This recipe is for all lemony dessert lovers out there. Because what can be more delicious than a Vegan Lemon Yogurt Bundt Cake, drizzled over with a divine lemon glaze? A vegan, soy-free recipe.
Trapped in a winter wonderland yesterday, with the snow piling up outside, I channeled whatever little spare time I had after my work-at-home day into making this divine Vegan Lemon Yogurt Bundt Cake.
Jay, who loves anything lemony, had been after me to make a lemon cake, and I picked a bag of meyer lemons to do just that because, honestly, lemon cake? Who needs any motivation for that, or even a nine-year-old going please, mom?
One of the problems with lemon desserts is that no matter how much lemon juice you add to the batter, the flavor tends to dissipate during baking. So in this dessert, I packed the lemons in at three stages. There’s lemon juice and zest in the batter, then a lemony syrup goes over the cake after baking, and finally, there’s an absolutely scrumptious lemon glaze that gets drizzled over the cake. It not only looks pretty, it really is the icing on this cake.
More vegan cake recipes:
Rhubarb Ginger Upside Down Cake
Gluten-Free Berry Almond Cake
Carrot Cake with Cashew Cream Frosting
This is a spectacular-looking cake as well, with a dark red-gold crust. The crumb is tender and soft, thanks to the yogurt, and melts in the mouth. If you want to make a smaller cake, halve the recipe and bake in a loaf pan or an 8-inch cake pan.
Make sure you reserve some of the glaze to drizzle over the individual slices when you serve the cake, for the most flavor. And if you make this cake, be sure to come back and tell me if you liked it.
I’ll leave you now with the recipe and some photos of Leo and Lily enjoying the snow– our first major snowfall in the Washington area this season, and that too in Spring! But who’s complaining?
- 3 cups unbleached all purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3 tbsp cornstarch
- 1/2 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice and zest of two lemons (I used meyer lemons, but regular lemons would work too)
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup vegetable oil (I used avocado oil, which is flavorless. You can use olive, but I find the olive oil sometimes tends to overpower the lemons)
- 2 cups vegan yogurt (I used my homemade cultured cashew yogurt, but use any unsweetened storebought yogurt. Cashew yogurt would be ideal)
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup lemon juice
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In a bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cornstarch, and salt.
In a larger bowl, mix the oil, sugar, yogurt, vanilla extract, and lemon juice and zest until combined.
Add the flour to the wet mixture in three batches, mixing thoroughly with a spatula after each addition. Make sure you scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl after each addition.
Prepare a bundt pan by spraying with cooking spray. Pour the batter evenly into the bundt pan. Place it in the oven and bake 50-60 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
Place the bundt pan on a rack and unmold the cake after 10 minutes. It should come out very easily, but if you need help, run a knife gently along the edges.
Prepare the syrup by melting the sugar with the lemon juice. Poke some holes into the bundt cake with a toothpick, and drizzle on the syrup. Let the cake cool thoroughly.
Once the cake has cooled, prepare the glaze by mixing the confectioners' sugar with the lemon juice. Drizzle it over the bundt cake, and reserve some glaze to drizzle over individual slices.
Recipe for cashew yogurt.
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There are few things as heartbreaking as learning about the end of a subspecies, and I had tears in my eyes as I read about Sudan, the world’s last male northern white rhinoceros, dying this week in Kenya. His death comes at a time when rhinos around the world are threatened with extinction, largely because of poachers seeking rhino horn. Makes me so angry.
Hi Vaishali,
Could stevia or date syrup be used instead of sugar?
Cheers.
Hi Janet, date syrup or maple syrup would be fine. Not sure how stevia would work because sugar is a wet ingredient and I’ve not baked enough with stevia to know how it translates as a sugar substitute. But if you use and it works out, would be interested in hearing how it went.
Yummm! Can’t wait to try this!
Hope you try, Supriya!
I made your lemon bundt cake..not only did everyone attack it ..not even a crumb..thank u..i have been a vegan 4 35yrs..i am in love with your site..jp
Joann, 35 years– you’re an inspiration!!
I just made this cake and it was absolutely delicious! I followed the recipe exactly and wouldn’t change a thing. It’s so great to have another vegan desert recipe with no comprises in taste or indulgence!
Awesome– so happy you tried it, Emily!
Can not find under ingredients where it says about vanilla extract ?. How much ?
Yes, how much vanilla extract?
2 tsp!
This looks soooooo delicious! My friend just give a bundt pan as a present. I think I have a recipe to use it. to use it now!
I made this last night and it was delish! I skipped the syrup step, and it was still a big hit!
Jen– so happy you liked it!
Can u make cupcakes out of this batter
Yes! Cut down baking time to about 22 minutes. Check with toothpick.
What size Bundt pan did you use? I have an 11 cup ring pan that I want to fill about 2/3 high. Is this enough batter? It looks like it is.
Hi Sonia, the bundt pan I used is a standard 10-cup size. An 11-cup pan would be fine.
Hello! I’m planning on making this tonight – so excited! Silly questions – where/how do you poke the holes for the syrup? I’m afraid of the holes showing! Thank you 🙂
With a toothpick. They won’t show! 🙂
I tried your recipe and it was perfect! My cake was so delicious and the most important it is cruelty free. Thank you so much
Mmmmm this cake is so yummy. It has made me want to bake again. I have tried so many vegan cake recipes and been disappointed but this was amazing. Thank you so much. I must try some more of your baking recipes 🙂
This is the best lemon cake I’ve ever tasted!! So moist and so much lemon flavor throughout! My whole family loved it too. We are making for the second time tonight. Thank you for sharing with us!
What can I do if I don’t have any cornstarch?
Hi Vaishali, thanks for posting such a fabulous adaptable recipe. I am sharing my experiment for the benefit of those who do not have access to vegan Curd nor your fabulous cashew Curd. I decided to make it with oranges because they were handy. Substitution for 2 cups vegan yogurt: paste of 12 cashews (soaked in hot water for some time) and 1 1/3 cup of coconut milk +6tsp white vinegar.
Made the soaking syrup, soaked the assortment of mini bundt/loaf cakes with it. The cake in 8″ Bundt pan will travel, so it is going to be plain. The cakes wouldnt come out in one piece but this is probably because we don’t have the patience to wait for them to cool down!! And no one seems to mind 🙂
Hi Vaishali, please help me decode this. Cake was delicious but very oily. That is the feedback I got I will probably use coconut milk+vinegar as a Curd substitution whenever I try this. Should I eliminate the cashew paste. Reduce the oil? Your tips will surely help. Thanks!
Hi Radhika, the cake doesn’t turn out oily for me, so I think the problem must be the coconut milk you’re using. Coconut is very fatty and it also has an oily, strong flavor that you won’t get from cashew or other storebought yogurts.
Dear Lord in Heaven, this is amazing. I just made this. I didn’t have any plain yogurt in the house. I only had So delicious Coconut milk pinapple brulee and strawberry banana yogurt…………so guess who put 2 containers of each in their cake…..yep! This gal! I also substituted applesauce in place of the yogurt. This is a devine recipe to say the very least. The two yogurt flavor’s I used do not pop out over the lemon. Still all lemon. My son and I don’t know if we will have any cake left for my husband to enjoy! Will be making another cake this weekend im sure. Will have to make one to take to work. Onward to another one of your amazing recipes!!!
Made this yesterday and it turned out perfect.
Can I use applesauce in place of the yogurt?