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    Home » Recipes » Vegan Cake

    Easy Vegan Lemon Cake

    Published: Oct 1, 2018 · Modified: Jul 29, 2020 by Kate Hackworthy · This post may contain affiliate links ·

    Jump to Recipe
    Cake on a stand with text overlay for Pinterest.
    Slice of vegan lemon cake, with text overlay.
    Slice of vegan lemon cake, with text overlay.

    This one-bowl vegan lemon cake recipe is so easy! You only need 9 ingredients and 40 minutes for this light fluffy vegan cake. Follow my step by step tutorial and soon you'll have a moist, fluffy, zingy layer cake to tuck into. It's not only pretty but tastes so good that nobody would guess that it's a dairy-free and eggless vegan cake.

    Slice of cake on a plate in front of the cake on a cake stand.

    This vegan lemon layer cake is zingy, fluffy, moist and delicious. 

    But it's also really easy! You only need 1 bowl, 9 ingredients and 40 minutes for this zesty vegan cake. 

    Follow my step by step tutorial and soon you'll have a moist, fluffy, zingy layer cake to tuck into.

    It's so delicious and nobody will guess that it's a dairy-free and eggless vegan lemon cake.

    Reader Testimonials

    ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Amaaaaazing! So moist, so fluffy, perfect amount of lemon, so easy to make, so perfect! Amazing, amazing, amazing – can’t wait to try other recipes!) It just eats like cake, you would never know its vegan. So wow – Amazing!" - Delilah

    ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "The first vegan cake I ever made. So delicious!" - Gabrielle

    ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "What a success this was! Was a definite hit with my colleagues. So nice to find a recipe which gives different timings for different tin sizes – I found this really useful, thanks." - Kate

    Vegan cakes that don't suck

    Life changed for me a couple of years ago.

    After many years of baking, I finally hit on the way to make a vegan cake that didn't suck. See, for a long time, vegan cakes did suck.

    They were a bit dry and tasted a bit of sadness. NOT ANY MORE!

    It all started with this rich and delicious vegan chocolate cake.

    It worked so well and so many readers have loved it, that I started baking more and more vegan cake recipes!

    I realised that you don't need flax eggs or any other unusual ingredients.

    Sure, those add a bit of extra nutrition, but you can just make a really really awesome vegan cake that just happens to be egg free and dairy free.

    And tastes like cake heaven!

    This vegan lemon cake is light, fluffy and zingy!

    Nobody would ever guess that it's vegan - it just tastes like a typical cake, but it's egg-free and dairy-free.

    (I seem to be using a lot of exclamation points here, but the cake merits them, so I'll leave them in. Yay!)

    Layer cake on a cake stand and topped with edible flowers.

    This easy vegan lemon cake is as light as air, with a perfect texture and a great zing from the lemon.

    I shared it with family and friends, and even the non-vegans very quickly devoured it and declared it the best lemon cake and that they couldn't tell it was vegan.

    It's funny, but there really is a myth that vegan cakes are somehow inferior.

    However, I've been proving again and again with my recipes that vegan cakes are every bit as delicious as standard cakes.

    Plus, they're egg-free so you can go ahead and taste the batter - win win!

    Why is this the best vegan lemon cake recipe?

    Light, fluffy and moist

    No unusual ingredients (no chia or flax, just store cupboard staples)

    One-bowl easy recipe

    Great zingy and zesty lemon flavour

    A pretty three-layer cake that makes a great vegan birthday cake

    A classic flavour perfect year round

    Step by step tutorial pictures so you can't go wrong

    How to make vegan lemon cake video tutorial

    Delicious with lemon frosting, vanilla frosting or even vegan cream cheese frosting. 

    Cake on a plate with a fork.

    Step by step tutorial

    It's sooo easy to make this one-bowl easy vegan lemon cake.

    With just a few simple steps, you'll have these zingy lemony cakes cooling in your kitchen with that zesty scent wafting through the air.

    Go on, grab some lemons and get baking.

    Check out these pictures for guidance and then scroll down to the recipe card for the full ingredients list and instructions.

    Lemon juice and milk in a jug.

    1: mix lemon juice into the vegan milk and set aside. This will create a dairy free vegan 'buttermilk'.

    Vegan butter melted in a pot.

    2: Melt the butter and syrup together. You can do it in a pan on the stovetop or in a microwave.

    Flour in a sieve over a mixing bowl.

    3: Sift the dry ingredients together

    Cake batter in a mixing bowl.

    4: Mix the wet and dry ingredients together gently. Make sure you can't see any flour, but don't overbeat it if you want a light and fluffy vegan lemon cake.

    Cake batter in cake pans.

    5: pour into the tins and bake. Meanwhile, make the frosting!

    Scroll down to the recipe card for the full ingredients list and instructions.

    Cook's Tips

    • Don’t over-mix the batter when adding the dry ingredients. Combine well, but don’t beat.
    • Substitute orange zest and juice for a totally different flavour.
    • Freezable: you can freeze the un-frosted cakes for up to 1 month.
    • Decorate the cake with edible flowers to make it extra special. I used edible borage flowers.

    Different Sizes

    • Turn this into vegan lemon cupcakes by filling the cups of a lined muffin pan and bake for 15-20 mins.
    • I used 3 x 6" baking pans that I found on Amazon (affiliate link). I like that I can make a cute little cake with three layers without it being huge.
    • You can make this cake in two layers by using 2 x 20cm / 8 inch round baking pans and baking for 30 minutes.
    • Increase the ingredients by 50% to make this cake in 3 x 20cm / 8 inch baking pans.

    More Vegan Cake Recipes

    You must also try my vegan Victoria sponge, vegan vanilla cake, vegan chocolate cupcakes and even vegan kale orange cake!

    They're all really moist, light and decadent.

    Or even my vegan carrot cake and vegan banana bread. Looking for something different?

    Try vegan red velvet cupcakes or vegan vanilla cupcakes. 

    Recipe

    Did you make this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out for you!
    Leave a comment and star rating below and share a picture with the hashtag #veggiedesserts. I love seeing your recreations of my vegetarian and vegan recipes and cakes.

    Thanks for checking out my recipe! I love hearing from my readers. You all allow me to do what I love and write this food blog, sharing vegetarian and vegan recipes.
    Kate x

    A vegan lemon layer cake that's light and fluffy with lemon icing and bright yellow lemon drizzle icing, with a slice cut out

    Vegan Lemon Cake

    Kate Hackworthy | Veggie Desserts
    This easy one-bowl vegan lemon cake is light, fluffy and zingy! You don't need any unusual ingredients and it's moist and delicious.
    5 from 38 votes
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    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 30 mins
    Total Time 40 mins
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American, International
    Servings 12
    Calories 471 kcal

    Ingredients
     

    • 300 ml (1 ¼ cups) dairy free milk (soy, almond etc...)
    • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
    • 150 g (¾ cup) dairy free margarine
    • 3 tablespoon golden syrup or use agave or maple syrup (maple will make a slightly less sweet cake)
    • Zest of 2 lemons
    • 275 g (2 ¼ cups) plain (all-purpose) flour
    • 150 g (½ cup) granulated sugar
    • 2 teaspoon baking powder
    • 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)

    For the vegan lemon frosting (double to cover the sides as well)

    • 150 g (¾ cup) dairy free margarine
    • 400 g (3 ⅓ cups) powdered icing sugar (confectioner's sugar)
    • 3 tablespoon lemon juice

    Yellow drizzle (optional)

    • 100 g (¾ cup) powdered icing sugar
    • 1-2 tablespoon lemon juice
    • Yellow food colouring

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat the oven to 180° C/160° C fan (350F). Lightly grease 3 x 6" baking pans or 2 x 20cm/8" round baking pans.
    • Stir the lemon juice into the milk and set aside.
    • In a pan over a medium heat, melt the dairy free margarine and syrup together. Set aside to cool slightly.
    • Sieve the flour, sugar, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) into a large mixing bowl.
    • Pour the milk, melted margarine mixture and lemon zest over the flour mixture and stir well until it becomes a smooth batter.
    • Divide the mixture between the two prepared pans and bake for 30-35 minutes (for 2 x 20cm/8") or 25-30 minutes (for 3 x 15cm/6") or until an inserted skewer comes out clean.
    • Allow the cakes to cool in the tins for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

    For the lemon frosting

    • Beat together all the frosting ingredients until smooth.
    • When the cakes are completely cold, sandwich together with some icing. Spread the remaining icing over the top and sides of the cake.
    • For the drizzle
    • Mix the powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice until smooth. If necessary add a little more lemon juice. Add a small amount of yellow food colouring until the desired colour is reached. Spoon into a piping bag with a small nozzle inserted. Pipe drizzles over the cake edge. 

    Video

    Notes

    Cook's Tips

    Don’t over-mix the batter when adding the dry ingredients. Combine well, but don’t beat.
    Substitute orange zest and juice for a totally different flavour.
    Freezable: you can freeze the un-frosted cakes for up to 1 month.
    Decorate the cake with edible flowers to make it extra special. I used edible borage flowers.

    Different Sizes

    Turn this into vegan lemon cupcakes by filling the cups of a lined muffin pan and bake for 15-20 mins.
    I used 3 x 6" baking pans that I found on Amazon (affiliate link). I like that I can make a cute little cake with three layers without it being huge.
    You can make this cake in two layers by using 2 x 20cm / 8 inch round baking pans and baking for 30 minutes.
    Increase the ingredients by 50% to make this cake in 3 x 20cm / 8 inch baking pans.

    More Vegan Cake Recipes

    You must also try my vegan Victoria sponge, vegan vanilla cake, vegan chocolate cupcakes and even vegan kale orange cake!
    They're all really moist, light and decadent.
    Or even my vegan carrot cake and vegan banana bread. Looking for something different?
    Try vegan red velvet cupcakes or vegan vanilla cupcakes. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 471kcalCarbohydrates: 79gProtein: 2gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 4gSodium: 301mgPotassium: 161mgSugar: 59gVitamin A: 955IUVitamin C: 2.4mgCalcium: 88mgIron: 1.2mg

    The nutritional information provided is approximate and can vary depending on several factors, so is not guaranteed to be accurate. Please see a registered dietician for special diet advice.

    Tried this recipe?Mention @kateveggiedesserts or tag #veggiedesserts! I love seeing your recreations.

    More Vegan Cake Recipes

    • The Best Vegan Vanilla Cake
    • Vegan Pumpkin Cake with Ginger Frosting
    • Vegan Vanilla Cupcakes
    • Vegan Banana Bread (one-bowl)
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Georgia

      July 04, 2021 at 11:20 pm

      5 stars
      Delicious! I’m not usually a fan of lemon cakes but this was amazing! So delicious and moist/syrupy whilst feeling really fresh! The recipe was very easy to follow (originally going to do a two tier but it smelt so good we baked a third!). Was made as a birthday cake and went down an utter treat (the icing is lovely too). Won’t be long before we make this again I’m sure! Thank you for a lovely recipe!

      Reply
    2. Daniel

      February 08, 2021 at 9:02 pm

      5 stars
      This worked a treat! Great recipe.

      Reply
    3. carole hargreaves

      October 11, 2020 at 3:31 pm

      5 stars
      Great recipe! Made great cupcakes!!

      Reply
    4. Betty

      June 01, 2020 at 2:07 pm

      5 stars
      Delicious lemon cake that has gone to the top of my family's list of favourites! Thank you!

      Reply
    5. Jayne

      January 29, 2020 at 10:36 pm

      5 stars
      My 12yr old son followed this recipe , he baked them as cup cakes, they were outstanding, really light and moist, the best recipe we have tried

      Reply
    6. Jennifer

      January 16, 2020 at 1:27 pm

      5 stars
      Im obsessed with trying and making 6 inch 3 layer cakes This is a great cake and tastes good. I used fresh lemon and agave in my recipe. Thank you. I will hastag my picture on instagram.

      Reply
    7. Lesley

      November 14, 2019 at 7:39 pm

      5 stars
      This recipe is delicious! While family enjoyed it and it kept very well too! Easy to make will make again!

      Reply
    8. Tara

      November 09, 2019 at 4:51 pm

      5 stars
      I am new to vegan baking, and I made this recipe into cupcakes and used Gluten free flour for my cousins boyfriend who has allergies, worked out amazingly. filled them with a vegan lemon curd and topped them with a different Vegan lemon Buttercream, they raved about them. said they had never better vegan/GF cupcakes in their lives! I can't to try out your other recipes. your Vegan chocolate cake one looks decadent!

      Reply
    9. Trish

      September 25, 2019 at 4:00 pm

      5 stars
      I used this recipe but in bun cases for work mates as 2 are vegan and it worked perfectly! Everyone commented on how they didn't believe they were vegan as they were so light and fluffy.

      Reply
    10. Paula Roberts

      July 25, 2019 at 3:22 pm

      5 stars
      Hi- I love your recipes- they are great! I was wondering if this could work as a loaf cake and if so would the quantites be the same? I want to make some to take for a picnic and I thought a loaf cake would be more portable! Thank you!
      Paula

      Reply
    11. Delilah

      July 03, 2019 at 5:46 am

      5 stars
      Amaaaaazing! So moist, so fluffy, perfect amount of lemon, so easy to make, so perfect! I went for 2 layers of a bigger size and really loved how many timing/size/flavour/alternative options you gave to help modify the recipe (also loved how you gave grams/cups/celcius/faren - it really made such a difference with how long I spent in the kitchen because I wasn't having to convert everything - it allowed me to just enjoy the process instead)! I didn't trim the sides and even the slight crunch around the edges were so delicious! Amazing, amazing, amazing - can't wait to try other recipes!) It just eats like cake, you would never know its vegan - and I've made some terrible vegan desserts hahahaha. So wow - Amazing!

      Reply
    12. Alison

      May 25, 2019 at 1:47 am

      5 stars
      I made this as my first vegan bake. Was a bit of a gamble as it was for a contribution to a wedding afternoon tea however the feedback was amazing. Having seen the photos I was confident this was going to turn out well!I adjusted it a little by adding fresh raspberries in between the layers then had freeze dried raspberry flakes around the bottom. Also sprinkled them on top and drizzled vegan white chocolate over the top then decorated with the buttercream and some candied lemon slices and more raspberries. I did taste the icing and that was delicious. It was a test for my own wedding in two weeks time. I have some vegans and also some coeliacs coming too. I'm wondering if I subbed the flour with gluten free stuff and made sure all ingredients were gluten free it would work out? Anyone tried to convert this? Any help would be appreciated!

      Reply
      • Helen rogers

        September 05, 2019 at 7:17 pm

        I’d you try this with gluten free flour?
        Did it work for you

        Reply
    13. Gabrielle Russell

      May 22, 2019 at 4:44 pm

      5 stars
      The first vegan cake I ever made. So delicious!

      Reply
    14. Jessica P

      April 02, 2019 at 7:55 pm

      5 stars
      I love this recipe. Thanks for sharing.

      Reply
    15. Liesl

      March 04, 2019 at 3:48 pm

      I made this today and want to know if I can leave some of the baking powder out? I did it as is and I can taste the leveling agents after it has been baked.

      Reply
    16. LIsa

      March 01, 2019 at 12:56 pm

      5 stars
      Wow! This is such an amazing dairy-free and egg-free cake. It certainly is moist and full of flavor!

      Reply
    17. kate

      February 22, 2019 at 9:45 am

      5 stars
      What a success this was! Was a definite hit with my colleagues. So nice to find a recipe which gives different timings for different tin sizes - I found this really useful, thanks.

      Reply
    18. Tracy

      February 11, 2019 at 11:00 pm

      5 stars
      My daughter is vegan and I wanted to make her a birthday cake. I’m not a baker but this was so easy to follow and although mine didn’t look as good as yours it sure tasted fabulous. The cake went down a treat. Thank you.

      Reply
      • Kate Hackworthy

        February 14, 2019 at 7:23 pm

        I'm so pleased that you loved the cake Tracy!

        Reply
    19. Jay

      January 02, 2019 at 7:11 am

      5 stars
      Thank you for the awesome recipe!
      Can the vegan milk and margarine be substituted for regular?

      Reply
    20. Rebecca | AAUBlog

      November 01, 2018 at 8:07 pm

      lemon cake is one of my favourites. and even better is it is dairy free! 🙂

      Reply
    21. Mandy

      October 20, 2018 at 2:04 pm

      Is there a reason why you use granulated sugar rther than caster sugar here Kate? Thanks

      Reply
    22. Vanessa @ VeganFamilyRecipes

      October 16, 2018 at 12:52 pm

      5 stars
      I can totally relate. I used to think vegan cake was also just this miserable excuse of cake and that the frosting was the only edible part. Vegan cakes are so easy to make though and I've never had anyone complain to me about it being dry or a sad mess 😀 Your lemon cake looks fantastic! Can't wait to try it!

      Reply
    23. Stephanie

      October 03, 2018 at 9:15 pm

      5 stars
      What a gorgeous looking cake! Lemon cake is one of my faves, never made a vegan one before though - I’ll have to give it a try x

      Reply
    24. Jacqueline Meldrum

      October 03, 2018 at 3:23 pm

      5 stars
      You haven't used an egg substitute which is something I always do. I will have to try your method. I have to say it looks stunning. Shared!

      Reply
    25. Laura

      October 03, 2018 at 2:26 pm

      I love Lemon cake, it's one of my favourites! This sounds delicious

      Laura x

      Reply
    26. Kaz | Ickle Pickles Life and Travels

      October 03, 2018 at 2:10 pm

      5 stars
      Oh my goodness - I love lemon cake and this looks amazing! Kaz

      Reply
    27. Chris

      October 03, 2018 at 10:50 am

      5 stars
      Oh this looks DIVINE! One of my most favouritist (yes, that's a word) things since going vegan was finding out that baking is still possible and that my family ouldn't even notice that I'd swapped out the eggs! My youngest loves a lemon cake so I'll definitely be making this one for him!

      Reply
    28. Laura Dove

      October 02, 2018 at 6:35 pm

      Ohh this sounds amazing! I LOVE lemon cake and this sounds so simple! Im not the best baker but I will try it!

      Reply
    29. TheDenaEdit

      October 02, 2018 at 6:09 pm

      mmmm, this lemon cake sounds amazing, lemon cake is probably my favourite. I will 100% try this recipe!

      Reply
    30. Kirsty

      October 02, 2018 at 5:15 pm

      I lobe lemon cake it’s so refreshing and great with a cup of tea. I love how this is dairy free as my daughter has a milk allergy so I’ll be giving this easy recipe ago

      Reply
    31. Rhian Westbury

      October 02, 2018 at 1:51 pm

      Lemon cake is my absolute favourite so this would be my number one choice of cake, and it looks so tasty x

      Reply
    32. Jenn

      October 01, 2018 at 1:01 pm

      5 stars
      You had me at one bowl! Marvelous recipe darling, thank you!

      Reply
    33. Lauren Vavala @ DeliciousLittleBites

      October 01, 2018 at 12:32 pm

      5 stars
      Lemon desserts are so good! This is such a beautiful cake and that drizzle is everything!

      Reply
    34. Claudia Lamascolo

      October 01, 2018 at 12:31 pm

      5 stars
      we love lemon cake vegan is a bonus, What a lovely cake its sure looks great with the drips on it nice shot !

      Reply
    35. Alex Gladwin

      October 01, 2018 at 12:15 pm

      5 stars
      I absolutely love lemon cake and though I'm veggie not vegan I absolutely love how delicious this looks considering it's dairy free! x

      Reply
    36. Jane

      October 01, 2018 at 12:10 pm

      5 stars
      Oh, hello! Dang, I desperately want some lemon cake now. Why, oh why do I even visit your site when I'm trying to be 'good' 😀

      Reply
    37. Jacqueline Debono

      October 01, 2018 at 12:05 pm

      5 stars
      Lemon is one of my favourite dessert flavours! This cake looks wonderful. Perfect with a cup of tea!

      Reply
    38. Danielle Wolter

      October 01, 2018 at 11:50 am

      5 stars
      This sounds delicious! I love desserts with lemon.

      Reply
    39. Hannah Swancott

      October 01, 2018 at 11:46 am

      5 stars
      OH MY GOSH!!!!! lemon drizzle is my favourite cake, let alone a vegan version! THE DREAM!

      Reply

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    Kate Hackworthy in the kitchen

    Hi, I'm Kate, a journalist, author and multi-award-winning food blogger. I hope you enjoy my vegetarian and vegan recipes. About Me

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    Kate Hackworthy in the kitchen

    Hi, I'm Kate, a journalist, author and multi-award-winning food blogger. I hope you enjoy my vegetarian and vegan recipes. About Me

    Collage of press logos.

    Popular recipes

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    • Easy Naan Bread Recipe (yeast-free)
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    Easter Recipes

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    • Nut Roast

    My cookbook

    Veggie Desserts and Cakes Cookbook cover.

    Check out my Veggie Desserts Cookbook, full of tasty desserts with vegetables!

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