Vegan Lemon Poppyseed Cake With Whipped Lemon Buttercream

I can never get enough of vegan desserts, but when a lemon dessert is placed in front of me, all bets are off! I can’t resist the bright and vibrant flavors of a vegan lemon cake, lemon loaf, or lemon blueberry bread. This Vegan Lemon Poppyseed Cake is no exception, either. It’s a fluffy and moist cake with plenty of bright, lemony flavor! Bejeweled with poppyseeds, this is a crowd-pleasing cake that’s perfect for welcoming the sunny, warm weather of spring and summer. The only way to make this one-bowl cake even better is by topping it with whipped lemon buttercream. It’s creamy, bright, and the perfect finishing touch to each bite.

Ingredients needed (with substitutions)

Soy milk – Soy milk works best when making vegan buttermilk because it’s rich and curdles well compared to thinner varieties, such as oat milk. If you don’t have soy milk, use almond milk instead. Coconut milk does not work.Apple cider vinegar – The cake begins with vegan buttermilk, made from soy milk and vinegar, to give it a moist crumb and a subtle tangy flavor. If you don’t have apple cider vinegar, use lemon juice or white vinegar instead.Vegan butter – You need vegan butter both for moisture in the cake and as the base for the lemon buttercream.Canola oil – Another neutral vegetable oil will work just as well.Sugar – Granulated sugar is best, but coconut sugar or cane sugar will also work well. Lemon zest – Freshly grated lemon zest brings a beautiful brightness and undeniable zesty flavors to the lemon cake and buttercream. Don’t skip it!Lemon extract – Just 1 teaspoon of lemon extract gives the cake and buttercream their signature lemon flavors. You can use 1 tablespoon of lemon juice instead but the cake won’t be as lemony.Vanilla extractCake flour – This is the secret to an incredibly fluffy, soft, and moist lemon cake. You could use all purpose flour as an alternative, but the results won’t be as fluffy or light. No cake flour at home? Make it yourself by whisking 3 cups of all purpose flour with 6 tablespoons of cornstarch.Baking powderSaltPoppyseeds – Some recipes will have you soak the poppyseeds in milk or water before baking, but it isn’t a necessary step here. You can also omit the poppyseeds to make a plain lemon cake.Powdered sugar – For the icing.

How to make vegan lemon poppyseed cake

Find the complete recipe with measurements below in the recipe card. Start by making the vegan buttermilk by measuring the soy milk in a glass measuring cup. Pour in the apple cider vinegar, then set it aside to curdle. Beat the softened vegan butter, oil, and sugar in a bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add the lemon zest, lemon extract, and vanilla extract next. Now add the flour, baking powder, salt, and poppy seeds. Gently mix before slowly adding the soy milk/vinegar mixture. Mix until everything is just combined. Pour the cake batter into the pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Set it aside to cool completely while you make the frosting. Beat the vegan butter with an electric mixer until creamy. Add the powdered sugar, lemon zest, lemon extract, vanilla extract, and soy milk, then beat again until the frosting is fluffy. Spread the lemon buttercream in a thick, swirly layer on top of the cooled cake. Then slice, serve, and enjoy!

Tips and tricks

Don’t overmix the batter! Only stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined and no dry flour streaks remain.If you don’t want to use the vegan lemon buttercream, top the cake with vanilla buttercream, vegan swiss meringue buttercream, or vegan whipped cream instead.Leave the cake as-is or decorate it with candied lemon slices, sliced almonds, or extra lemon zest on top.