Do you know anyone who eats “gluten-free”? Me too. However, I had never baked anything gluten-free in my life. But when my darlin’ friend kept eyeing the scrumptious creations I would bring into the office and share with my co-workers, she would sigh because she could not eat them,. Then one day she asked if I could bake a yummy gluten-free treat for her. Well, needless to say I was up for the challenge!
I searched the Internet and quickly discovered that there are many websites devoted to gluten-free baking and cooking, like the Gluten-Free Goddess, Gluten Free Girl and the Chef, and Simply Gluten Free. I found a recipe that made my eyes widen, Lemon Yogurt Cake. If you know me, you know that I love lemon. I read through the recipe. It did not sound difficult and the photo looked so yummy. I darted to my local Raley’s and Trader Joes to see if they had the special ingredients I needed. They did, well, somewhat. I ended up doing a few substitutions based on what I found at my grocers, as well, after making it once, and getting rave reviews from my gluten-free friends, I did tweak it a bit to make it more lemony, just the way I like it!
Gluten-Free Lemon Cake
(Recipe adapted from here)
1-1/2 cups white rice flour
1 cup almond flour (or almond meal)
1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
4 eggs
1 cup lemon yogurt
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
Heat your oven to 350 degrees. Line a 8-9 inch springform pan with parchment paper, coat with cooking spray and set aside.
In a large bowl combine flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt and mix well to incorporate. In a separate large bowl, beat the eggs with a whisk then combine the yogurt, lemon juice and lemon zest and mix well.
Combine dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix with a spoon until the batter is well incorporated. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 45-55 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
Cool on a rack for about 30 minutes. Remove sides of pan and cut. Serve warm or room temperature. Garnish with powdered sugar and a lemon twist.
Give this tangy treat a try, even if you’re not living the gluten-free way, you’ll love the nutty soft texture of this delicious cake. And just to let you know, the first time I made this I did not tell my family it was gluten-free and they devoured it! My son who is a very picky eater loves this scrumptious cake!
Here’s to you Darlin’!
Sweet Baked Life 