Vegan Lemon Drizzle Cake
🛒 Ingredients (makes 10 servings loaf)
Dry Ingredients:
- 2 ½ cups (315 g) plain flour
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 3 tsp baking powder
- Zest of 1–2 lemons
- Pinch of salt
Wet Ingredients:
- 1 cup (250 g) plant-based milk
- ½ cup (125 g) neutral oil (e.g., sunflower or light olive)
- ¼ cup (60 g) fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
🍯 Lemon Drizzle & Icing
- Drizzle/Syrup: ⅓ cup (65 g) granulated sugar + 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- Optional Icing:
- 1 ½ cups (150 g) icing sugar + 2–3 tbsp lemon juice
- (optional: 1 tbsp melted vegan butter for firm icing)
👩🍳 Instructions
- Prep & Mix Dry
Preheat oven to 180 °C (355 °F) for loaf or 170 °C (325 °F fan) for cake. Grease or line 8″ loaf tin. In a bowl, whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, zest & salt. - Add Wet Ingredients
Stir in plant milk, oil, lemon juice, and vanilla (if using). Fold gently until combined—avoid overmixing. - Bake
Pour into tin, smooth top, and bake 55–60 min (or 35–45 min for smaller cake) until a skewer comes out clean. Tent with foil if browning too quickly. - Lemon Drizzle Soak
While cake is baking, warm sugar and lemon juice until sugar dissolves. Right out of oven, poke holes in cake and pour syrup over hot cake. Cool in the tin. - Add Icing (Optional)
Once cooled, whisk icing sugar and lemon juice (plus vegan butter if desired), then drizzle over top. Sprinkle extra zest or garnishes.
✨ Tips & Variations
- Extra zing: Use zest from 2 lemons for bolder flavor
- Loaf or square cake: Same mix works for 8×8 pan—cut into squares
- Gluten-free tweak: Swap with self-raising GF flour & omit baking powder
- Make ahead: Drizzle and store at room temp up to 3 days; freeze without icing up to 1 month
