When life gives you lemons, make Vegan Lemon Poppy Seed Cake! This easy gluten-free, eggless, sugar-free lemon poppy seed cake recipe is moist, fluffy and bursting with bright lemon flavor and the subtle crunch of poppyseed. A delicious marriage of tart and sweet ready in an hour using only 11 ingredients.
Who said vegans can't have their cake and eat it to? My vegan lemon poppy seed cake is made with gluten-free flour and stevia sugar to keep the cake healthy, light and delicate, while the non-dairy butter and plant-based milk provide richness and moisture. With a tangy cream cheese frosting to compliment the sweet, citrusy cake, simply garnish with slices of fresh lemon, lemon zest and more poppy seeds to add a gorgeous pop of color and crunchy texture.
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📋 Ingredients for Vegan Lemon Poppy Seed Cake (With Substitutions)
- Plant Milk - plant-based milk is perfect in this recipe. I prefer oat milk, but you can use soy milk, almond milk or any non-dairy milk you have on hand.
- Vegan Butter - look for vegan butter that's made with plant-based oils. I use Earth Balance. It's my favorite.
- Stevia Sugar - a natural sweetener that can be used in place of regular sugar. Because it's much sweeter than sugar, use it sparingly to avoid making the cake too sweet.
- Baking Powder - used to give the vegan lemon cake a little rise. If you don't have on hand, you can substitute with ¼ teaspoon baking soda and ⅝ teaspoon cream of tartar for every teaspoon of baking powder.
- Gluten-Free Flour - a gluten-free flour blend that's suitable for baking works best, which you can find at most grocery stores. If not gluten-intolerant, you can substitute with equal amounts of regular flour.
- Vanilla Extract - prized for its intense, natural flavor characterized by notes of caramel, cream and floral undertones, pure vanilla extract is aromatic, sweet and musky and my favorite addition to all baked goods. You can omit, or substitute with whatever you have on hand.
- Poppy Seeds - can be found in the spice aisle of most grocery stores (or you can buy off Amazon by following my link). They yield the best flavor when they're fresh and fragrant.
- Lemons - when possible, use fresh, organic unwaxed lemons for the best flavor. REMEMBER: the wax on some lemons is not vegan. In addition, be sure to zest the lemon prior to juicing it as this makes it easier to retrieve the zest. If fresh are unavailable, omit the zest and use bottled lemon juice. TIP: If you love the flavor of lemon, don't be afraid to use extra lemon juice and less plant milk, according to your taste preferences.
- Sea Salt - acts as a flavor enhancer in baking. Regular salt is a good substitute.
- Vegan Cream Cheese - be sure to find a vegan cream cheese with non-dairy ingredients. Just because it says plant-based, doesn't mean it's vegan.
- Stevia Powder - just like stevia sugar, stevia powder is a natural sweetener that's much sweeter than regular sugar.
Exact ingredient measurements can be found in the recipe card below!
⏲️ How To Make Vegan Lemon Poppyseed Cake
Before you begin, preheat your oven to 350F/177C. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper allowing some to overhang on both sides of the pan. This makes it super easy to remove after baking.
Step 1: Combine the softened vegan butter and lemon juice in a small bowl. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the GF flour, baking powder, stevia sugar and sea salt until there are no lumps.
Step 2: Pour the vegan butter/lemon juice combo into the dry ingredients, along with the dairy-free milk and vanilla extract. Mix everything together until the batter is smooth and well-combined.
Step 3: Add the poppy seeds and lemon zest.
Step 4: Mix into the batter until evenly distributed.
Step 5: Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth out the top with a spatula.
Step 6: Bake the cake in the preheated oven for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Once done remove and place the loaf pan on a cooling rack for 10 minutes.
Step 7: After 10 minutes, gently lift the cake out of the loaf pan by grabbing onto both sides of parchment paper. Place onto cooling rack to finish cooling. Make the vegan cream cheese frosting by adding softened vegan cream cheese and stevia powder to a medium bowl. Using a hand mixer or fork, beat ingredients until smooth and well combined. Place in refrigerator until vegan lemon cake is completely cool
Step 8: Once the cake is completely cool, slather on the vegan cream cheese frosting using a spatula or knife. You can make some soft swirls in the frosting if you want. Garnish with fresh lemon slices, lemon zest and poppy seeds. Serve and enjoy!
👩🏻🍳 Expert Tips
- For best results, make sure all your ingredients, including the vegan butter and non-dairy milk are at room temperature before mixing.
- When adding wet ingredients to dry ingredients, mix until just combined. DON"T OVERMIX THE BATTER as this may cause the cake to become dense and tough.
- Lining the loaf pan with parchment paper that hangs over the edges of the loaf pan will make it much easier to remove the cake when it's cool enough to place on cooling rack.
- To help it cook more evenly, make a shallow cut down the middle of the cake after it's been in the oven for 10 minutes.
- Be sure to allow the cake to cool completely before attempting to frost it. This prevents it from melting and sliding off.
- Use a spatula to spread the cream cheese frosting evenly over the top of the cake.
- Topping with additional lemon zest and poppy seeds adds additional flavor and texture to this Vegan Lemon Poppyseed Cake. You can also add fresh ingredients such as lemon wedges or mint.
Makes a crowd-pleasing dessert for any occasion!
💭 Frequently Asked Questions
You sure can. Simply line a muffin tin with liners and fill each ¾ full. Bake at 350F/177C for 22-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the muffin comes out clean.
Yes. If you don't require a gluten-free recipe, feel free to use an equal amount of regular flour, instead.
Yes, you can substitute Stevia Sugar for any type of sweetener you prefer.
Yes, you can use whatever type of plant-milk you prefer, such as almond milk, soy milk or cashew milk.
🌡️ Storage and Freezing
To store this Vegan Lemon Poppyseed Cake, place in an airtight container, large enough so it won't disturb the cream cheese frosting, for up to 5 days in your refrigerator. When ready to serve, remove from the fridge and bring to room temperature.
To freeze my lemon cake recipe, wrap with plastic wrap and place in an airtight container or freezer bag. Place in freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw the cake in the refrigerator overnight when ready to eat.
🍋 More Lemon Recipes
🍞 More Sweet & Savory Bread Recipes
Have you tried this? Why not leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card right below and/or a review in the comment section further down the page? I always appreciate your feedback. You can also follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter, and sign up for my newsletter!
📖 Recipe
Vegan Lemon Poppyseed Cake Recipe
Ingredients
For the Vegan Cake
- 2 cups gluten-free flour
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ¼ cup poppy seeds
- ½ cup Stevia sugar
- ½ cup plant-milk
- 3 tbsp lemon juice adjust per your taste
- 2 tablespoon lemon zest adjust per your taste
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 oz vegan cream cheese softened at room temperature
- ½ cup Stevia powder
Instructions
- Before you begin, preheat your oven to 350F/177C. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper allowing some to overhang on both sides of the pan. This makes it super easy to remove after baking.
- Combine the softened vegan butter and lemon juice in a small bowl. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the GF flour, baking powder, stevia sugar and sea salt until there are no lumps.
- Pour the vegan butter/lemon juice combo into the dry ingredients, along with the dairy-free milk and vanilla extract. Mix everything together until the batter is smooth and well-combined.
- Fold in the poppy seeds and lemon zest.
- Mix into the batter until evenly distributed.
- Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth out the top with a spatula.
- Bake the cake in the preheated oven for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Once done remove and place the loaf pan on a cooling rack for 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes, gently lift the cake out of the loaf pan by grabbing onto both sides of parchment paper. Place onto cooling rack to finish cooling. Make the vegan cream cheese frosting by adding softened vegan cream cheese and stevia powder to a medium bowl. Using a hand mixer or fork, beat ingredients until smooth and well combined. Place in refrigerator until vegan lemon cake is completely cool
- Once the cake is completely cool, slather on the vegan cream cheese frosting using a spatula or knife. You can make some soft swirls in the frosting if you want. Garnish with fresh lemon slices, lemon zest and poppy seeds. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- For best results, make sure all your ingredients, including the vegan butter and non-dairy milk are at room temperature before mixing.
- When adding wet ingredients to dry ingredients, mix until just combined. DON"T OVERMIX THE BATTER as this may cause the cake to become dense and tough.
- Lining the loaf pan with parchment paper that hangs over the edges of the loaf pan will make it much easier to remove the cake when it's cool enough to place on cooling rack.
- To help it cook more evenly, make a shallow cut down the middle of the cake after it's been in the oven for 10 minutes.
- Be sure to allow the cake to cool completely before attempting to frost it. This prevents it from melting and sliding off.
- Use a spatula to spread the cream cheese frosting evenly over the top of the cake.
- Topping with additional lemon zest and poppy seeds adds additional flavor and texture to this Vegan Lemon Poppyseed Cake. You can also add fresh ingredients such as lemon wedges or mint.
Sarah Blum
How much lemon juice is needed, and how much vegan butter? What temperature for the oven?
Deborah
I'm so sorry Sarah and thank you for pointing out the mistakes I made in the recipe. I have since fixed it thanks to you. You preheat oven at 350F. You will use 3 tbsp lemon juice and 2 tbsp lemon zest. If this seems to much lemon, then you can always cut it down a bit. Again, my apologies.
andrea
love how sweet and tasty this lemon poppy seed cake turned out! such a fun and delicious summer treat!
Deborah
Thank you Andrea, glad you loved it.
Helen at the lazy Gastronome
I love lemon poppyseed cake! And this one is the absolute best I’ve tried. Very lemony, great texture, and I’ll be making it again.
Deborah
Nice to hear, thank you Helen.
Lathiya
The lemon poppyseed cake looks so moist and delicious. I love the fact it is vegan and gluten-free.
Deborah
Me too, thank you Lathiya!
Mary
Thanks for another great vegan recipe. I can't resist anything with lemons and poppy seeds. The perfect combination of flavors.
Deborah
You're so welcome Mary, thank you.
Cpg
This is a delicious lemon poppy cake. My family loves it- so moist! Next time I'm making a double batch.
Deborah
Thanks so much CPG.
May
It looks good, it doesn't mention in the ingredients how much butter, lemon juice, or zest!
I guess no proof reading before submitting the recipe needed!
Deborah
Hi May, I'm sorry you may not have read the post correctly. At the top of the post, under the title, there is a button that says Jump to Recipe. When You click on that it takes you to the recipe card, which, on a word press blog, is always at the end of the post (at the bottom of page). Also, in the Ingredients Section, I provide a highlighted box that says the exact ingredient measurements are in the recipe card below, with a link to the recipe card right there in the highlighted area. Also, I provide an index under the first paragraph that includes a link to the recipe card. If you got the recipe from a Web Story, it tells you to click for the full recipe because content is very limited for a web story. I hope this helps you navigate the post better. Please let me know if you have any further questions.