Ingredients

• 3 eggs, room temperature
• 1 & 3/4 cup fine granulated cane sugar
• 2/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 & 3/4 cup milk (dairy or non-dairy)
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 4 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp lemon extract
• 2 tbsp lemon zest (about 1 large lemon)
• 2 & 3/4 cup gluten-free all-purpose baking flour (I used Bob’s Red Mill 1:1)
• 1 cup fine blanched almond flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 & 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt

Lemon Buttercream:

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 4 & 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 2 & 1/2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 tbsp heavy cream
• 2 tsp lemon zest
• pinch salt, to taste

Sunflower Sugar Cookies

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray either two 9-inch round pans or three 6-inch round pans with baking spray and line with parchment paper just on the bottom. Set aside.

In a large bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, beat together eggs, sugar, oil, milk, vanilla and lemon extracts, and lemon zest until well incorporated. Use a handheld electric mixer if not using a stand mixer.

Add in flour, almond flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt, making sure to spoon and level the flours to measure (don’t scoop from the bag).

Use a whisk to mix together until well combined, but be careful not to over-mix. It shouldn’t be runny, but definitely won’t be thick either. It should resemble a fairly thin pancake batter.

Pour into your prepared pans and add to the oven. The 9-inch pans will take closer to 25-30 minutes and the 6-inch about 45 minutes (they’re smaller but the layers will be fairly thick so they need to bake for longer). Check with a toothpick to test doneness. The top should be golden brown and there should be no jiggling on the inside.

Remove from the oven, let cool for about 10 minutes, then carefully flip onto a cooling rack and peel off the parchment paper. Let cool completely before frosting.

To make the buttercream, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add confectioners’ sugar, lemon juice, heavy cream, and zest with the mixer running on low. Increase to high speed and beat for 3 full minutes. Taste and add salt as needed. Add up to 1/2 cup more confectioners’ sugar if frosting is too thin or another tablespoon of cream if frosting is too thick.

Frost the cake once it is cool & enjoy!

Chef’s Notes:

I highly recommend using Bob’s flour since there is a lot of variation brand to brand, but if you opt to use a different one, just make sure it has xanthan gum in the mix!

Once prepared, this cake will keep for about 3 days at room temperature or 5 in the fridge. Keep in an air tight container or wrapped in foil for best results.

If you need to make this cake nut free, you can sub the almond flour for an additional 1/2 cup of the gf all purpose flour. The texture will be slightly different, but still delicious!

You can make the buttercream ahead. Cover tightly and store for up to 1 week in the refrigerator or up to 3 months in the freezer. After freezing or refrigerating, thaw in the refrigerator, bring to room temperature then beat the frosting for a few seconds so it’s creamy again. You may need to add a little milk or heavy cream if it’s still too stiff.

To frost the cake like I did, use Wilton tip 1A to make rosettes. Add in other tips for more decorations.