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    Home » Desserts

    Vegan Lemon Cake

    Published: Dec 9, 2022 · by Nico

    Jump to Recipe

    This vegan lemon cake is delicious, light, perfectly moist, and easy to make, with a few simple ingredients you probably already have in your pantry.

    Serve it with a rich and tangy vegan cream cheese and lemon frosting or with vegan lemon custard. It's excellent all-year round as an easy and delicious dessert for weekends, birthdays, and special occasions.

    Vegan lemon cake with frosting
    On this page:
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Variations
    • Storage
    • More Easy Cake Recipes
    • More Lemon Desserts
    • Recipe

    Check out our best plant-based dessert recipes!

    Our vegan lemon cake is a soft, light, one-layer cake similar to a sponge cake but with a beautiful lemon flavor. It's very easy to make, with simple ingredients you already have at home and with very little effort.

    The cake has a distinct lemon flavor thanks to the juice and the zest of fresh lemon, and best of all, it doesn't taste vegan at all, and no one will be able to tell that it is.

    It is delicious without fillings or toppings, and you can eat it as a mid-afternoon snack with a cup of tea or coffee.

    Or you can turn it into a special lemon dessert by topping it with a beautiful vegan cream cheese and lemon frosting. Let's see how to make it.

    Lemon cake and slice

    Ingredients

    Lemon

    Get a large, yellow lemon; best if organic since we are using the peel. We use lemon zest and lemon juice, so there's no need for lemon extract.

    Flour

    We use all-purpose flour. To make it gluten-free, you can replace all-purpose flour with 1 to 1 gluten-free flour for baking.

    Water

    We tried making this cake with dairy-free milk in the past; however, after several rounds of testing, we figured out that the cake turned out much more delicious with water.

    Sugar

    You can use white sugar or brown sugar. We haven't tested this cake with maple syrup, and we are not sure if it works. Coconut sugar or palm sugar works, too, although the cake will be less sweet.

    Oil

    We use sunflower seed oil or canola oil. You can replace sunflower oil with any other neutral vegetable oil.

    We can't recommend vegan butter or coconut oil here; they'll make the cake heavier and less fluffy.

    Vanilla

    It goes well with the lemon, making the flavor of the cake rounder. We recommend vanilla extract or the seeds of a vanilla pod.

    Baking powder

    To help the cake rise and to make it light and airy. We don't use baking soda in this recipe.

    Salt

    A pinch of salt helps bring the flavors together.

    Vegan Cream Cheese and Lemon Frosting

    vegan cream cheese and lemon frosting

    You can make a delicious vegan cream cheese and lemon frosting with vegan butter, vegan cream cheese, powdered sugar, lemon zest, and vanilla extract.

    What about egg replacements?

    There's no need for egg replacements. Instead, we adjust the quantity of flour and water.

    With vegan cakes, it's all about getting the ratios of wet and dry ingredients right, and we tested this many times till we got the perfect cake consistency.

    Flax eggs, ground flax seeds, aquafaba, or other egg replacements are unnecessary and often change the cake's texture, consistency, and flavor.

    Vegan lemon cake with fork

    Instructions

    Preheat the oven to 340°F or 170°C. Butter your cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. We use an 8-inch cake pan.

    8-inch cake pan buttered and line with parchment paper

    To a large mixing bowl, add grated lemon zest.

    Then cut the lemon in half, squeeze it, and add ¼ cup or 60 grams of lemon juice to the same bowl. Make sure you don't add any lemon seeds.

    Now add water, oil, sugar, salt, and vanilla extract and whisk well.

    Tip: Only grate the yellow part of the peel, not the white flesh under, as that part is bitter.

    wet ingredients

    Next, sift in flour and baking powder.

    Whisk to combine the dry and wet ingredients, but don't over-mix the batter. Some lumps are ok. It should barely take you 30 seconds to mix the batter.

    Tip: when making vegan cakes is best not to overmix the batter. Overmixing will activate the flour gluten and make the cake heavier and more compact. So keep your cake light and fluffy mix as little as possible.

    Vegan lemon cake batter

    Pour the batter into the cake pan, level it off, and bake immediately in the central wire rack of your preheated oven at 340°F or 170°C for 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry.

    lemon cake batter

    Let the cake cool down in the cake pan for 15 minutes, then take it out and let it cool down completely (at least 1 hour) before applying the frosting.

    cooled down lemon cake

    Vegan Cream Cheese and Lemon Frosting

    Add softened vegan butter, the zest of one lemon, and the vanilla extract to a bowl.

    Dairyfree frosting with lemon peel

    Whisk with a hand mixer until the butter turns creamy.

    whipped vegan butter in a bowl

    Add the cream cheese and beat with a hand mixer until combined.

    vegan frosting

    Add powdered sugar and beat until smooth and creamy.

    Store it in the fridge to set if you don't apply it on the cake immediately.

    Tip: you can add between 1 cup and 4 cups of powdered sugar based on your taste. We like it with 1 ½ cups of powdered sugar.

    Dairyfree frosting in a bowl

    Spread evenly on top of the lemon cake. Optionally, garnish with yellow sprinkles.

    Vegan lemon cake with frosting and sprinkles

    Let the cake and frosting cool down in the refrigerator for about an hour before slicing and serving it so the frosting firm up nicely.

    If you want to be faster, pop it in the freezer for 15 minutes, then slice it and serve.

    Vegan lemon cake with frosting

    Variations

    Lemon Custard Filling

    Want to try something other than the usual frosting? Fill this vegan lemon cake with a light, creamy, and delicious lemon custard, or for something even more lemony, you can try our vegan lemon curd.

    First, bake the vegan lemon cake, then let it cool down completely. In the meantime, prepare the filling. Follow our vegan custard recipe or our vegan lemon curd recipe.

    Lemon curd ready to eat

    Fill the cake

    Cut the cake in half with a serrated knife.

    Cut the cake in half

    Take the top off the cake and pour the filling onto the base layer. Spread the filling with a spoon evenly across the cake, almost to the edges.

    Lemon cake with curd fillling

    Then cover with the top part. Gently press down to put it in place, but ensure the filling doesn't fall out.

    Sprinkle with powdered sugar and set in the refrigerator for about one hour before slicing and serving.

    Vegan lemon curd in cake

    Lemon muffins

    You can make beautifully soft and fluffy lemon muffins with the same vegan lemon cake batter. They are perfect as a snack or for a quick breakfast, and you can top them with a sweet streusel or frosting too.

    Check out our lemon muffins recipe.

    Lemon muffins with cream cheese topping

    Storage

    Refrigerator: keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.

    Freezer: freeze for up to 3 months.

    Thaw: defrost in the fridge slowly, over several hours, or overnight.

    More Easy Cake Recipes

    • Vegan carrot cake with cream cheese frosting, a reader favorite, and single-layer cake
    • 7-ingredient vegan apple cake with tender and sweet apple pieces inside
    • Orange cake: easy and quick orange cake with a sweet and tangy orange curd filling
    • Easy chocolate cake with eight ingredients and a chocolate ganache topping
    • Soft pear cake: light, fluffy, and super moist, this Italian pear cake is topped with cinnamon sugar!
    • Vegan vanilla cake: with cream cheese frosting and a pillowy soft cake base
    • Vegan Carrot Cake
    • Orange Cake
    • Vegan Apple Cake
    • Easy Chocolate Cake

    If you are hungry for a vegan dessert right here and now, try our vegan custard or chocolate custard. They take 5 mins to make, and they're delicious.

    More Lemon Desserts

    • Vegan lemon bars: an easy way to combine lemon curd and pie crust!
    • Easy lemon pound cake with yogurt and an airy texture
    • Quick lemon curd with five ingredients
    • Lemon blueberry pound cake: it takes just 5 minutes to whip up this soft and delightful pound cake!
    • Vegan lemon tart with 5-minute custard and a flaky pie crust
    • Lemon Pound Cake
    • Lemon blueberry pound cake
    • Vegan lemon bars
    • Vegan lemon tart

    Recipe

    Vegan lemon cake slice

    Vegan Lemon Cake

    Author: Nico
    This vegan lemon cake is delicious, light, perfectly moist, and easy to make, with a few simple ingredients you probably already have in your pantry.
    Serve it with a rich and tangy vegan cream cheese and lemon frosting or with vegan lemon custard. It's excellent all-year round as an easy and delicious dessert for weekends, birthdays, and special occasions.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Share Recipe
    4.59 from 12 votes
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 35 mins
    Total Time 45 mins
    Course Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
    Cuisine American, Italian
    Servings 10 slices
    Calories 341 kcal

    Equipment

    • cake pan 8-Inch or 21 cm | 9-Inch or 23 cm works too, but cake will be flatter.

    Ingredients
     
     

    For the lemon cake

    • 1 lemon the grated zest
    • ¼ cup lemon juice
    • ½ cup water
    • ¾ cup sugar
    • ¼ cup canola oil or sunflower oil
    • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • 2 cups all-purpose flour
    • 1 tablespoon baking powder

    For the cream cheese and lemon frosting

    • 2 ounces vegan butter
    • 4 ounces vegan cream cheese
    • 1 cups powdered sugar
    • ½ lemon the grated zest
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

    Instructions
     

    Cake

    • Preheat oven to 340°F or 170°C. Butter cake pan sides and line bottom with parchment paper.
      8-inch cake pan buttered and line with parchment paper
    • To a large mixing bowl, add grated lemon zest, lemon juice, water, oil, sugar, vanilla extract and salt. Whisk well.
      wet ingredients in a bowl
    • Sift in flour and baking powder. Whisk to combine without over-mixing. Some lumps are ok.
      vegan lemon cake batter
    • Pour batter into cake pan and bake immediately for 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry.
      lemon cake batter in cake pan
    • Let cool down in pan for 15 minutes, then take out of pan and let cool down completely on a wire rack before applying frosting.
      cooled down lemon cake
    • Spread frosting on top of the cake, then let cool down 1 hour in the fridge or 15 minutes in the freezer before slicing and serving.
      Lemon cake and slice

    Frosting

    • To a bowl, add softened vegan butter, lemon zest, and vanilla extract. Beat with a hand mixer until butter is creamy.
      cream cheese and butter in a bowl
    • Add cream cheese and beat with the butter until well combined. Then add powdered sugar and beat one more minute until the frosting is smooth and creamy.
      vegan cream cheese and lemon frosting in a bowl

    Video Recipe

    Easy Lemon Cake (no-free, dairy-free)

    Notes

    Nutritional values are an estimate for the cake with vegan frosting, for 1 slice out of 10.

    Nutritional Values

    Nutrition Facts
    Vegan Lemon Cake
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 341 Calories from Fat 126
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 14g22%
    Saturated Fat 2g13%
    Trans Fat 0g
    Polyunsaturated Fat 3g
    Monounsaturated Fat 6g
    Cholesterol 0mg0%
    Potassium 184mg5%
    Carbohydrates 52g17%
    Dietary Fiber 2g8%
    Sugar 28g31%
    Protein 4g8%
    Vitamin A 4IU0%
    Vitamin B6 0.03mg2%
    Vitamin C 11mg13%
    Vitamin E 1mg7%
    Vitamin K 8µg8%
    Calcium 69mg7%
    Folate 54µg14%
    Iron 2mg11%
    Manganese 0.2mg10%
    Magnesium 9mg2%
    Zinc 0.2mg1%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    Did you like this recipe?We are not much on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. Leave us a comment below instead, it would mean the world to us 🙂

    You might also like the following:

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Tara

      January 07, 2023 at 9:24 pm

      Hi, could I use olive oil? Thank you

      Reply
      • Louise

        January 08, 2023 at 4:59 pm

        Hi Tara, thank you for your message.
        We haven't tested this lemon cake with olive oil, but my guess is that it would work.
        We've tried making our lemon pound cake with a light olive oil, and it turned out delicious. Since this cake is very similar, I believe that it could work.
        Do let me know how it turns out if you try. Have a wonderful Sunday.
        Kindest, Louise

        Reply
    2. Carolyn

      January 01, 2023 at 11:49 pm

      The lemon cake was delicious, and I want to make it again and again but just a bit moister, recommendations? Thank you!

      Reply
    3. Beatrice

      December 10, 2022 at 8:04 am

      Hi Nico,

      I’m excited to try this egg-free vegan cake for Christmas! I’m curious if you’ve tried making this with gluten free flour (as indicated in the recipe as a substitute). Also, for the vegan cream cheese frosting, what vegan butter do you recommend?

      Thanks,
      Beatrice

      Reply
      • Louise

        December 12, 2022 at 3:13 pm

        Hi Beatrice, sorry for the delayed comment, we wanted to publish our vegan cream cheese frosting post first so you can get more information here: https://theplantbasedschool.com/vegan-cream-cheese-frosting/

        Our top favorite brands are "Violife just like original cream cheese" (probably our favorite for frosting because it's as thick as regular cream cheese), Wayfare, Simply V, and Trader Joe's. Other brands are Kite Hill, The Dairy-Free Co, Daya, So Delicious, and Miyoko's.

        The vegan lemon cake works also with gluten-free flour (tested and approved by our readers) - we have yet to test it ourselves.

        I hope this helps. Have a wonderful Monday. Kindest, Louise

        Reply
        • Beatrice

          December 16, 2022 at 1:35 am

          Thank you for your response about the cream cheese. What about a recommendation for non-soy vegan butter good for baking?

          Reply
          • Nico

            December 16, 2022 at 2:38 pm

            You are welcome, Beatrice. We really like Violife's Vioblock. It's a really good soy-free alternative 🙂

            Reply
            • Beatrice

              December 18, 2022 at 6:44 pm

              Thanks for the response! Does it matter if the butter is a spreadable kind vs. stick? I know baking ingredients usually need to be precise.

            • Louise Valentin

              December 19, 2022 at 7:51 am

              Hi Beatrice, thanks for your message. Go for as solid a butter type that you can find. We've only tested with hard butter types and not softened butter. I hope that helps. Have a great Monday. Best, Louise

    4. Hannah

      August 25, 2022 at 6:49 pm

      Can I use a regular pan and not a springform?

      Reply
      • Nico

        August 26, 2022 at 5:53 am

        Hi Hannah, yes you can use a regular cake pan. The reason we like to use a springform pan is that I find it easier to remove the cake from it after baking. Make use to oil your cake pan well or use parchment paper, then you should be fine! Have a wonderful day. Cheers, Nico

        Reply
        • Anonymous

          September 13, 2022 at 10:07 pm

          I made this yesterday and it’s very tasty. I may have over mixed it slightly as it’s not as moist as normal, but very edible. I will definitely make this again. Thank you.

          Reply
          • Nico

            September 14, 2022 at 5:36 am

            Hi there, thanks so much for coming back to leave a reply! I'm happy you liked it 🙂 Cheers, Nico

            Reply
          • Stacie

            January 13, 2023 at 7:28 am

            Hello, I'd like to bake this in a Bundt pan. Should I leave the recipe as is, or double it? Thank you

            Reply
            • Louise

              January 13, 2023 at 8:10 am

              Hi Stacie,
              Thanks for your comment. If you wanna make a bundt cake, I highly recommend following the lemon pound cake recipe which we tested with a bundt pan: https://theplantbasedschool.com/vegan-pound-cake/#variations
              If you wanna make the vegan lemon cake, I would double the measurements and bake it 5-10 minutes longer until a toothpick comes out dry. We haven't tested this version for the lemon cake, so I cannot predict the result 🙂

              I hope this helps, have a wonderful Friday!
              Kindest, Louise

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    Nico and Louise founders of the Plant-Based School.

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