Light, zesty, and so lemony, this Vegan Lemon Cake is the best springtime recipe around! Celebrate the warm weather with a slice decorated in lemon buttercream and fresh vegan lemon curd in the center, if desired.
I can’t think of a better way to celebrate sunny weather than with a big slice of this Vegan Lemon Cake. Like eating sunshine on a plate, this tangy cake is so soft, fluffy, and packs in bright and fresh flavors. It’s one of the best cakes I’ve ever eaten!
This recipe is similar to my moist and decadent vegan vanilla cake. The cheerful specks of yellow from the added lemon zest and lemon extract transform this cake into a treat with a pop of fresh flavors. It really is the prettiest cake around. I added a touch of yellow food coloring for that vibrant yellow hue, but you can leave it out if you like.
I haven’t forgotten about the buttercream either! It’s a lemony dream with all of the creaminess you love about a classic buttercream frosting. Give this eggless cake a try when you need the perfect dessert to bring to Easter dinner or any lemon lover’s birthday.
How to make vegan lemon cake
Start by making vegan buttermilk. Combine the soy milk and apple cider vinegar in a measuring glass and let it sit until it curdles.
Pour the aquafaba into a bowl and mix on medium-high speed until it’s light and foamy. It does not have to form stiff peaks.
Line two round cake pans (8 or 9 inch) with a square or round piece of parchment paper, and spray very well with oil.
Beat the vegan butter, oil, sugar, and lemon zest together in a large bowl.
Next, add the lemon and vanilla extracts and beat again. Add the yellow food coloring as well, if using.
Pour in the aquafaba and vegan buttermilk and mix one last time.
Add the dry ingredients into the wet and mix until they’re just combined.
Pour the batter into your prepared pans and bake until a toothpick inserted in the cakes comes out clean. When they’re done, let the cakes cool completely on a wire rack.
How to make vegan lemon buttercream frosting
Beat the softened butter until it’s light and fluffy. Reduce the speed and add in the powdered sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla extract. Finish by mixing in the rest of the powdered sugar and adjust the texture as needed.
Decorate the completely cooled cake layers with buttercream and vegan lemon curd if you want. Add decorations like candied lemon slices, vegan whipped cream, or fresh berries on top and enjoy!
Tips for success
- Is the frosting too thick? Mix in a tablespoon of non-dairy milk at a time to thin it out.
- Is the frosting too thin? Add more powdered sugar until it gets a bit thicker.
- Cake flour – For the best results, make this recipe with cake flour. It comes out of the oven super fluffy with a fine crumb that is unmatched! All purpose flour will also work if you can’t find cake flour.
- Decorating – If buttercream isn’t your thing, decorate the cake with Cream Cheese Frosting instead. Add a layer of Vegan Lemon Curd in the middle and fresh blueberries, raspberries, or blackberries on top for a colorful presentation.
Frequently asked questions
- What is aquafaba? Aquafaba is the liquid in a can of chickpeas. Simply drain the chickpeas over a bowl and collect the liquid.
- Can it be made gluten free? Yes! Replace the cake flour with a 1:1 gluten free flour. It works out quite well!
- Can this recipe be made into cupcakes? Pour the batter into two prepared muffin tins and bake for around 20 to 24 minutes. You could also use my recipe for Vegan Lemon Cupcakes.
Storing and freezing lemon cake
Leftover cake can be kept covered at room temperature for about 3 to 4 days. To keep it longer, store the individual slices or the whole cake covered in the fridge for around 1 week.
The baked cake layers also freeze nicely. Once they’re cool, wrap the layers well in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 3 months.
Want more vegan lemon desserts?
Vegan Lemon Cake
Ingredients
For the lemon cake
- 1 1/4 cups unsweetened soy milk or almond milk
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup aquafaba liquid from a can of chickpeas
- 8 tablespoons (1/2 cup) vegan butter, softened to room temperature
- 1/2 cup neutral flavored oil, such as vegetable or grapeseed
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon pure lemon extract
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 3 cups cake flour*
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2-1 teaspoon yellow food coloring, optional
For the frosting
- 1 cup vegan butter, softened to room temperature
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 1-2 tablespoons non-dairy milk
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two 8 inch cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment rounds (I cut them out myself to fit the bottom of the pans to prevent sticking.)
- Vegan buttermilk: In a measuring cup, combine the soy milk and apple cider vinegar. Let sit a few minutes until it curdles (this is your vegan buttermilk.)
- Aquafaba: In a medium sized bowl, drain the chickpeas to collect the liquid from the can. (Rinse the chickpeas and refrigerate for another use.) Measure 1/2 cup of aquafaba. With a hand mixer, mix on medium-high speed for 1-2 minutes, until light and foamy. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, add the softened butter, oil, sugar and lemon zest. Beat on medium speed with the handheld mixer until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Now add in the lemon and vanilla extracts and beat to combine. If using the yellow food coloring, add it in now as well.
- On low speed, add in the vegan buttermilk and aquafaba and mix. Now add the flour, sprinkle the baking powder and salt on top of the flour and mix on low until well combined, about 1-2 minutes, scraping the sides as needed with a spatula. Do not over mix.
- Divide the batter equally in the prepared pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cool on wire racks for 5-10 minutes, then run a knife around the edges to loosen, and carefully invert the cakes onto your hand. Remove the parchment paper and place on a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make the frosting: Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, beat the vegan butter until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Reduce the speed, add in the 2 cups of the powdered sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla extract. Beat on low, then switch to medium speed and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Now add in the remaining 2 cups powdered sugar and mix. If the frosting seems too thick, add a tablespoon at a time of non-dairy milk. If the frosting seems too thin, add more powdered sugar until a desirable consistency is reached.
- Frost the cake: Place one of the cake layers on your cake stand or plate. Frost the top evenly. Place the second cake layer on top. Top the second layer with more frosting, and frost the sides as well. Decorate as desired and serve!
Notes
- Aquafaba is the liquid in a can of chickpeas. Simply drain the chickpeas over a bowl and collect the liquid.
- Cake flour is wonderful here if you can find it. The cake will come out fluffier with a fine crumb, but all purpose works if you don't have access to cake flour. Gluten free all purpose flour works quite well, too.
- Store leftover cake at room temperature for 3-4 days and make sure to cover any cut parts. Or keep it in the refrigerator for 1 week. It freezes perfectly as well.
- Cupcakes - Divide into liners and bake for 20-24 minutes.
- Consider adding a layer of vegan lemon curd to the middle, if desired.
Nutrition
*This recipe was originally published July 2018 and has been updated April 2021 with new photos and an improved recipe to make it even more moist and fluffy, and with clearer instructions for the aquafaba. I’m always working on improving my recipes!
Very happy with the way this turned out! Made it exactly as written and decorated with fresh raspberries on top. Delicious. Light, zingy, and perfect for springtime!
Hi Julia, your cake sounds beautiful and so delicious! Thank you for sharing your awesome review and recipe experience! I love this cake as a springtime cake! Wishing you so much happy cooking!
I think I would decrease the amount of lemon extract in the cake or eliminate it altogether; to me the taste was a little artificial. But it’s easy with common ingredients and came out pretty well overall.
This looks gorgeous! We manage a chickpea allergy, any substitutes for aquafaba? Thank you
Hi Rebecca. It is a lovely cake! ou could use unsweetened vegan yogurt instead of aquafaba. Or Bob’s Red Mill egg replacer perhaps. Enjoy!
Can this cake be made without using vegan ingredients?
No. Flour, lemons, sugar, and vanilla don’t have good non-vegan alternatives 🙂 Hope this helps!
Hi Nora! I love your recipes and knew I have to make this for my husband’s upcoming birthday. Which butter/margarine do you prefer for the frosting? Yours looks absolutely fluffy, my mouth is watering.
Hi Jessica, thanks for loving my recipes! I adore this lemon cake. I prefer Earth Balance sticks if I can find them, but I often use Country Crock or Melt sticks as well. Whatever brand you use, the trick for fluffy frosting is starting with butter sticks that are softened but not at all melted. Then once you add everything else, mix it for a few minutes and add plant milk as needed if it’s too thick. It should be quite fluffy and amazing when you’re done!
Hi Nora! We love all of your recipes and make the regularly so when my Mother in law asked me to try and make a lemon cake for Easter, I found this and am excited to try it. With that being said, can I bake the cake the night before and then just make the frosting the day of? How would you recommend I store the cake overnight? Thank you in advance!
Thanks Danielle! Yes, you can bake the cake layers the night before. I would let them cool completely, then wrap them and store in the fridge or at room temperature overnight. I hope you love it, we’re making this cake for Easter this weekend!
Hi Nora, omg, I made cupcakes instead and it was delicious!
Thank you so much for your wonderful recipe.
I would like to make the cake but a 10 inch instead. Do you know how long I would need to bake it? It would be done in a springform pan.
Thank you:)
Thanks Louise! I’m so glad you enjoyed the cupcakes. All of the batter will be too much for one 10-inch cake I’m afraid. I’m not sure it will bake up the same. You could make some cupcakes and one 10-inch cake perhaps? I’m not sure on bake time as I haven’t tried this exact scenario, but I would check after 30 minutes and keep checking every 5 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean in the middle. Hope that helps!
Thank you. I will see 🙂
Made this for my partner’s Birthday and she absolutely loved it. Took a few pieces to work and my coworkers went flippin’ BANANAS over it. They said it was the best cake they’d ever had (vegan or not) and have since begged me to make another one. Nora has phenomenal recipes, haven’t found a bad one yet, and I’ve made over two dozen of her recipes!
Hi Jordan. Thank you for your awesome review and comments, and for loving my recipes! I am just glowing! I am thrilled that the lemon cake was a hit for your partner’s birthday! It’s always so fun to have a delicious cake on your birthday! Wishing you lots of happy cooking!
Can I sub oat milk in this recipe? We’re managing multiple allergies and oat milk is what we use thts safe. Thanks!!!
Yes, you can use oat milk instead. Enjoy!
Hi Nora. I made this cake for my sons Birthday. Everybody love it. Wondering if I can use oat milk instead of almond or soy. Making this cake for my Daughters Birthday. We mainly use oat milk.
Sure, you can use oat milk, it works well. I’m so glad everyone loved the cake!
This turned out so good! I made it last night and just added a little bit of lemon extract, and replaced the apple cider with lemon juice. I also added a bit more lemon zest than the recipe says. It tastes amazing, and I think the whipped aquafaba really helped with binding the cake!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the cake! Thanks for Sharing your recipe experience and stellar review! Happy cooking!
Hi Nora
I love your recipes but can’t seem to get this one to work. First time it sunk in the middle so I thought I’d perhaps over mixed it or oven was too low. Second time it took a good extra 15 minutes to cook. I’m clearly doing something wrong. Any thoughts?
Let’s see if I can help! What size pans are you using? Does your oven tend to run low? You may want to test this to find out, with an in-oven thermometer. If so, increase the heat to be accurate (some ovens run low, or too hot). What kind of flour are you using? Cake flour is my preference for the best result.
Hi Nora, can I bake this in one Bundt tin?
I haven’t tried it myself, but it should work fine. It will need much longer to bake, perhaps around an hour.
Hi Nora, I love your recipes. I have 2 grandchildren who cant have dairy so your recipes have been brilliant for their birthday cakes. Just wondering can you halve the recipe for a smaller cake with this lemon one?
Thanks Sue, I’m so glad you’ve been enjoying my recipes with your grandchildren! Yes, just cut the recipe in half to make 1 round layer cake.
i made this with lemon juice instead of extract, poured juice on the cake and they are cooling. im planning to add a layer of lemon curd in the middle . its for my mums birthday and im planning to use it as a pic to apply for juniour bake off. Easy for kids to (im 11)
That’s wonderful! I hope you win the bake off with your amazing cake!
Can I use lemon juice I stead or lemon extract?
You could, but the taste won’t be as concentrated. You could add a bit of extra lemon zest plus lemon juice for more lemon flavor, instead of the extract.