Vegan Lemon Cake

Why We Love This Recipe

• Moist and flavorful: No dry lemon cake here! Our recipe is melt-in-your-mouth delicious and packed with lemon flavor from the juice, zest and extract. Paired with silky smooth lemon buttercream, every bite is perfection.
• Easy and one pan: Instead of making a complicated layer cake, we opted for a single layer sheet pan cake to keep things simple. That said, you can certainly turn this recipe into a layer cake if preferred!
• Gluten free option: We tested this recipe with regular all purpose and gluten free all purpose flour and it worked well both ways! This is a great cake for those with various dietary needs.
• Perfect for birthdays, holidays or any other time you need a foolproof vegan dessert.

Ingredients

Here's what you'll need to make this vegan lemon cake:

Here's what you'll need to make this vegan lemon buttercream:

Ingredient Notes

• Lemon extract: This is a bit of an uncommon ingredient, but you should be able to find this in your grocery store's baking aisle or near the vanilla extract.
• Lemon juice: It's super important to use freshly squeezed lemon juice in this cake. It's the best way to add flavor, plus you'll need the zest from a fresh lemon, so you might as well use the whole thing! (And no, you can't skip the zest – it's where most of the flavor comes from in this recipe.)
• Applesauce: we use unsweetened applesauce in this vegan lemon cake. It acts as a binder and egg replacement, without making the cake too dense.
• Vegan butter: Any brand should work well in this cake. Just make sure to soften it to room temperature before using, both for the cake and the buttercream.
• Nondairy milk: we prefer using oat milk for its neutral flavor and creamy consistency. Cashew or almond milk would also be a good choice.

Instructions

PREP: Preheat oven to 350˚F / 175˚C. Lightly grease a 9x13" baking dish and line with parchment paper. 

(1) Add softened butter to a large mixing bowl. Using a hand or stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar. Add in the vanilla extract, the lemon extract, and the lemon zest. 

(2) Mix in the applesauce. It may look separated, but once you add the dry ingredients, it will come back together.

(3) In a separate large bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

(4) Slowly add the dry mixture to the wet mixture in 2-3 batches, alternating with the milk and lemon juice, until all ingredients are incorporated.

(5) Spread the mixture evenly in the prepared baking pan. Bake for 34-38 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let the cake cool completely at room temperature before frosting.

(6) Beat the butter and powdered sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy (2-3 minutes).

Add in milk, 1 tablespoon of lemon zest, and ¼ teaspoon lemon extract and continue beating for 1 minute on high speed.

(7) Frost the cake, then top with remaining lemon zest and (optional) raspberries. 

Tips and FAQs

• Make sure to let the cake cool completely before frosting, otherwise the buttercream will melt.
• Don't forget to soften your butter to room temperature before using in both the cake and the buttercream! This is essential so that the butter can incorporate with the other ingredients.
• Cake pan conversions for circular layer cake: To make this into a 2 layer cake, use TWO 9-inch round pans. Divide the batter in half and use an equal amount in each pan. The baking time may be a bit shorter – start with 24 minutes and go from there until a toothpick comes out clean.
• Topping ideas: We love adding a bit more lemon zest on top, but you can also top this cake with sprinkles, fresh raspberries, strawberries, etc.
• This vegan lemon cake would also be fantastic with a raspberry or vanilla buttercream!
• Storage: Since this cake doesn't contain any dairy products, it stores well covered at room temperature for up to 5 days. If you live somewhere very warm, you can store in the refrigerator to prevent the frosting from melting.

How do you soften vegan butter quickly?

If you forget to soften your vegan butter ahead of time, unwrap and heat in the microwave in 5 second intervals until softened to the touch. Be careful not to melt it – it should only take a few seconds to get to the right softness.

Should I use the whisk or paddle attachment when making cake?

For those using a stand mixer: use the paddle attachment while making the cake batter and the whisk attachment while making the frosting.

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