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This vegan lemon loaf cake has a tender, moist crumb and is finished with a subtly sour lemon glaze. The lemon flavor comes entirely from fresh juice and zest, built in three layers: into the batter, soaked in as a warm lemon syrup, and again in the glaze. Simple, zesty, and made from everyday ingredients!
After I shared my vegan pound cake and lemon pound cake, many of you reached out asking for a lighter version. I didn’t want to just release another loaf cake, so I went through quite a few rounds of testing.
The goal was simple: the most lemon-forward loaf cake possible without relying on extract. To get there, the lemon flavor is built in three distinct ways. First, the zest is bloomed in sugar (it releases essential oils, making the lemon flavor more fragrant). Second, a lemon syrup is poured over the warm cake straight out of the oven, soaking in before the crumb cools. Third, the lemon juice glaze. Literally every bite of this cake has lemon in it.
🧡 Why You’ll Love It
- Spot-on lemon flavor. Fresh zest and juice in the batter + lemon syrup soak + lemon glaze = a loaf cake that’s perfectly zesty and tangy from first bite to last.
- Slices well and stays moist for up to 6 days. This cake slices cleanly and holds its moisture very well. No more dry crumb by day 3!
- Simple everyday ingredients, no artificial extract. Everything you need is already in your kitchen!
🍋 What You’ll Need
Here are the ingredients you will need. You can find the exact measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Flour – Regular all-purpose flour keeps it simple.
- Sugar – Granulated white sugar keeps the lemon bright and clean. Darker sugars, such as coconut or light brown sugar, would alter both the color and flavor of the cake.
- Lemon – You will use both the zest and juice. I used the zest of 2 large lemons – if yours are small, you may need up to 3.
➜ Note: Since you will zest them, I recommend using organic lemons as they contain fewer pesticides. - Vegan milk – Any unsweetened plant-based milk works. I use soy milk, but almond, oat, or cashew milk will also work.
- Oil and butter – Like most of my loaf cakes, I use a combination of vegan butter and oil. Butter adds that buttery aroma, while oil keeps the crumb moist and tender longer.
- Baking powder and baking soda – To help the cake rise.
- Vanilla extract – Just a teaspoon to add a subtle floral aroma.
📔 Success Tips
- Bloom the zest in sugar. Rub the lemon zest with the sugar before adding it to the mixing bowl. This step releases the essential oils from the zest, resulting in a more intense lemon flavor.
- Do not overmix the batter. Overmixing the batter will develop the gluten and yield a denser crumb. Stop as soon as no dry streak remains.
- Add the syrup while the cake is still warm. The loaf cake absorbs the syrup best while it’s still warm. Do not wait until it has cooled completely.
- Cool completely before glazing. A warm cake will melt the glaze, and it will run off instead of setting on the top.
- Let it rest. I’ve noticed this loaf cake tastes even better the next day (it’s even more lemony!).
🥣 Step-by-Step Instructions
- Zest the lemon. Use a zester to zest two lemons.
- Chop it. Finely chop the zest.
- Combine with the sugar. Add the sugar and lemon zest to a bowl.
- Mix. Rub the sugar and lemon zest with your hands for 30-40 seconds.
- Mix the dry ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Add the remaining ingredients. Add the lemon sugar, milk, oil, melted vegan butter, lemon juice, and vanilla extract.
- Mix. Use a wooden spoon to mix until the batter is smooth.
- Pour into a loaf pan. Pour the batter into a loaf pan and bake for 45-50 minutes or until the top is golden brown.
Infuse It With Lemon Syrup!
The cake benefits greatly from being infused with lemon syrup. Here’s how to make the syrup:
- Make the syrup. Heat 3 tbsp sugar, 3 tbsp water, and 3 tbsp lemon juice in a small saucepan for 5 minutes or until the sugar has melted.
- Pour it over the cake. After baking, allow the loaf cake to cool down for 5-10 minutes inside the loaf pan. Then, poke holes all over the cake using a thin skewer. Pour the lemon syrup over the loaf cake. Allow it to cool for another 20 minutes before removing it from the pan.
Note: If you don’t have a sweet tooth, I suggest picking either the syrup or the icing. Both add extra sweetness, so that’s up to you!
- Glaze. Once the cake is completely cool, pour the lemon glaze all over it and enjoy!
🫐 Variants
Want to customize it? Here are three ideas:
Lemon Poppy Seed
Add 2 tbsp of poppy seeds to the batter with the dry ingredients. The poppy seeds will add a subtle crunch!
Lemon Blueberry
Fold 1 and 1/2 cups of fresh or frozen blueberries into the batter before pouring it into the loaf pan.
Mini Loaves
Divide the batter between 8 mini loaf tins and reduce baking time to 20-22 minutes.
❄️ Storing
- To store: You can keep this lemon loaf cake at room temperature for up to 6 days. Wrap it in plastic wrap or store it in an airtight container to prevent it from drying.
- To freeze: You can freeze this cake unglazed for up to 2 months. Thaw for several hours at room temperature.
💬 FAQs & Troubleshooting
Yes, you can skip the glaze, but if you do, don’t omit the syrup soak, or your loaf cake won’t taste as lemony.
Yes, but as mentioned above, you need at least either the glaze or the syrup for optimal flavor.
There are three common causes:
1) The batter was too wet. The ingredients were not measured correctly. Next time, use a kitchen scale and the metric measurements for the best results, or use the spoon-and-level method to measure the flour if measuring by cups.
2) Your oven was too hot. The batter rose too fast and then deflated.
3) You removed the cake from the oven too early. The crumb was not fully baked and didn’t have time to set. Always test with a skewer before pulling it out. It should come out almost clean, with just a few crumbs.
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Moist Vegan Lemon Loaf Cake
Ingredients
Loaf Cake
- 3/4 cup (150 g) granulated white sugar
- 2 tbsp finely chopped lemon zest
- 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 and 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup (120 lm) unsweetened plant-based milk
- 1/4 cup (50 g) oil
- 1/4 cup (56 g) melted butter (just melted, not hot)
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) lemon juice
- 1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract
Lemon Syrup
- 3 tbsp (45 ml) lemon juice
- 3 tbsp (45 ml) water
- 3 tbsp (37 g) granulated white sugar
Lemon Glaze
- 3/4 cup (90 g) powdered sugar
- 1-2 tbsp (ml) lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to
350 °F (175°C). Slightly grease an 8.5×4.5-inch (22×11 cm) loaf pan with butter and line it with parchment paper. - Bloom the lemon zest. Use a zester to zest two lemons. Finely chop the lemon zest and combine it with the sugar in a small bowl. Use your hands to rub the sugar and lemon zest for 30-40 seconds. This step will release essential oils.
- Mix the dry ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Add the remaining ingredients. Next, add the lemon sugar, milk, oil, melted vegan butter, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Use a wooden spoon to mix until the batter is smooth.
- Pour into a loaf pan. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 45-50 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Remove from the oven and prepare the lemon syrup. Keep the cake inside the pan.
- Make the lemon syrup. Add the lemon juice, water, and sugar to a small saucepan. Heat over medium heat for about 5 minutes, or until the sugar has melted.
- Pour it over the cake. Then, poke holes all over the cake using a thin skewer. Pour the lemon syrup over the loaf cake. Allow it to cool for another 20 minutes before removing it from the pan.
- Glaze. Once the cake is completely cool, whisk the powdered sugar with one tablespoon of lemon juice in a small bowl. The glaze should be thick and just slightly runny. If it's too thin, add more powdered sugar. If it's too thick, add more lemon juice. Pour the glaze over the loaf cake and spread it evenly using a spoon.
- You can keep this lemon loaf cake, stored in an airtight container or covered with plastic wrap, at room temperature for up to 6 days.
Notes
About the Author
Thomas Pagot is the founder, photographer, and recipe developer behind Full of Plants. He created the blog in 2016 as a personal cookbook for vegan recipes. Through years of recipe development, Thomas has successfully grown Full of Plants into a trusted resource for plant-based recipes.
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