This Vegan Lemon Poppy Seed Pound Cake is a super easy loaf cake recipe filled with fresh lemon zest and plenty of poppy seeds! It's buttery, soft, and topped with a tangy lemon glaze that is absolutely delicious.
Loaf cakes and single-layer cakes are perfect for beginner bakers because they require no cake decorating skills, but are just as delicious as a layer cake. I love to simply dust powdered sugar on top of my Vegan Earl Grey Bundt Cake, or top my Vegan Olive Oil Cake with fresh figs. Or even top my Vegan Honey Cake with whipped cream and macerated berries.
So, today I'm sharing this simple Vegan Lemon Poppy Seed Pound Cake. It is tender, moist, and packed with lemon zest. And once it is baked, it is drizzled with a simple lemon icing, before it's sliced and served! It doesn't get easier than that.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- This recipe uses simple, easy-to-find ingredients.
- And you don't need any special extracts or flavorings.
- This Lemon Poppy Seed Pound Cake is dairy-free and completely vegan, so anyone can enjoy it.
- It is packed with fresh lemon zest and juice, and plenty of poppy seeds.
- And most importantly, it is absolutely delicious!
Ingredients
Vegan Butter: My favorite vegan butter is Country Crock Plant Butter. It is easy to find and tastes great!
Non-Dairy Milk: I used oat milk, but any non-dairy milk will work.
Vegan Yogurt: I used Forager Plain Unsweetened Yogurt. But dairy-free vanilla yogurt works, too.
Lemon Juice and Zest: All of the lemon flavor in a lemon comes from the zest. That's where all of the essential oils are.
Variations and Substitutions
If you just want a Vegan Lemon Pound Cake, feel free to leave the poppy seeds out. It will not change anything about the outcome of this recipe.
And if you prefer vanilla, see my Vegan Vanilla Pound Cake recipe!
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to combine and set aside.
In a small bowl, combine non-dairy milk, non-dairy yogurt, lemon juice, and vanilla. Whisk to combine and set aside.
Step 2. In a large bowl using a hand mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the dairy-free butter, sugar, and lemon zest until well combined and fluffy.
Step 3. Add half of the wet ingredients and mix on low until combined.
The mixture will look broken here, and that's okay!
Step 4. Next, add half the dry ingredients and mix until just barely combined.
Step 5. Add the remaining wet ingredients and mix on low until just combined.
Step 6. Add the remaining dry ingredients along with the poppy seeds, and mix on low until combined.
Step 7. Scrape the Vegan Lemon Poppy Seed Pound Cake batter into a prepared 8 ½" by 4 ½" loaf pan and spread it out evenly using an offset spatula or a butter knife.
Step 8. Bake the loaf in a 350*F oven for about 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.
Then, allow the cake to cool in the pan for 30 minutes before removing it and spooning the lemon glaze on top.
Recipe FAQs
Store this cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. I recommend only slicing what you need to prevent the load from drying out.
I recommend an 8 ½ x 4 ½ inch loaf pan. You can bake this loaf in a 9x5-inch pan, but the loaf will be a little more squat, and it will need less time in the oven.
Yes! If you just want a Vegan Lemon Pound Cake, leave the poppyseeds out.
Expert Tips and Tricks
Be sure to scrape the bowl down with a rubber spatula after mixing each addition of liquid ingredients and dry ingredients into the batter. This ensures an evenly mixed batter.
Looking for More Easy Vegan Dessert Recipes?
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📖 Recipe
Vegan Lemon Poppy Seed Pound Cake
Equipment
- 1 Stand Mixer with Paddle Attachment or Hand Mixer
- 1 Rubber Spatula
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- 8 ½ x 4 ½ inch Loaf Pan
- Parchment Paper
Ingredients
- ½ Cup Unsweetened Non-Dairy Yogurt I used Forager Plain Unsweetened Yogurt
- ½ Cup Non-Dairy Milk
- 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon Baking Powder
- ½ teaspoon Baking Soda
- ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 10 tablespoon Non-Dairy Butter I used Country Crock Plant Butter Sticks
- 1 Cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 tablespoon Lemons, Zested This is the zest of 1 ½ lemons.
- 2 tablespoon Poppy Seeds
For the Lemon Glaze
- 1 Cup Powdered Sugar, sifted
- 6-7 teaspoon Lemon Juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350* F. Grease an 8 ½"x 4 ½" loaf pan and line with a parchment sling for easy removal cake removal.
- In a small bowl, combine non-dairy yogurt, non-dairy milk, lemon juice, and vanilla. Stir to combine and set aside.½ Cup Unsweetened Non-Dairy Yogurt, ½ Cup Non-Dairy Milk, 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice, 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir to combine and set aside.2 Cups All-Purpose Flour, 1 ½ teaspoon Baking Powder, ½ teaspoon Baking Soda, ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl using a hand mixer, cream non-dairy butter, sugar, and lemon zest together until well combined and fluffy.10 tablespoon Non-Dairy Butter, 1 Cup Granulated Sugar, 1 tablespoon Lemons, Zested
- Into the mixer, add half of the milk and yogurt mixture. Mix on low to combine and scrape the bowl down using a rubber spatula.
- Now, add half of the flour mixture and mix on low until just combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl down again.
- Next, add the remaining liquid mixture and mix on low again until just combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl down using a rubber spatula.
- Add the poppy seeds and the remaining dry mixture to the bowl. Mix until just combined.2 tablespoon Poppy Seeds
- Remove the bowl from the mixer and use a spatula to scrape the bowl down and fold the mixture a couple of times to ensure everything is evenly mixed.
- Scrape batter into prepared 8 ½" x 4 ½" loaf pan, smoothing the top out with the back of the spatula.
- Bake in a 350* F oven for 55-58 minutes, turning the loaf halfway through baking. Test for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of the loaf. It's done when the toothpick comes out clean.
Make the Glaze
- In a small bowl, combine powdered sugar with 4 teaspoons of lemon juice and whisk to combine. Add 2-3 more teaspoons of lemon juice whisking between each addition until the glaze reaches a pourable consistency.1 Cup Powdered Sugar, sifted, 6-7 teaspoon Lemon Juice
Glaze the Cake
- Allow the cake to cool for at least 30 minutes. Remove from the loaf pan using the parchment sling. And place onto a cutting board or serving plate.
- Pour the glaze along the center line of the loaf and use a knife to spread it towards the sides.
- Allow the glaze to set for at least 20 minutes before slicing and serving.
Loren Lippman says
Delicious! Very moist with a nice lemon flavor. I think I added extra lemon zest but then again I like things pretty puckery! Megan's instructions were spot-on but when I still had a problem with the cake falling in the middle, she diagnosed my problem right away...I wasnt using the middle rack of the oven when I baked the loaf. Next try....perfect specimen! Thank you Megan for your personal touch!
I might to experiment with a lemon cream cheese frosting next time especially if I decide to make cupcakes with this recipe