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Vegan Cake on a white plate with a gold fork on it.
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5 from 2 votes

Vegan Lemon Cake

This Vegan Lemon Cake recipe is eggless, dairy free and so easy to make! The lemon cake is moist, tender and fluffy and its topped with a quick and easy vegan lemon frosting.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Cooling Time1 hour
Total Time2 hours
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian
Servings: 16 Servings
Calories: 244kcal
Cost: $5

Equipment

  • 1 Large Bowl
  • 1 Whisk
  • 1 Rubber Spatula
  • Parchment Paper
  • 8x8 Inch Square Pan
  • 1 Stand Mixer or Hand Mixer for the frosting
  • Measuring Cups and Spoons

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ Cups All-Purpose Flour
  • 2 teaspoon Baking Powder
  • ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt half of this amount if using table salt
  • 1 Cup Granulated Sugar
  • Zest of 1 Large Lemon
  • ¾ Cup Non-Dairy Milk
  • 7 tablespoon Vegan Butter, melted and cooled
  • 2 teaspoon Lemon Juice
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

For Lemon Frosting

  • 8 tablespoon Non-Dairy Butter, room temperature I used Earth Balance Soy-Free Buttery Sticks
  • Zest of 1 Lemon
  • 2 Cups Powdered Sugar, sifted
  • 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice

Instructions

  • Prepare a 8x8 pan by spraying it with non stick spray or rubbing it liberally with coconut oil or shortening. Then insert a parchment sling for easy removal. Preheat oven to 350* F.
  • In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk to combine.
    1 ½ Cups All-Purpose Flour, 2 teaspoon Baking Powder, ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt
  • In a large bowl, combing the granulated sugar and lemon zest. Use your fingers to rub the lemon zest into the granulated sugar. This releases the oils from the zest.
    1 Cup Granulated Sugar, Zest of 1 Large Lemon
  • Into the bowl with the sugar and zest, add non-dairy milk, melted vegan butter, lemon juice and vanilla extract. Whisk well to combine.
    ¾ Cup Non-Dairy Milk, 7 tablespoon Vegan Butter, melted and cooled, 2 teaspoon Lemon Juice, 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
  • Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Whisk just until the batter is formed. Then, switch to a spatula and fold the batter a couple of times to ensure everything is combined.
  • Pour the batter into the prepared 8x8 inch square pan and use the spatula to evenly spread the batter into the pan.
  • Bake in a 350* F. oven for 28-31 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cake comes out clean.
  • Allow the cake to cool completely before frosting.

To Make the Vegan Lemon Frosting

  • In the 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. Then, add the powdered sugar and mix on low until combined. Then, add the lemon juice and mix on medium speed until light and fluffy.
    8 tablespoon Non-Dairy Butter, room temperature, Zest of 1 Lemon, 2 Cups Powdered Sugar, sifted, 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice

To Frost the Cake

  • Once the cake has completely cooled dollop the frosting on top of the cake and spread it out with a spatula. Serve!

Notes

Be sure to zest the lemons before slicing them in half to juice them.
Once the dry ingredients are added to the wet ingredients, whisk only until the batter is formed. Do not over mix!  A few lumps are okay.
To store: tightly wrap the cake with plastic wrap and store at room temperature for up to 2 days or store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Nutrition

Serving: 1Slice | Calories: 244kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 2g | Sodium: 217mg | Potassium: 33mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 28g | Vitamin A: 44IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 47mg | Iron: 1mg