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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Easy Vegan Lemon Cake
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups (224g) regular white all-purpose flour (this flour is crucial to this cake) SEE NOTES BELOW for GF
- 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons (170g) fine granulated 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 and is what makes the cake light and moist, it leaves NO coconut taste) I like Thai Kitchen and Taste of Thai brands, both work great here. DO NOT use the Polar brand, it is all stabilizers and additives and not pure coconut milk.
- 2 1/2 tablespoons (37g) fresh lemon juice PLUS the zest of a lemon
- 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
- 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 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 and mixed (see post pics). 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. Please do not skip doing this! Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and lightly grease an 8x8 square stone baking dish. Wipe off any excess runny oil. Stone is best for a soft cake around the edges, 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. 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 softer batter, however, the batter will be thick. DO NOT be tempted to add more liquid or you will not get the correct, light and fluffy texture you see in the pics (or the video I shared of me making it on social media). If you weighed/measured everything correctly, your cake batter will be thick and that is correct.
- 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 completely clean. The edges should be golden and slightly pulled away from the edges. Set to cool for 45 minutes or more before adding the glaze. The cake should be cool before glazing.
- This cake is SO good on it's own, but the glaze does add another layer of moisture and the lemon flavor is MUCH more pronounced with the glaze! BUT to save on the sugar, you can do just half the glaze and drizzle it over the top instead, if desired. 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
- 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!
Oh my where do I start! I LOVE all things lemon! I was so excited when this recipe popped up in my social media feed. I know I just HAD to make it! I started this cake later in the evening & I did not have pure white sure (just because we don’t keep it in the house), I used organic cane sugar, which has a bit of a neutral color to it. I also poured it in a loaf pan as the cake pan I had was too big and I worried that the cake would be too thin. Because I’m super impatient (and it smelled SO GOOD!!!), I couldn’t wait til the cake cooled to glaze it- instead of waiting ~45 minutes, I only waited 10, but that glaze soaked in to the cake and OH MY it was HEAVENLY!!! My husband and I (OK, I ate more than him), gobbled it up, and I planned on making it the next day. The only thing that stoped me was not having full fat coconut milk on hand. This cake is ADDICTIVE!!! If you love lemons like I do, you will want to make this! What a great summertime treat, ladies brunch, bridal tea or baby shower dessert.
Thanks Brandi for the AWESOME recipe!!!
You are the best, thank you so much Neely!!
OMG this cake was the bomb!!!!!!!!!!! Made this for a birthday celebration and it was a HUGE hit! Everyone loved it and we (7 of us) devoured the entire cake! I cut the sugar to 1/2 cup and accidentally put the whole can of coconut milk in, but it turned out fine! Meyer lemons are in season here where I live right now and I love them. Will be making this again for sure. Thanks Brandi!
Yay, so so happy to hear this Chris, thank you!!
Thanks to this wonderful recipe, I was able to bake my first vegan cake for more than 10 people at a birthday party (I multiplied the ingredients by 4). Everyone loved it so much. Thank you so much, Brandi
Thank you so much Behzad! So happy everybody enjoyed it! I love your name by the way.
Thanks so much, Brandi! Yours is pretty too 🙂
Fantastic recipe. Easily served to non- vegans. I substituted lime zest in the icing and it was lovely. Yes you do include the tablespoon of baking powder!
So awesome it was a hit Amy!
Made time and time again, thank you for such an easy and delicious recipe! Everybody loves it, crowd-pleaser recipe!
Thank you so much Catherine! SO happy to hear you love it!
I’ve made this a few times and it’s amazing, perfect texture! My family loves it and you can’t taste the coconut at all. Only thing is it needed to bake for a lot longer than 25 minutes, at least in my oven, it took about 45 minutes.
Yay, love hearing this! Oh wow, that is a huge cooking time difference, but so glad it works out!
I’m going to try this for my daughter’s birthday (tomorrow). I don’t have a scale so I have to use regular measuring cups. I see how you say to do flour, but what about the sugar? Can I just use a measuring cup or do I need to do it like the flour?
You can just scoop the sugar! You don’t have to do it like the flour.
Thanks!
Hi just checking you have listed 1 tablespoon baking powder, is this correct please?
yes!
I am a vegan chef and made wedding cakes for 37 years. I was not always that happy with the texture of the cakes that I attempted. This cake was next level and I love that there are no flax eggs or apple cider vinegar or any of the other additions that take the place of eggs. This cake is really good! I am doing a large event for a dog rescue and will make these as cupcakes with white chocolate dog bones atop. I think sprinkling with chopped toasted walnuts will be a great addition And I will also put a tunnel of lemon buttercream through the center. You done good, girl!
Oh wow, this was such a wonderful review, thank you so much Laura for sharing!
This was so good and easy to make! My non-vegan family members loved it too.
Hi, I want to use 1 can of Thai kitchen coconut milk which is 403 ml. Is it enough for the cake? And make sure it is the full-fat version.
Yes, it’s enough, just follow the directions of step 1 because you will not be using the whole can, only 210 grams.
Can I make it a lime cake instead of lemon?
Thanks!
You can try it! It’ll be more sweet!
Delicious. I weighed the ingredients instead and felt like I was in chemistry class again. Worked out perfect and was so so impressed and proud. Thank you for an easy killer recipe for my tired brain
Yay this is awesome!!
Incredible cake that EVERYONE raved about. Shhh…it’s vegan!
So happy to hear this Teri!
Could you confirm the measurement for the coconut milk? I used the liquid cup measurement vs the 210 grams on my scale because it was well over 3/4c + 2T. I followed all the instructions exactly as instructed but didn’t want to use too much coconut milk….and while it tastes great, it was not as fluffy as I was expecting. I used a scale for all other measurements and Thai brand full fat coconut milk.
Hi Kim! The correct amount is 210 grams. You will always want to follow my gram weights, as I explain under NOTE for this very reason. This is important because cup sizes can vary a bit. This is another reason I note not to compare cups to grams or even get the cups out because this will cause people to second guess sometimes my grams, but I test all my recipes specifically ONLY using grams (not cups) so they will always be accurate. So since you used less liquid, that is what would cause the batter to be a lot thicker and produce denser (not fluffy ) cake. 1 tbsp of milk is 15 grams and 3/4 cup + 2 T = 14 tablespoons, which is 210 grams. Use that amount and it should be more fluffy like my pics, hope this helps!
I’m wishing I could use this recipe but add something like blueberries or strawberries to it. Any suggestions how to do that in a vegan cake?
I’ll try it plain, as is, and add strawberries alongside this first time.
Hi Holly! Several readers have added blueberries with success. I would be hesistant with strawberries though…they add a ton of moisture and it might make the cake too wet and dense.
Question: Do you use sweetened or unsweetened coconut milk?
Hi! Canned coconut milk is always unsweetened and that is definitely what you need to use here, the canned high fat coconut milk, the one recommended under notes 🙂
made this loved it was moist and tasted great even for non vegan. Goinbg to try to add 50 grm cocoa powder not sure how this will work or add blueberries for a different taste again
Hi, I am in Australia, and our coconut milk in a can does not separate, only the coconut cream. fat content in our coconut milk is 18%. the coconut cream however, does separate the water and fat in the can..which one should I use, the cream or the milk? guessing the cream as that is what is described in your recipe. Just out of interest, what is the fat content in your coconut milk and cream? Would love to make this recipe as it sounds delicious and soooo easy!
Is this best to make fresh or can I make the day before? How does it taste refrigerated?
Hi Heather, it’s great either the day of or the day before. The cake is so moist, it is still fine by the next day. I wouldn’t suggest refrigerating it before serving the first time though because coconut milk tends to firm up quite a bit and may make the cake a bit too firm and it will never be as soft, fluffy and light as it is at room temperature.
Wanting to make this today, what size pan did you use?
Hi Christine, that is listed under step 2!
I really would like to know how you organized your recipe because it looks really nice and I want to organize my recipes the same way.
I also really like the recipe, since it also has no butter and oil, but I do want to know what are the ratio of coconute milk to butter/oil when replacing.
Hi Michael, I don’t know because coconut milk is very runny and that is what I based my recipe off of to make the recipe work. I never use oil, the two will bake up differently depending on each ratio so it won’t be just a straight even ratio swap. If it’s a tiny amount like a couple of tablespoons or so, the same amount would likely work, but that won’t be the case in larger amounts.
I’m sorry, what do you mean by organizing my recipes?
Wow, this was so easy and so delicious! I love that I only needed one bowl to make it, and the lemon flavor texture, and sweetness are just perfect. One of my sons took one bite and immediately asked me to make it again!
Yay, so glad to hear this Coby, thank you!
I made this last night for friends. It was fantastic, I’ll definitely make it again. I thought it was really tasty and was fluffy and moist st the same time. Thank you for sharing such an easy recipe. I’ve just moved to North America and don’t have any mixing equipment so this was super convenient to make with not just a whisk.
LOVED this cake!! So simple, quick and delicious! The first vegan cake I baked that was not stodgy but fluffy. The first time I made it, it was a little bland so I have since topped the icing with toasted desiccated coconut. YUM! I was also able to bake two cakes from one can of coconut milk! My vegan family members are so happy!