Infused with lots of fresh lemon zest and juice, this tart and sweet Vegan Lemon Loaf Cake is a quick and delicious dessert that you can enjoy all year round. Frosted with a simple lemon glaze, it never last long in our house!
If my dessert can't be chocolate, I want it to be lemon!
I love anything lemon flavored.
There is something so delicious about cutting the sweetness of sugar with tart lemon juice that never gets old.
Some of our favorite lemon-flavored recipes are these Easy Vegan Lemon Scones, these Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins and this Cilantro Lemon Quinoa Salad.
But this Vegan Lemon Loaf Cake may, well, take the cake!
It's tart, yet sweet; decadent, yet refreshing.
Frosted with a simple lemon glaze, I know you all will be making this lemon cake all-year-round!
Ingredients Needed for Vegan Lemon Cake
This vegan lemon loaf cake is fairly simple and easy to make.
All of the ingredients are pantry-friendly and I'm guessing you already have most of them on hand!
To make this vegan lemon cake, you'll need the following ingredients:
For the lemon glaze, the only additional ingredient you'll need is powdered sugar!
How to Make Vegan Lemon Cake
Most cakes call for butter, eggs and milk.
However, to make this lemon cake vegan, we'll be making some simple substitutions.
Instead of dairy milk, we'll be using non-dairy milk.
Instead of eggs or butter, we'll be using coconut oil to add moisture, richness and to help bind everything together as the cake cools.
To make this lemon cake, start by whisking together the wet ingredients including the lemon zest, juice, non-dairy milk, melted and cooled coconut oil and cane sugar.
PRO TIP: Make sure you're using room temperature ingredients so that your coconut oil doesn't start to solidify as you whisk it with the other liquid ingredients. If this happens, you'll want to microwave the liquid ingredients briefly to make the coconut oil liquid again.
Add the leavening agents and salt to the wet ingredients and whisk well until incorporated.
Lastly, stir in the all-purpose flour until a fairly smooth batter forms.
Pour the batter into a loaf pan and bake the cake for 45-50 minutes at 350F or until risen in the middle and slightly golden brown on top.
Allow the cake to cool before glazing it with the simple lemon glaze!
How to Make Lemon Glaze
Lemon glaze couldn't be easier to make.
Start by placing your powdered sugar into a bowl.
Add in freshly squeezed lemon juice a teaspoon at a time, stirring after each addition of juice, until a thick, but pourable glaze forms.
That's it!
Drizzle this lemon glaze overtop of this lemon cake, these Vegan Lemon Scones or some Vegan Lemon Blueberry Muffins!
How to Store Leftover Vegan Lemon Cake
If you know you'll eat through this lemon cake in a matter of days, store it in an airtight container or cover it with plastic wrap and keep it at room temperature.
However, if you need it to last longer, store any leftovers of this lemon cake in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week!
As the cake chills in the fridge, the coconut oil will get harder and harder. For this reason, you may need to bring it to room temperature before enjoying it in order to have a softer cake.
📖 Recipe
Vegan Lemon Loaf Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest*
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ¾ cup non-dairy milk room temperature
- ½ cup melted coconut oil cooled
- ¾ cup cane sugar
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups flour
LEMON GLAZE
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons lemon juice
Instructions
- Start by preheating your oven to 350 °F and grease a standard size 9x5 loaf pan with cooking spray or lining it with parchment paper. Set it aside.
- Into a large mixing bowl, zest 2-4 lemons until you get 2 tablespoons worth of lemon zest. Don't skimp on the amount as the zest adds lots of lemon flavor!
- Next, whisk in the fresh lemon juice, non-dairy milk, melted coconut oil and cane sugar until smooth. Make sure the coconut oil doesn't start solidifying during this step. If it starts to turn hard, you may need to briefly microwave these ingredients to make it liquid again.
- Lastly, stir in the flour until a smooth batter forms.
- Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan and bake the cake for 45-50 minutes or until the middle has risen and the outside is golden brown.
- Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool completely while you prepare the lemon glaze.
- To make the lemon glaze, place 1 cup of powdered sugar into a bowl and stir in 1 teaspoon of lemon juice at a time until you reach a thick, yet pourable consistency. Once the cake has cooled completely, pour the glaze overtop of the cake and spread it out as desired.
- Slice and enjoy!
Tara Fox says
Could you swap the coconut oil for applesauce or would that change the texture?
Faith VanderMolen says
I haven't tried that, but I'm sure it would change the texture and even the flavor. If you try it out, let us know how it goes 🙂
Tiff says
This cake is amazing! Great flavor and easy to make. I have baked this loaf 3-4 times within one month and tastes great each time 🙂 Thank you Faith for this wonderful recipe, looking forward to trying other dishes!!
Faith VanderMolen says
It's so easy, isn't it?! So happy to hear you enjoyed it as much as we do!