Vegan lemon cake, zesty, fluffy, and absolutely out of this world. It tastes so fresh and rich it'll become your weekly treat!
This vegan lemon cake seems to have been specifically created to be enjoyed on a summer evening. It is SO good, sweet, and fresh! I still can't get over how much I adored it. So worth-trying!
It is zesty and rich, as well as soft and fluffy. This cake is the perfect original treat to serve to your guests or take to any event you might be attending. Everyone will be stunned by it!
Ingredient notes
- Unsweetened plant milk: any type of unsweetened plant milk will work, but soy milk is my favorite one for baking.
- Apple cider vinegar: you could also use white vinegar or lemon juice instead.
- All-purpose flour: I’ve only made this recipe using all-purpose flour, but you could probably use other types of flour. However, you may need to adjust the amount of it.
- Granulated sugar: feel free to use other types of sugar, like brown, coconut, or cane sugar.
- Oil: any type of oil is okay. I like canola or sunflower oil because they have a neutral flavor, unlike extra virgin olive oil. Coconut oil is also a good choice, but you should use it melted.
- Vanilla extract: I always use homemade vanilla extract as it’s more affordable and extremely easy to make, but the store-bought one is also a good choice.
- Lemon juice: fresh lemon juice is the best choice.
- Vegan butter: store-bought works amazing, but you could also make your own vegan butter at home.
- Powdered sugar: you can buy powdered sugar or make your own in about 2 minutes with just 2 simple ingredients.
Dietary variations
- Make it gluten-free: Use my gluten-free flour blend for a gluten-free version of this recipe.
- Make it soy-free: use soy-free vegan butter and plant milk.
How to make vegan lemon cake
For the vegan lemon cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF or 180ºC. Grease two 9-inch (23 cm) cake pans. Set aside.
- Mix the plant milk and vinegar in a jar or bowl until well combined. Let the mixture rest at room temperature for at least 5 minutes.
- In the meantime, add the dry ingredients to a large mixing bowl and mix until combined.
- Add the oil, vanilla extract, lemon zest, lemon juice, and the plant milk and vinegar mixture. Stir until well combined.
- Divide the batter evenly between the two cake pans.
- Bake for about 30 to 40 minutes.
- Let it cool for 15 minutes before transferring it to a cooling rack and then let it cool completely before frosting.
For the vegan lemon buttercream frosting:
- Add the vegan butter to an electric mixer bowl and beat until light and fluffy. You could also use a regular large bowl and a hand mixer.
- Then add the lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla extract, and beat once more.
- Gradually add the powdered sugar, ½ cup (120 g) at a time, and continue mixing until thick and creamy.
- Frost the cake using an icing spatula or a butter knife, adding a thick layer between the top and bottom layers.
- Slice your vegan lemon cake and serve.
How to store
- Fridge: keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 5 days.
- Freezer: store the leftovers in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 1 month. Transfer from the freezer to the fridge one day before decorating/serving.
Looking for more vegan dessert recipes?
- Vegan Lemon Bars
- Vegan Chocolate Cake
- Vegan Coffee Cake
- Vegan Carrot Cake
- Vegan Strawberry Shortcake
Did you make this vegan lemon cake recipe?
Please leave a comment and rate it below. We’d love to hear from you!
Vegan Lemon Cake
Vegan lemon cake, zesty, fluffy, and absolutely out of this world. It tastes so fresh and rich it'll become your weekly treat!
Servings:
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Ingredients
For the vegan lemon cake:
- 1 cup unsweetened plant milk, I used soy milk
- 4 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, or lemon juice
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 and ½ cups granulated sugar
- 1 and ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 and ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup oil, 120 ml, I used canola oil
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- ⅓ cup lemon juice, 80 ml
For the vegan lemon buttercream frosting:
- 1 cup vegan butter, 220 g
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 cups powdered sugar, 480 g
Instructions
For the vegan lemon cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF or 180ºC. Grease two 9-inch (23 cm) cake pans. I also line the bottoms with a circle of parchment paper. Set aside.
- Mix the plant milk and vinegar in a jar or bowl until well combined. Let the mixture rest at room temperature for at least 5 minutes. After this time, the milk will thicken and curdle.
- In the meantime, add the dry ingredients to a large mixing bowl (flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt) and mix until combined.
- Add the oil, vanilla extract, lemon zest, lemon juice, and the plant milk and vinegar mixture. Stir until well combined.
- Divide the batter evenly between the two cake pans.
- Bake for about 30 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Baking time may vary depending on the oven.
- Let it cool for 15 minutes before transferring it to a cooling rack and then let it cool completely before frosting. If you don’t have a cooling rack, just use a dish or what you have on hand.
For the vegan lemon buttercream frosting:
- Add the vegan butter to an electric mixer bowl and beat until light and fluffy. You could also use a regular large bowl and a hand mixer.
- Then add the lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla extract, and beat once more.
- Gradually add the powdered sugar, ½ cup (120 g) at a time, and continue mixing until thick and creamy.
- If your frosting is too thick or crumbly, add a little bit of unsweetened plant milk (soy milk is my favorite one). If your frosting is too thin, just add more powdered sugar until it thickens.
- Frost the cake using an icing spatula or a butter knife, adding a thick layer between the top and bottom layers.
- Slice your vegan lemon cake and serve. Ideally, refrigerate the cake for 30 minutes before serving, but this is optional.
- Store the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 5 days. You can also freeze it for up to 1 month, but in that case, freeze the cake without the frosting and frost it right before serving.
Notes
- You could also make cupcakes using this recipe. Just fill the liners ¾ of the way full and bake for about 20-25 minutes.
- Feel free to use our vegan buttercream frosting, our vegan cream cheese frosting, or any other frosting instead.
- Cut the recipe in half to make a 1 layer round cake. You can also omit the frosting for a healthier and simpler version.
- If you don’t want thick layers of frosting, cut the frosting ingredients in half.
- Feel free to use any type of plant milk, but soy milk is my favorite one for baking.
- Use any kind of sugar, salt, and oil.
- Prep time doesn’t include neither the time you need to wait while the cake is cooling down after baking nor the time you need to keep the cake in the fridge to firm up.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 446kcal | Carbohydrates: 67.16g | Protein: 2.9g | Fat: 18.8g | Saturated Fat: 3.57g | Sodium: 183.5mg | Fiber: 0.89g | Sugar: 48.3g
Tried this recipe?Leave a comment below and let me know how it was!
Janet says
Can you use this recipe to make a sheet pan cake?
Iosune says
Hi Janet! I haven't tried it myself, but I would spread the batter evenly onto a greased sheet pan and bake at 350°F (180°C) for about 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Once baked, allow it to cool completely before cutting and serving. Hope it works!
Dee says
Ohhhh; this looks so yummy. I don't bake much, but cakes are something I can do! I am wondering what modifications are needed to make this in a bundt pan?
Iosune says
Hi Dee! I've never tried it myself, but I would simply grease the pan generously and pour the prepared batter into it. Then bake at 350ºF (180ºC) for 45-55 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let it cool for 10-15 minutes before removing from the pan to cool completely. Hope it works!