This Vegan Lemon Poppy Seed Pound Cake is a super easy loaf cake recipe filled with fresh lemon zest and plenty of poppy seeds! Its buttery, soft and topped with a lemon glaze that is absolutely delicious.
Loaf cakes and single layer cakes like are perfect for beginner bakers. And I have no shortage of them here on Earthly Provisions. 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 gets topped with a simple lemon icing, then you just sice it and serve! It doesn't get easier than that.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
Pound cake is a classic cake that is traditionally made with a pound of each: flour, eggs, butter and milk. It is typically baked in a loaf pan or bundt pan and yields a cake that has a dense but moist crumb.
This Vegan Lemon Poppy Seed Pound Cake recipe is dairy-free and eggless. Its also softer and more buttery than its traditional counterpart. And you will love it because:
- It is made with simple ingredients
- Has no special extracts or flavorings
- It is buttery and soft
- And its topped with a 2 ingredients lemon icing that is absolutely delicious
Ingredients
Vegan Butter: My two vegan butters of choice are Earth Balance Soy-Free Buttery Sticks and Country Crock Plant Butter.
Non-Dairy Milk: I used oat milk , but any non dairy milk will work.
Vegan Yogurt: I used Forager Plain Unsweetened Yogurt. You can use dairy-free plain unsweetened yogurt or dairy-free vanilla yogurt if thats all you can find.
Lemon Juice and Zest: All of the lemon flavor in a lemon comes from the zest. Thats where all of the essential oils live.
Variations and Substitutions
If you just want a Vegan Lemon Pound Cake, 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. Combine the dry ingredients in a medium bowl and combine the wet ingredients in a small bowl.
Step 2. Cream the vegan butter, sugar and lemon zest in a mixing bowl, using a hand mixer or in a stand mixer using the paddle attachment.
Step 3. Add half of the wet ingredients and mix well. The mixture will look broken here and thats okay!
Step 4. Add half the dry ingredients and mix until just barely combined.
Step 5. Add the remaining wet ingredients and mic until just combined.
Step 6. Add the remaining dry ingredients along with the poppyseeds and mix until combined.
Step 7. Scrape the batter into a prepared loaf pan.
Step 8. Bake the loaf until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.
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 after mixing each addition of liquid and dries in.
Batter will get stuck to the sides of the bowl and on the paddle.
And if you don't scrape diligently, you will end up with a loaf that doesn't bake evenly.
Looking for More Easy Vegan Dessert Recipes?
If you tried this Vegan Lemon Poppy Seed Pound 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 Poppy Seed Pound Cake
Equipment
- 1 Stand Mixer 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 Vegan Butter I used Country Crock Plant Butter Sticks
- 1 Cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 ½ Large Lemons, Zested
- 2 tablespoon Poppy Seeds
For the Lemon Glaze
- 1 Cup Powdered Sugar, sifted
- 6-7 teaspoon Lemon Juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350* F. Prepare an 8 ½"x 4 ½" loaf pan by greasing it with coconut oil and lining with a parchment sling for easy removal- see photos for reference.
- In a small bowl, combine vegan yogurt, plant 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 another small 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 mixing bowl using a hand mixer, cream vegan butter, sugar and lemon zest together until it is well combined and fluffy.10 tablespoon Vegan Butter, 1 Cup Granulated Sugar, 1 ½ Large Lemons, Zested
- Into the mixer add half of the milk and yogurt mixture. Mix on low to combine and scrape the bowl down.
- Now, add half of the flour mixture and mix on low until just combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl down.
- Next, add the remaining liquid mixture and mix on low again until just combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl down.
- 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 homogenous.
- 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* oven for 53-57 minutes turning the loaf halfway through. Test for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of the loaf. Its done when it 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