Vegan Lemon Pound Cake

This vegan lemon pound cake is a zesty twist on a classic recipe. It is soft, moist, and deliciously dairy-free. Everyone will love it! 

This vegan lemon loaf cake is the perfect answer to afternoon cravings! It’s simple to make and uses only basic ingredients.

Vegan yogurt enriches the traditionally light pound cake, while the fresh lemon juice and zest give the sponge a citrusy bite. 

Topped with lemon syrup and icing glaze, this cake has the depth of flavor and comforting sweetness to make it a new household favorite. 

If you love lemons, try my Vegan Lemon Layer Cake and Vegan Lemon Shortbread Cookies.

Ingredient Notes 

• Cornstarch – adds tenderness and lightness to the cake. 
• Unbleached All-purpose flour or plain flour – give the eggless cake more structure than bleached flour resulting in a more even, tight crumb. 
• Granulated sugar 
• Baking powder
• Baking soda
• Salt
• Vegan vanilla yogurt – works great as an egg substitute to add extra moisture and helps the cake rise when the acid in the yogurt reacts with the baking soda.
  
  Vanilla also pairs well with the lemon flavor. I used Kite Hill Vanilla Almond Milk Yogurt. It has natural vanilla bean seeds, making for a particularly decadent addition.
• Lemon Zest –  adds an extra punch of fragrant lemony flavor to the cake. To zest a lemon, move it against a zester to gently remove the outer yellow skin.
  
  Avoid the white parts as they can be bitter.
  
  Try to buy unwaxed lemons. If this isn’t possible – many shops only sell the waxed variety as a way to prolong freshness – soak your waxed lemons in hot water for a few minutes, then scrub them. Ready to zest! 

• Fresh lemon juice – used in the cake, syrup and icing. The lemon juice’s acids also react with baking soda to help the cake rise.
• Vegan butter or vegetable oil – to help make the cake moister.
• Plant-based milk – I used oat milk, but any vegan milk will work, although coconut milk would add an extra flavor.
• Confectioners’ sugar – also known as powdered or icing sugar. It is crucial when making the glaze icing, as other sugars won’t dissolve properly in the liquid. Sift the confectioners’ sugar if it is lumpy to make it easier to dissolve.

Recipe Variations:

• Oranges instead of lemons – this pound cake would work beautifully using the juice and zest of oranges rather than lemons. 
• Poppy seeds – taking inspiration from the classic muffin combination, add two tablespoons of poppy seeds to the dry ingredients before mixing with the wet. 

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F / 180°C. Lightly grease or line the loaf pan. 

2. Sift together the cornstarch, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir in the sugar. 
3. In a separate bowl, mix the yogurt, lemon juice, vegan butter or oil, lemon zest and milk. 

4. Making sure not to over-mix, add the wet mixture to the dry. 

5. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf tin and gently tap it on the counter three times to release air bubbles.
6. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. 
7. Meanwhile, combine the syrup ingredients in a pan and bring to a simmer on medium heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. 

8. When the cake has cooled for 10 minutes, turn it onto a wire rack and pierce the top using a skewer. Put a tray or baking parchment under the rack. 
9. Brush the syrup over the cake, allowing it to sink into the holes. 
10. Let the cake cool completely; roughly 2 to 2 ½ hours.
11. Mix the glaze ingredients until smooth, then pour over the cooled cake. Let it set before serving. 

Storage Tips

This pound cake tastes better and becomes moister the day after baking. Wrapped in cling film and stored in a cake tin or airtight container, this cake can be kept for up to five days at room temperature – if it lasts that long!

You can freeze the cake after brushing it with the syrup for up to 1 month. Allow it to cool completely and wrap it tightly with cling film before freezing.

Thaw the wrapped cake at room temperature, unwrap then glaze it with the icing before serving.

Try these other Cake Recipes

• Vegan Oreo Cake
• Vegan Black Forest Cake
• Vegan Coconut Cake
• Vegan Carrot Cake
• Vegan Cranberry Orange Bread

Vegan Lemon Pound Cake

5 from 1 vote

Prep: 20 minutes mins

Cook: 50 minutes mins

Cooling Time: 2 hours hrs 40 minutes mins

Total: 3 hours hrs 50 minutes mins

Servings: 8

Calories: 314kcal

Print Rate

This lemon vegan pound cake is a zesty twist on a classic recipe. It is soft, moist, and deliciously dairy-free. Everyone will love it! 

Author: Jhanelle Golding

Equipment

• 1-pound Loaf Pan
• Mixing bowls
• Sifter
• Silicone Spatula

Baking Recipes: For more accuracy, use Metric measurements and measuring spoons.

Ingredients

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Dry Ingredients

• ▢ 3 tbsp (30 g) cornstarch
• ▢ 2 cups (250 g) unbleached all-purpose flour, spooned and levelled
• ▢ 1½ teaspoon baking powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar

Wet Ingredients

• ▢ ⅔ cup (150 g) vegan vanilla yogurt, (One 5.3oz container, I used Kite Hill Vanilla Almond Milk Yogurt)
• ▢ ¼ cup fresh lemon juice, (from 1 lemon)
• ▢ ⅓ cup (80 ml) vegetable oil, (or ½ cup/120ml melted vegan butter)
• ▢ 2 tbsp lemon zest, (plus extra for garnish, from 2 lemons)
• ▢ ¼ cup (60 ml) oat milk, (soy or almond milk are alternatives)

Syrup

• ▢ ¼ cup (50 ml) granulated sugar
• ▢ 2 tbsp lemon juice, (from ½ lemon)
• ▢ 2 tbsp water

Glaze

• ▢ ¾ cup (90 g) confectioner’s sugar
• ▢ 4 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, (from 1 lemon)

Instructions

• Set the oven rack to the middle level and preheat the oven to 350°F / 180°C. Lightly grease the loaf pan with oil or non-stick cooking spray.
• In a large bowl, sift the cornstarch, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir in the sugar.
  3 tbsp (30 g) cornstarch ,2 cups (250 g) unbleached all-purpose flour ,1½ teaspoon baking powder ,½ teaspoon baking soda ,½ teaspoon salt ,1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
• In a small bowl, combine the yogurt, lemon juice, vegan butter or oil, lemon zest and oat milk.
  ⅔ cup (150 g) vegan vanilla yogurt ,¼ cup fresh lemon juice ,⅓ cup (80 ml) vegetable oil ,2 tbsp lemon zest ,¼ cup (60 ml) oat milk
• Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients in thirds, mixing after each addition. Mix until the flour just moistened. Don’t overmix.
• Pour the batter into the loaf tin and smooth the top. Gently tap the pan on the counter three times to release air bubbles.
• Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Meanwhile, combine the sugar, lemon juice and water for the syrup in a small pot and bring to a boil on medium heat for 2 minutes or until the sugar is melted. Remove the pot from the heat and set it aside to cool.
  2 tbsp lemon juice ,2 tbsp water ,¼ cup (50 ml) granulated sugar
• Cool the cake in the pan for 10 minutes then turn it out onto a cooling rack. Brush the cake while still warm with the syrup. You can poke holes through the cake with a skewer to help the syrup sink in.
• Allow the cake to cool completely for about 2 to 2½ hours.
• Mix the confectioner’s sugar and lemon juice in a bowl until smooth. Pour the glaze over the cake, top with the extra lemon zest and allow it to cool or set before serving.
  ¾ cup (90 g) confectioner’s sugar ,4 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Notes

Variations:

• Oranges instead of lemons – this pound cake would work beautifully using the juice and zest of oranges rather than lemons. 
• Poppy seeds – taking inspiration from the classic muffin combination, add two tablespoons of poppy seeds to the dry ingredients before mixing with the wet. 

Storage Tips

This pound cake tastes better and becomes moister the day after baking. Wrapped in cling film and stored in a cake tin or airtight container, this cake can be kept for up to five days at room temperature – if it lasts that long!

You can freeze the cake after brushing it with the syrup for up to 1 month. Allow it to cool completely and wrap it tightly with cling film before freezing.

Thaw the wrapped cake at room temperature, unwrap then glaze it with the icing before serving.

 

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Nutrition

Calories: 314kcal | Carbohydrates: 74g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 305mg | Potassium: 56mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 45g | Vitamin A: 18IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 89mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutrition Disclaimer

Course: Brunch, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian