This is the easiest BEST Vegan Lemon Cake you will ever make! It is only 6 ingredients and takes just 10 minutes prep time. It is incredibly light, fluffy, moist and amazingly, delicious! Oil-free, no oil or vegan butter!
EASY VEGAN LEMON CAKE
This vegan lemon cake is seriously one of the yummiest cakes I’ve EVER TASTED in my life! And bonus, it also happens to be the easiest. My husband practically inhaled this cake. Lemon is his favorite dessert flavor, but I’ve shared before how he doesn’t like cake. Well, he couldn’t keep his hands off of this one! This cake is for those who want a back-to-basics straight forward cake with no-fuss, odd ingredients or any difficulty.
Due to several of you writing me asking for extremely simple and basic ingredients in a cake, I created the easiest cake I’ve ever created. It took me 3 trials to get the texture just right, but friends, it is SO light, so fluffy and amazingly, delicious! And talk about easy, only 6 ingredients and it’s also oil-free, but doesn’t taste oil-free I promise. It’s moist, buttery and fantastic! With the glaze, it’s only 8 ingredients total! How is that for an easy vegan lemon cake??
This vegan lemon cake is for those who don’t mind using regular white flour and white sugar. I totally get it if you don’t! I rarely use those either, as most of you know. 90% of the recipes I write, I use gluten-free or healthier flours and healthier sweeteners, but this is not one of those times. My Vegan Vanilla Cupcakes use white flour and white sugar and are one of my most popular desserts, so there’s still enough of you all who love the super simple ingredients.
SO in other words, this is not the cake to want to try to make healthier, there are too many of those options already on my blog, so if you don’t mind a little white flour or white sugar on a special occasion, then make it as is and enjoy how delicious it is! For those wanting a healthier lemon cake, try my Healthy Vegan Lemon Cake instead! And for those of you who DO need gluten-free, make my Vegan Gluten-free Lemon Cake instead!
INGREDIENTS NEEDED
- Regular white all-purpose flour
- Fine regular granulated white sugar: Do not sub this with another sweetener or coconut sugar, it will not taste like a lemon cake then or have the right texture! If it’s super important to you, make sure the sugar you buy is vegan, as not all are vegan. Wholesome sweeteners is a vegan brand.
- Baking powder
- Full-fat coconut milk: THIS cannot be subbed, it replaces all oil/butter and is what makes the cake light and moist, it leaves NO coconut taste whatsoever. If you are allergic to coconut, you will just have to skip this recipe, as it will not work without the milk.
- Fresh lemon juice and zest
- Vanilla extract
- For the glaze: Additionally, powdered sugar and yogurt
HOW TO MAKE EASY VEGAN LEMON CAKE
Step 1: Now this step is VERY important to the cake end result. First, make sure you are using a fresh can of room temperature, NOT COLD, full-fat coconut milk. With full-fat coconut milk, the coconut cream will separate from the water in the can. You MUST scrape out all of the water and cream from the can into a blender or another bowl and either blend it until smooth or whisk very well until completely smooth and mixed. If you do not do this first, you run the high risk of either getting too much cream or too much water and not the right mixed combo of each, will be really affect the cake’s texture. After it’s mixed and smooth, then measure the correct amount of milk needed for the cake.
Step 2: Add the dry ingredients to a large bowl and whisk until mixed.
Step 3: Add the coconut milk, lemon juice, zest and vanilla to a separate bowl and mix.
Step 4: Pour the liquids over the dry and gently whisk or stir with a large spoon until moistened and mixed, being very careful not to overmix. The batter will be quite thick, do not be tempted to add more milk! Scrape the batter into the pan and smooth out.
Step 5: Bake for 25 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean and the edges are golden brown and have pulled away from the dish.
Step 6: Glaze and add extra lemon zest for presentation. Let the glaze firm up a bit and then cut and serve!
HOW TO STORE THIS CAKE
This vegan lemon cake is best stored at room temperature covered with foil. I just keep the slices in the same dish it was baked in. It stays fresh and moist for the first 2 days (although best the day made), but by the 3rd day, it starts to dry out some.
MORE VEGAN CAKE RECIPES
- Easy Vegan Vanilla Cake (7 Ingredients!)
- Vegan Gluten-free Funfetti Birthday Cake
- Vegan White Wedding Cake
- Vegan Gluten-free and Grain-free Vanilla Cake
- Vegan Almond Butter Cake
- Vegan Chocolate Chip Cake
- Vegan Pumpkin Cake
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If you make this recipe, be sure to leave feedback below and share your pic on Instagram or Facebook and tag me @thevegan8 #thevegan8!
Easy Vegan Lemon Cake
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups (224g) regular white all-purpose flour (GF below)
- 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons (170g) fine white sugar (SEE NOTES)
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons (210g) ROOM TEMPERATURE full-fat coconut milk (THIS cannot be subbed, it replaces all oil/butter. SEE NOTES AT BOTTOM!
- 2 1/2 tablespoons (37g) fresh lemon juice PLUS the zest
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
LEMON GLAZE
- 1 cup (152g) powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon (15g) fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon (15g) non-dairy yogurt (plain or vanilla) This gives a nice tang, but if you don't have it, add 1/2 tablespoon of any creamy milk instead.
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
NOTE
- I always recommend to use a scale for accuracy when baking, following MY gram weights listed, since we all measure differently. This greatly improves your chance for success and lessons room for error. You never need cups or to compare them to the weights, just use the scale and bowl and make sure to zero out in between each ingredient. My recipes are 100% tested specifically using my exact weights and your results will turn out as mine are pictured this way. SEE NOTES at bottom if you don't have a scale.
- I use this scale.
Instructions
- This step is VERY important to the cake end result. Make sure you are using can of room temperature, NOT COLD, full-fat coconut milk. With full-fat coconut milk, the coconut cream will separate from the water in the can. You need to scrape out all of the water and cream from the can into a blender or another bowl and either blend it until smooth or whisk very well until completely smooth. It must be blended before measuring..
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and lightly grease an 8x8 square stone baking dish. Stone is best, but if you don't have one, use glass or metal, just keep an eye, as the edges will cook a bit more in these types of pans.
- To a large bowl, add the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt and whisk well until mixed. Set aside.
- After you have premixed the coconut milk (from step 1), add the 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons (210 grams) to a separate bowl (weighing for best results), then add the lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla extract. Whisk to mix and pour over the dry ingredients.
- Mix the batter with a large spoon and fold in the flour, gently, from the edges of the bowl into the batter. DON'T OVERMIX. Overmixing can result in a dense cake and a sunken center. Mix until just moistened and no flour is visible. The batter will be THICK. It will seem too dry at first, but as you mix and it gets moistened, it will loosen up a bit into more of a soft batter. DO NOT be tempted to add more liquid or you will not get the light and fluffy texture.
- Scrape all of the cake batter into the greased dish and spread out evenly and flat with the back of a spoon.
- Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. The edges should be golden and pulled away from the edges. Cool for 45 minutes before glazing.
- This cake is SO good on it's own, but the glaze improves the lemon flavor A LOT. Add the ingredients to a small bowl and whisk for a few minutes until it's completely smooth and no lumps remain.
- Pour all of the glaze over the center of the cooled cake. Use the back of a spoon or an offset spatula and spread it out evenly all over the cake. Zest some more lemon over the top for presentation and extra zing of flavor. Let the glaze firm up a bit (15 minutes or so) and then slice and serve.
Notes
- COCONUT MILK: I cannot stress this enough the importance of the brand of coconut milk. DO not use a brand that has additives or gums, it will ruin the texture and make the cake dense and gummy. DO NOT use the Polar brand, it is all stabilizers and additives and not pure coconut milk. The only ingredients should be coconut and water. I like Trader Joes and the Sprouts grocery store brands. They all work well.
- MEASURING FLOUR: As you know, I always recommend a scale for the best results, following my weights listed, but if you don't have a scale or really do not want to get one, make sure to measure your flour this way: Place the cup on the counter and spoon the flour from the bag into the cup, filling it all up, overflowing a bit and then take a butter knife and level it off. Measure the 1 cup this way and the 1/2 cup and 1/4 cup (for the 1 3/4 cup total) but since you won't be using a scale, by measuring with this spoon method, you will need 1 additional tablespoon of flour to equal the 224 grams. I tested this spooning method myself and this was exactly how I arrived to 224 grams that you need for the recipe.
- Keep in mind, that even with measuring cups, they themselves can vary. This is also why some readers will have variances in weights when they try to compare, so just follow my weights listed.
- SIMPLE CAKE: This cake is for those who just want a very simple cake with very basic, regular ingredients. It is not meant to be one of my standard healthier flours and sweeteners I usually use in recipes. This isn't the cake to change all the ingredients. I have plenty of other healthy recipes on the blog if you want a healthier cake! Try this Healthy Vegan Lemon Cake if you don't want to use white flour or sugar. It is low-fat and whole grain.
- SUGAR: This amount was JUST enough of the perfect sweetness to counteract sourness, it is lightly sweetened. I advise against subbing this with coconut sugar or another sugar, it will overpower the lemon flavor that way and change the cake.
- GLUTEN-FREE: Here is the gluten-free version of this cake!
So delicious! We love all of Brandi’s recipes and this cake was no exception. Light, fluffy, super easy to make. Thank you!!
So wonderful to hear Danielle, thank you so much for the amazing review and sharing your beautiful pic on IG!
Cake is in the oven as I write. Smells heavenly and I know it will taste heavenly! (Tasted the batter😊)
Love, love, love your recipes!
This is the most delicious and easy Lemon cake I’ve ever made and my family enjoyed it too. I’ll never buy a box mix again! Thank you for sharing this just in time for spring!
That is so amazing to hear Anjie!! So happy it’s the best one you’ve ever made and your family loved it, thanks so much for taking the time to leave a wonderful review!
I was very skeptical when I decided to make this recipe. I’m usually let down by recipes for vegan baked goods. Before I served this to my family I took a taste test, you know, quality control . . . All of a sudden there was a huge piece missing. It was absolutely delicious! I had to put a cover over the cake so my husband wouldn’t see I’d already been pigging out on the cake. Thank you for this scrummy recipe!
Haha, you made me laugh Amanda! “all of a sudden” LOL! So very happy you enjoyed it!!
By far one of my favorite lemon anything recipe! Super easy to follow and make. It turned out so amazing! Thank you!!!
Wow, that is a huge compliment, thank you so much Yanitza!!
Amazing!! I love when recipes warn things like, “this will be thick, don’t worry, it’s supposed to be!” lol. I have the Vegan 8 cookbook and have tried many things on the blog and have never had a bad result due to Brandi’s perfectly detailed instructions. I measured the ingredients as suggested. This lemon cake is divine. We couldn’t wait a full 45 minutes for it to cool. I used half of the icing for a light drizzle and it was perfect. Not too sweet. All three of my kids approved it and that rarely happens on any recipe! Thank so much!
Hi Tabitha, woohoo, this makes me so happy to hear! Thank you for the wonderful review and sharing your pic on IG!!
So we haven’t actually cooked the cake yet, but my 15-year-old and I were actually debating if we should just eat the raw batter and forgo the baking part. It’s that good!
Haha, we love eating the batter too Allison!!
This cake is simple to make and delicious. My whole family enjoyed eating it. I made the recipe as written, using a scale for accuracy. I really appreciate weights being given. Thank you!
Hi Brandi,
I made this cake yesterday and it turned out amazing. Just wanted to let you know I used light brown sugar as that was all I had and it was still perfect. Not as pretty in colour but still tasted like heaven.
Thank you so much!
This recipe will definitely go into my recipe book/notes.
So easy yet tasty.
So happy to hear how much you loved it Timi!! So glad it tasted like heaven!
Thank you Brandi, for this super easy and delicious cake recipe. My family loved it. I doubled the ingredients and we are almost out of it. lol, You are my go-to blog when I want delicious food. Stay safe.
Love
Lala
Hahaha that is hilarious Lala! So glad your whole family loved it so much! Thank you for your kind feedback! xx
This cake is so very easy to make and incredibly moist. We made it the day after Brandi posted it because lemon is my absolute favorite! Another keeper and I cannot wait to make it for family and friends.
So wonderful Lisa, thank you so much for the great review!!
Just finished eating a piece!!! Exactly what today called for, a beautiful lemon cake. Unfortunately, I had to substitute the sugar with date sugar so it came out darker than if I had used regular sugar but the taste was still amazing!!! With the world turned upside down I just didn’t want to go out to buy sugar when I had everything else and I didn’t want to wait till my next shopping trip to make this cake. Thank you so much for such an amazingly easy recipe my son (7) and I could make together on this Sunday!!
Aww that is so sweet to hear Kimberly!! So glad it all worked out well! Thank you for the review!
Hi. I would love to try this recipe as I live lemon flavor deserts. My husband has GF diet, xan I substitute regular flour for 1-1 GF flour? Thanks
Hi Vanda! I actually tested it with the Trader Joe’s gluten-free all purpose blend and it was a huge fail! I don’t suggest store-bought all-purpose blends usually for my recipes, as I also don’t use eggs or oils, so they tend to not work well. BUT, I’m posting a gluten-free version later today, so be on the lookout! It’s not as perfect and fluffy as this one of course, but still totally yummy.
Thanks for sharing this delicious lemon cake recipe. I made it today and it’s been a huge hit with my family, in fact it’s just about vanished from the cake tin! I made a lighter lemon icing for the topping as my son doesn’t like a lot of icing so I mixed 2 teaspoons of lemon juice with 2 tablespoons of icing sugar (powdered sugar) and drizzled it over the entire cake, and he loves it. Thanks again for the lovely easy recipe, it will be a regular cake in our house for sure.
That is awesome Cass that it’s been a huge hit with your family! Really glad to hear this, thanks for the wonderful review and happy your son loves it too!
Hi, this looks awesome!! As I live alone & am currently in full lockdown here in Spain, I need to check this can be frozen as I don’t want to have to overdose on it!!!
Hi Kim! I haven’t tried freezing this since I’ve just created it within the past week, but I believe it would freeze just fine! My other white flour recipes do well. Just wrap it tightly and then additionally place it in another sealed container. Be safe and take care!
This was amazing!! Thank you so much for the awesome recipe. One of the best desserts I’ve thrown together in a while.
Yay Casey, so thrilled to hear this! Thank you for the review!
Ok, following up on my original comment made earlier — baked this cake tonight and so happy to give it five stars! I loved the fact that the lemon shines without any sickly sweet taste. It’s a beautiful balance of lemon and sugar. The glaze gives it the perfect finishing touch in both looks and taste. Since I’m the only one in the house who likes lemon cake I’m freezing a portion of the cake I left unglazed for some other treat time.
But right now as I write this I’m enjoying a glazed slice along with a cup of tea, a perfect companion to this cake. I think this lemon cake would be amazing on a tiered tray for high tea with some scones and tea sandwiches 🙂
Thank you, Brandi (and your little mini me daughter!)
Thank you so so much Kate for coming back and letting me know! I’m so excited to hear how much you loved it and your perfect description of it all! Thanks for the lovely review and kind words!
Just delicious! Thanks for this! We loved it – and so quick and easy! Yum!
That is so amazing to hear Joan, thank you so much for making it and glad to hear you all loved it!
Made this lemon treat today! Our family gobbled it up. So easy to make and tasty!
Thank you so much Rebecca! Saw your beautiful cake on FB, so happy to hear how much your family loved it and gobbled it up!
I made this as soon as the recipe came out, I love citrus! I didn’t use a mixer, just a whisk. The cake is very fluffy. After it cooled, I had to poke holes in it with a skewer, it begged for it, so it’s not as pretty as yours. The glaze is so good and lemony. I’m afraid I’m going to eat half of it tonight!
Woohoo, so glad you loved it Kathi!! Haha, yes, it’s tempting to eat so much right away! Thank you so much for making it right away, I really appreciate you!
I know, I know, I suck at following directions. I do a decent amount of baking with coconut milk so I knew that I could fudge it a bit. I only had TJs reduced fat coconut milk in the pantry so I used that instead of full fat. It came out amazing. Hopefully I will get to the store soon to restock my pantry and I will try it again with full fat but everyone is happy with these results. Thanks so much. And it is super easy. I threw it together while I was prepping dinner. Thanks!!
So happy to hear it was still amazing, yay!
You are AMAZING! Were you reading my mind today? I was craving lemon cake/bread! Thank you …
Haha I’m a mind reader!😂😂 Can’t wait to hear after you make it Rosebud!!
Extremely simple to make. Measuring ingredients on a scale is a culinary school technique. Everyone should have a food scale in their kitchen arsenal. I did not have full fat coconut milk, but what I did have were raw cashews which I make my own milk out of. So this time I made a very rich cashew milk in the Vitamix with just water and cashew nuts. I also never have powdered sugar on hand, so I use the dry container of the Vitamix to make regular sugar into powdered sugar. It worked perfectly. Definitely do not forget the lemon zest as I feel like it adds the much-needed lemon flavor.
Thank you so much!! Yes, I agree, a scale is one of a baker’s/chef’s best tools in the kitchen, particularly with baking. Really does make things worlds easier. I’m so happy to hear you loved this cake and I agree, the zest in the cake and glaze adds such a bright lemony note that isn’t there as much without it! As I mentioned on IG, so glad to hear the rich cashew milk worked too, as I’m planning on testing a version with my homemade cashew milk to compare how it stands against the full fat coconut milk! Thank you again for making it so quuickly!
Oh my goodness! How can 6 ingredients make such a yummy dessert?! But Brandi from The Vegan 8 did it again! What an easy yet delicious cake! Moist and lemony 🍋💛🍋 The perfect cake for Easter! Thankyou for creating the perfect spring (really anytime) dessert!
Roberta, I can’t get over how beautiful it looked too on Facebook! It was stunning! I’m so happy you loved the cake, thank you so much for making it so quickly!
Brandi — Can’t wait to make this; love lemon anything. And with spring birdsong and finally some warmer temperatures this will be such a wonderful treat. But I also wanted to say please consider me a Yes vote for your videos with your daughter. Omg. She’s beautiful and funny and sweet and it’s a joy to see the two of you baking together. I was watching with a huge smile on my face so thank you!
ps I expect I’ll be back here commenting on how wonderful the cake is … 🙂
Kate, you are so very kind, thank you so much for sharing that you enjoyed the video! SO happy to hear it made you smile, I will definitely include her more in my videos to be shared on FB or IG! Thank your for sharing and I can’t wait to hear what you think of the cake!