This vegan lemon poppy seed cake is sweet, lemony, with pops of poppy seeds for texture. It is simple to make, quick to bake and has easy ingredients to find. Dairy-free, egg-free, and the crumb is so tender.
I love lemon. As a cooking ingredient, it balances really well with sweet and salty. I add it to just about anything, even in my water. So naturally, I had to make a lemon poppy seed cake.
I first got introduced to the concept of lemon and poppy seeds together when I got a lemon poppy seed muffin at a cute coffee shop near my school. The sharp acid of the lemon juice combined with the sweet glaze and the crunchy pop of the poppy seeds inside made a really nice combination.
This pound cake is perfect for a breakfast treat or to have when people are over. It has a wow factor and looks more complicated than it actually is. Check it out below!
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Ingredients for Vegan Lemon Poppy Seed Cake
- All-purpose Flour. This is the best flour for this recipe. Even though I haven’t tried it, feel free to experiment with cake flour or gluten-free flour if you like.
- Baking Powder and baking soda. This will react with the acid in the lemon juice and it give it rise.
- Lemon. The juice and zest will give the lemon flavor to the cake and icing, but also the juice will make the vegan buttermilk. This has a dual effect of tenderizing the gluten in the flour and also muting the flavor of the baking soda.
- Sugar. You will need two different types for this recipe. Granulated sugar for the inside of the cake and powdered sugar for the glaze. I used organic cane sugar for both.
- Milk. Use any type of non-dairy milk you prefer.
- Vegan Butter. Use any brand you like that melts well. I used Earth Balance Butter sticks. You can substitute this with any oil that doesn’t have a strong taste or color.
- Poppy Seeds. You should be able to find these in most local grocery stores in the spice section.
- Almonds. For the garnish, I use toasted almonds. It is optional, but highly recommended. Use sliced almonds, not silvered almonds or whole almonds.
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The Best Vegan Lemon Poppy Seed Cake
Equipment
- Loaf pan
Materials
Vegan Buttermilk
- 240 ml (1 cup) soy milk
- juice from 1 lemon remeber to zest it first
Lemon Poppy Seed Pound Cake
- 300 g (2 1/2 cups) All-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 150 g (3/4 cup) granulated sugar
- 108 g (1/2 cup) neutral oil or melted vegan butter
- lemon zest from 1 lemon
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1-2 tbsp poppy seeds
Toasted Almonds
- 1/4 cup sliced almonds
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
Icing
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 2 tbsp non-dairy milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F
- Line a loaf pan with parchment paper.
- Add soy milk and lemon juice to a bowl and whisk together. Leave to curdle while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
- Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt together in a bowl.
- Make a well in the middle and add buttermilk, oil (or butter), vanilla extract, and lemon zest. Mix until just combined.
- Carefully fold in the poppy seeds. Be careful not to overmix.
- Pour into a prepared loaf pan and smooth the top of it. Tap onto the counter to remove any large bubbles and make it more even.
- Bake for 10-15 minutes, then take out and cut a slit in the middle with a knife. Then bake for an additional 35-45 minutes until golden brown and when you insert a toothpick in the middle, it comes out clean.
- After it is baked, let cool 10-15 minutes in the loaf pan and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely at room temperature.
Toasted Almonds
- In a dry pan, add your almonds and slowly toast until they turn slightly brown.
- Turn off the heat the heat and add the brown sugar. Stir quickly with a rubber spatula as the sugar begins to melt.
- Pour onto a parchment lined or silicone baking sheet and let cool. The sugar will harden, so you can break it up with your fingers.
Icing
- Make the icing by sifting the powdered sugar. Add lemon juice, vanilla extract, and non-dairy milk. If too thick, add more milk or lemon juice. If too thin, add more powdered sugar until it is the right consistency.
- Once cake is cooled, pour the icing on top and top with toasted almonds. Optional, but you can also add slices of lemon and poppy seeds on top.
If you tried this recipe, let me know in the comments below. I would love to hear from you!
This cake was so easy to make and dressed to impress. I hope you try it out and happy cooking!
Love this recipe !!
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