This Vegan Lemon Cake recipe is eggless, dairy-free, and surprisingly easy to make. The cake layers are moist and tender, and topped with a quick lemon buttercream frosting. This is the perfect dessert for lemon lovers!
Lemon desserts are some of my favorites to make. Whether lemon is the main event, like my chewy Lemon Cookie Bars or easy Vegan Lemon Bundt Cake, or a supporting flavor like in Vegan Blueberry Lemon Cookies, I love it all.
And today I am sharing a classic Vegan Lemon Cake that is perfect for any occasion. The cake layers are soft and so moist, and the lemon buttercream frosting is light, fluffy, and so easy to make! This cake is perfect for Easter or Mother's Day and is the perfect birthday cake for the lemon lover in your life.
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Why You'll Love this Recipe
- This recipe uses simple ingredients.
- And all the lemon flavor in this cake comes from fresh lemon zest and juice. No special extracts or flavoring necessary!
- This Vegan Lemon cake is completely eggless and dairy-free, so anyone can enjoy it.
- If you are a layer cake beginner, don't worry! I walk you through the stacking process step-by-step.
- And most importantly, it is absolutely delicious!
Ingredients
Vegan Butter: Vegan butter keeps this cake tender and moist and is crucial for the buttercream. My top recommendation is Country Crock Plant Butter Sticks. They taste great and are easy to find.
Lemon Zest and Juice: The lemon flavor in this vegan lemon cake comes from plenty of lemon zest. All of the essential oils (and lemon flavor) are in the zest! Side note: if you are more of an orange person, stop what you are doing and make my Vegan Orange Olive Oil Cake!
Non-Dairy Milk: I use oat milk, but almond milk or soy milk work, too.
Powdered Sugar: Powdered sugar makes the lemon frosting light and fluffy. And whatever you do, don't skip sifting!
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1. In a large mixing bowl, combine sugar, non-dairy milk, melted vegan butter, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla extract.
Whisk well to combine.
Step 2. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Whisk to form the cake batter.
Step 3. Divide the vegan lemon cake batter between two 8-inch round cake pans and spread the batter out evenly.
Bake the cake layers in a 350*F oven for 30-34 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean.
Allow the cakes to cool in their pans for 30 minutes before turning them onto a parchment-lined baking sheet to cool completely.
Step 4. Once the cakes are completely cool, make the frosting. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the vegan butter and lemon zest until completely smooth.
Then, add powdered sugar and mix on low until well combined.
Next, add lemon juice and vanilla extract and mix on medium speed until light and fluffy.
Step 5. To stack and decorate the cake, place one cake layer upside down on a cake plate or cake board on a turntable.
Top the cake layer with about a cup of frosting and use a mini offset spatula or a butter knife to spread it to the edges of the cake.
Step 6. Place the remaining cake layer on top, upside down again. Frost the exterior of the cake using the same offset spatula or butter knife.
From here, decorate as desired. I used a piping bag with a star tip to pipe designs and added some strips of lemon zest for color.
Recipe FAQs
To store, place the cake into a cake box or other large container and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
My favorite way is by adding plenty of lemon zest to the cake batter. The lemon essential oils all live in the zest, so it is really packed with flavor.
Prepare the cake pan by spraying it with nonstick pan spray or rubbing it with coconut oil or shortening. Then, insert a parchment circle into the bottom of each pan, and it is ready to bake!
I always use all-purpose flour for my vegan cakes. It is easily accessible and makes tender cakes that are sturdy enough to stack.
Expert Tips and Tricks
Be sure to cool the cake layers completely before frosting this Vegan Lemon Cake. Frosting melts quickly and easily, so if the cake layers are even a little warm, you will have a mess on your hands.
I love to use a mini offset spatula to frost my layer cakes. It is easy to maneuver and does a great job! But you can also use a butter knife.
Looking for More Vegan Lemon Desserts?
If you tried this Vegan Lemon Cake recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting today!
📖 Recipe
Vegan Lemon Cake
Equipment
- 1 Large Mixing Bowl
- 1 Whisk
- 2 8 Inch Round Cake Pans
- Parchment Paper
- 1 Stand Mixer or Hand Mixer for the frosting
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- 1 Cake Plate or Cake Stand
Ingredients
- 2 ⅔ Cups All-Purpose Flour
- 2 ½ teaspoon Baking Powder
- ¼ teaspoon Baking Soda
- ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt half of this amount if using table salt
- 1 ½ Cups Granulated Sugar
- 1 ½ Cup Non-Dairy Milk
- 9 tablespoon Non-Dairy Butter, melted and cooled
- Zest of 2 Large Lemons about 4 teaspoon of lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice
- 2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
For Lemon Frosting
- 1 ½ Cups Non-Dairy Butter, room temperature I used Country Crock Plant Butter
- Zest of 3 Lemons about 2 tablespoons of zest
- 6 Cups Powdered Sugar, sifted
- 3 tablespoon Lemon Juice
- 1 tablespoon Vanilla Extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350* F. Grease two 8-inch round cake pans and insert a parchment circle into the bottom of each pan.
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to combine.2 ⅔ Cups All-Purpose Flour, 2 ½ teaspoon Baking Powder, ¼ teaspoon Baking Soda, ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt
- Into a large bowl, combine sugar, non-dairy milk, melted non-dairy butter, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Whisk well to combine.1 ½ Cups Granulated Sugar, 1 ½ Cup Non-Dairy Milk, 9 tablespoon Non-Dairy Butter, melted and cooled, Zest of 2 Large Lemons, 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice, 2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and whisk to form the batter. Then, switch to a spatula and fold the batter a couple of times to ensure everything is combined.
- Divide the batter between two prepared 8-inch round cake pans. If you have a kitchen scale, it is about 22 ounces per pan. Use a spatula to spread the batter evenly.
- Bake the lemon cake layers in a 350* F oven for 30-33 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cake comes out clean.
- Allow the cakes to cool in their pans for 30 minutes, then turn them out of their pans onto a parchment-lined baking sheet to cool completely before frosting.
To Make the Vegan Lemon Frosting
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl using a stand mixer, cream the vegan butter and lemon zest until completely smooth.1 ½ Cups Non-Dairy Butter, room temperature, Zest of 3 Lemons
- Then, add the powdered sugar and mix on low until combined. Then, add the lemon juice and vanilla and mix on medium speed until light and fluffy.6 Cups Powdered Sugar, sifted, 3 tablespoon Lemon Juice, 1 tablespoon Vanilla Extract
To Stack and Frost Cake
- Place a cake layer upside down onto a cake board on a turntable or onto a cake plate or cake stand. Top the layer with about a cup of frosting, then use an offset spatula or a butter knife to spread the frosting to the edge of the cake.
- Top with the remaining cake layer, upside down again. Then use the same offset spatula or butter knife to frost the exterior of the cake. From here, you can decorate as desired. I used a piping bag fitted with a medium star tip to pipe some designs onto the cake and added some strips of lemon zest.
Shannon says
Delicious. Your cake recipes are reliably excellent, and this one is a standout. Thank you.
Megan Calipari says
Thank you so much! I'm happy you liked it!
Enigma says
I have not made this YET. I just want to Thank you for writing this recipe the way you did. I hate having to scrolling back up to see what ingredients should be combined together, and how much of each ingredient is needed. This is the best written recipe I have come across. I will definitely be making this.
Thank you again