Gluten Free Lemon Blueberry Cake
If you’re looking for a dessert that’s both delicious and visually stunning, look no further than this Gluten Free Lemon Blueberry Cake. Not only is this cake moist and DELICIOUS, but this cake combines the bright and zesty flavors of lemon with the sweetness of blueberries to create a perfect balance of flavors that is *chefs kiss*!! The Bundt cake’s unique shape and glaze make it a standout dessert for any occasion, from a casual family dinner to a brunch gathering with your gals. Whether you’re an experienced baker or a novice in the kitchen, this recipe is sure to impress your taste buds and your guests alike. Happy baking friends!
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Ingredients You’ll Need:
- Butter & Oil: The combination of the butter and oil in this cake helps to provide moisture and richness. The butter not only adds to the texture of the cake but it also adds that lovely buttery flavor as well. The oil adds to the texture of the cake by keeping it tender.
- Sugar: adds sweetness to the cake, obviously! But sugar also plays a role in the texture of the cake as well.
- Lemon Juice, Lemon Zest, Salt & Vanilla: Lemon juice and the lemon zest helps provide the bright citrus flavor to the cake. The lemon juice also activates the baking powder and aids in the leavening process while the cake is baking! The salt and vanilla both provide flavor to the cake.
- Eggs: the eggs act as a binding agent and provide structure to the cake.
- Gluten Free Flour: Acts as a substitute for wheat-based flour, providing structure and texture to the cake while being suitable for those with gluten sensitivities. I love using the King Arthur Measure for Measure Gluten Free Flour for cakes because it creates a tighter and softer crumb compared to other GF flour blends.
- Baking Powder: helps the cake rise and stay nice and fluffy!
- Vanilla Greek Yogurt: adds moisture to the cake and provides a creamy flavor. The acidity of Greek yogurt also joins the lemon juice in helping activate the baking powder.
- Fresh Blueberries: adds flavor and texture to the cake.
Tips for this recipe:
- Make sure all ingredients are at room temp: this is SO IMPORTANT because it will affect the final texture and consistency of your cake! It will also help the cake rise more evenly while in the oven and it helps the cake from becoming dense/tough!
- Properly measure the GF flour: this can be crucial to the result of your cake! The proper way to measure flour is to spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level the top with a straight edge (ruler, back of a knife, etc.) DO NOT pack the flour into the cup, gently spoon it into the measuring cup!
- Toss blueberries in GF flour before adding them to the batter: doing this prevents them from sinking to the bottom of the cake during baking.
- Allow the cake to cool before removing it from the pan: let the cake cool for 20-25 minutes before inverting the cake and removing it from the pan. This helps the cake hold its shape but BE CAREFUL if you let the cake completely cool before inverting the pan, the cake will stick to the pan, and it will be difficult to remove!
- Make sure the glaze is the proper consistency: this is a personal preference, but if you want your finished Bundt cake to look like mine this one is IMPORTANT. Having a glaze that is the proper consistency (not too thick, not too thin) will help give you that BEAUTIFUL Bundt cake look. The glaze in this recipe will seem thick but if you follow the recipe, directions, and trust the process I promise your cake will look amazing!! If you’re a visual learner like me here is a video on How to Properly Glaze your Bundt Cakes and hopefully you find it helpful!
Frequently Asked Questions:
Can I use sour cream instead of yogurt?
Yes! If you only have sour cream on hand (or just prefer to use it in general over yogurt) it’s an EASY 1-to-1 ratio substitution! It shouldn’t affect the overall outcome of the cake because sour cream still provides the same moisture as yogurt AND the acidity from sour cream still aids in the leavening process while baking.
Do you let Bundt cakes cool before glazing?
Yes! I HIGHLY recommend letting any and ALL cakes cool completely before you add any kind of glaze or frosting to them. Allowing the cake to cool helps the cake set and firm up, making it easier to handle and it prevents the glaze from melting into your cake. Additionally, adding glazes and frosting to hot cakes can cause the glaze or frosting to soak into the cake and make it overly moist!
What makes a Bundt cake different from regular Cakes?
- Shape: This is the most obvious difference. Bundt cakes have a round, ring-like shape with a hollow center. The pan’s design gives the cake a decorative and distinctive look. Plus, there are SO MANY different designs of Bundt pans. You can easily mix it up with different shapes and sizes! This Bundt pan from Nordic Ware is currently my favorite because of its simple yet elegant look!
- Texture: the shape of the Bundt pan promotes even heat distribution. This results in a cake with a tender crumb and a slightly crusty exterior that is DELICIOUS!
- Presentation: because of its unique shape, a Bundt cake doesn’t require elaborate decoration or frosting. The pans design creates a visually appealing cake that can be served as-is, with a simple glaze, or dusting of powdered sugar.
Can I use frozen blueberries instead of fresh blueberries?
The short answer to this question is yes, BUT it does depend on what you prefer. When testing this recipe, I used both frozen and fresh blueberries and found I liked using fresh blueberries. When adding COLD frozen berries to a cake batter it becomes thick due to the temperature drop from the frozen berries. This causes the cake to bake longer in the oven which can result in a dry cake and a very dark exterior. For me I did not like the dark exterior on the cake. Although frozen blueberries can add more flavor, fresh blueberries still did the trick while keeping the cake moist and light in color. Overall, yes you can use frozen berries just know that it may slightly change the outcome of your cake.
Gluten Free Lemon Blueberry Cake
Equipment
- Electric mixer w/ paddle attachment
- Measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
- Mixing bowls
- Whisk/fork
- Rubber spatula
- Zester
- Citrus juicer
- Bundt pan
- Pastry brush
- Piping bag
Ingredients
Cake
- 1/2 cup (114g) Butter unsalted, softened
- 1 1/2 cup (360g) Granulated Sugar
- 1/4 cup (56g) Vegetable Oil
- 1 1/2 tbsp. (22g) Lemon Juice fresh
- 3/4 tsp. (4g) Vanilla Extract
- 2 Eggs
- 2 1/4 cup (288g) Gluten Free Flour Blend (King Arthur Measure for Measure Gluten Free Flour)
- 3/4 tsp. (6g) Salt
- 2 1/4 tsp. (12g) Baking Powder
- 1 1/2 cup (367g) Vanilla Greek Yogurt
- 2 cup (350g) Fresh Blueberries
- 2-3 tbsp. (25-38g) Gluten Free Flour
Icing
- 2 1/2 cup (350g) Powdered Sugar, sifted
- 3 1/2 tsp. (48g) Lemon Juice, fresh
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat oven to 375°F and adjust the top rack of your oven to be in the center of your oven. Grease the Bundt pan with non stick spray and use a pastry brush to evenly spread it throughout the pan.
- Place the sugar and butter in a mixing bowl of a stand mixer. Cream the butter and sugar together on medium speed (4 mins. on speed 5 for a kitchen aid mixer). Add the vegetable oil and cream together (1 min. speed 5).
- Add the vanilla, lemon zest, and lemon juice and mix until combined.
- Add eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition.
- In a medium bowl, add the gluten free flour, salt, and baking powder. Whisk together with a fork or whisk for 30 seconds.
- Add ¾ of the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture. Mix on low until combined.
- Add all of the yogurt and mix until combined
- Add the remaining flour and continue to mix on low until combined.
- Place the blueberries in a separate bowl, add 2-3 tbsp. of gluten free flour and toss the blueberries until they are evenly coated.
- Add the blueberry/flour mixture to the cake batter and gently fold them in until they are evenly dispersed.
- Bake at 375°F for 40-45 minutes.
- Let the cake cool for 20-25 minutes after coming out of the oven. Then flip the cake out of the pan and let it sit at room temp to cool completely. *see note below about storing for next day glazing*
Icing
- Place the sifted powdered sugar and lemon juice in the bowl of a stand mixer.
- On a low speed, mix the powdered sugar and lemon juice together until it forms a stiff icing. Set aside.
Adding icing to cake
- With the bottom of the Bundt cake facing up, trim the top so that it is completely level. Then flip the cake over so that side is on the bottom before glazing.
- Fill a piping bag with the lemon glaze. Going around the cake 2-3 times, evenly pipe the glaze around the top of the cake.
- Give the cake a little shake to help the glaze ooze down the sides. Now you can cut into the beautiful Bundt cake and enjoy!
Notes
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