This Vegan Lemon Cake is bright, flavorful, and incredibly easy to make, with just 10 ingredients and no butter or complicated steps! Olive oil lends a moist, tender crumb and sunny yellow hue. It's the perfect cake for any occasion, whether you’re celebrating or just craving something sweet and lemon-y!
This just might be the easiest lemon cake ever, and it has everything you want in a lemon dessert—you know, that perfect balance of fresh lemon flavor with enough sweetness to really make it pop!
This recipe calls for just 10 pantry-friendly ingredients, and no complex steps or fancy equipment. It's also really versatile!
You can bake this lemon cake in an 8-inch square pan, a 9-inch round pan, OR a 9x5 pan for a beautiful lemon loaf! And though I haven't tried it yet, I have no doubt this recipe will also make amazing cupcakes.
This simple cake is delicious enough to stand on its own, with nothing more than a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vegan ice cream. If you're feeling extra decadent, pair it with a lemon glaze or frosting.
Enjoy it as a single-layer, anytime cake, or double (or triple) the ingredients to create a decadent vegan lemon layer cake!
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Ingredients and Substitutions
- Flour - I've tested the cake with regular all-purpose flour and King Arthur's Measure for Measure gluten-free flour blend. The GF cake was good but a bit more dense and not quite as tender.
- Sugar - To make sure your sugar is vegan and not processed with bone char, look for organic cane sugar or a product specifically labeled as vegan. I'm currently using this sugar from Whole Foods.
- Lemons - You'll need 3 large lemons for the zest. We're also adding fresh lemon juice, but only 3 Tbsp. Any more liquid than that and you run the risk of a gummy texture.
- Oil - Oil is great for vegan cakes—or any cake, really—because it creates a moist and soft crumb. I like to use a light-tasting olive oil in this lemon cake because it enhances the pale yellow color provided by the lemon zest. Feel free to use a different oil, something neutral like grapeseed or avocado oil.
- Non-dairy milk - Any unsweetened non-dairy milk you like is fine here, such as oat, soy, or almond. I used plain almond milk.
- Non-dairy yogurt - I know plain dairy-free yogurt isn't always easy to find in stores, but this ingredient really does improve both the flavor and texture of the cake. It also allows us to reduce the amount of oil needed. I used homemade soy milk yogurt this time. Other varieties like cashew, coconut, or almond milk yogurt are also great. Sub mashed banana or applesauce if necessary.
- Baking powder and soda - These leaveners help our eggless cake rise. Make sure they're fresh enough to be active.
- Garnish & decoration - Keep things simple with non-dairy whipped cream—store-bought or homemade. I used my aquafaba whipped cream for the photos. You can also create a simple lemon glaze with 1 cup powdered sugar and 3-4 teaspoon fresh lemon juice. See the Variations section below for frosting ideas.
See the recipe card below for ingredient amounts and step-by-step instructions.
How to Make Vegan Lemon Cake
First, preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Prepare your cake pan by lightly oiling and dusting with flour. If desired, and for extra easy removal, line the pan with parchment.
Zest the lemons, and make sure you have a very full 2 Tablespoons. In a large mixing bowl, use a fork to mash the zest into the sugar.
Add the remaining wet ingredients to the lemon-sugar mixture, and whisk until the sugar is dissolved. Sift the dry ingredients into a separate bowl.
Pour the dry ingredients into the mixing bowl, and stir just until there is no visible dry flour, careful not to overmix. It's fine if it looks slightly lumpy.
Transfer the batter to the pan, and bake in the center of the oven for about 40 minutes. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Also, use a finger to lightly press the center of the cake. If it bounces back, the cake is done.
Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Carefully flip out onto a plate or board, then place top-side up on a cooling rack. Cool completely before garnishing and slicing.
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Variations
Gluten-free: Use a gluten-free baking blend such as King Arthur's Measure for Measure. During recipe testing the gluten-free cake didn't rise quite as much and was slightly more dense, but still delicious!
Layer cake: Double (or triple) the ingredients, and pair it with this vegan vanilla frosting. To make lemon frosting, per ½ cup of vegan butter, add 2 teaspoons lemon zest (or ½-1 teaspoon lemon extract), and 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice.
Lemon-cream cheese frosting: Use the frosting linked above (or any vanilla frosting you like), and replace ½ cup of the vegan butter with 8 oz. vegan cream cheese. I recommend either Tofutti brand or Kite Hill for frosting.
Equipment Used
- Bowls, measuring cups and spoons: You'll need one large mixing bowl, one medium bowl, and the standard measuring cups and spoons.
- Kitchen scale: A scale is the best way to ensure accuracy, but not a deal-breaker. See Tips below.
- Sifter: Any fine mesh sieve is fine. Sifting the flour creates a tender, lighter texture.
- Microplane: for zesting the lemons
- Metal baking pan: Choose between an 8x8 square pan, 9-inch round cake pan, or 9x5 loaf pan. They all hold the same volume, though bake time is slightly longer for a loaf pan.
- A cooling rack is also helpful.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, once the cake is completely cool, wrap well with plastic wrap. It's fine at room temperature or refrigerated. If cold, remove the cake from the fridge 2-3 hours before serving to allow it to warm to room temperature. Then glaze or frost, if desired.
The cake keeps well covered at room temperature for up to 2 days, refrigerated for up to 5 days, or frozen for up to 2 months. Wrap it well to prevent freezer burn. Keep in mind that if a perishable topping like whipped cream is used, the cake should be kept refrigerated.
Helpful Tips
- You can bake this cake in an 8-inch square pan, 9-inch round, or 9x5 loaf pan. For a loaf, increase bake time to around 50 min. I'm sure it will be great for cupcakes, too, I just haven't tried that yet. Bake time for cupcakes should be around 20 minutes. If you try cupcakes, let us know in the comments!
- Don’t skimp on the lemon zest! This is where ALL of the irresistible lemon flavor comes from.
- Use a kitchen scale for the most dependable results. If you don't have one, be sure to whisk the flour very well before gently scooping up with a measuring cup, and leveling off the top.
- Sift the flour, baking powder, and baking soda for the best texture.
- Properly oil and flour the pan to avoid sticking. If preferred, you can also line the pan with parchment paper to ensure easy removal.
- If you plan to garnish with vegan whipped cream wait until just before serving to avoid unwanted moisture seeping into the cake.
More Lemon Desserts
I hope you enjoy this delightfully easy lemon cake. If you try the recipe be sure to share your feedback in the comments below, and tag me on social with @myquietkitchen to show off your beautiful cake!
Recipe
Easy Vegan Lemon Cake
Equipment
- 1 8x8 baking pan - or a 9-inch round cake pan or 9x5 loaf pan
Ingredients
- 3 large lemons
- 1 cup sugar
- ⅓ cup olive oil - or a neutral oil like avocado
- ½ cup unsweetened non-dairy milk - such as oat or almond
- ½ cup plain non-dairy yogurt - such as cashew, coconut, soy, or almond.
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1¾ cups all purpose flour - see Notes for GF
- 2 Tablespoons corn starch
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly oil a metal baking pan (8x8 inch, 9-inch round, or 9x5 loaf). Then dust with flour and set aside. If desired, line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper for even easier removal (I did not use parchment and had no trouble with sticking).
- Place sugar in a large mixing bowl. Zest the lemons, careful to only remove the outer yellow portion, avoiding the bitter white pith. You should have 2 tablespoon zest. Add the zest to the bowl, and use a fork to thoroughly mix it into the sugar.
- Slice one of the lemons, and measure out 3 tablespoon juice. Add the oil, lemon juice, milk, yogurt, and vanilla to the lemon-sugar. Whisk until the sugar is dissolved.
- In a separate bowl combine the flour, corn starch, baking powder and soda, and salt. Whisk well, then sift this into the bowl containing the wet ingredients. Gently whisk or stir just until there is no visible dry flour. Don't overmix.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Also test for doneness by lightly pressing the center of the cake with a finger to see if it bounces back.
- Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then flip out onto a flat plate or cooling rack. Flip over again and place right-side up on the cooling rack. Allow to cool completely before garnishing and slicing. See Notes for serving suggestions and other tips.
Notes
- Yogurt - mashed banana or applesauce work in a pinch.
- Cornstarch - Lightens the texture; if needed, replace with additional flour.
- Gluten-free - Use a gluten-free baking blend such as King Arthur's Measure for Measure. During recipe testing the gluten-free cake didn't rise quite as much and was slightly more dense, but still delicious!
- Serve with vegan whipped cream or vanilla oat milk ice cream.
- Create a simple lemon glaze by whisking together 1 cup powdered sugar and 3-4 teaspoon fresh lemon juice.
- For a lemon layer cake, double (or triple) the ingredients, and pair it with vegan vanilla frosting. Or for lemon frosting, per ½ cup of vegan butter, add 2 teaspoon lemon zest (or ½-1 teaspoon lemon extract), and 2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice.
- Or make a vegan lemon-cream cheese frosting. Use the frosting linked above (or any vanilla frosting you like), and replace half of the butter with 8 oz. vegan cream cheese. I recommend either Tofutti brand or Kite Hill.
Estimated Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition information is an estimate and will vary depending on the exact amounts and specific products and ingredients used.
More Cake Recipes
P.S. I created this vegan lemon cake in honor of my birthday this year (the Big 5-0!). If you love cake as much as I do, may I also recommend:
- Vegan Birthday Cake - an all-around amazing vanilla cake w/endless possibilities—it's not just for birthdays!
- Healthy Carrot Cake
- Vegan Yogurt Cake
- Vegan Apple Cake
- Simple Matcha Cake
- The BEST Vegan Strawberry Cake
Deb M
This looks AMAZING! I can't wait to try it!
Lori Rasmussen
Thanks, Deb!