This super moist vegan lemon loaf is just that... super moist! It’s lightly lemony, and melt-in-your-mouth good. This recipe is as easy as it is delicious. This soft and tender vegan lemon cake can also be made gluten-free! This is an addictive treat that your friends and family will love. Everyone will ask you for the recipe and be shocked when they find out it's vegan. The loaf is topped with my famous mouth watering vegan cream cheese icing for an out of this world indulgent vegan treat!
Preheat oven to 375
Mix (by hand) the almond milk, sugar, lemon juice, melted vegan butter, and vanilla. Option to add 1 tsp lemon extract for a bolder lemon flavor. Add the baking powder and baking soda and mix. The mixture will begin to bubble, this is ok. Quickly add the flour and mix until smooth.
Pour the batter into a greased 9x5 loaf pan (I prefer metal) and bake for 40-45 minutes. You may also use a round cake pan and bake for about 25 to 30 minutes.
While the lemon cake is baking, use an electric hand mixer to mix the vegan cream cheese icing ingredients and spread over the warm or cooled loaf. If going “low calorie”, use half the icing and save the rest for later!
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat oven to 375
Mix (by hand) the almond milk, sugar, lemon juice, melted vegan butter, and vanilla. Option to add 1 tsp lemon extract for a bolder lemon flavor. Add the baking powder and baking soda and mix. The mixture will begin to bubble, this is ok. Quickly add the flour and mix until smooth.
Pour the batter into a greased 9x5 loaf pan (I prefer metal) and bake for 40-45 minutes. You may also use a round cake pan and bake for about 25 to 30 minutes.
While the lemon cake is baking, use an electric hand mixer to mix the vegan cream cheese icing ingredients and spread over the warm or cooled loaf. If going “low calorie”, use half the icing and save the rest for later!
41 Comments
Kathryn
Posted on: May 19, 2020Okay, I’ve made this recipe multiple times and we love it but I have a couple tweaks! I’ve tried using coconut oil or half coconut oil and half butter and you should definitely just use all butter. It’s still good with the coconut oil but not as fluffy. I make the gf version and Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 is great. In one of her comments she says she uses the lemon juice from a container not fresh lemons, so if you’re using fresh lemons and want it extra lemony do a 1/2 cup lemon juice AND the zest of one whole lemon otherwise the bread isn’t that lemony. Definitely make sure to add the baking soda to the liquid mixture prior to any flour! The baking soda should fizz and activate from the acidity of the lemon juice and if it doesn’t your baking soda is no good. I also use a basic lemon glaze instead of the cream cheese frosting (my husband doesn’t like cream cheese frosting) which consists of 2/3 cup powdered sugar and just enough lemon juice to make it mix well – usually 3 to 4 teaspoons.
It’s a fantastic recipe!
JillianGlenn
Posted on: May 19, 2020Your variations sound lovely! Glad you have enjoyed the recipe and made it your own 🙂
Kathryn
Posted on: May 19, 2020Okay, I’m still making this regularly. I have small kids so I’ve been putting this in muffin form instead of loaf (it’s easier for them to eat) and it’s amazing!! And it takes less time to cook. I still glaze it too!
Raegan
Posted on: May 19, 2020I’m looking to make this recipe, but I was curious as to how I should store it. Should I keep it in the fridge or is it good to stay on the counter?
JillianGlenn
Posted on: May 19, 2020I leave mine on the counter for 2-3 days, but it is usually eaten before then!
Kasha Tyranski
Posted on: May 19, 2020i love this recipe!! so yummy 🙂 a couple of tweaks that i use are:
using a bunch of lemon zest
more sugar (but i have a crazy sweet tooth)
adding some strawberries (cut them up, add to a saucepan with some sugar for a bit, then add to the loaf)
but all in all this is such a good recipe!
JillianGlenn
Posted on: May 19, 2020Thanks for trying my recipe! Your tweaks sound tasty!
Renata
Posted on: May 19, 2020Besides coconut oil, can I substitute vegan butter with plain Greek yogurt?
JillianGlenn
Posted on: May 19, 2020Worth a try! Let me know how it works out for you!
Jasmine Bates
Posted on: May 19, 2020Hi instead of stevia could I just use regular sugar?
JillianGlenn
Posted on: May 19, 2020Hi Jasmine, the stevia is simply an option. The “regular” version of the recipe uses 1 full cup of sugar.
Andri Theologou
Posted on: May 19, 2020Hi just made this. It turned out amazing. Instead of sugar I used sukrin sweetener which is a sweetener that measures just like sugar( it is made of stevia and Erythritol) and used half the cocunat oil and the other half I sub. with greek yogurt(2% fat). It turned out really good and with so much less calories.
JillianGlenn
Posted on: May 19, 2020Hi Andi! Love you swaps!! It sounds amazing. Thanks for trying my recipe!
Caroline Myers
Posted on: May 19, 2020Hi Andri
Did you use the coconut oil and Greek yogurt in place of the vegan butter?
Jillian
Posted on: May 19, 2020Hi Caroline, I have tried coconut oil in this recipe and it’s delicious! I have never tried greek yogurt but I would imagine it will work!
Clementine
Posted on: May 19, 2020Hello!
I’ve been wanting to try this recipe for quite a while now, and have finally decided to make it for my mother’s birthday! However, I was wondering if using a bundt-cake mold would work with the consistency of the cake, or if you recommend I stick to a regular rectangular mold.
Thank you in advance!
Jillian Glenn
Posted on: May 19, 2020Hi there! I’m so happy that you plan to make this for your mother’s birthday! I’ve made this in a bundt cake form and it works wonderfully!
clementine
Posted on: May 19, 2020That’s amazing! Thank you for your reply! 🙂
Nora
Posted on: May 19, 2020hi! it’s difficult to find vegan and gluten free items where i live, so would the typical recipe be the same as this one?
Jillian Glenn
Posted on: May 19, 2020You can use any butter or oil in place of the vegan butter 🙂
Rachel
Posted on: May 19, 2020I tried this tonight. I appreciated the moist bread but I wish it had more lemony flavor. I think we will zest a lemon and add to it, as well If we make it again, as well as make the frosting with lemon flavor. Thanks for the recipe!
Jillian Glenn
Posted on: May 19, 2020Hi Rachel! Glad you enjoyed the recipe. It’s a light lemony flavor but I’m sure would be delicious with a little lemon zest or lemon extract added in!
Molly
Posted on: May 19, 2020Sorry if a stupid question but looking to make this and when you say 1/4 cup melted vegan butter does that mean 1/4 cup of the butter and then melt it, or 1/4 is the melted amount? If the latter, how do you know how much “hard” butter that is?
Jillian Glenn
Posted on: May 19, 2020You can do either. Measurements are the same whether it’s melted or solid.
Arianna Pochet
Posted on: May 19, 2020I can’t wait to try this! Could I use maple syrup or coconut sugar?
Jillian Glenn
Posted on: May 19, 2020I think maple syrup or coconut sugar will work great 🙂
Stacy
Posted on: May 19, 2020We have an almond allergy in our house…is there another dairy-free milk you have used that works as well?
Jillian Glenn
Posted on: May 19, 2020Oat milk works well in this recipe 🙂
Sarah
Posted on: May 19, 2020Hi Jilian! I made this recipe and the middle parts turned out great and deliciously moist, but the crust cooked way faster and came out hard and super chewy. I’ll try cooking it for a shorter amount of time next time, but do you have any recommendations to avoid this? Thank you 🙂
Sarah
Posted on: May 19, 2020Sorry, by cook I mean bake of course 😉
Jillian Glenn
Posted on: May 19, 2020Hi there! Perhaps try cooking on a lower temperature next time or covering your pan with foil once the outside begins to brown!
Lori
Posted on: May 19, 2020hi can i use vegan margarine instead of butter ???
Jillian Glenn
Posted on: May 19, 2020Absolutely!
Kahlua
Posted on: May 19, 2020Hi! I’m a huge huge fan of yours! I follow almost every recipe you post. I’m planning on making this one but i ran out of glutten free flour. Could I sub almond flour instead? 🙂
Jillian Glenn
Posted on: May 19, 2020Hi Kahlua! So happy you have enjoyed my recipes!! Thank you! For this recipe to work, you will want to use the recommended flour 🙂 Almond flour isn’t a 1:1 substitute for regular or gluten free all purpose flour.
Christina
Posted on: May 19, 2020Hi! How many grams is a cup?
Jillian
Posted on: May 19, 2020I believe it is 125g!
Liv C
Posted on: May 19, 2020This is my favorite lemon loaf recipe of all time. I often do not make it vegan but it is simple and always comes out right, I have shared it with many friends and it is at the top of my bookmarks! Thanks!
Jillian
Posted on: May 19, 2020Thank you for the feedback, Liv! So happy you and your friends have enjoyed it!
Allie
Posted on: May 19, 2020Hi! Do you happen to know if I could make this a day ahead? I’m looking to bring it to Easter brunch this weekend but id like to make it Saturday and leave the frosting off. Any suggestions? Thank you!!
Jillian
Posted on: May 19, 2020Hi Allie, thank you so much for choosing my recipe to bring to Easter Brunch. I’m certain it will be a hit! You can store this, wrapped in plastic, at room temp – overnight and frost before serving! Sometimes I like to reheat the frosting in the microwave for 10-15 seconds to make it easier to spread over the loaf since it won’t be warm when frosting. Hope this helps! Can’t wait to hear how it goes!