Moist Vegan Lemon Loaf Cake
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!
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 8.5x4.5-inch (22x11 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
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. We’ve noticed this loaf cake tastes even better the next day (it’s even more lemony!).
