This Vegan Lemon Drizzle Cake is as delicious as the regular version, super easy to make and perfect to devour with your afternoon coffee. You really would not know it’s vegan!
Hi everyone, I hope you’re all having a good week. In my family, we absolutely love Lemon Drizzle Cake. I developed my Classic version years ago. However, since I’ve been trialling a few more plant based recipes I wanted to make this Vegan Lemon Drizzle Cake. Just as good as the original version, but vegan!
Before we get onto cake, I guess you’ve all realised that I’ve been pretty absent over the 6-9 months. Truth be told, after doing this for almost 12 years, I’m struggling to always think of stuff to make and also to get back that enjoyment of baking. But, more than that, we just have so much going on in our lives, it makes it hard to work.
At the moment blogging is way down the priority list . Both my husband and I have been struggling with health stuff on top of everything else. He also has to travel for work, so I’m then at home holding down the fort. And then there’s the cats. Still like having toddlers. They’re 15 months now and showing no signs of slowing down. Honestly some days I barely get a single thing done because they just into everything, but different things at the same time!!
Ember is more chill, but Eden is like a freaking tornado! She has this insane ability to sniff out a cable, even if it’s buried! We’ve also had a journey with Ember’s asthma. We spent ages trying to get her used to using a mask and inhaler. She was fine with the inhaler being near her, also fine with the mask going over her face. But… as soon as she either felt or smelled the stuff coming at her she freaked out. So, we have to keep her on oral steroids.
There are more side effects with the oral steroids, so we have to keep on top of that. We have been trying to get her on the lowest dose possible and we did have her down to 1/4 tablet a day. Unfortunately, she then started getting quiet and she wasn’t her normal overly affectionate self. We changed her dose and put her back up to 1/2 a tablet and she’s finally getting back to normal!
So, and this is a brief overview, it’s intense at the moment and I don’t see an end to that any time soon. Unfortunately, that means I likely won’t be back on a regular schedule any time soon. I’m learning not to apologise for doing my best, so I’ll be sharing recipes when I feel inspired to make something. My health issues and therapy are teaching me that there’s more to life than working 70 hour weeks and I that I need to be present for myself and my family too.
Just in the last week I’ve had a 40 minute scan on my leg, groin and tummy because I’m having some weird symptoms near my clot areas. Plus an increase of pain. I had an ear infection last week and I’ve been suffering with thumb and wrist pain for weeks now. The doctors think I have De Quervain’s tenosynovitis and/or carpal tunnel. Currently waiting for an appointment with a hand specialist. That is making baking, typing, driving, photography quite difficult as I only have 1 1/2 hands!
I also truly believe that you guys would rather have quality over quantity. I could fire out some recipes real quick, but I prefer to test them until they are perfect, which is taking longer than it used to!
LET’S TALK ABOUT THIS VEGAN LEMON DRIZZLE CAKE…
When I tell you my husband and I devoured this cake in a few days. And then again and again until I had the recipe perfected!
I tried something different the first time I made this. I usually bake at 180C for 45 mins, then turn the oven down to 160C. Well, I thought… hmm let’s try baking at 160C for the whole duration. Mistake. bent pancake ends and a fault line across the cake.. across… not even lengthways. I have never seen a cake crack that way LOL!
For the second attempt I baked at 180C. Much better. Then I tweaked a couple of the ingredients and it was perfect! Golden, no bent ends, no weird cracks and the texture was better. You genuinely would not know this is vegan by taste and texture. It’s exactly like the non vegan version.
Since I am not strictly vegan and have no plans to be; I want any vegan recipe I make to be just as good as the regular version. I don’t want it to taste funky or have a weird texture. I don’t like compromising on flavour/texture and don’t believe you should have to. With this vegan lemon drizzle cake, I wanted to be able to give it to anyone and for them to go “that’s really nice cake” not “that’s really great… for a vegan cake”
Now, let’s go through how to make this cake. It couldn’t be easier, it’s a very simple batter and let’s the lemon sing. I use fresh lemon juice and zest in this recipe. You can add a little lemon extract as well, if you want. I’ve made it with and without, my husband preferred it with, I didn’t mind either way.
I placed sugar and lemon zest into a large bowl and rubbed it between my fingers to infuse that flavour into the sugar. Then I added lemon juice, a dash of vanilla, lemon juice and sunflower oil to the mixture. You can either mix it by hand or with a hand mixer, you don’t really have to beat this mixture, so it’s up to you.
Next I added flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, and salt. I turned my mixer to low and started mixing, while gradually adding non dairy milk (I use oat). At this stage, taste the batter and if it’s lemony enough, great, if not add 1/4tsp lemon extract. Once the batter was in the oven, I placed more lemon juice and sugar into a jug and placed the jug next to the oven. This is so the sugar will dissolve while the cake bakes.
When the cake is done, use a skewer to poke holes all over the top, all the way into the centre of the cake and slowly pour or spoon the lemon juice mixture onto it. Allow to cool completely and then either dig in or make my super easy lemon icing to add even more lemony goodness to this cake!
This Vegan Lemon Drizzle Cake could not be simpler to make and decorate (if you’re adding icing) and is for all of us lemon lovers. It might be nearly freezing outside, but in this house we are thinking of Spring!
Enjoyed this recipe? Why not try these out…
Vegan Lemon Drizzle Cake
Ingredients
- FOR THE CAKE:
- Zest of 2 large lemons
- 1 cup (200g) caster sugar, make sure you use a vegan brand. I used Tate and Lyle
- 1/3 cup (80ml) sunflower oil
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- Juice of 1 large lemon, around 60ml
- 2 1/2 cups +1tbsp (365g) plain/all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- Pinch of salt
- 3/4 cup (180ml) non dairy milk, I used oat
- FOR THE LEMON DRIZZLE:
- Juice of 1 large lemon, around 60ml
- 1/2 cup (50g) caster sugar
- FOR THE LEMON ICING:
- 6 tbsp icing/powdered sugar, I used Tate and Lyle – make sure this is icing sugar NOT royal icing, as that has egg white in.
- 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp non dairy milk, I used oat
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F and spray a 2lb loaf tin with cooking spray. Then place a strip of grease proof paper across the tin, with enough overhang to lift the cake out.
- Place the sugar and lemon zest into a large bowl and rub together with your fingers. This infuses the sugar with lemon.
- Add in the sunflower oil, vanilla extract and lemon juice. Either by hand or with a hand mixer, mix until everything is smooth. You don't need to beat this mixture too much, just make sure it's well combined and smooth. I have wrist issues, so always use a hand mixer.
- Add in the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt. Mix slowly and as the mixture comes together, gradually add in the milk. Continue to mix until everything is well combined and smooth.
- Tip the mixture into your prepared loaf tin and place in the oven. While the cake is baking, squeeze the juice from the remaining lemon you zested and place into a jug. Add in 1/2 cup (50g) caster sugar and mix. Leave this mixture next to the oven, so it will dissolve the sugar during baking.
- Bake for 45-55mins, until risen, golden and an inserted skewer into the centre comes out clean. Remove from the oven and use your skewer to poke holes all over the top of the cake. Slowly spoon or pour your lemon juice and sugar mixture over the top of the cake, making sure to get it into the holes as well. Leave to cool.
- You can stop here and just enjoy the cake, or add this simple lemon icing to finish things off. Place 6tbsp of icing sugar into a small bowl with 1/2tbsp lemon juice (I used bottled for this since it's only 1/2tbsp). Add in 1/2tbsp of milk and mix. If the mixture is too thick, add the other 1/2tbsp of milk. I needed the full 1tbsp of milk. You want a thick, gloopy paste that will stay on top of the cake and just drip slowly down the sides, but not so runny that it just runs and disappears!
- Place a piece of kitchen paper under a wire rack and gently lift the cake out of the loaf tin. Spoon the lemon icing over the top of the cake, you can spread it, but I like to let it drip and spread itself. You can sprinkle some extra lemon zest on top if you want. Leave the icing to set for about 20-30 mins and then serve.
- Vegan Lemon Drizzle Cake will keep, in an airtight container, at room temperature for a week.
Annie is a self-taught baker, recipe developer and food photographer, who has an obsession with dessert and beauty! 
