Last updated - ; Published - By Rhian Williams 109 Comments
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ThisGluten-Free Vegan Lemon Poppy Seed Cake ismoist and fluffy,sweet and tangy and a little nutty from the poppyseeds! It's also covered in a rich, lemonyfrosting.It's easy to make as it comes together in one bowl, and is easily customisable too. It's also refined sugar free, and is great for birthdays,Easter, Mother's Day and baby showers!
As my Lemon Drizzle Cake is one of the most popular baking recipes I've posted, I decided to make more lemon dessert recipes, and this Gluten-Free Vegan Lemon Poppy Seed Cake is the answer!
How to make the cake
Scroll to the bottom of the post for the full recipe.
- Mix together the ingredients for the cake in aglass mixing bowl.
Tip: Use ameasuring jugto measure out the plant-based milk.
- Transfer the cake batter into aone-pound loaf tin.
Tip:Make sure to line the loaf tin with greasedbaking paper- this will make removing the cake from the tin so much easier!
- Bake in the oven for45 minutes.
- Transfer to a cooling rack to cool down before applying the frosting.
For the frosting
- Place the ingredients for the frosting in afood processororblender.
- Whizz until completely smooth, adding some plant-based milk or water to thin out if necessary.
- Use a knife (or palette knife for frosting) to spread the frosting over the top of the loaf.
How to decorate
I decided to decorate this cake with lemon zest and poppy seeds, but you can use whatever you like!
Substitutions you can make
- You can use any type of oil: coconut oil, vegetable oil, olive oil etc.
- You can use any type of liquid sweetener: maple syrup, agave syrup, brown rice syrup etc.
- You can use any type of plant-based milk: almond milk, oat milk, soy milk, cashew milk, rice milk etc.
- If you don't need the cake to be gluten-free,you can replace the gluten-free flour with plain flour.
- The ground almonds can be replaced with ground walnuts.
- For a nut-free version, use ground sunflower seeds instead of ground almonds, use a nut-free plant-based milk and omit the frosting or make a different frosting.
Tips for baking with lemons
- For optimum lemon flavour, I would recommend using fresh lemons (not ones that you've had sitting in your fruit bowl for weeks!) and organic ones if possible.
- You have to be careful when baking with lemon juice as the acidity and lemon flavour can really vary depending on the lemons you use.
- I would recommend tasting the lemon juice you're using and adjusting the amount of lemon juice you use accordingly.
- For the lemon zest, make sure you use unwaxed lemons.
How long does this Lemon Poppy Seed Cake keep for?
This Lemon Poppy Seed Cake tasted best eaten on the day it was made, but keeps covered in the fridge for up to a few days.
More vegan lemon cakes
- White Chocolate Lemon Cake
- Lemon Blueberry Mug Cake
- Lemon Drizzle Cake
- Lemon Blueberry Cake
- Lemon Poppy Seed Bread
If you try out this recipe or anything else from my blog,I’d really love to hear anyfeedback! Please give it a rating, leave a comment, or tag a photo @rhiansrecipes #rhiansrecipes onInstagram! Thank you.
Watch how to make this recipe
Gluten-Free Vegan Lemon Poppy Seed Cake
ThisGluten-Free Vegan Lemon Poppy Seed Cake ismoist and fluffy,sweet and tangy and a little nutty from the poppyseeds! It's also covered in a rich, lemonyfrosting.
4.19 from 85 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: gluten-free lemon poppy seed cake, gluten-free vegan cake, vegan lemon poppy seed cake
Prep Time: 25 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes minutes
Total Time: 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes
Servings: 10 slices
Calories: 356kcal
Author: Rhian Williams
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 60 g (¼ cup) coconut oil (or sub olive or vegetable oil)
- 180 ml (¾ cup) unsweetened almond milk (or any other plant-based milk)
- 8 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest (use unwaxed lemons)
- 12 tablespoons maple syrup (or sub any other sweetener)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch salt
- 3 tablespoons poppy seeds
- 150 g (1 ¼ cup) ground almonds (almond meal) *
- 150 g (1 ¼ cup) gluten-free flour blend (or sub plain flour if not gluten-free)
- 2 heaped teaspoons baking powder (ensure gluten-free if necessary)
- ¼ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
For the frosting:
- 100 g (⅔ cup) raw cashew nuts soaked in cold water overnight or in hot water for 15 minutes
- 6 tablespoons maple syrup (or sub any other sweetener)
- 4 tablespoons lemon juice
To decorate (optional):
- Lemon zest
- Poppy seeds
Instructions
For the cake:
Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit).
Place the coconut oil in a large bowl and melt over a saucepan of boiling water or in the microwave (skip this step if using any other oil).
Once melted, add the milk to the same bowl along with the lemon juice, lemon zest, maple syrup, vanilla, salt, poppy seeds and ground almonds.
Sift in the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda.
Mix well, adding a tiny splash more milk if it’s looking too dry.
Transfer mixture into a loaf tin lined with greased baking paper (I used a one-pound loaf tin).
Bake in oven for 45 minutes until risen and golden brown and an inserted skewer comes out clean.
Once out the oven, transfer the cake from the baking tin onto a wired rack to leave it to cool completely before applying the frosting.
For the frosting:
Drain the soaked cashews and add to a food processor or blender with the maple syrup and lemon juice.
Whizz until completely smooth, adding some plant-based milk or water to thin out if necessary.
To frost and decorate the cake:
Use a knife (or palette knife) to spread frosting over the top of the loaf.
Decorate with lemon zest and poppy seeds, if desired.
This cake tasted best eaten on the day it was made, but keeps covered in the fridge for up to a few days.
Video
Notes
*You can alternatively usealmond flour.
Tips for baking with lemons
- For optimum lemon flavour, I would recommend using fresh lemons (not ones that you've had sitting in your fruit bowl for weeks!) and organic ones if possible.
- You have to be careful when baking with lemon juice as the acidity and lemon flavour can really vary depending on the lemons you use.
- I would recommend tasting the lemon juice you're using and adjusting the amount of lemon juice you use accordingly.
- For the lemon zest, make sure you use unwaxed lemons.
Nutrition Facts
Gluten-Free Vegan Lemon Poppy Seed Cake
Amount Per Serving
Calories 356Calories from Fat 180
% Daily Value*
Fat 20g31%
Saturated Fat 7g35%
Sodium 56mg2%
Potassium 205mg6%
Carbohydrates 42g14%
Fiber 4g16%
Sugar 24g27%
Protein 7g14%
Vitamin C 9mg11%
Calcium 154mg15%
Iron 2mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Made the recipe?Tag @rhiansrecipes on instagram and use the hashtag #rhiansrecipes!
Disclosure: This posts contains affiliate links to Amazon. If you purchase any of these products, a small percentage will come to me with no extra cost to you! This income will go towards the running of this blog – thank you.
More Baking & Dessert Recipes
- Gluten-Free Vegan Raspberry Madeleines
- Gluten-Free Vegan Raspberry Muffins
- Gluten-Free Vegan Raspberry Cake
- Gluten-Free Vegan Orange Poppy Seed Muffins
Reader Interactions
Comments
Cindy Johnson
I had a craving for cake and this was the recipe I tried. I'm so glad I did!! It was delicious - the tang of lemon and the quiet sweetness of maple syrup made it so satisfying. Knowing that the ingredients are healthy options, just made it even more tasty! I used almond meal that was left from making almond milk.
Reply
Rhian Williams
Thank you so much, so happy to hear that!
Jim
You mentioned "Sift in the flour" in step 4. Should the flour be measured by sifting or just scooping it out into a measuring cup then sifted in to the mixture? Measuring the flour by just spooning it in or pouring it in the measuring cup is more "packed" and will measure differently than sifting, is why I ask. Thanks! 🙂
Reply
Rhian Williams
Hi, you can measure the flour before sifting! I hope that helps!
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