Vegan Lemon Poppyseed Cake with Whipped Lemon Buttercream

This light and fluffy vegan lemon poppyseed cake is easy to make and full of fresh lemon flavor. Topped with homemade whipped lemon buttercream, this is the perfect dessert for spring and summer!

I can never get enough of vegan desserts, but when a lemon dessert is put in front of me, all bets are off! I can’t resist the bright and vibrant flavors of a vegan lemon cake, lemon bread, or lemon blueberry bread.

This Vegan Lemon Poppyseed Cake is no exception. It’s a fluffy and moist cake with lots of bright, lemon flavor! Decorated with poppyseed, this is a crowd-pleasing cake perfect for welcoming the sunny, warm weather of spring and summer.

The only way to make this one-bowl cake better is to top it with whipped lemon buttercream. It’s creamy, bright and the perfect finishing touch to every bite.

Required components (including substitutions)

• i am milk – Soy milk works best when making vegan buttermilk because it’s richer and curdier than thinner varieties like oat milk. If you don’t have soy milk, use almond milk instead. Coconut milk does not work.
• Apple cider vinegar – The cake starts with vegan buttermilk, made with 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 for the moistness of the cake and as a 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 flavor – Freshly grated lemon zest brings a beautiful brightness and undeniable zesty flavor to lemon cake and buttercream. Don’t skip it!
• Lemon extract – Just 1 teaspoon of lemon extract gives cakes and buttercream their signature lemon flavor. You can use 1 tablespoon of lemon juice instead but the cake will not be as lemony.
• Vanilla extract
• cake flour – This is the secret to an incredibly fluffy, soft and moist lemon cake. You can use all purpose flour as an alternative, but the result will not be fluffy or light. Don’t have cake flour at home? Make it yourself by whisking 3 cups of all-purpose flour with 6 tablespoons of cornstarch.
• Baking powder
• salt
• poppy seeds – Some recipes call for you to soak the poppyseeds in milk or water before baking, but that’s not a necessary step here. You can also omit the poppyseeds to make a simple lemon cake.
• powdered sugar – For the icing.

How to Make Vegan Lemon Poppyseed Cake

Find the full recipe with measurements below on the recipe card.

Start by making vegan buttermilk by measuring soy milk into a glass measuring cup. Pour in the apple cider vinegar, then set aside for the yogurt.

Beat softened vegan butter, oil and sugar in a bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Next add lemon zest, lemon extract and vanilla extract.

Now add flour, baking powder, salt and poppy seeds. Mix gently before slowly adding the soy milk/vinegar mixture. Mix until everything is mixed.

Pour the cake batter into the pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Set aside to cool completely while you make the frosting.

Beat 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, swirled layer over the cooled cake. Then slice, serve and enjoy!

strategy

• Do not overmix the batter! Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined and no dry flour streaks remain.
• If you don’t want to use vegan lemon buttercream, use vanilla buttercream, vegan Swiss meringue buttercream or vegan whipped cream to top the cake instead.
• Leave the cake as is or garnish with candied lemon slices, chopped almonds or extra lemon zest.

Frequently Asked Questions

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