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!
Hi Nora, I am so glad you have a vegan cake recipe without oil! Smells and tastes like a cake with eggs and butter! Delicious! What I wondered: why do you use apple cider vinagre instead of lemon juice? Is this to give the cake more colour? Thank you in advance! Christine
I usually use apple cider vinegar to make vegan buttermilk, but lemon juice would probably work as well. It does not really give it more color, no. Thank you!
Excellent recipe.
Thanks!
Hi, recipe sounds and looking forward to trying it out (will definitely report back) but please would you tell me how much does a tablespoon of vegan butter weigh. Thanks.
Sure! 14 grams. Hope you enjoy it!
How foamy does the aquafaba need to be? Like, will it look like beer foam? Or stiff egg whites?
It doesn’t have to be like stiff egg whites for this recipe, just a bit foamy. Hope that helps! Yes, beer foam is a good way to describe it!
I am hoping to make this cake for my birthday (I’ll tag you on Insta if it works out). Quick question: what kind of peaks should be be looking for with the aquafaba? I’ve only used it to make meringue, which required stiff peaks.
Thanks 🙂
I hope you love it! The peaks don’t need to be super stiff like in meringue, just light and foamy. Thanks!
One last question: would I need to adjust the cooking time for 6 inch cake tins (it’s all I have. Thanks 🙂
Yes, they will probably take more time, maybe 10-15 minutes longer to cook all the way in the middle. I would check with a toothpick or sharp knife. When it comes out clean, they are done. Thanks and enjoy!
Hi, I tried making this cake 3 times and each time it came out flat, the flavor was amazing! What am I doing wrong? The first time, the cake turned really dense and dry, so I added 2 tablespoons of coconut butter to the vegan butter. That cake was not cooked enough. The third time, I followed the recipe and added more time on the clock. Still, not fluffy.
Do you have any ideas?
It’s so hard to know without being right there with you, but I have a couple of ideas. Yes, the cake should be very light and fluffy, so something is going wrong here. First, are you making any substitutions at all? Make sure you are whipping the aquafaba and then measuring 1/2 cup. Are you using a full tablespoon of baking powder, and is your baking powder fresh and not old? And most importantly, make sure you are not over mixing the cake batter, as that often results in a dense cake. More time will actually make the cake drier and denser, so I wouldn’t recommend it. I hope that helps! This is possibly my favorite cake ever so I hope you can figure it out!
Can your cake recipes be baked in a Bundt pan? If so, do you know what the baking time would be?
Sorry, I haven’t tried making any of them in a bundt pan yet, but I imagine it should work. They will take a bit longer, maybe an extra 20 minutes or so.
I made this delicious cake for my daughter’s20th bday. Last year, right before she took the vegan plunge, I made her a triple lemon layer cake which was amazing and, frankly, hard to live up to. This cake definitely did. Until someone figures out a great way to make vegan lemon curd, that’s the only “layer” that wasn’t there. I loved the icing so much too! Yummy! I will probably be making this cake for her birthday every year now. She LOVES lemon!! ?
Wow, thanks for the great comment! I’m so glad it was a hit.
I would like to try out this cake with aquafaba . Can I use my blender to whip it . Thanks
I’ve never used a blender to whip it, but it probably would work. Thanks, hope you enjoy.
Is it possible to substitute the apple cider vinegar with regular vinegar? I can’t eat anything with apples in it.
Yes, that is not a problem.
Cake was SO good, only if your not into real sweet things perhaps leave out the icing I found the cake was just deliciousness without the icing
Glad you liked it!
I just made this for my son’s friend for his birthday. I just made a small one, so I used the extra batter to make one for us to “test.” It is absolutely delicious. Thank you so much for the wonderful cake recipe.
You’re so welcome!
Hi! For storage would you recommend leaving this cake on the counter or in the refrigerator? Thanks! LOVE the frosting! 🙂
I prefer to store the cake in the refrigerator, but it’s not necessary unless your home is really warm. The frosting is so delicious, right!? So glad you like it.
We’re not a huge fan of super sweet desserts. Is it possible to cut back on the sugar in the recipe? I’m not sure if cutting back on the sugar would alter the chemistry of the recipe.
Thanks!
I’m not totally sure, but you could probably cut the sugar in half and be okay. I haven’t tested it though!
Hello,
I am new to the vegan life and love the idea of this lemon cake, but I have a nut allergy so almond milk is not an option for me. Do you know if I can substitute for coconut milk or oat milk? I really appreciate any advice!
Thanks you
Sure, it is no problem to use soy, coconut or oat milk. You can switch those out in any recipe I have that calls for almond milk with no problem. Thank you! Hope you enjoy!
Have you seen anyone using gluten free flour?
There are some good one to one flours that may work. I need to make one thats vegan, dairy and gluten free…. THANKS!!
I can’t remember if anyone has reported using gluten free flour here, but people do all the time for my other cakes so I imagine it would work well here too. I would use a good gluten free flour, such as Bob’s Red Mill 1:1.
Hi Nora,
I am looking for a super moist vegan white cake recipe. I tried your vegan chocolate cake recipe and it was AMAZING. I followed the recipe to the T and it turned out perfect. My family even said it was the best cake they ever had. Now id like to have a vegan white cake recipe on hand. Do you have one or could I just follow the lemon cake recipe and just skip the lemon zest and lemon extract to make it a white cake instead of a lemon cake?
I’m so glad you enjoyed the chocolate cake, thank you! I have a Vegan Vanilla Cake that you would enjoy, it’s very moist. It’s quite similar to the lemon cake, but I’m sure you could also switch the lemon flavoring to vanilla here and it would work quite well. Thanks!
Thanks for the recipe. I’d like to make it for an upcoming baby shower, but cannot find the vegan butter anywhere close to where I live in New Zealand. Have you ever made it using regular butter? If not, do you have any other butter substitutes? Thank you.
PS- since there are egg allergies in my family, I am so happy to learn about aquafaba!
I don’t use dairy so I haven’t tried it with regular butter, but I don’t think it would be a problem. Hope everyone enjoys the cake!
What a great cake! Made this recipe as written except for soy milk instead of almond milk and it turned out so light and lemony. My non vegan family LOVED it. The aquafaba seems to do the trick.
I’m so happy you enjoyed the lemon cake, thank you!
Can I add in food grade died lavender to the batter ? Do you think that would work or taste
Ok?
Food grade Dried*** lavender
I think it would work, but I haven’t tried it myself. Sounds good!
Could this be made in a bundt pan?
I’ve never tried it but I think it should work.
Want to try it, do you think I can replace the butter with coconut oil? Thanks for the recipe !
That would probably work, yes, though the cake may turn out a little dense. Hope you enjoy!
I would like to make this tomorrow, but I have only plain soymilk. Would that work?
Yes, that will work fine!
I made this delicious cake yesterday for my daughter’s 10th birthday! My family was so impressed by how it turned out, and so was I. The cake was fluffy and full of lemon flavor, and the icing added an extra citrus punch. I did not have lemon extract on hand so I doubled the amount of zest and juiced a whole lemon into the batter. Turned out great, thank you!
So glad it was good for a special occasion. 🙂
Hi Nora, I would love to try this recipe.
One question though. I have only 1x 8-inch round cake pan. Could I do the baking in two times?
Do I have to put half the batter in the fridge while I cook the first batch?
Thank you for your answer (and for your recipes, that I never tried yet, but seem so good).
I’m pretty sure that would work to bake it in batches. I would probably stick the batter in the refrigerator while the first one bakes, yes. I hope you enjoy the cake!
Thank you.
I will give it a try and let you know.
I hope this first attempt will be successful. First try…for a dinner with friends!