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!
This is so good! I made for my family and the LOVED IT SO MUCH, and so did I! The frosting is the best part! But that is just because I LOVE frosting! LOL! Anyway, one question, you said that the cake would be fluffy, it was really dence, but that is OK, this is a amazing recipe, I love all your recipes, I think your a great vegan Baker!
I’m glad you and your family enjoyed the cake! But yes, it is a light and fluffy cake, it should not be dense. Dense cakes often result from over mixing the batter, or perhaps the aquafaba wasn’t foamy? Altitude can also affect the cake texture. Thank you!
When I beat the aquafaba it’s gets foamy but still some liquid at the bottom. So when I measure my 1/2 cup to put into the cake should it only be the really foamy part of the aquafaba?
My batter at the end seemed really thick when I put it into the cake pans. Nervous the cake isn’t going to be very fluffy…. or is this how it should be?
Yes, use the foamy part as much as possible. A little liquid is fine. The batter shouldn’t be too thick, that can happen when you don’t measure the flour quite correctly, so you end up with a little too much (or less sometimes) which will make the cake batter thicker and the cake drier. I hope it turned out okay anyhow!
Hi! If I don’t have lemon extract can I just use regular lemon juice? How much of it should I be using?
You could but lemon extract is much stronger so the cake won’t taste as lemony unfortunately. You could use 2-3 tablespoons lemon juice.
I made this for my vegan step-daughter’s birthday and was very impressed. It was fluffy and light. I adapted it and made a Lavender Lemon Cake and it turned out beautifully.
1. Adding lavender to the cake batter
Grind 2.5 tsp lavender buds and 1 tbsp sugar in a coffee mill or spice grinder. Adding sugar to the lavender buds releases the oil.
Add the lavender and sugar mixture to the dry ingredients when making the batter.
2. Lavender lemon filling
Grind 1 tsp lavender buds and 1 tbsp sugar in a coffee mill or spice grinder. Mix with zest of one lemon and 1 tsp lemon juice. This forms a concentrated mixture. Spread this mixture in between the two layers of cake, along with your layer of icing. It won’t look like a lot however it’s very strong and the flavours will come through nicely.
3. Sprinkle lavender buds on top of cake
Wow, the lavender with lemon sounds amazing! I can’t wait to try with this combo. Thank you for sharing your technique!
And, thank you Nora for the continued wonderful recipes, I’ve really enjoyed making your recipes while in quarantine 🙂
Hi! What do you recommend as a good substitute for the aquafaba? Thanks!
I don’t have a perfect substitute, as it really helps make the cake light and fluffy. You may be able to add more milk instead, or applesauce, but I haven’t tested it.
I made this lemon cake today & it turned out insanely delicious. I used oat milk & a tad extra lemon extract. Wow~happy people here!!
So glad to hear that!
Made your lemon cake for Sunday and it was so delicious. I wound up putting it in a larger round cake pan as I couldn’t find the 8 inch round pans ( ok I was too tired to hunt waaay in the back of the cabinet for them). I accidentally beat the margarine with the sugar before it was fully soft so it was grainy. I even tried to use a double boiler meyhid to soften but to no avail. However the cake still came out great. Looking forward to making it again. Glad it is a forgiving recipe. And the frosting…oh my!
My Hi I love ur cake , it’s simple to do and ingredients is easily access .
My husband had diabetes , if I reduce the sugar amount , will it affect the texture?
Sulin.
Thank you so much! You could probably cut it in half without affecting the texture too much. Hope that helps!
I am so excited to make this cake for Easter tomorrow! Unfortunately the stores were out of all flours, So I bought Bobs cup 4 cup gluten free flour. Have you tried making this cake gluten free? I figure the texture will definitely be different, but I am going for it anyway!? Any advice before I start? I love all of your recipes!❤️
I haven’t made this particular cake with gluten free mix, but I usually have luck with Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Mix and have used it in other recipes. I think it will work, even though it changes the texture a bit. I hope you love it!
I have been crazing a lemon cake and was looking for a recipe that doesn’t use eggs (child is allergic). Tried one earlier this week and was an epic failed. This worked so well. It was moist, lemony (although in addition to the lemon extract, I squeezed the juice of half a lemon into the batter) and hit the spot. Child is also allergic to nuts so substituted almond milk with buttermilk. Thank you so much for sharing.
You’re welcome! So glad it worked well.
I made this cake yesterday and everyone LOVED it! I want to share the recipe with my sister, but her son has nut allergies. Is there another milk substitute that will work to curdle when mixed with the Apple Cider Vinegar?
Yes, soy milk works really well too! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Hey Nora,
I’d like to make this cake in a single round bunt pan. Will it work? If so, will the bake time be the same?
Many Thanks,
Lisa
I think it should work, but bake it for 45-50 minutes or so until done. Thanks!
Hello nora !
Can i replace the butter with neutral oil such as canola ? Thank youu
Yes it will work. The cake is a bit softer and buttery tasting using vegan butter, but it will still work using oil.
Hi, this cake looks beautiful I can’t wait to try and make it today!!
Just a quick question… when adding the Aquafaba, should you fold it in or continue to use the hand mixer?
Thank you!
Sure! I just add it with the mixer on low, I do not fold it in. Thanks and hope you enjoy!
Could i switch all the lemon aspects of this cake for orange? And then use your chocolate frosting recipe with the orange cake?
Oh sure, I think that should work well! Sounds good!
Hi Nora, could I also use cake flour and if so, should I add any extra baking powder/soda ? And can I also make cupcakes of this batter? And last question: how can I turn this cake into a chocolate cake? I saw your chocolate cake recipe but I don’t like the taste of applesauce. Can I alter this lovely recipe? Many thanks in advance!
Hi there! To answer your questions, yes you can use cake flour, and no you don’t need to add any extra baking soda/powder. You can make cupcakes, they will just need to bake for 20-24 minutes. I don’t think you could very easily turn this recipe into a chocolate cake. My chocolate cake is really the best and I highly recommend you try it. 🙂 If you don’t like applesauce (though you can’t taste it), I would replace it with another egg replacer, even 2 flax eggs would work (2 tablespoons ground flax + 5 tablespoons water). Aquafaba might work as well, though I haven’t tried that.
Thanks a lot, Nora!
I make the chocolate cake often and it really is the best cake ever!! You can’t taste the applesauce at all!!
I have never made a vegan cake with frosting… just banana breads and such. So I was nervous but…. home run!!! I decorated it with berries and it was outstanding… can’t wait to try the chocolate next!
So glad it came out good!
Where’s the best place to store the cake? In the fridge?
Will make the cake today and can’t wait to try it!
I would say the best place is the refrigerator, but you could leave it at room temperature, unless your home is very warm. It will last longer if stored in the refrigerator, too. Hope you enjoy the cake!
Thank you! The cake is delicious. It’s very filling because of the icing, but so tasty.
Glad it was delicious!
Can I use real lemon juice instead of extract and would i still use the same amount?
You could but the cake won’t be as lemony tasting. But in a pinch, it will work! Lemon zest helps a lot. I would use 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice instead of the extract.
Omg thank you so much for this recipie it is my bday tmmrw and i rlly wanted a lemon cake for a change and i tried the frosting omg it was amazing thank you so much im so exited to try it tmmrw!!!!!!!!
You’re welcome, and Happy Birthday!
Hi
Would love to make this but I also don’t have lemon extract. I will add more lemon as you mentioned in another post but could you also make the buttermilk with lemon instead of apple cider vinegar to make it even more lemony
Thanks
Yes, you could. You could add a little extra lemon zest as well. Enjoy!
So good, even with the substitutions I had to make: vegetable shortening instead of the vegan butter in the batter, Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free flour, and apricot jam between the layers. I can’t wait to make it again with the right ingredients! Thank you
You’re welcome! Glad it was good!
LOVE this cake. I didn’t have fresh lemons so I used zest from oranges from my backyard with lemon juice/extract. Turned out so moist and fluffy!! I had to halve the icing due to running out of vegan butter, but it ended up being the right amount for my taste. Will definitely make again!
That’s so great!
I can’t have most beans or chickpeas due to allergies. What do you recommend as a sub for aquafaba?
You could use another egg replacer such as Bob’s Red Mill (I would replace 2 eggs). It would probably even work to add an extra 1/4 cup almond milk and just leave out the aquafaba entirely. Though I would recommend using cake flour if you leave out the aquafaba, as the cake may be a bit dense without it, and cake flour will help. Thanks!
Can you recommend a specific vegan butter? I have Earth Balance in the tub, but it’s salty – do they make an unsalted? Thanks, can’t wait to try this!
I like Earth Balance, both the sticks and the tub. It’s salted, but it doesn’t make a big difference in the recipe. I don’t think they make an unsalted version. Miyokos brand is also great, I love it. It might be less salty. I also use Melt quite a lot with great results. Hope that helps!
I’d like to use this recipe to bake one cake in a bundt pan, how much longer would I have to let it bake?
I haven’t tested it, but the cake would probably take an extra 20 minutes or so I would think.
I made this for my husbands birthday and it was loved by everyone!! I was worried it wasn’t going to come out because everything was separating with the lemon juice that I used instead of the lemon extract. Also, after reading the comments I worried that I over mixed it. I planned on folding in the aquafaba, instead of mixing so it wouldn’t deflate. That worked well! It still came out nice and fluffy!! I used a 9×13 pan then cut it to be a layered square cake. I cooked it for the about 5 minutes extra but it seemed like the regular time worked fine too; I was just paranoid. The frosting is amazing but we had so much extra. Still a FABULOUS RECIPE!! Thanks!!
You’re welcome! I’m so glad it was great!