These Gluten-Free Lemon Drizzle Cupcakes are one of my all-time favourite cupcakes. Lovers of lemon will be delighted with them. They are intensely lemony with a moist and tender texture. So, when life gives you lemons, put them to good use and bake a batch of these delicious gluten-free cupcakes.
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Why we love this recipe:
The cupcakes are made with simple ingredients that you may already have on hand.
Topping the cakes with the lemon and sugar drizzle keeps them moist and reinforces the vibrant lemon flavour. It also adds lovely texture to the cake as the sugar provides a little crunch. Further, it is easy to make the drizzle; quicker, too than frosting the cakes.
Like our Chocolate Cupcakes, these are ideal for special occasions, they are also perfect for school lunch boxes, to take on picnics, to potlucks or to enjoy with the family.
Ingredients in this recipe:
Please see the recipe card further along in the post for exact quantities of ingredients and the full method.
Butter – One of the most important roles that butter plays in baking is the flavour that it adds. In addition, it helps to give the cake a more tender texture.
Freshly squeezed lemon juice – for the best flavour it is essential to use fresh lemon juice.
Lemon zest – helps reinforce the lemon flavour.
Caster/superfine sugar – As the name suggests, it is finer in texture than regular granulated sugar and therefore, it dissolves more readily.
Eggs – I use large free-range eggs. The eggs add structure and richness.
Almond flour/almond meal – I prefer to use blanched almond flour/almond meal as it gives the cakes a finer texture than we would get from whole almond flour.
Gluten-free self-raising flour – I have used a commercial gluten-free self-raising flour which is made from a blend of naturally occurring gluten-free flours along with the addition of a raising agent. However, you can substitute regular self-raising flour if you don’t need the cupcakes to be gluten-free. Our gluten-free flour blends contain either xanthan or guar gum to stabilise and provide structure to our recipes.
Sea salt – a small amount of salt is a great flavour booster in sweet dishes.
Granulated sugar – I have used granulated sugar in the lemon drizzle as it provides more crunch.
Step by Step Instructions:
- To begin, add butter, sugar and lemon zest to the bowl of a stand mixer and cream them together;
- Then, add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. With the mixer on the lowest speed, I slowly add the sifted flour, almond meal and salt.
- Once the mixture is combined, you are ready to add it to the prepared muffin tin.
- Use an ice cream scoop to evenly distribute the mixture into the paper-lined muffin cups. Bake the cupcakes in the pre-heated oven for 17-20 minutes. Remove from the oven.
- and 6. Combine the lemon juice and sugar and drizzle this mixture over the still-warm cupcakes.
Tips for success and FAQs:
It is important that you have your ingredients at room temperature otherwise they will not incorporate smoothly.
Bake the cupcakes for approximately 18 minutes or until they are a light golden shade and a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Try not to over-bake the cupcakes as they will become dry.
For the best flavour it is essential to use fresh lemon juice.
Drizzle the lemon and sugar mixture onto the cupcakes while they are still warm from the oven. Leave in the tin for the drizzle mixture to set then remove the cupcakes to a cooling rack.
Yes, you can. Wait until they are completely cool and wrap securely in cling wrap. Either wrap well in aluminium foil or place into a freezer-safe container and freeze up to 3 months.
Yes, this recipe will work with regular or gluten-free self-raising flour.
More delicious lemon recipes for you to try:
- Classic Lemon Curd
- Belgian Lemon Tea Cake
- Three Ingredient Lemon Marmalade
- Lemon Madeleines
- Creamy Lemon Pie
- Individual Lemon Curd Meringues
- Quick and Easy Lemon Ice Cream
Whether you’re baking these Lemon Drizzle Cupcakes for a special occasion or unwinding by doing some leisurely baking, you can be certain that they will be a crowd-pleaser.
Let me know in the comments below when you have tried them!
Alex xx
Gluten-Free Lemon Drizzle Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes:
- ½ cup (125 g) unsalted butter (at room temperature) See Note 1
- 2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
- 1 cup (220 g) caster/superfine sugar
- 4 large eggs (at room temperature) See Note 1
- 1 ¾ cups (175 g) almond meal/almond flour See Note 2
- 1 cup (150 g) gluten-free self-raising flour – sifted
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt See Note 3
For the Lemon Drizzle:
- ¼ cup (60 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice strained
- ¾ cup (170 g) granulated sugar See Note 4
Recipe Measurements:
For accuracy, we recommend weighing your ingredients. This will produce the best results.
Instructions
For the Cupcakes:
- Preheat your oven to 175 Degrees C (350 F) and line a 12 hole muffin tin with paper liners.
- Chop the room-temperate butter into small cubes. Using a stand mixer or hand-held electric beaters, add the butter, caster/superfine sugar and lemon zest to a bowl and combine well until the mixture is light and creamy.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the flour, almond meal and salt. To avoid over-beating, fold in the last of the flour by hand.
- Using an ice cream scoop or spoon, evenly distribute the mixture between the 12 muffin cups.
- Place into the pre-heated oven and cook for 17-20 minutes until they area light golden shade and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. –see Note 5Remove the cupcakes from the oven and set aside while you make the drizzle.
For the Lemon Drizzle:
- Mix the lemon and sugar together and drizzle over the top of the still warm cupcakes.
- Wait about 5 minutes for the drizzle mixture to set and then remove the cupcakes to a rack to cool completely.
Notes
- So that the ingredients combine smoothly, it is essential that all ingredients be at room temperature.
- I prefer to use blanched almond meal/almond flour as the cakes will have a finer texture than using whole almond meal/almond flour.
- I use coarse cooking sea salt; do not use fine table salt, it is too strong and contains anti-caking agents.
- I use granulated sugar in the lemon drizzle mixture. The granulated sugar provides more crunch.
- As all ovens are different, this time may vary slightly. The cakes should be golden, slightly bouncy to the touch and a skewer inserted into the centre should come out clean.
- For the most accurate results when baking, we recommend weighing your ingredients using a kitchen scale.
- Please note, the nutritional information is based on one cupcake as one serve. The nutritional information is an estimate only.
Nutrition Estimate:
Nutritional Disclaimer:
The nutritional information is an estimate only, and is derived from online calculators. For accurate results, we recommend calculating the nutritional information based on the ingredients and brands you use.
Sam
So delicious – the whole family loves them.
Alexandra
Thank you, Sam!
Jen Smythe
Third time making these – and YUM!
Thank you for this delicious gluten- free recipe. We adore it.
Alexandra
I am so thrilled to hear that, Jen – and you are most welcome. We look forward to sharing more gluten-free recipes with you soon.
Kind regards, Alex
Miranda
I’ve been having these every morning with my tea this week and I can’t get enough! They’re intensely lemony, rich, and totally delicious. I’m making a double batch this weekend and freezing them so I can have them on hand every day. Thanks for a wonderful recipe!
Alexandra
Hi Miranda, thank you for your terrific feedback about our Lemon Drizzle Cupcakes. I am so pleased that you enjoy them. 🙂