This Lemon Drizzle Cake is egg-free, dairy-free and nut-free! This beautifully moist, fluffy and zesty cake is super easy to make and doesn’t require any fancy baking equipment.
Are you a fan of Lemon desserts? I know I am! I’ve always loved lemony desserts so I couldn’t go without creating a vegan version of the classic lemon drizzle cake. This lemon drizzle cake is happiness and sunshine in cake form; it's deliciously zingy, fluffy and requires the most basic ingredients, most of which you'll probably already have at home! If you’re a lover of lemon desserts, you’ll love this cake!
WHY YOU'LL LOVE THIS LEMON DRIZZLE CAKE
If you love lemon desserts and want something quick and easy to bake, then this is the cake for you!
It has a deliciously soft and fluffy texture
It's bursting with lemony flavours
It's completely vegan
You won’t need any fancy baking equipment
It's made with readily available ingredients
INGREDIENTS FOR THIS CAKE
Self-Raising Flour - I prefer to use self-raising flour when baking because I find that it gives a consistent rise every time and you get much less doming.
Soya Milk - Soya milk has a high protein content when compared to most other plant-based milks, so for cakes that require a lot of structure, it's the best option.
Apple Cider Vinegar - The acid in the vinegar will help to activate the baking soda in cake and will help to raise the sponge, making it lighter and fluffier. If you don’t have any apple cider vinegar at hand you could use the same amount of lemon juice instead. You could also use white wine vinegar but I find the tanginess from the apple cider vinegar adds more depth of flavour.
Caster Sugar - Caster sugar dissolves quicker in the batter so this is what I use for most of my baking recipes, but you could use granulated sugar instead. I wouldn’t suggest using any type of brown sugar as it’ll disguise the subtle yellowness the sponge gets from the lemon zest.
Baking Powder and Baking Soda - These additional raising agents will lighten the texture of the cake and help it to rise better.
Lemon Zest & Juice - No lemon drizzle cake is complete without lots of lemon zest and juice! I'd recommend you use unwaxed lemons if possible, but if you can’t find unwaxed lemons then make sure to thoroughly scrub the lemons before zesting.
Sunflower or Vegetable Oil - I prefer to use oil rather than butter when baking cakes because the oil contributes to moistness much more reliably, this is because oil remains liquid at room temperate while butter solidifies. I find that cakes made with oil tend to be softer and much moister.
Icing Sugar - You will need icing sugar for the tangy icing on top of the cake.
HOW TO MAKE LEMON DRIZZLE CAKE
STEP 1:
Preheat your oven to 170°C (338°F), grease and line your loaf tin with baking paper. Add the soya milk to a jug and stir in the apple cider vinegar and let it sit for a few minutes until the milk thickens slightly.
STEP 2:
Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and sugar into a large bowl. Add the soya milk and apple cider vinegar mixture to the dry ingredients along with the oil, lemon zest and lemon extract and whisk until thoroughly combined.
STEP 3:
Add the cake batter into the loaf tin and bake. This cake takes 45-50 minutes, but check by inserting a skewer into the centre from 40 minutes onwards.
STEP 4:
Once the cake has baked, pierce holes on the top of the cake using a thin skewer. Combine 2 TBSP caster sugar with 2 TBSP lemon juice and drizzle this over the warm cake, whist still in the tin. Leave the cake to cool down completely.
STEP 5:
Once the cake has cooled completely, remove it from the tin. Combine the icing sugar with 2-4 TBSP lemon juice, depending on how thick you want the consistency to be. The icing might look a little dry at first, so don’t feel tempted to add more lemon juice right away – only add more after you’ve thoroughly combined everything and it still seems too thick. Drizzle the icing over the cake and decorate with edible flowers.
WHAT YOU'LL NEED:
For this cake I used a standard 23cm x 12cm (9"x 4 1/2”) loaf tin. If you use a different shape or size tin, you will need to adjust the baking time accordingly. Usually if a tin is deeper it’ll take longer to bake, and if you use a wider or flat tin it’ll take about half the time to bake.
STORING VEGAN LEMON DRIZZLE CAKE
This cake can be made in advance and stored in an airtight container and for up to 5 days. I find that storing it in the fridge helps to keep it fresh for longer, but it is best served at room temperature.
TIPS FOR MAKING THIS LEMON DRIZZLE CAKE
Make sure you don’t increase the baking temperature in order to try and get the cake to bake quicker – the cake will bake unevenly and this may cause doming. In general, a lower temperature will help the cake to cook more evenly.
I recommend using the gram measurements rather than the cup conversions. When it comes to baking, accuracy is key, and cup conversions are never as accurate as grams.
Gently tapping the cake tin on a surface after you’ve poured in the cake batter will help to remove any air gaps - this will help your cake to bake more evenly.
The recommended baking time is 45-50 minutes but it might differ slightly depending on the baking tin you use and your oven. I wouldn’t recommend checking your cake too early as the middle might collapse – you can check the cake 40 minutes onwards by inserting a skewer into the centre of the cake to see if it comes out clean.
Make sure you pour your lemon sugar syrup over your cake whilst it’s still warm to maximise the absorption.
Some edible violas or any kind of edible flower and grated lemon zest will make for lovely decoration on top of your lemon drizzle cake.
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