Bright lemon flavor, moist crumb, and tangy lemon icing - this vegan lemon poppy seed cake has it all!
This vegan lemon poppy seed cake was inspired by the upcoming holiday of Purim. While the quintessential Purim treat is hamantaschen (try my Vegan Hamantaschen), there's always room for another dessert on this festive holiday. Poppy seeds are associated with Purim for many reasons, so a lemon poppy seed loaf cake feels spot on at this time of year. And I haven't even told you the best part - this cake is made in one bowl and is ready in about an hour!
How to Make the Lemon Poppy Seed Loaf Cake
Gather your ingredients.
Make the Lemon Poppy Seed Loaf Cake
Preheat the oven. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper, allowing some to hang over the sides to form a sling, and coat the pan with nonstick cooking spray.
Add the dry ingredients - flour, baking soda, sea salt - to a large bowl and whisk gently to combine. Add the sugar, oil, milk, vinegar, lemon juice, and vanilla extract to the bowl. Whisk until combined and you do not see any traces of flour. Be careful not to overmix; it's okay if the batter is not completely smooth. Gently fold in the poppy seeds and lemon zest with a silicone spatula.
Bake for 42-47 minutes, until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for about 30 minutes, then carefully remove it and place on a wire rack for icing.
Make the Icing
Whisk together the powdered sugar, non-dairy milk, and lemon juice. The icing should be smooth and thick, but pourable (if needed, you can thin it with another teaspoon of non-dairy milk). Once the cake is completely cool, drizzle the icing over the cake.
Variations
I've included a relatively modest amount of poppy seeds because I find that they can be overpowering. If you prefer a strong poppy seed flavor, you can add an extra half-teaspoon of the seeds.
Storage
The vegan lemon cake will stay fresh at room temperature for 4-5 days when stored in an airtight container or wrapped tightly.
Top tip
Make sure to use fresh lemons (not shelf-stable lemon juice) and don't skimp on the lemon zest! Fresh lemons give this cake its bright flavor.
Lemon Poppy Seed Loaf Cake
Ingredients
Loaf Cake
- 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup neutral vegetable oil
- 1 cup non-dairy milk like oat or soy
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 2 tablespoons fresh-squeezed lemon juice approximately the juice of one small lemon
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest approximately the zest of one small lemon
- 1½ teaspoons poppy seeds
Icing
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon non-dairy milk like oat or soy
- 1-2 tablespoons fresh-squeezed lemon juice approximately the juice of one small lemon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper, allowing some to hang over the sides, and coat the pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- Add the flour, baking soda, and sea salt to a large bowl and whisk gently to combine.
- Add the sugar, oil, milk, vinegar, lemon juice, and vanilla extract to the bowl, and whisk to combine. Be careful not to overmix; it's okay if the batter is not completely smooth, but you should not see any traces of flour.
- Fold in the poppy seeds and lemon zest with a silicone spatula.
- Bake the cake for about 42-47 minutes, until it is golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Let the cake rest in the pan for about 30 minutes, then carefully remove it from the pan and peel off the parchment paper. Place the cake on a wire rack over a baking pan to allow it to fully cool before you ice it.
- Make the icing: whisk together the powdered sugar, non-dairy milk, and lemon juice. It should be thick but pourable. If needed, add another teaspoon of non-dairy milk. Once the cake has cooled completely, drizzle the icing over the cake.
Notes
- The cake will stay fresh at room temperature for 4-5 days when stored in an airtight container or wrapped tightly.
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