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vegan fluffy lemon cake

The Best Fluffy Vegan Lemon Cake

This vegan lemon cake is perfectly fluffy, light, and moist. It's topped with an ultra creamy lemon cream cheese frosting that's so good it'll be hard not to eat it by the spoon.

Course Dessert
Keyword dessert recipe, vegan fluffy lemon cake
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings 12 servings
Author Taavi Moore

Ingredients

  • 1 cup non-dairy milk
  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 15 oz. can chickpeas
  • ¾ cup (161g) room temperature, vegan butter
  • 1 ¼ cup (312g) granulated sugar
  • 1 tbsp lemon zest (4g or zest from one medium lemon)
  • ¼ cup full-fat coconut milk, canned (stir the can well before measuring)
  • 2 tsp lemon extract
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 ¾ cup (354g) cake flour
  • 2 ½ tsp (13g) baking powder
  • ½ tsp (4g) baking soda
  • ½ tsp salt

Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 8 oz. vegan cream cheese
  • ¾ cup (161g) room temperature, vegan butter
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp lemon zest
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 5 cups powdered sugar
  • Pinch of salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and line two 8" cake pans with parchment paper. 

  2. Whisk together non-dairy milk and apple cider vinegar. Set aside for 5 minutes. 

  3. Drain chickpeas and reserve brine. Use a handheld mixer to whip the chickpea brine for 3-4 minutes until texture is smooth, glossy, and takes on soft peaks. Set aside. 

  4. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the vegan butter, sugar, and lemon zest for 2 minutes until fluffy. Add milk and vinegar mixture, coconut milk, and extracts. Whisk to combine. Measure out 1/2 cup aquafaba and fold into the wet mixture. 

  5. Add flour, baking powder and soda, and salt. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to fold until a smooth batter forms. Avoid over mixing. Divide evenly between two 8" cake pans. Bake for 20-22 minutes until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Allow cakes to cool for 10 minutes in the pans. Carefully invert the pans and transfer cake to a wire cooling rack. Cool completely before frosting. 

  6. While cakes are cooling, prepare the cream cheese frosting. Use a handheld mixer to cream together vegan cream cheese, vegan butter, vanilla, lemon juice and zest. Slowly add 1 cup of powdered sugar at a time, while beating with a handheld mixer, until frosting is smooth and creamy. Whisk in a pinch of salt. 

  7. Frost cakes, as desired, once completely cooled.