This vegan lemon cake with velvety lemon buttercream frosting is moist and fluffy and will make all your lemon cake dreams come true!
This vegan lemon cake is pure lemony perfection!
Jaye was saying it’s exactly like the lemon cake his grandmother used to make! Which is high praise considering his grandmother was quite the chef.
The recipe is based on our vegan vanilla cake, with lots of lemon flavor added in via lemon zest and lemon extract and of course, a delicious lemon buttercream frosting and lots of lemon zest as decoration.
It’s super easy, and will happily fulfil all your lemon cake dreams!
When looking around the web at lemon cakes in general, I saw a lot of lemon loaf cakes.
But that isn’t what comes to my mind when I think of a lemon cake, to me a lemon cake is a lemon layer cake, and a lemon loaf cake or a lemon pound cake is the loaf cake. Anyway, just saying because I hope you didn’t come to this page hoping for a loaf cake.
If you did, well don’t worry, we also have a gorgeous vegan lemon pound cake.
I went with two 8-inch cake pans for this cake. The layers are really fat and beautiful. This cake also works perfectly in 9-inch cake pans.
Egg replacement?
I didn’t use a flax egg in this cake, which I also don’t use in my vanilla cake recipe that I based this recipe on. I don’t find I need it in this recipe and I don’t want it to affect the color.
In light colored cakes, a flax egg can affect the color leading it to look a bit spotty, so in this case it’s best to leave it out.
So there isn’t any specific egg replacer in this recipe, unless you count the baking soda/vinegar combination, which definitely acts together to create some crucial baking science that causes the cake to rise beautifully. It all just works.
Recipe Q&A
You can use a gluten-free all purpose flour blend to replace the regular flour in this recipe. If it comes out a bit dry (gluten-free flours can absorb more moisture) then increase the oil a little.
Yes you can. This recipe will make 18-24 cupcakes. Or for a perfect 12 cupcakes see our vegan lemon cupcakes recipe.
Sure you can, but the lemon flavor will be lessened quite a bit. I do recommend getting some lemon extract if you possibly can.
Storing and Freezing
Keep it stored in an airtight container at room temperature where it will stay gorgeous for a 3-4 days or keep it covered in the fridge where it will last for up to a week.
The cake is also freezer friendly for up to 3 months. You can freeze it either frosted or unfrosted. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
More Gorgeous Vegan Cakes
- Our vegan white cake is a classic 8-inch beauty which is pretty much a vanilla cake, just with attempts to make it even whiter in color.
- Our recipe for the best vegan chocolate cake can be made in either 8-inch or 9-inch cake pans and our easy vegan chocolate cake adapts well to multiple different cake pans.
- Our vegan banana cake can be made as a 9×13 sheet cake or a 2-layer 8-inch cake. It’s also topped with a delicious lemon frosting.
- Our vegan coffee cake isn’t just a cake to eat with your coffee, it’s actually a coffee flavored cake! Topped with a kahlua frosting it’s a real treat.
- Our vegan red velvet cake has a beautiful vibrant color and it’s perfect for special occasions and our vegan carrot cake is always very popular.
- Want to have an English tea? Make this delicious vegan Victoria sponge cake!
Did you make this recipe? Be sure to leave a comment and rating below!
Vegan Lemon Cake
Ingredients
For the Vegan Lemon Cake:
- 2 ⅔ cups All Purpose Flour (330g)
- 1 ½ cups White Granulated Sugar (300g)
- 1 ½ tsp Baking Soda
- ¾ tsp Salt
- 1 ½ cups Soy Milk (360ml) or other non-dairy milk
- ½ cup Canola Oil (120ml) or Vegetable Oil
- 1 Tbsp Distilled White Vinegar or Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 3 tsp Lemon Extract
- 2 Tbsp Lemon Zest
For the Lemon Buttercream Frosting:
- 4 ½ cups Powdered Sugar (540g)
- ½ cup Vegan Butter (112g)
- 2 tsp Lemon Extract
- 3 ½ Tbsp Lemon Juice
For Decoration:
- Lemon Zest
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Spray two 8-inch* cake pans with non-stick spray and line the bottoms with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Sift the all purpose flour into a mixing bowl and add the sugar, baking soda and salt. Then add the soy milk, oil, vinegar, vanilla, lemon extract and lemon zest. Whisk with a hand whisk briefly until nicely combined and no big lumps remain. Don't overmix, tiny lumps are okay.
- Divide the batter between the two cake pans and place into the oven to bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of one of the cakes comes out clean.
- Remove the cakes from the pans and place onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.
- Prepare your frosting by placing the powdered sugar, vegan butter and lemon extract and lemon juice* into the bowl of an electric mixer. Start off at slow speed, gradually increasing speed until thick and smooth.
- Frost the cooled cakes and decorate with lemon zest.
Video
Notes
- Measure the flour correctly using the spoon and level method or by weighing it on a food scale. For the spoon and level method, spoon the flour into your measuring cup and then level off the top with a knife. Don’t scoop it and don’t pack it into the cup.
- You can switch the canola oil for another vegetable oil if you prefer. We have made this with various oils including a light olive oil and it has come out great.
- 2 Tbsp of lemon zest is from about 2 lemons, but it does depend on the size of the lemons, if it’s a large lemon you might get 2 Tbsp worth of zest from 1 lemon.
- You might not need all the lemon juice in the frosting. I used all of it, but how much you need will largely depend on the brand of vegan butter you use. If you use a firmer type of vegan butter (lower water content) you will need more lemon juice, whereas if it’s more of a soft spread (higher water content) you may need less. So this will require a little flexibility.
- This cake recipe can also be made in 9-inch cake pans with no other changes. The layers will be slightly thinner, but perfect! The cooking time will be 25 minutes.
Victoria says
Hi! I want to make this cake and I was wondering if I would be able to fold fresh or frozen blueberries into the batter before baking to make it a lemon blueberry cake? I love lemon with blueberry, it’s so fresh tasting! Thanks so much!
Alison Andrews says
Hi Victoria, you can absolutely do that! I think it would be awesome. Fresh blueberries are usually easier to handle than frozen as the frozen blueberries can create a bit of a tie-dye looking batter when they thaw, so if you are using frozen blueberries, let them thaw and then dry them off very well before using. All the best! 🙂
Bruna says
I LOVED this cake and it was a success! My husband is not eating dairy so I figure I would try a vegan cake for his birthday, no one there was vegan and everyone was talking about this cake and I got to be known as a great baker for it haha. Thank you so much!!!! I’m sharing this with everyone!!
It came out a little dense but it was a good dense. Still fluffy but didn’t grow as much as I’m used to.
Alison Andrews says
That is fantastic! Thanks so much for sharing and the wonderful review! 🙂
Camille says
That cake was really tasty!
I had no lemon extract so I used lemon juice and it was really good, I added some poppy seeds also, everyone liked it, I am gonna keep that recipe for sure, thanks for sharing it with us!
Alison Andrews says
Awesome! Thanks Camille! 🙂
Robin says
This cake was great!!! I was very impressed with the simplicity of the recipe. I didn’t change a thing. The cake had great taste and consistency. The icing was also a winner. In addition to this recipe, I have made the apple cake and the iced lemon cookies. All were delicious.
Alison Andrews says
So happy to hear that Robin! Thanks for the wonderful review. 🙂
Ruth says
I made this recipe for non Vegans and they loved it.
I wanted to bake this for the in-laws this weekend but can only bake it tomorrow as I am working the other days. I have never frozen a cake before but do you think this would work?
Alison Andrews says
Hi Ruth, yes you can definitely freeze this cake! This is a great guide from Sally’s Baking Addiction on how to freeze cakes. So glad you enjoyed it before, thanks for the awesome rating! All the best! 🙂
Isabelle says
Hi, I’m not quite sure what’s the difference in your recipe between lemon zest and lemon juice?
Thanks
Alison Andrews says
Lemon zest is grated lemon peel. 🙂
Kelley Adams-Campos (K.M.) says
Has anyone made this into a Bundt cake instead of layer cake?
Alison Andrews says
Hi Kelley, I’m sure you could! It would just involve a longer baking time. 🙂
Ruzzie says
Hi, I was wondering how this recipe would change if I only had baking powder instead of baking soda? Thanks!
Nik says
Blessings, do you think lemon essential oil could replace the use of the lemon extract?
Alison Andrews says
Sure! That should work fine. 🙂
Janet says
I can’t find your lemon cake made into cupcakes
Alison Andrews says
Hi Janet, the cupcakes are here: Vegan Lemon Cupcakes. 🙂
Matt says
I’ve been using this recipe for a few months now. Its amazing ???? and it’s never let me down. I’m starting to find everything from #lovingitvegan works well.
Alison Andrews says
Yay! So happy to hear it! Thanks so much for the awesome review Matt. 🙂
Vivian says
Can I use coconut sugar instead of white?
Alison Andrews says
Hi Vivian, you should be fine to do that, but it will change the color of the cake as coconut sugar is very dark in color, otherwise it should be fine. 🙂
Sophie says
This looks gorgeous! I’m planning on making it for my daughter’s first birthday! If I make it tonight (Thursday), will it be fine for Saturday? Or should I make it on Friday?
Thanks a lot, xx
Alison Andrews says
Hi Sophie, not sure if you baked it yet, but Friday would be better, as it’s at peak deliciousness for first couple of days. 🙂
Lemonlover says
Thank you for this recipe!
I would like to make it more lemony and orangey too for a friend who loves citrus., If I were to add lemon juice, lemon zest, orange essence orange juice, and orange zest to the mix, would i have to amend any of the other ingredients in any way ?
Thank you!
Alison Andrews says
It’s very lemony as is! If you added more juice to the recipe then it would need to be adjusted so that the wet and dry ingredients are balanced. Also check out our orange cake. 🙂
Meghan M. says
Can I use whole-wheat pastry flour instead of all-purpose?
Alison Andrews says
Hi Meghan, I haven’t tried it so I don’t really know. It might work though!
Meghan M. says
Alison, I tried it and it worked great! I followed some instructions I found elsewhere about that flour type, using 1 tablespoon less and also letting the batter sit for 15-30 min before pouring into cups (I think it was because the ww pastry flour absorbs moisture more slowly). I used mini-cups, half the amount of sugar (I used coconut sugar), a little more lemon extract…the cupcakes were moist and delicious! Great reviews from our party guests. I would definitely make again!
Alison Andrews says
Thanks so much for updating us! That’s super helpful info to know. I’m so happy it worked out great. 🙂
Deepa Prakash says
Easy to bake. Simpy awesome and taste so yummy even without frosting
Alison Andrews says
Awesome! Thanks so much for the great review! 🙂