Vegan Lemon Cake
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My vegan lemon cake recipe is light, fluffy, and full of citrusy flavor. It’s made in one bowl and covered in a silky lemon cream cheese frosting.
My keto lemon cake is one of my favorite citrus cakes, but when my partner needed to bring an egg-free cake to the office, he asked if I could make a vegan version- and I obliged.
Unfortunately, that particular lemon cake is too complicated to just remove the eggs, so I started with my popular vanilla cake (which is naturally vegan) and tweaked the liquid ingredients to add some fresh lemon juice. In testing, I found that using two tablespoons of lemon juice gave a pleasant lemon flavor and was enough to prevent a reaction with the baking soda and to avoid leaving the cake sour or bitter.
To intensify the lemon flavor, I like to add a little more lemon to the frosting, but that’s completely optional. The end result is a moist and fluffy cake with just the right amount of tang, and one to win your work colleagues over with. Just ask my partner.
Table of Contents
Why I love this recipe
- Made in one bowl. Everything comes together in one bowl in about 5 minutes.
- No egg substitutes. No flax eggs, no chia eggs, nada. Instead, I use a little vinegar with the baking soda, yielding a light, tender crumb.
- Adjust the lemon flavor. If you’re a hardcore lemon head, you can add more than my suggested amount of lemon juice. If you prefer it milder, add less.
- Tastes like the real thing. My partner’s colleagues couldn’t believe it was vegan- no one ever can.
Key Ingredients
Here’s what goes into this dairy free lemon cake, along with my kitchen notes. Full measurements are in the recipe card below.
- All-purpose flour. Sifted to remove any clumps. Several readers asked if this could be made gluten-free, so I tested it with King Arthur Gluten Free flour, and it worked really well.
- Sugar. Any sugar works. I used white sugar, but brown sugar or coconut sugar could be used. The darker the sugar you use, the darker the cake will be.
- Baking soda. Gives the cake some rise and fluffiness. Baking powder won’t react with the vinegar the same way- the cake won’t rise as well and will be denser.
- Salt. Brings out the sweetness of the cake.
- White vinegar. Acts as a binding and leavening agent. You can also use apple cider vinegar.
- Oil. I used canola oil, but any neutral-flavored oil works, such as vegetable oil or refined coconut oil.
- Water (or milk). I typically use water, but unsweetened almond milk also works. I didn’t notice a difference between the two.
- Fresh lemon juice. Gives the lemon cake a gorgeous, tangy lemon flavor. Use fresh lemons so you can add the zest too. I don’t recommend bottled juice, as it can turn the cake bitter.
- Lemon extract. Brings out the lemon flavor even more. If you don’t have any lemon extract, you can use vanilla extract.
- Lemon zest. Optional but highly recommended for some extra lemon flavor.
For the lemon cream cheese frosting:
- Vegan butter. Choose a vegan butter from a block, not a spread. Blocks of butter are easier to mix and yield a creamier texture. I like the Miyokos brand because its texture is most similar to dairy butter.
- Vegan cream cheese. Softened to room temperature. Like the butter, choose the cream cheese from a block if possible (I swear by VioLife).
- Vanilla extract. A must for flavor.
- Lemon juice. Skip it entirely if you prefer a milder frosting- the cream cheese provides enough tang on its own.
- Powdered sugar. To thicken the frosting.
How to make a vegan lemon cake
Step 1- Prep. Preheat the oven and line a cake pan with parchment paper.
Step 2- Mix. In a large bowl, stir together the dry ingredients. Whisk in the wet ingredients until smooth.
Step 3- Bake. Pour the cake batter into the pan and bake until a toothpick inserted comes out mostly clean. Let the cake cool on a wire rack.
Step 4- Make the frosting. Beat the cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and lemon juice until creamy. Fold in the powdered sugar until fluffy.
Step 5- Frost. Once the cake has cooled, frost it, slice it, and serve.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Make a layer cake. Double or triple the ingredients, and cover each cake layer with frosting. I make the triple-tiered version for birthdays. Freeze the layers for about 30 minutes before slicing. It makes it so much easier.
- Enhance the lemon flavor. Add an extra 1-2 tablespoons of lemon juice or 1-2 teaspoons of lemon extract to the batter.
- Don’t swap water for more lemon juice. The water forms part of the batter structure. Replacing it with lemon juice makes the cake too sour and can affect the rise. Stick to the suggested amount of lemon juice and add lemon zest for more flavor instead.
- Cool completely before frosting. In testing, I found that vegan butter is more heat-sensitive than dairy butter. Even a slightly warm cake will melt the frosting.
- Block, not tub, for frosting. I mention this in the ingredients, but it’s worth repeating. Tub-style vegan butter and cream cheese have more water content in them, and the frosting will be runny and won’t hold its shape.
Variations
- Add mix-ins. Fold in ¼ cup of fresh berries, shredded coconut, or a few dollops of vegan lemon curd into the batter. I love folding in fresh blueberries. They burst during baking, adding pockets of sweetness that complement the lemon perfectly.
- Make a lemon glaze instead. Combine powdered sugar, almond milk, and lemon juice until smooth and glossy, then drizzle it over your cooled cake. It takes two minutes and makes the cake look extra elegant.
Storage instructions
To store: Store the cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
To freeze: Wrap cake slices in plastic wrap, place them in a freezer-safe container, and freeze for up to 6 months. Let the cake slices thaw overnight in the fridge.
Frequently asked questions
The cake may be crumbly if it was overmixed or if the batter was too dry. Only stir the cake batter until there are no lumps; if it’s pretty thick, add a splash of milk or water. It should be slightly thicker than pancake batter.
All-purpose or cake flour works best. I tested King Arthur Gluten Free flour, and it worked well. Just make sure it contains xanthan gum. Other alternative flours, like almond or coconut flour, would require the other ingredients to be significantly altered.
If the cake batter is too dry and thick, add a splash of milk or water. If the cake has already been baked, the best you can do is cover it in frosting…or use it to make my cake pops!
Yes, pour the batter into a lined cupcake tin and bake for 18-20 minutes. This recipe yields about 12 cupcakes.
Vegan Lemon Cake
Video
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup sugar * See notes
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- 5 tablespoons oil vegetable, canola, safflower etc.
- 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest optional, or lemon extract
Frosting
- 8 ounces vegan cream cheese
- 1/2 cup vegan butter softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 4 cups confectioners sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Line an 8-inch pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, add your flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt, and mix well. Once mixed, add your vinegar, oil, water, lemon juice, lemon zest, and mix well.
- Transfer your lemon cake batter to the square pan. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out just clean.
- Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan completely. Once cool, frost if desired.
- To make the frosting, beat together the vegan cream cheese, butter, vanilla extract, and lemon juice until smooth. Slowly add in the confectioners sugar until fluffy.
Notes
Nutrition
More vegan cake recipes
- Vegan birthday cake– Moist, fluffy, and with just enough sprinkles to bust out the candles.
- Vegan strawberry cake– Instead of food dye, I like to naturally color the cake with pureed strawberries.
- Vegan chocolate cake– The tried-and-true chocolate cake that even non-vegans prefer.
- Vegan German chocolate cake– I tested this cake 20 times to nail the filling.
Originally updated May 2023
Lovely flavor and so moist! It took about 3 lemons to get 1/4 cup of juice. I also added some lemon zest to the sugar prior to mixing everything and used apple cider vinegar instead of distilled white vinegar. I might try with coconut oil next time rather than vegetable oil to add an additional layer of subtle flavor.
delicious! love it has no egg and the vinegar is secret ingredient for fluff….. all the recipes I have tried on this site are great we do GF and DF….good job big man!
threw in some sweet shredded coconut and thin sliced lemons on top…. did not make frosting this time
Never made a lemon cake before but I am so glad I tried to make this one.
Since I didn’t have any lemon extract I replaced it with lemon zest and some desiccated coconut into the batter. Then topped the cake off with a vanilla glaze and shredded coconut on top.
Came out moist and was delicious!
Thank you for the recipe, it will definitely become a new favourite!
So delicious! Made this for a special birthday and cupcakes came out perfectly too! Thank you for sharing!
Is it ok to use regular butter instead of Vegan butter? Thanks
yes! 🙂
If I could give more stars, I would! I made this with gluten free flour, and substituted all the sugar with maple syrup (the frosting ended up a little lumpy due to this, but it tasted AMAZING). I used 1/2 cup maple syrup and reduced the water to 1/2 cup. The batter was thick, and the resulting cake was perfectly moist with just the right texture. Thank you so much!
Can I add lemon zest for extra lemon flavor?
Yes!
Delicooussssss
Love this recipe! My vegan niece loves it and so did everyone else.
Next time I’m going to try it with coconut oil. Can’t wait!!!
Is there something I can use in place of the vegan butter for the frosting? I have a late-night craving for something lemony and sweet and I have everything I need to make this… Except for the vegan butter, but once I saw how yummy your cake looks frosted, I’d like to frost mine too. =)
Hi Janey- If you don’t mind a glaze, I often just mix powdered sugar and lemon juice and a dash of water and spread that on top 🙂
This is moist, plump, fluffy, and delicious. I added in some lemon zest and made a glaze frosting with powdered sugar, lemon juice, vanilla, and a pinch of maple syrup. SO GOOD!
This is moist, plump, fluffy, and delicious. I added in some lemon zest and made a glaze frosting with powdered sugar, lemon juice, vanilla, and a pinch of maple syrup. SO GOOD!
Will make this again; yum!
Well congrats dear. You’ve been nicely brainwashed by the egg industry, like so many others. You really crack me up! You “enjoyed the richness with the egg”. Considering you didn’t make the original recipe without the egg, how can you tell that the egg added any “richness”? That’s so pretentious!🤣🤣🤣
🤣since this is a vegan recipe, eggs sort of defeat the purpose, right. Trolls are everywhere.
I came here looking for a dairy free recipe but I added an egg and the cake was delicious. All I changed was a bit less water. I’ll try it sometime egg free for my mom but I did enjoy the richness with an egg. I also used a crumb topping with flour, dairy free butter, salt, and sugar to put on top instead of the frosting listed. Everyone loved it.
You’re missing the point… This recipe does not NEED eggs… Why add cholesterol, fat and animal misery to a perfect recipe is beyond me. Educate yourself on the horrible lives of hens. We do not need eggs, they are easily replaced. If you have an allergy to dairy, all you need to do is replace dairy milk with any plant-based milk in any regular recipe. It’s not rocket science…