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Home » Recipes » Cakes and Cupcakes

Vegan Lemon Cake

Published: Jan 9, 2023 · Modified: Jan 9, 2023 by Lexi

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This Vegan Lemon Cake is one of our all-time favorite baking recipes! It's light and fluffy, packed with bright, lemony flavor, and it's topped with a creamy, fluffy vegan lemon buttercream frosting. It's also easy to make and can be used as a base for so many types of cake!

A slice of lemon cake taken out of the sheet cake topped with lemon slices and raspberries.
This vegan lemon cake is absolute perfection in every bite!
Jump to:
  • Why We Love This Recipe
  • Ingredients
  • Ingredient Notes
  • Instructions
  • Tips and FAQs
  • More Cake Recipes to Enjoy
  • 📖 Recipe
  • 💬 Reviews

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:

Vegan lemon cake ingredients including lemon juice and applesauce.
Freshly squeezed lemon juice (and zest) is absolutely essential in this cake.

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

Lemon buttercream ingredients including powdered sugar and lemon zest.
You can find lemon extract in most grocery stores right near the vanilla extract.

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.
Overhead view of lemon cake with raspberries on top.
Perfectly sweet and tangy in every bite!

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.

Left: creaming the butter and sugar together. Right: adding in the applesauce.
Applesauce will make the mixture separate, but don't worry! It comes back together when you add in flour.

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

Whisking the dry ingredients together.
If desired, you can sift the dry ingredients for a lighter, fluffier cake.

(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.

Left: mixing the wet and dry ingredients together. Right: pouring the batter into a cake pan.
Parchment paper is the best way to keep cake from sticking to the pan.

(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.

Left: baked sheet cake. Right: whipping together the lemon buttercream.
Beat the frosting until super light and fluffy.

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

Left: a dollop of frosting on top of the cake. Right: finished vegan lemon cake.
Raspberries are our favorite topping for this vegan lemon cake.

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.
Close up view of lemon cake on a fork.
Moist, tender, delicious!
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.

Finished vegan lemon cake topped with lemon slices and raspberries.
Top the buttercream with raspberries and lemon slices for a fresh garnish.

More Cake Recipes to Enjoy

  • Front view of carrot cake on a cake stand.
    Vegan Carrot Cake
  • Overhead view of apple walnut cake in a baking dish.
    Vegan Apple Cake
  • side view of a slice of vegan gluten free chocolate cake with thick layer of frosting.
    Best Vegan Chocolate Cake
  • Vegan Funfetti Cake

Tried this recipe? Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. You can also stay in touch with us through social media by following us on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook or by subscribing to our newsletter.

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Finished slice of lemon cake with raspberries and lemon slice on top.

Vegan Lemon Cake


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  • Author: Lexi
  • Total Time: 1 hour
  • Yield: 12 servings 1x
  • Diet: Vegan
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Description

This Vegan Lemon Cake is one of our all-time favorite recipes! It's light and fluffy, packed with bright, lemony flavor, and it's topped with a creamy, fluffy vegan lemon buttercream frosting. It's also easy to make and can be used as a base for so many types of cake!


Ingredients

Units Scale

Vegan Lemon Cake:

  • ¾ cup vegan butter, softened to room temperature
  • 1 ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon lemon extract
  • ¾ cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 1 cup + 2 tablespoons nondairy milk
  • 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • ⅓ cup lemon zest
  • 3 ⅓ cups all purpose flour (or gluten free all purpose flour)
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt

Vegan Lemon Buttercream:

  • 1 cup vegan butter, softened to room temperature
  • 4-4 ½ cups powdered (confectioners) sugar
  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons lemon zest, divided
  • 2 tablespoons nondairy milk
  • ¼ teaspoon lemon extract

Instructions

Cake:

  1. Preheat oven to 350˚F / 175˚C. Lightly grease a 9x13" baking dish and line with parchment paper. 
  2. 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. 
  3. Mix in the applesauce. It may look separated, but once you add the dry ingredients, it will come back together.
  4. In a separate large bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.

Buttercream:

  1. Beat the butter and powdered sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy (2-3 minutes).
  2. Add in milk, 1 tablespoon of lemon zest, and ¼ teaspoon lemon extract and continue beating for 1 minute on high speed.
  3. Frost the cake, then top with remaining lemon zest. 

Notes

Cake pan conversions for circular layer cake: To make this vegan lemon cake 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.

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.

Make sure to let the cake cool completely before frosting, otherwise the buttercream will melt.

Lemon juice: It's super important to use freshly squeezed lemon juice in this vegan lemon 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.)

  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 40 minutes
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Oven
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size:
  • Calories: 613
  • Sugar: 62.6 g
  • Sodium: 454.1 mg
  • Fat: 27.2 g
  • Carbohydrates: 92.4 g
  • Fiber: 1.7 g
  • Protein: 4.2 g

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @crowded_kitchen on Instagram and hashtag it #crowdedkitchen

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Lexi and Beth toasting with wine.

Hi, we're Lexi and Beth, a mother-daughter team from Michigan. The recipes you'll find here are a reflection of how we bring our family together around the dinner table despite various dietary differences.

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