Zesty and citrusy cakes are simply the best kinds of cakes as they're just so refreshing. This eggless lemon cake is simple and so satisfying. It also takes less than 30 minutes to make which is great.
I've made so many lemon cakes for the blog at this point and people seem to love them, so I decided to make another. Here it is and it's more lemon-focused than ever before.
Who's a big slice? As well as the cake being tasty, it is also filled and topped with a tangy lemon buttercream frosting which compliments the cake beautifully. You can never have too much lemon!
The cake so light and fluffy like my vegan lemon poppy seed cake, vegan sicilian orange cake and vegan lemon drizzle cake. For that reason, I know you'll enjoy this one.
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Why You Will Love This Cake
- Vibrant Flavors - This recipe is fully of zesty flavors as there is so much lemon involved. Both the cake itself and the frosting contain freshly squeezed lemon juice and they both come together to create an amazing treat.
- Amazing Texture - If you love a moist cake, then look no further than this recipe. The moisture is nicely balanced by the airy and soft nature of the loaf cake. For a similar consistency, you should also check out my vegan carrot sheet cake and my vegan almond raspberry cake.
- So Moreish - Whenever I treat myself to a slice of this eggless lemon cake, I always end up going back for a second slice. It's super moreish and if you're not careful, it will be gone in no time at all.
- Allergy Friendly & Plant Based - This eggless lemon cake recipe is wholly vegan and dairy free.
Ingredient Notes
- Apple cider vinegar – You need mix this important ingredient with the soy milk. This way you can create a vegan ‘buttermilk’ which will ultimately have a bit effect on the final texture of the cake.
- Baking powder & Baking soda – These are the two leavening agents that you will need for this recipe. They will react with the vegan buttermilk mixture to create a cake which is perfectly light and airy.
- Canola oil – This is what gives the cake most of its moisture. Also known as rapeseed oil, I highly recommend that you use it, ahead of any other oils. It always gives me the results that I want when baking cakes.
- Lemons – The lemons will be used for both their juices and their zest. Add both to the batter to infuse the cakes with citrus goodness.
- Vegan butter block & Powdered sugar – Your dairy-free butter and the powdered sugar will be combined to create a thick and delicious buttercream frosting, similar to the ones that you will have seen in my vegan brownie cake and eggless red velvet cake. This will sit on top and in between the cake layers.
See recipe card for full information on individual ingredients and quantities.
Substitutions & Variations
- If you love your lemon cakes to have slightly more subtle flavors, you can remove the lemon juice from the from the frosting. The plain buttercream will then give the loaf cake a more neutral balance, which is less lemon-focused. The same principle is followed in my vegan lemon chocolate cake recipe.
- You can make this eggless, dairy-free cake gluten-free too very easily. All you need to do is substitute out the all-purpose flour for a gluten free alternative. Many grocery stores sell gluten free flours these days which are 1:1 to ordinary white flours and baking-specific, so keep an eye out for those.
How To Make An Eggless Lemon Cake
For the full method, please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
1: Mix the vinegar into the plant milk until it curdles into a buttermilk.
2: Combine the dry ingredients inside a large bowl.
3: Next, pour in your curdled ‘buttermilk’.
4: Add the remaining wet ingredients to the mixture.
5: Now, fold the dry ingredients into the wet ones. Don’t mix. Keep folding until everything is nicely combined and there are no pockets of flour remaining.
6: Equally pour the folded batter into the two greased loaf tins.
7: Bake the cakes inside the oven and allow them to cool fully.
8: Decorate the cake with lemon frosting and enjoy.
Expert Tips
Make vegan buttermilk - You can make a vegan ‘buttermilk’ by mixing some apple cider vinegar with soy milk. In comparison to just plant milk, buttermilk has high acidity. This gives vegan cakes a fluffier texture and a tastier crumb. Buttermilk is also great for breaking down gluten. You shouldn't add the buttermilk ingredients separately as this could alter the outcome of the cake.
Fold the cake batter - Many bakers will tell you to avoid over-mixing cake batter. For my cakes, I prefer to avoid mixing completely. Grab a wooden spoon and gently fold the mixture over itself until there are no pockets of flour remaining. This will give you a great cake texture.
Recipe FAQs
Lemon cakes are high in acid so they need a good amount of baking powder. A baking powder deficit will result in your cake being dense, so make sure you use the amount that the recipe calls for.
Many lemon cake recipes only call for lemon juice but I think adding lemon zest can really enhance the flavor. Don't forget this option as it's a game changer!
I recommend that you store this lemon cake inside an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days or in the fridge for up to 4 days (also inside an airtight container).
More Vegan Lemon Recipes
If you tried this Eggless Lemon Cake Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you go in the 📝 comments below. I love hearing from you!
Eggless Lemon Cake Loaf
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 200 ml soy milk
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 200 g all-purpose flour sifted
- 150 g granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 0.5 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 50 ml canola oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 50 ml freshly squeezed lemon juice* see notes
- Zest of 2 medium lemons
For the vegan buttercream:
- 225 g vegan butter block* see notes
- 240 g powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice* see notes
Instructions
Lemon Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 177 Celsius (350 Fahrenheit). Grease two 20cm x 10cm cake loaf tins with vegan butter then set aside.
- Make your vegan buttermilk. Measure out the soy milk then add the apple cider vinegar to it. Give it a mix then set aside for 7-8 minutes until it curdles. Measure out the other ingredients while you wait.
- To a large mixing bowl, add the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda & salt. Mix well.
- Next, pour in the curdled soy milk, oil, vanilla, lemon juice & lemon zest. Don't mix at all. Using a wooden spoon, fold the ingredients together by slowly folding the mixture over itself. Keep folding the dry into the wet until there are no more pockets of flour.
- Equally divide the cake batter between the two greased loaf tins and bake in the center of the preheated oven for 20 minutes. A skewer should come out clean at this point.
- Remove your cakes from the oven and let them cool in the tins for 15 minutes. Then remove the cakes from the tins and transfer them to a cooling rack to cool fully. Don't apply anything to the cakes until they have completely cooled down.
Lemon buttercream:
- Add the vegan butter block to a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or use a large bowl and wooden spoon. Cream on a medium-high speed or by hand for 2 minutes.
- Next add half of the powdered sugar. Beat the buttercream mixture on a medium speed until it is fully combined and has began to thicken. Then add the rest of the powdered sugar and the lemon juice. Beat one more time on a medium speed until your buttercream is nice and thick.
- Spread half of the buttercream in between the cake halves and spread the other half on top.
Video
Notes
- You can make a vegan ‘buttermilk’ by mixing some apple cider vinegar with soy milk. In comparison to just plant milk, buttermilk has high acidity. This gives vegan cakes a fluffier texture and a tastier crumb. Buttermilk is also great for breaking down gluten. You shouldn't add the buttermilk ingredients separately as this could alter the outcome of the cake.
- Many bakers will tell you to avoid over-mixing cake batter. For my cakes, I prefer to avoid mixing completely. Grab a wooden spoon and gently fold the mixture over itself until there are no pockets of flour remaining. This will give you a great cake texture.
- Please use freshly squeezed lemon juice in this recipe instead of anything concentrated or artificial.
- Use a block of vegan butter instead of a dairy-free spread. I love to use the Flora plant butter block and the Naturli vegan block. These create a much thicker vegan buttercream than a spread.
Yvonne says
Delicious recipe!
Vegan Treats Blogger says
🙂
Gail says
Wow!!!
Vegan Treats Blogger says
Glad you like it!