This lemon poppyseed cake is so moist, fluffy, and full of lemon flavor, you won’t believe it is vegan! Topped with a dairy free cream cheese frosting, it’s made without eggs, without milk, and without butter!
Vegan Lemon Poppyseed Cake
We love our healthy lemon recipes around here. Our favorites include lemon loaf, lemon cake, and this healthy lemon poppyseed cake.
This truly is the BEST lemon poppy seed cake. Why? It’s secretly healthy! Like seriously, we have been eating slice after slice for breakfast.
It’s completely vegan and gluten free, and there are instructions included to make it keto and low carb.
The texture of this poppy seed cake is incredible- Moist, fluffy, and with a tender crumb. Taste wise, it’s sweet, tangy and LOADED with lemon flavor. Topped with a creamy frosting, you will be obsessed!
Ingredients to make a lemon poppyseed cake
The Ingredients listed and amounts indicated yield a single layer cake with frosting. If you’d like to make a layer cake, simple double or triple the ingredients. Bake them in 2 or 3 8-inch cake pans.
- All purpose flour– Sift your flour carefully, to ensure there are no clumps. If you’d like this cake to also be gluten free, be sure to use gluten free baking flour (a gluten free flour with added xanthan gum).
- Sweetener of choice– White sugar or a white sugar substitute is best, like monk fruit sweetener. You can use brown sugar or coconut sugar, but your cake will be darker.
- Salt– A must to bring out the sweetness!
- Baking soda– Leavening agent that reacts with the vinegar to replicate the eggs.
- Poppy seeds– A must for a lemon poppy seed cake!
- Vinegar– White vinegar or apple cider vinegar can be used.
- Vanilla extract– A must for any good cake recipe!
- Oil of choice– Use a neutral flavored oil, like canola oil, vegetable oil, or refined coconut oil.
- Lemon juice– Gives a delicious tangy flavor throughout.
- Water– Mixes everything together.
- Yellow food coloring– Optional, but gives the lemon poppy seed cake a gorgeous yellow color.
How to make a healthy lemon poppyseed cake
Start by mixing together your dry ingredients. Next, add the rest of your ingredients, except for your food coloring. Mix well, until combined. Add 2-3 drops yellow food coloring, and mix until incorporated. Transfer the cake batter into an 8-inch cake pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean.
Remove the cake from the oven and allow the cake to cool completely, before frosting.
Easy Frosting Ideas
- Cashew cream cheese– Ultra creamy and thick, and made with no dairy or refined sugar.
- Cream cheese frosting– The recipe used as pictured in this recipe.
- Powdered sugar– Mix powdered sugar with water or milk, until desired consistency is reached.
Can I make lemon poppy seed muffins?
If you’d like to make this cake as healthy lemon poppy seed muffins, you can easily do that by making the following changes-
- Line a 12-count muffin tin with muffin liners. Distribute the batter amongst the 12-muffin pans.
- Bake the muffins for 17-19 minutes, or until a skewer comes out ‘just’ clean.
- Let the muffins cool in the muffin pan for 10 minutes, before carefully transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cool, frost them.
Can I make this low carb?
To make a keto lemon poppy seed cake, use these ingredients and instructions below.
The ingredients– 1/2 cup coconut flour, 1 cup unsweetened applesauce, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/4 cup sugar free maple syrup, 1/4 cup almond butter, 1/4 tsp vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 tablespoon lemon zest, 4 large eggs.
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. In a large mixing bowl, add your dry ingredients and mix well. Add the wet ingredients and whisk until fully combined and a smooth batter remains. Transfer to a loaf pan, cake pan or square pan and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean. Let cool in the cake pan until cool, before frosting.
Tips to make the best cake
- Do not overbake the poppy seed cake, as it will continue to cook as it is cooling. Once a toothpick comes out ‘just’ clean, remove it from the oven.
- Oven makes and models differ. Some may find their cake ready after 30 minutes, or longer. Do the toothpick or skewer test to check!
- Your lemon poppy seed cake must be cooled before frosting. Otherwise, you risk the frosting slipping off.
- For a gluten free lemon poppy seed cake, be sure to use gluten free baking flour.
- For a more pronounced lemon flavor, sub out some of the milk for extra lemon juice.
How to store the cake
- To store: Leftover vegan lemon poppy seed cake should always be kept in a sealable container and stored in the refrigerator. It will keep well for up to 2 weeks.
- To freeze: Place leftover slices of cake in a container and store in the freezer for up to 6 months.
More easy vegan cake recipes
Lemon Poppyseed Cake
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup sugar white or sugar free substitutes * See notes
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 cup poppy seeds
- 1 teaspoon vinegar white or apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 5 tablespoon oil vegetable, canola, or any neutral flavored oil
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 3/4 cup water
- 1-2 drops yellow food coloring
- 1/2 cup cream cheese frosting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Grease an 8-inch cake pan with cooking spray and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, add your dry ingredients and mix well. Add your wet ingredients, except for the yellow food coloring. Mix everything together. Add your yellow food coloring, and mix until incorporated.
- Transfer the cake batter into the lined pan and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean.
- Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool completely, before frosting.
Notes
Nutrition
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The keto version doesn’t list poppy seeds. Should the same 1/4 cup be used?
Hi can I use wheat flour instead of oats?? I know it’s flour less but my daughter don’t like oats
Hi Arman….I don’t see a recipe for the keto version. Am I missing it?
Just made these today, into cupcake cases. They’re so cute! Delicious without any icing! A little crumbly under the tops though, but still taste great.
Thank you for the feedback, Aqdas- glad you enjoyed them 🙂
Hi! I’m making this right now! However, I don’t have coconut butter for the glaze. Nor do I have on hand any vanilla protein powder or cream cheese. I was going to make the coconut butter frosting and I made the paleo cake option. Is there something I can sub for the coconut butter? I have coconut oil and also canned coconut milk. Thanks!
Hi Sharon, I think you’d be best just to use any frosting of choice or leave it unfrosted.
Hi,
This will be my first attempt at Vegan/Paleo baking. Have some reservations, but have to start somewhere! Anyway, I’m wondering if I could bake this in a 8 x 8′ pan instead or there isn’t enough batter to make them thick or too thin?
Thanks, Sally
Hi Sally! I think it might be too thin, but feel free to experiment and see! 🙂
Hello! This may be a silly question, but when the recipe calls for 1 T baking powder, does T mean tablespoon? Thanks!
Hi! Tablespoon 🙂
All I can say is that I’m relieved and hopeful for my kids. I always say someday theyll realize mum was right all along 😝. It didnt take much arn wrestling with your mum , I’d probably prolong the agony a bit but she knows you’re reformed and that’s all that matters. for all its worth, I’ll give this a try and I also happen to love lemon this and lemon that (not the bottled ones coz I’m like your mum that way 😂)
In all seriousness, thank you for this recipe and bravo to all the awesome mums out there!
hahahaha I LOVE IT!
Hi can I use honey instead of sweatner and if yes how much ? ( The oat flour recipe)
Hi there, I haven’t tried with honey- You could use 1/4 cup and see how that turns out, but reduce the milk if the batter is too wet.
Hi. do i need to ground the poppy seeds or should they be whole? and also- instead of an egg in the vegan version can i use apple souse? thanks!!!