This easy vegan lemon cake is bright, zesty, fluffy, and perfectly tender. It features a lemon drizzle for added moisture and a light and creamy dairy-free lemon frosting.
Prepare: Preheat your oven to 175°C (350°F). Lightly grease a 10.5" rectangular pan with some oil or vegan butter and a sheet of parchment paper. To make the vegan "buttermilk" add the soy milk and lemon juice to a small bowl, stir and allow to sit for 10 minutes.
Flavor the sugar: Add the sugar, lemon zest, and scraped-out seeds from the vanilla pod to a large mixing bowl. Use your fingertips to rub the zest into the sugar.
Mix the wet ingredients: Add the melted butter and whisk to combine. Add in the olive oil and yogurt and whisk for a minute until everything is combined. Then add the vegan buttermilk mixture, and whisk again.
Mix the dry ingredients: Add the sifted flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to the bowl with the wet ingredients and fold with a spatula until just combined and there aren't any visible pockets of flour - be careful not to overmix the batter.
Assemble and bake: Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and smooth out the top of it with a spatula. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the top of the cake is golden brown. Check the cake is done by piercing it with a toothpick or a knife, the knife should come out clean. (Move on to the next step and make the syrup while the cake bakes)
Make the lemon syrup: Meanwhile, combine the lemon juice and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook and whisk until the sugar has dissolved, then set aside.
Poke and drizzle: Once the cake is baked, immediately pierce it several times with a bamboo skewer while still hot. Then drizzle the lemon syrup all over the surface of the cake.Allow the cake to cool completely for an hour.
Frost: Make half a batch of vegan lemon buttercream and frost the cooled cake using an offset spatula. Top with fresh lemon slices and lemon zest just before serving.
Storage: This cake is best served at room temperature to ensure it keeps its fluffy consistency. If you don't plan on eating on the same day it's baked, seal it in an airtight container and refrigerate it for up to 5 days. Then remove the cake from the fridge about 1-2 hours before serving to bring it back to room temperature. Unfrosted, it will last at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Notes
Use organic sugar to ensure that it's vegan if you live in the US.
If using vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste, add during the same stage as adding the olive oil.
When you’re done juicing, save any extra juice for making lemon curd.