Lemon Blueberry Layer Cake (It’s Vegan!)

Last week, I made this fluffy vegan lemon blueberry layer cake for a special event. This cake is made with fresh lemon juice and lemon zest, and uses basic pantry ingredients that come together in one bowl. And best of all, nobody could tell that it was a vegan cake!

Why you’ll love this vegan lemon blueberry cake

This vegan lemon blueberry cake has a wonderful fluffy texture while still being able to retain its shape and structure as a layer cake. The large amount of lemon juice in this cake not only helps with the fresh flavor of the cake, but it also reacts with the baking soda and baking powder to create a wonderful rise, making the cake light and fluffy without using eggs.

Ingredients you’ll need

Notes about the ingredients

All-purpose flour: cake flour can also be used as a substitute but I would not recommend bread flour.

Lemon juice and zest: for the best flavor! Not only does the lemon juice act as an acidic agent to create a fluffy rise to the cake, it also provides the freshest lemon flavor. Freshly squeezed lemon juice is the best, but if you’re short on time, bottled lemon juice will be just fine as well. I don’t recommend using lemon extracts (or most flavor extracts in general) because it’s really easy to overdo it and ending up with an artificial tasting flavor.

Sugar: I used maple syrup in this cake to keep it as free from processed sugar as much as possible, however I would recommend using regular granulated sugar so that the cake remains as light in color as possible.

Liquid oil: The oil acts as a substitute for butter that is usually used in regular cake recipes. I’d recommend using avocado oil, a mild olive oil, or a refined coconut oil in your cake.

Double baking agents: We use both baking powder and baking soda in this cake recipe to replace the eggs that are typically used in cake recipes to bind and rise.

The full list of ingredients are included in this post’s recipe card!

How to make vegan lemon blueberry cake

One of my favorite parts about this recipe is that the cake batter comes together in one bowl, without needing a hand beater or stand mixer because everything is very easy to mix.

First, pour all the wet ingredients (including the sugar or other sweetener of choice, like maple syrup) to a large bowl and whisk until thoroughly combined. When baking a cake, it’s important to mix the wet ingredients thoroughly before combining it with the dry ingredients to ensure the sugars are fully dissolved.

Next, add all the dry ingredients to the same bowl and use a whisk to mix until just combined. The batter will be a little lumpy and that’s perfectly okay! Just mix as long as there aren’t any lumps of dry flour, the batter will be fine.

Tips for baking the cake

If you’re making this as a layer cake, I recommend dividing the cake batter into 2 evenly sized cake pans so that each layer cake bake evenly. When baked in 8inch round cake pans, this cake should take about 30-35 minutes to bake.

Start checking for doneness around the 25 minute mark, you’ll know when your cake is ready when a cake tester comes out clean, or the internal temperature reaches anywhere between 200-210F.

Decorating this lemon cake

This cake is best with a simple lemon buttercream, layered with a blueberry jam! You can also just throw blueberries into the cake batter directly. A refreshing cake like this doesn’t need too many decorative objects, I used candied lemons and blueberries for a refreshing and inviting look.

FAQ

Can I add blueberries to this vegan lemon blueberry cake recipe?

Yes definitely! I’d recommend adding 1 ½ cups of blueberries to this recipe for an ideal cake to berry ratio. The recipe works with both fresh and frozen blueberries (without thawing) and you don’t even have to coat them in flour before baking. The lemon cake batter is pretty thick, which prevents the berries from sinking to the bottom.

Can I make this recipe in a loaf pan or muffin pan?

Yes you can! However I would definitely half the recipe so that the batter fits in a loaf pan.