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Last updated on July 13th, 2020
I love fresh lemon, and this Vegan Lemon Cake recipe is one of my favorites because it’s bursting with fresh lemon flavor, easy to prep, and contains ingredients that you probably already have in your kitchen. It’s accidentally vegan, and popular with both kids and adults. This rarely lasts longer than 48 hours in my house, and I’ve served it so many different ways on holidays.
You can serve this cake as-is per the recipe, or try topping it with a fresh berry compote and some nondairy whip. It’s great for entertaining, bake sales, potlucks, summer barbecues, or served with a hot cup of tea. It also makes a great addition to your brunch table, alongside my Creamy Fruit Salad.
This is a great recipe to let the kids help with the cooking and get involved in the kitchen. My little guy loves juicing and zesting the lemons, and it’s a great way for him to practice his measuring and fractions. It’s also a big hit because it doesn’t contain eggs, which means he gets to lick the spoon when we’re done mixing!
If you can’t have coconut oil, any neutral flavored oil should work. You can also substitute the flour with a 1-to-1 gluten free replacement if needed.
Vegan Lemon Cake
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup sugar vegan if necessary
- 3/4 cup water
- 1/2 cup applesauce
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- zest from 1 large lemon or 2 small
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For the icing:
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar vegan if necessary
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and spray or grease a 9 x 5″ loaf pan.
- In a large bowl, combine all of your dry cake ingredients. Create a well in the center, and add in all of your wet cake ingredients. Stir to combine, just until smooth. Don’t over mix the batter or your cake will be tough.
- Pour the cake batter in to your prepared pan, and bake for about 50 minutes, or until a tester comes out of the center clean.
- Let the cake rest on a wire rack until completely cooled. In a small bowl, whisk together your icing ingredients until smooth. You can ice your cake in the pan, or remove the cake to a separate dish and ice it.
- Will keep covered at room temperature for 4-5 days.
Nutrition
Did you make this Vegan Lemon Cake recipe?
Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and tag @milkfreemom on Instagram and hashtag it #milkfreemom. Don’t forget to pin it to Pinterest for later!
