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EASY VEGAN LEMON CAKE

This delicious cake is going to be your go to for those days when you need a vegan cake that is sweet, moist, fluffy, scrumptious, tangy and satisfying without pulling out your hand blender or stand mixer!

Enjoy drizzled with lemon icing or plain; never disappoints.

Course Desserts, Snack
Cuisine American
Keyword Eggless, Lemon cake, Vegan
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 32 minutes
Servings 10
Author Vanitha Bhat

Ingredients

Dry ingredients:

  • 1 ½ cups flour all-purpose/maida
  • ¾ cup plain white sugar
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 ½ tablespoons lemon zest

Wet Ingredients:

  • ½ cup plant based milk I have used almond milk
  • 1/3 cup oil
  • ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon lemon extract
  • Few strands of saffron

INGREDIENTS FOR LEMON GLAZE OR ICING:

  • 2 cups icing or confectioner’s sugar
  • 3-4 tablespoons water
  • 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
  • Few strands of saffron crushed optional

Instructions

PREP:

  1. To make saffron milk for the cake batter, soak a few strands of saffron in 3 tablespoons milk (use some from the whole amount of ½ cup almond milk needed).
  2. Let it sit for a while for the saffron flavor and color to infuse into the milk.
  3. Zest a couple of lemons (use only the yellow part and not the white part that is bitter) to make 1 ½ tablespoons of zest.
  4. Squeeze fresh lemon juice from the same lemons you used to make zest. You will need ¼ cup for the cake batter.
  5. If making icing, you will need a couple of tablespoons more or as needed.

TO MAKE THE CAKE:

  1. Preheat oven to 355 degrees Fahrenheit or 180 degrees Centigrade.
  2. Grease an 8-inch round pan and line with parchment paper to fit the bottom. If you want, you can grease the top of the parchment paper but do grease the sides of the pan. Set aside.
  3. In a large mixing bowl, add rest of the almond milk, 1/3 cup of oil, ¼ cup of lemon juice, ½ teaspoon of pure lemon extract, ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract, ¾ cup of sugar and the soaked saffron mixture.
  4. Using a spatula, large spoon or whisk, mix well to dissolve the sugar.
  5. Set aside for a couple of minutes to make sure the sugar is totally dissolved.
  6. To this mixture, add the dry ingredients – 1 ½ cups of flour, 1 ½ teaspoons of baking powder, ¼ teaspoon of baking soda, 1 ½ tablespoons of grated lemon zest and a pinch of salt. (You can premix this in another bowl prior if preferred)
  7. Using a silicone spatula or a spoon, gently mix the dry ingredients into the wet mixture.
  8. Gently fold until you do not see any dry spots. The mixture could be lumpy….that is ok.

  9. Do not over work the batter to get a smooth batter or you will get a tough and chewy cake.

  10. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and gently tap on countertop to remove any air bubbles.

  11. Place in hot, preheated oven and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a cake tester like a toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out without any wet batter sticking to it.

  12. Start checking only after 30 minutes.

  13. When baked, remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool in pan for at least 10 minutes.
  14. After 10 minutes, gently run a spatula or knife around the cake to dislodge from the sides and then overturn onto the wire rack.
  15. Cool completely on the wire rack.
  16. Serve drizzled with icing at room temperature or chilled.

  17. This cake can be enjoyed plain as it is sweet, moist, fluffy and delicious even without icing!

  18. But if you need some icing on your cake or love your cake a tad sweeter, then do make this one.

TO MAKE LEMON ICING:

  1. In a small bowl, sift 2 cups of icing sugar and add 2 teaspoons of fresh lemon juice (this is optional), ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract (optional) and 2-3 tablespoons of plain water to begin with.

  2. Mix thoroughly with a spoon to form a thick but pourable icing.

  3. Add more water in teaspoons if needed.
  4. If too thick, add more water and if too thin, add more icing sugar.
  5. When thick enough, either pour over the whole cake or like my son preferred, serve on the side so anyone can drizzle as much as they need over their slice.
  6. Hope you bake this moist, fluffy, spongy and tangy tasting eggless and vegan Lemon Cake soon and wow you family and friends with your baking prowess.

  7. This easy to make cake will be in your recipe repertoire to make again and again.

  8. Enjoy Baking and Happy Eating!

Recipe Notes

  • As this is a lemon cake, to maintain the lemony yellow color, I have used plain white all-purpose flour or maida.
  • You can use whole wheat flour but then the cake will be dense and the color of crumb may change. If you do not mind that, please go ahead and try using that.
  • Same goes with sugar. To maintain the color, I have used plain white sugar. But you can use coconut sugar etc. too.
  • Adding lemon juice to icing is optional and only if you love the lemon flavor in that too.
  • If you cannot find saffron or do not have it, then feel free to use yellow food grade color, starting with a few drops of it until you get the color you want.
  • Enjoy and Happy Baking!
  • Inspired by Rainbow Nourishments