf cake keeps well for around 3 days without drying out. The ground almonds in the sponge really helping to hold that moisture in place and keeping the cake succulent and delicious.
Can I Substitute the Ground Almonds?
I’m afraid not for this cake, but I do have another nut free lemon loaf cake recipe that you could tweak and add raspberries to if you have a nut allergy. It’s a lemon and poppy seed drizzle loaf cake, which could be adapted quite simply. Get in touch with me if you are not sure how.
Is This Loaf Cake Lactose or Dairy Free?
Yes! As long as you use a dairy free baking spread/lactose free butter/plant based butter, this cake is naturally dairy free and lactose free.
Which Flour Blend Did You Use?
I used the FREEE gluten free plain flour for this cake, which is a brand I bake regularly with. I am also a fan of the Lidl own brand gluten free flour and the Shipton Mill gluten free flour, both being great for baking.
Gluten Free Lemon & Raspberry Loaf Cake
This gluten free lemon & raspberry loaf cake will serve about 8 people, depending on how generously you want to cut your slices. Or 4 if you want to have second helpings!
You’ll find a full method below, with some photos under the recipe to help give you a visual guide. If you need any help along the way or if you have questions, please do message me on social media (@myglutenfreeguide) or email me at laura@mygfguide.com. I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.
If you enjoy this loaf cake, please leave a review on the recipe card below. It makes a world of difference to me :).
And you can also share photos of your home bakes in my Cooking Club on Facebook.
Laura xxx
Lemon & Raspberry Loaf Cake (GF)
A beautifully soft and tender lemon and raspberry loaf cake. Gluten free and perfect for sharing.
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 200g baking spread/unsalted butter (softened)
- 200g caster sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 120g gluten free plain flour + 1 tsp
- 0.5 tsp xanthan gum
- 3.5 tsp baking powder
- 200g ground almonds
- Zest 2 lemons + 30ml lemon juice (approx 1 lemon)
- 200g frozen raspberries
To decorate:
- 140g icing sugar
- Zest 1 lemon + 25ml lemon juice
- 100g fresh raspberries
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 160C (fan) and grease and line a 2lb loaf tin with non-stick baking paper that finishes about 1-2 inches above the top edge of the tin (this will help protect the top of the cake from the oven heat, to prevent excessive browning).
- Cream the butter and caster sugar together in a mixing bowl or stand mixer bowl, until pale and smooth.
Add the eggs and mix to combine. - Sift the plain flour, baking powder and xanthan gum into the bowl and also add the ground almonds. Stir until you have a very thick, smooth batter.
- Add the lemon juice and lemon zest. Give everything a final mix.
- Dust the frozen raspberries in 1 tsp plain gluten free flour (this will help stop them from sinking). Pour half the cake batter into the prepared loaf tin and scatter half the frozen raspberries over the top, gently pressing them into the batter. Then pour in the remaining cake batter and top with the rest of the frozen raspberries. Press them gently into the batter with your fingers and then smooth over the top with a small angeled palette knife.
- Place the cake into the oven on the middle shelf to bake for 60-65 minutes. Test the cake in the centre with a cake tester or skewer after 60 minutes - if it comes out clean it is baked but if there is still runny batter it will need an extra 5 minutes (or until baked through).
- Remove the cake from the oven once cooked and keep it in the tin to cool for 10 minutes. Then carefully lift the cake out of the tin and away from the baking paper and place on a wire rack to cool.
- Allow to cool for at least 30 minutes before you add the icing drizzle. Sift the icing sugar into a large bowl and add the lemon juice. Mix until they have a very thick, runny icing. If it is too stiff, just add a couple of drops of lemon juice or water until it is drizzle-able! Now drizzle over the top of your loaf cake.
- Sprinkle the lemon zest over the top of the cake and place the fresh raspberries on top. Leave to set before serving, or get stuck straight in if you can't resist a slice!
Notes
This cake keeps well for up to 3 days in an airtight container. It's always best eaten on the day of baking or second day, but the ground almonds help retain moisture and keep the cake lovely and soft.
For more delicious gluten free bakes, why not bookmark some of my other recipes for later:
Happy baking! Laura xxx
