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    Home » Recipes » Desserts

    Vegan Lemon Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

    Published: Apr 24, 2021 · Modified: Feb 19, 2023 by Megan Calipari · This post may contain affiliate links · 2 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    This Vegan Lemon Cake recipe yields a fluffy cake that no one will guess is vegan and is frosted with Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting

    Today I'm sharing my DELICIOUS, soft, fluffy and light Vegan Lemon Cake with Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting recipe. This cake is made in one bowl, and is super versatile. I frosted my cake with dairy free Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting, but it would be amazing with vanilla, or lemon buttercream as well. Or simply left unfrosted and topped with berries and whipped cream.

    Bowl of strawberry cream cheese frosting with a gold spoon
    This cream cheese frosting is the perfect sheet cake frosting. It is soft, flavorful and perfectly sweet.

    How to Make Vegan Cake

    Cake is really simple to make completely vegan.

    For this recipe there are just a few simple swaps to make. And I promise you will never notice. There are three thing that traditional cakes contain that we wont use: butter, milk and eggs.

    Use Canola Oil Instead of Butter in the Cake

    I typically prefer to use canola oil- or other vegetable oil- rather than non-dairy butter in my cakes.

    Oil allows this cake to rise higher and have a softer interior and exterior.

    DO NOT use coconut oil. While coconut oil is great so some things, baking cake (at least in this recipe) is not one of them.

    Overhead shot of 3 plates of lemon cake with cream cheese frosting with greenery and strawberries
    The Vegan Lemon Cake is light, fluffy and perfectly moist.

    Use Dairy-Free Butter and Cream Cheese in the Frosting

    This Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting is incredibly tasty and complements this Vegan Lemon Cake so well. Its made just like any other frosting recipe on my website.

    For cream cheese, I prefer Vio Life Just Like Cream Cheese if it is available to you. And for vegan butter, I use Earth Balance Soy-Free Buttery Sticks.

    Country Crock Plant Butter sticks are also great, but whatever you do DON'T use a non-dairy butter that comes in a tub. It will be too soft.

    Use Plant Milk Instead of Dairy Milk

    I always bake with So Delicious Plain Unsweetened Coconut Milk and this Vegan Lemon Cake is no exception.

    Its neutral in flavor and easy to find. And I love that it comes in shelf stable 32 oz containers so I can keep it in my baking cabinet. Then whenever the mood hits, I always have all the ingredients I need.

    Vegan Lemon Cake with in a 9x13 pan on a white marble board with greenery and strawberries
    This is a great cake to feed a crowd because its so simple to make.

    Leave the Eggs Behind

    It may seem like I'm not making up for a lack of eggs in this Vegan Lemon Cake. But, I am in three ways!

    First, I use a little more fat by way of canola oil to make up for the richness that eggs lend.

    Second, I add a bit more plant milk to make up for the moisture that eggs give to baked goods.

    Third, I add a bit more leavener in combination with an acid (lemon juice to make up for the lift that eggs can give a cake.

    Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting Notes

    This Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting is DELICIOUS, but its soft in texture.

    After mixing it together, it needs to be refrigerated before frosting the cake.

    The frosting holds its shape nicely on a sheet cake, but don't use this to build or frost a stacked cake. This frosting is too soft for those uses.

    And once frosted, be sure to keep this Vegan Lemon Cake refrigerated until you are ready to eat!

    Portrait of 3 Pieces of Vegan Lemon cake on white plates with lemon wedges and strawberries
    And no one will ever know its completely vegan!

    Looking for More Vegan Cake Recipes?

    Vegan Cookie Dough Cake

    Vanilla Bean Pound Cake

    Earl Grey and Vanilla Bundt Cake

    One Bowl Chocolate Cupcakes

    📖 Recipe

    Portrait of 3 Pieces of Vegan Lemon cake on white plates with lemon wedges and strawberries

    Vegan Lemon Cake with Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting

    Megan Calipari
    This simple lemon cake is made in one bowl with 10 ingredients and yields a super moist, fluffy and tender cake and is frosted with an easy cream cheese frosting.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 30 minutes mins
    Cook Time 30 minutes mins
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Servings 16 Servings

    Equipment

    • Stand Mixer or Hand Mixer
    • Large Bowl
    • Sifter
    • Whisk
    • Spatula
    • 9x13 Pan

    Ingredients
      

    • 2 ½ Cups All Purpose Flour
    • 1 tablespoon Baking Powder
    • ¼ teaspoon Baking Soda
    • ¾ teaspoon Kosher Salt
    • 1 ⅓ Cups Granulated Sugar
    • ½ Cup Canola Oil
    • 1 ½ Cups Dairy-Free Milk I use So Delicious Coconut Milk
    • 2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
    • Zest of 1 ½ lemons This will be about 2 tablespoon of zest.
    • 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice

    For the Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting

    • 1 Stick Non-Dairy Butter, room temp I used Earth Balance Soy-Free Buttery Sticks
    • ½ Cup Vegan Cream Cheese, room temp I used VioLife Just Like Cream Cheese
    • 4 Cups Powdered Sugar, Sifted
    • ¼ Cup Strawberry Jam

    Instructions
     

    • Prepare a 9x13 pan by greasing it with either coconut oil or non dairy butter. Preheat oven to 350* F.
    • In a large bowl, combine sugar, oil, plant milk, vanilla extract, lemon juice and lemon zest. Whisk well.
    • Fit a sifter on top of the bowl with the wet ingredients, being careful not to let the bottom of the sifter touch the wet ingredients.
    • Into the sifter measure the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
    • Sift the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and whisk to combine.
    • Pout the cake batter into the prepared 9x13 pan and spread out evenly with a spatula.
    • Bake in a 350* oven for 29-32 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
    • Cool completely before frosting and serving.

    To make the Frosting

    • In the of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and cream cheese. Scraping the bowl down a few times to make sure everything is smooth.
    • Add the powdered sugar and mix on low until a frosting forms, again, scraping the bowl down a few times.
    • Add the strawberry jam and mix. The frosting will look soft.
    • Cover and place frosting in the refrigerator to firm up.

    To Frost the Cake

    • Once the cake has completely cooled and the frosting has firmed up, dollop the frosting on top of the cake and spread it out with a spatula.
    • Store the cake in the refrigerator until you are ready to eat.
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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      Vegan Vanilla Buttercream Frosting Recipe

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Shannon

      November 23, 2022 at 6:46 pm

      5 stars
      Delicious. Your cake recipes are reliably excellent, and this one is a standout. Thank you.

      Reply
      • Megan Calipari

        November 26, 2022 at 12:02 pm

        Thank you so much! I'm happy you liked it!

        Reply

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    Hi, I'm Megan! I'm a trained pastry chef who is passionate about creating vegan desserts and meals for everyone. My recipes use simple ingredients and methods to create delicious results.

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