Vegan Lemon Cake with Soy Yogurt

I've been craving vegan lemon cake for a while now.

Nothing fancy. Just a tender, tangy cake you can stir together and enjoy with coffee or tea.

The kind made with affordable ingredients you can find at any grocery store, with just 10 minutes of prep.

So you know what?

I made one for myself (and my guests). And it really did take just 10 minutes to put together—not counting the baking time, of course.

The best part? Serving it and hearing everyone ask, "Wait, this is vegan? This is vegan?" Yep. It's that good.

This recipe uses whole spelt flour, which gives the cake a denser, heartier texture thanks to its high fiber content. That's a plus: fiber helps keep you feeling full longer and can help support steadier blood sugar levels.

• Want a lighter cake? Replace 1 cup of the spelt flour with all-purpose flour for an even softer texture.

I don't use alternative sweeteners like coconut sugar or silan (date syrup), because their effects on metabolism and health are similar to those of regular sugar. That's why this recipe calls for 1/2 cup of white sugar.

You're welcome to use them. I just don't see a meaningful advantage. To me, they're an extra expense.

The tang comes from the lemon (well, duh) and the yogurt , which adds a lovely, refreshing tartness. The yogurt isn't essential—you can replace it with another 1/2 cup of plant-based milk. But why miss out?

One more thing: the vinegar isn't there for flavor. It reacts with the baking soda to help the cake rise and give it a lighter texture.

You can easily swap the lemon juice for orange juice to make a wonderful vegan orange cake.

The cake makes 8 generous slices, each containing:

290 calories, 38 g carbohydrates, 5 g protein, 12 g fat (1.5 g saturated fat), and 6 g fiber.

My tip: cut the cake into 16 slices. You'll still get a nice slice of cake, with half the calories.

Nutrition values calculated by Noam Bachar (an Israeli clinical nutritionist).

Made the cake? Tell me how it turned out in the comments below and in my community group on Facebook.

Vegan Lemon Cake

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Total Time 50 minutes

Yield 8 servings

Calories 387 kcal

Ingredients

• 2 cups whole spelt flour 280 g (9.9 oz)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder 5 g (0.18 oz)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda 5 g (0.18 oz)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 containers unsweetened soy yogurt 125 g (4.4 oz) each
• 1/2 cup canola oil Olive oil works too (yes, really!), or use refined coconut oil.
• 1/2 cup rice milk, soy milk, or almond milk
• 1/4 cup lemon juice 60 ml (2 fl oz)
• lemon zest from 1 lemon
• 1 tablespoon vinegar

For the Topping

• 3 tablespoons vegan white chocolate
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• a little lemon zest, for garnish

Instructions

1. Grease a loaf pan or a round tube pan.
2. Preheat the oven to 170°C (340°F).
3. In a large, deep bowl, thoroughly mix the dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, baking powder, sugar, and salt.
4. In a separate bowl, thoroughly mix the wet ingredients: yogurt, plant-based milk, vanilla extract, oil, lemon juice, and vinegar.
5. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until the batter is smooth and free of lumps. A whisk works best.
6. Pour into the prepared pan and bake for about 40 minutes. The cake is ready when a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
7. Let the cake cool completely before removing it from the pan. Otherwise, it will fall apart.
8. Make the topping.
9. Melt the white chocolate in the microwave or in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of boiling water.
10. Stir 1 tablespoon of oil into the warm chocolate to thin it to a pourable consistency.
11. Add the lemon juice and mix well.
12. Drizzle the white chocolate topping over the cake and garnish with lemon zest.
13. Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.