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    Home » Recipes » Vegan Baking Recipes

    Published: May 25, 2022 · Modified: Sep 11, 2024 by DJ · This post may contain affiliate links · 4 Comments

    Eggless Lemon Cake Loaf

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe

    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.

    A whole loaf of eggless lemon cake. You can see the moist texture inside of the cake as the front has been sliced off. this recipe

    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.

    Jump to:
    • Why You Will Love This Cake
    • Ingredient Notes
    • Substitutions & Variations
    • How To Make An Eggless Lemon Cake
    • Expert Tips
    • Recipe FAQs
    • More Vegan Lemon Recipes
    • Eggless Lemon Cake Loaf

    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

    The ingredients need for making an eggless lemon cake aid out of a white, marble table.
    • 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.

    Vegan buttermilk curdling inside a pyrex jug.

    1: Mix the vinegar into the plant milk until it curdles into a buttermilk.

    The dry cake ingredients combined inside a large mixing bowl.

    2: Combine the dry ingredients inside a large bowl.

    The curdled soy milk being poured from the jug into the dry ingredients.

    3: Next, pour in your curdled ‘buttermilk’.

    The remaining wet ingredients have now been added to the bowl.

    4: Add the remaining wet ingredients to the mixture.

    The dry ingredients being folded by a wooden spoon into the wet ingredients.

    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.

    The eggless lemon cake batter has been poured into the two loaf cake tins.

    6: Equally pour the folded batter into the two greased loaf tins.

    Two baked and golden cakes cooling down on a wooden chopping board.

    7: Bake the cakes inside the oven and allow them to cool fully.

    A thick slice of eggless lemon cake sitting on a marble platter. It has been decorated with lots of frosting.

    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.

    A moist slice of my eggless lemon cake. It's filled generously with vegan buttercream.

    Recipe FAQs

    Why is my lemon cake dense?

    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.

    Why does my lemon cake not taste like lemon?

    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!

    How can I store lemon cake?

    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

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    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!

    A whole loaf of my vegan eggless lemon cake sitting on a white, marble surface.

    Eggless Lemon Cake Loaf

    This tasty easy eggless lemon cake is the perfect citrus vegan dessert and it's super easy to make. Add the frosting and enjoy.
    5 from 3 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: Lemon Cake
    Diet: Vegan
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 30 minutes minutes
    Servings: 10 Slices
    Calories: 440kcal
    Author: DJ

    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
    US Customary - Metric

    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.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 440kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Sodium: 601mg | Potassium: 67mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 39g | Vitamin A: 884IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 86mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this Recipe? Tag Me Today!Mention @vegan_treats_blogger or tag #vegantreatsblogger!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Yvonne says

      September 19, 2022 at 2:01 pm

      5 stars
      Delicious recipe!

      Reply
      • Vegan Treats Blogger says

        October 23, 2022 at 2:00 pm

        🙂

        Reply
    2. Gail says

      September 01, 2022 at 9:31 am

      5 stars
      Wow!!!

      Reply
      • Vegan Treats Blogger says

        October 23, 2022 at 2:00 pm

        Glad you like it!

        Reply
    5 from 3 votes (1 rating without comment)

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    Hi, I'm DJ. Welcome to Vegan Treats Blogger!

    I'm a self-taught baker and all the recipes which are developed for this website are fully plant-based, dairy-free and egg-free.

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