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You’ll love this easy-to-make Gluten-Free Vegan Lemon Cake! All you need are two bowls, one pan, and 10 minutes to mix up the batter. The cake has a moist and airy crumb. Top it all off with a tangy lemon drizzle!
It’s always a good time for cake. I’ve been living for good cakes lately (and if you know me, they’re vegan and gluten-free cakes!). First, I made this Vegan + Paleo Chocolate Cake with chocolate ganache frosting. Today, I’m sharing another favorite cake of mine – this Gluten-Free + Vegan Lemon Cake, covered in a wonderful vegan lemon glaze.
I have even more fabulous cake recipes in my cookbook, Bakerita, which is an Amazon editor’s pick and a best-seller!
This Lemon Cake is fabulous all year round. When the sun is beating down and the air feels warm and heavy, the lightness of lemon cake is a delightful treat. When the days are getting dark early and you need something bright and uplifting, this cake is here to lift your spirits with its bright, tart flavor.
Let’s make the BEST Gluten-Free Vegan Lemon Cake!
Beyond just the bright, lemony flavor and the tender crumb of this cake, one of the things I love most about it is how simple it is to make! All you need are two bowls, one pan, and 10 minutes to mix up the batter.
The most “difficult” thing about this recipe is the need for three different flours. If you’re a fan of my recipes, you know I never use gluten-free flour mixes. While in theory, they make things simpler, I find that each brand is SO different from one another that I prefer to pick and choose the flours I use for each recipe. This helps me to customize the flours I use to suit the texture and flavor I’m after. Even with a few different flours, this recipe has minimal prep time and is easy to make.
Which flours do we use to make this gluten-free lemon cake?
For this recipe, we use a combination of blanched almond flour, tapioca flour, and coconut flour.
The blanched almond flour provides a nice, even crumb and great flavor. The tapioca flour adds lightness and ensures that the cake isn’t too dense. The coconut flour absorbs any excess moisture, which I find can happen easily especially with vegan cakes. The combination creates a texture that isn’t too heavy, dense, or wet. Instead, it’s perfectly moist with a soft crumb.
What you need to make this vegan lemon cake…
As far as equipment goes, I like making this lemon cake in a Bundt pan – but because it’s not a huge cake, I use my BABY bundt pan.
This is the 6-cup Bundt pan that I used for this cake. You can also use a 9-inch cake pan – when I do that, I like using this 9-inch springform pan because it makes the cake super easy to remove and has higher sides than a normal 9-inch cake pan.
You’ll also need a good zester to zest your organic lemons – this is the zester that I use and love!
How long does it take to make & bake?
It’s easy to make, and the batter for this cake is mixed together in no time! The prep time is about 15 minutes. You can use just one bowl.
First, you’ll whisk together all of the dry ingredients, including the flours mentioned above, in a large bowl. Then, you’ll simply mix in all of your liquid ingredients, and stir until combined. THAT’S ALL! Then just pour into your cake pan.
This cake bakes in about 40 minutes, but of course, every oven is different, so I recommend using a toothpick to check if it comes out clean. Another favorite trick to ensure doneness is pressing the top of the loaf. If it springs back quickly, it’s fully baked. If it stays indented, it needs a bit more time!
For the lemon glaze:
Lemon cake MUST have a lemon glaze. I polled you guys on Instagram and it was almost a 50/50 split between lemon glaze and raspberry glaze…so I’m giving options for BOTH! And you can make both, just like I did, because they start the same way with:
- Coconut butter
- Maple Syrup
- Lemon Juice
- Dairy-Free Milk (if needed)
If you want to go for the berry version, you’ll just add in some fresh (or freeze-dried) berries to the mix after the glaze is all whisked together. You could also whisk in a little bit of berry jam!
Can I use bottled lemon juice?
Please don’t! To get a bold lemon flavor, we need lots of fresh lemon juice and zest. Don’t try to get away with the stuff in the plastic lemon – the flavor won’t be nearly as good, and it can mess with the texture.
Other garnish ideas:
I let the glaze be the star of the show, but you could also garnish with lemon zest, lemon slices, fresh berries, candied citrus, or whatever else your heart desires!
How to store leftover cake
The frosted cake can be left covered at room temperature for a day or two after it’s made, but any longer than that and you’ll want to store it in the refrigerator. It’s best kept in an airtight container and will stay good for up to a week. Cover any cut parts of the cake with something like parchment paper or plastic wrap for the best freshness!
This cake can also be frozen in an airtight container. I recommend making sure it’s wrapped tightly with plastic wrap. To make sure it doesn’t get freezer burn, you could wrap it in plastic wrap and then with foil, or wrap it with plastic and then place it in an airtight container.
I would recommend freezing without the glaze and making it just before serving, though the icing will freeze if you’re just freezing leftovers.
If you love this Lemon Cake, you’ll probably love these:
If you make and love this Gluten-Free Vegan Lemon Cake, share a photo with me on Instagram by tagging me @bakeritablog and #bakerita. Can’t wait to see your creation!
Gluten-Free Vegan Lemon Cake
Ingredients
For the cake
- 2¼ cups (220g) blanched almond flour
- ⅔ cup coconut sugar
- ½ cup (57g) tapioca flour
- ⅓ cup (43g) coconut flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ⅓ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus the zest (about 3 tablespoons)
- ⅔ cup non-dairy milk
- ¼ cup (50g) refined coconut oil, melted
- ¼ cup (84g) pure maple syrup
- 1 flax egg, see Notes
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
For the glaze (see Notes)
- ¼ cup coconut butter
- 1 to 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 2 to 4 tablespoons lemon juice
- Non-dairy milk, as needed
Instructions
For the cake
- Preheat oven to 350ºF and lightly grease a 9-inch bundt pan with coconut oil. My pan has a 6-cup capacity. You could also use a 9-inch cake pan (I recommend one with high sides, or use a springform pan).
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the almond flour, coconut sugar, tapioca flour, coconut flour, baking powder, and salt. Whisk thoroughly. Form a well in the center of the dry ingredients.2¼ cups (220g) blanched almond flour, ⅔ cup coconut sugar, ½ cup (57g) tapioca flour, ⅓ cup (43g) coconut flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon sea salt
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, lemon zest, dairy-free milk, coconut oil, maple syrup, flax egg, and vanilla extract.⅓ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, ⅔ cup non-dairy milk, ¼ cup (50g) refined coconut oil, ¼ cup (84g) pure maple syrup, 1 flax egg, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry ingredients and whisk until smooth. You’ll have a thick batter. Pour into the prepared pan and spread the batter evenly.
- Bake for about 40 minutes, or until the toothpick inserted comes out clean and the cake springs back when pressed with a fingertip.
- Let cool completely before removing it from the pan and glazing.
For the glaze
- Melt the coconut butter until runny. Place in a small bowl and whisk in 1 tablespoon of the maple syrup. Whisk in 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice. Taste, and adjust maple and lemon juice to suit your tastes.¼ cup coconut butter, 1 to 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup, 2 to 4 tablespoons lemon juice, Non-dairy milk
- If the mixture is too thick, thin it out with warmed dairy-free milk until it reaches your desired consistency.
Notes
- For the flax egg, combine 1 tablespoon flax meal and 2.5 tablespoons water in a small bowl. Whisk and let gel for 5 minutes before using.
- A regular egg can also be used if you’re not vegan.
- If you want to make a berry-flavored glaze, add in 1 tablespoon crushed freeze-dried berries to the glaze. Alternatively, you could whisk in 2 tablespoons or berry jam, or a few freshly crushed berries.
This cake is amazing! Wow!!! A family favorite! I’m wondering if I can use the same recipe but instead make cupcakes? Would I change anything or any recommendations for making cupcakes with this recipe? Thanks!
Cupcakes should work just as well using the same recipe, just start checking on them around 18 minutes! Enjoy :)
Hello! This looks really good. If I double the recipe for a standard or full size Bundt pan, would you recommend two flax eggs? Sometimes when I double recipes and double egg substitutes I feel like it doesn’t turn out great. Advice? :)
Hi Jackie, I haven’t personally tested this doubled with two flax eggs so unfortunately, I can’t advise one way or another with confidence in that situation! You could try doing 1 1/2 flax eggs if you’re worried about it!
Hi there! If I want to turn the cake base into a tiered birthday cake, what would you recommend? My cake pan is 8 in. Do you think this would yield enough for at least two layers, or should I double the batter? Thanks so much, Rachel!
Hi Amelia, I would double it and you’ll get 2 to 3 layers, depending on how thick you want them! I’d personally probably go for three :)
Can the recipe be doubled for a regular bundt cake?
That should work, I haven’t done it myself though! You’d need to increase the baking time by a bit to make sure it cooks through.
Recipe failed: the batter was how you described in the recipe: followed all instructions and temperature settings. It remained too moist (underbaked) while the crust over baked. Tried covering and lowering the temperature. The bread did not rise at all. My baking products are not expired. What went wrong? I still liked this easy recipe. Need to figure out the issue. Thanks
Hi Sona, sorry you had trouble with the recipe! Have you tried testing your oven temp? The underbaked center with overbaked crust sounds like it could be a temperature issue. Also, are you commenting on the right recipe, since you’re referring to it as a bread? Just want to make sure!
Hi Rachel,
Can I set my oven on convection bake or is it best in just set on bake for this cake?
I am looking forward to trying this lemon cake recipe over the weekend.
Thank you,
Maria
Hi Maria, I always use regular baking because convection can change the time/temp and not everyone has a convection oven! You typically need to lower the temp by 25 degrees and adjust the baking time, but I haven’t tested this way to give the exact time. I’d recommend sticking with regular bake. Enjoy!
I do convection at 325 on a Kitchenaid gas oven and this recipe is perfect at 40mins (using the same small Bundt Cake pan). After tons of attempts w different recipes, I think the success w convection lies on lowering the temp by 25, potentially leaving it a little bit more and using the RIGHT pan size!!
Convection baking ALWAYS requires a reduction in the oven temperature of at least 25 F, because the moving air inside the oven is more efficient at heating the contents of the oven. Baking time is another matter entirely. Some recipes will bake more quickly than others, so you must be watchful, especially with cakes, cupcakes, and cookies — in convection cooking, they can brown on the exterior too quickly, leading you to believe the product is finishing, when it is not. I have a Blodgett commercial convection oven, with high and low fan speeds, and the high speed also cooks foods more quickly than the low speed.
A convection oven trick I learned that works well for some cakes and many cupcake recipes by using the convection oven for baking sourdough breads is to superheat the oven to 425-475, place the product into the oven and NOT run the oven for the next 20-30 minutes — this prevents the fan from messing up tender items. Once the baked product has risen as expected, the oven can be restarted and the product can be finished at the intended temperature — just have to use a tester to make sure the product is done inside (breads need to reach 200-205 on an instant read thermometer, cakes/cupcakes need the tester to come out clean and perfectly dry, cookies are sometimes more finicky, so they can be hit or miss in a convection ove, but should always be done on low fan speed if you have a choice — and you really want to bake cookies on a silpat instead of parchment because even the low fan can blow the paper over/onto the cookies).
Can I add dried blueberries in the cake batter or in the glaze?
Yes, for sure! Sounds delicious.
Great! I subbed in cashew flour because of my daughter’s almond allergy and it was perfect. It baked perfectly in 40 min. It’s also delicious out of the fridge the next day!
So glad you loved it, CB! Thanks for the feedback.
This is my favorite cake!! Very easy and always comes out great. Have tried it w different variations and it never disappoints! Thank you!
I’m so happy to hear you’re loving it, thanks for the review!