A slice of very moist and zingy lemon cake is an absolute treat with a nice cup of tea, and this recipe that I’ve been working on for a while is a winner. I’ve included optional extras – a drizzle syrup if you’re after a traditional vegan lemon drizzle cake, and also a lemony icing which drips beautifully down the sides, and looks stunning topped with fresh berries – perfect if you’re after a bit more of a ‘showstopper’ for an afternoon tea or cake sale.
They are optional, of course, and the cake would still be lovely without either, but for the cake I photographed here I used both and it was utterly delicious. Using both the drizzle and icing makes this a VERY lemony vegan lemon cake, so if you’re after something a little more delicate do opt for one or the other. But if you’re a citrus fan like me, the double-drizzle cake is insanely good!
Having made quite a few of these for recipe testing, I can confirm that they freeze really well – I sliced mine and separated the slices with a small square of baking parchment, then wrapped the whole lot in foil. What a treat to add a slice of homemade cake to a packed lunch in the morning, so it has just defrosted by lunchtime – it tastes like it was freshly baked that day!
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You might like to take a look at my Vegan Cakes Recipe Index for lots more delicious and speedy vegan meals!
Do send me pictures of your very own vegan lemon cake on:
tagging me @thevegspace or using the hashtag #thevegspace to show me how you got on!
Vegan Lemon Cake: Equipment and Shopping List
You will need:
- 2lb loaf tin
- baking parchment or greaseproof paper
- food mixer (or large bowl and hand whisk)
- small bowl
Shopping List:
- lemons
- dairy-free margarine
- dairy-free plain yoghurt (soya or coconut work well)
- ground almonds
- caster sugar
- icing sugar
- self-raising flour
- cornflour
- bicarbonate of soda
Easy Vegan Lemon Cake
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 150 g dairy-free margarine
- 225 g caster sugar
- 150 g dairy-free plain yoghurt (soya or coconut work well)
- 2 lemons
- 250 g self-raising flour
- 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 50 g ground almonds
- 2 tbsp cornflour
For the (optional) lemon drizzle syrup:
- 75 g icing sugar
- 1/2 lemon
For the (optional) lemon icing:
- 125 g icing sugar
- 1/2 lemon
Instructions
For the cake:
- Preheat the oven to 170°C (fan) / 340°F / Gas Mark 5. Grease and line a 2lb loaf tin.
- In a food mixer or large bowl, beat together the margarine and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add the yoghurt and the zest of the 2 lemons (save the zested lemons as you will need their juice later on), then beat again.
- Add the flour, bicarbonate of soda, ground almonds and cornflour and gently fold together until the mixture is just combined and no lumps remain. Finally, squeeze in the juice of the 2 lemons, and stir.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared tin, and bash the tin firmly onto the work surface to remove bubbles. Place into the oven and bake for 50-55 minutes until an inserted knife or skewer comes out clean. Leave the cake in the tin whilst you follow the instructions below.
For the (optional) lemon drizzle syrup:
- Tip the icing sugar into a bowl then stir in the juice of half a lemon and stir well. If the mixture is a little too thick (it should be the consistency of a pouring syrup, not a thick icing) add a little more lemon juice or water just a teaspoon at a time.
- Leave the cake to cool in the tin for about 5 minutes, then prick it all over with a cocktail stick or skewer, and slowly pour over the drizzle syrup. (Be sure to spread it evenly around the cake - spoon quite a bit of syrup around the edges where the cake will be a little drier, rather than just pouring it all in the middle!).
For the (optional) lemon icing:
- Tip the icing sugar into a bowl. Squeeze the juice of half a lemon into a mug or small bowl, then add it just a teaspoon at a time to the icing sugar. You will probably need about 5-6 teaspoons in total, to reach a fairly thick, pourable icing that will just start to drip down the sides a little. (If you add a little too much lemon juice don't panic, just add more icing sugar to thicken it up).
- When the cake is completely cool, (ideally stored in an airtight container overnight), spoon the icing onto the top of the cake.
Nutrition
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I’m linking this vegan lemon cake recipe with some blogging challenges:
CookBlogShare hosted this week by A Strong Coffee- Cook Once Eat Twice hosted by Searching for Spice
Corina Blum says
I’m not a huge fan of lots of icing on cakes but this sounds absolutely delicious with the drizzle as well as the lemon icing. It would be perfect for afternoon tea! Thanks for sharing with #CookOnceEatTwice
Meeta says
I totally love simple yet elegantly flavoured cakes like this. They are easy. no-fuss and really satisfy!
Danielle says
Oh that icing! YUM! Lemon cake is my favourite, so I am going to have to make this at the weekend.
Jayashree says
This looks awesome, its mon my list to try. I usually avoid the icing as for the calories, but I think I will try it once.
Nicole Tingwall says
I love all things lemon, especially cake! This recipe looks perfect! Can’t wait to try it.
Michelle says
That is a beautiful cake. I’ve never tried a vegan cake, so maybe I could start here.
Jenny walters says
What a fabulous looking Lemon Cake.I can almost taste it.Fabulous photos too!Pinned!
Natalie says
WOW this cake looks gorgeous! Perfect to have to a cup of coffee!
Kat (The Baking Explorer) says
This looks so gorgeous, and such pretty decoration!
Geetha Priyanka says
How fabulous and irresistible these cakes looks. your clicks are just stunning. #CookBlogShare
Louise Fairweather says
This looks beautiful and great to have a vegan cake recipe to try #cookblogshare
GirlsGospel says
This looks AMAZING! Can’t wait to try it! 😀
Rose Garside says
Hi Kate
I was wondering if I could use self raising gluten free flour as a substitute for normal flour
Thanks Rose
Erin says
Hi! Have you made this using All Purpose Flour? That is what I tend to have on hand. How would I adjust recipe then for All Purpose Flour? Thanks for sharing your recipe. I would like to try your vanilla Victoria sponge as well but that also calls for Self Rising.
Susanna says
I made this for a birthday cake and it was absolutely delicious though it sank in the middle whilst in the oven. It didn’t make any difference to the taste and I just filled the sunken bit with blueberries to serve. I wonder if the sinking was caused by the mixture curdling after adding the yoghurt and zest. Without noticing I threw in all the dry ingredients – usually I would have de-curdled it with a spoon of flour.
Penny says
Made this cake on Tuesday as the ‘drizzle’ and iced on Wednesday, so complete lemon over-load! All I can say is, absolutely delicious and non vegans who tried it agreed too, I only put some grated lemon on and no fruit like the recipe. I was a bit concerned it might be soggy as I’d bought a 3 pack of extra special non waxed lemons from Asda and they were really big and the recipe doesn’t state the size or amount of juice needed (except for the icing), but I needn’t have worried as just right. I’ve tried other vegan lemon cake recipes and they were disgusting with a really dense and dry texture. I’ve also bought the ‘Bosh’ lemon cake and that was disgusting too, so this is the only one I’ll ever make now.
So glad I’ve come across your site.
Kate Ford says
Oh that’s so great to hear Penny, thank you! So glad it worked out well for you x
Julie says
I have made this a few times now. It always tastes delicious, but I have variable success with the rising – more often than not it ends up sinking in the middle… Any ideas why this would be? As I say, it’s not a huge problem, as it tastes lovely – just perplexing me…
Kate Ford says
Hi Julie, sorry to hear that. Sinking is usually caused by too much raising agent – what brand of self-raising flour do you use? It could be that your flour has more raising ‘oomph’ than mine, so you could cut back a bit on the bicarbonate of soda and see if that makes a difference. So glad it tastes good anyway! Kate x