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Here is an easy recipe for vegan lemon blueberry cake that will have everyone asking for another slice! This irresistibly moist, tender cake has bursts of blueberry in every bite and a fresh lemon flavour you’ll love.
It's a fluffy cake that can be made with fresh or frozen berries, and it's simple enough to make for an everyday treat, but can be dressed up for a celebration.
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Of all the desserts out there, cake has always been and will always be my favourite. However, you wouldn’t know that if you browse through my recipes, since I haven't shared many of them.
I want to change that because not only do I love cake, but many of you have been asking for more. So, expect to see more divine, simple vegan cake recipes coming up!
This round, single-layer vegan lemon blueberry cake in particular, is a favourite. I've been making a variation of it since I was a teen (so just a few years ago...kidding!) and have tweaked it over the years to be what you see here today.
This version is tender, fluffy, moist, not too sweet, and has so much flavour, thanks to the lemon zest and berries. You can savour it as a simple snacking cake or dress it up for a special occasion. I've provided some suggestions on how to do this below.
As always, this recipe is dairy-free, eggless, and can be made gluten-free, so no one has to miss out. Keep reading for all the details!
Ingredients at a Glance
Ingredient Notes and Swaps
Note: Only ingredients with special notes are included in the list below. The full ingredient list can be found in the recipe card.
Flour - This recipe was developed with all-purpose white flour. I haven’t tested it with other flours, except for a gluten-free blend (see below).
For vegan gluten-free lemon blueberry cake: I tested with two different gluten-free flours, and the one that gave me the best result was Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour in the BLUE bag (NOT their gf flour in the red bag!). Find all the details in the recipe notes.
Dairy-Free Milk - You'll be making a quick vegan buttermilk for this cake, which makes it soft, fluffy, and moist. Milk is one of the two ingredients you'll need to make it. In my testing, soy milk always makes the best vegan buttermilk; however, if you don't have soy milk, any dairy-free milk will work.
Blueberries - Since fresh blueberries are not available year-round, I also tested with frozen berries. The cake with frozen blueberries was just as scrumptious as the one made with fresh ones; however, even though the berries were still frozen when they were stirred into the batter, they bled into it, which led to streaks of blue in the batter and the finished cake. Keep that in mind if you use frozen berries.
Recipe Tip
If you use frozen blueberries, keep them frozen right up until you're ready to stir them into the batter. Don't thaw them, not even a little bit, or that will definitely result in a blue cake!
The Simple Steps
(Note: I’ve outlined the step-by-step on how to make this recipe here, but find the full recipe, ingredients, and directions in the recipe card at the end of this post.)
Mix the sugar and lemon zest until it looks like wet sand. This releases the lemon oil from the zest and gives the cake a big punch of lemon flavour.
Combine the dry ingredients in one bowl, the wet ingredients in another, and mix them together, then gently stir in the blueberries.
Recipe Tip
Zest the lemon first, then juice it second (it's so much easier this way!)
Transfer the batter to a prepared cake pan.
Smooth the top with a rubber spatula.
Gently press blueberries into the top of the batter and then bake! Skip this step if you are using frozen blueberries.
Remove the cake from the oven and let it sit for a few minutes, then remove the cake from the pan and place it on a rack to cool.
Make sure your blueberry cake is fully cooled before slicing into it. Let it rest for at least 2 hours.
Tips to Keep in Mind
- Measure and have all your ingredients ready to go before starting. This will make the process run smoothly, quickly, and easily.
- Measure your ingredients correctly. I highly recommend using a scale (this is the one I have) and my weight measurements. Please read my article about how to measure flour correctly.
- Use room temperature milk. Take it out of the fridge well before you start. Using room temperature ingredients in your baking will result in lighter, airier, fluffier textures.
- Make sure your baking powder is fresh. If it isn't, the texture of your cake will not be correct.
- Don't overmix the batter. This will result in a dense, heavy cake.
- Don't over-bake your cake, or it will be dry.
- Read this post from top to bottom before you start. I’ve shared my tips gathered during testing throughout, so you get everything right. Also, read through the full recipe before getting started.
- Follow the recipe exactly as it’s written for the very best results.
Ways to Enjoy It
I love it just as it is, but this is a versatile cake, so you can dress it up to be as fancy as you want for any occasion. Here are a few options:
- If you'll be serving the entire cake right away, dust the top with powdered sugar. If you'll have leftovers, only dust the slices individually. The sugar will melt into the cake as it sits, so only add the powdered sugar just before serving.
- Serve with vegan vanilla ice cream, vegan whipped cream, or lemon curd.
- To bump the fanciness up another level, you can frost it with any of the following: vegan cream cheese frosting, vegan lemon frosting, or vegan buttercream frosting.
If You Whip This Up...
Please tell me all about it, I'd love to hear how everything went! Leave a comment and rating below. I'd also love to see your remake. You can show me by adding a picture of your cake to Instagram and tagging me (I'm @delightfuladventures on Instagram).
Moist Vegan Lemon Blueberry Cake (Fresh or Frozen Berries)
Suggested Equipment:
Ingredients:
- 1 cup (250ml) unsweetened dairy-free milk (room temperature)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 ¼ cups (281g) all-purpose flour **please see important notes about flour and the gluten-free option below**
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅔ cup (134g) sugar
- 2 tablespoons (12g) lemon zest
- ½ cup (125ml) oil (see note below)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups (225g) fresh blueberries
- 1 tablespoon powdered sugar (optional, for dusting on top of the slices)
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C).
- Line an 8-inch circle cake pan with parchment paper, set aside.
Make Vegan Buttermilk:
- Pour the dairy-free milk into a measuring cup or bowl.
- Add the lemon juice to the milk and stir.
- Stir and set aside for 10 minutes.
Make Cake Batter:
- In a medium bowl, add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Whisk well to combine and set aside.
- In a large bowl, add the sugar and lemon zest. Mix them, occasionally pressing the back of the spoon against the mixture to help release the oil from the lemon zest. Mix until both ingredients have combined well, set aside.
- Add the buttermilk, oil, and vanilla to the sugar mixture. Mix well until everything has combined.
- Gradually add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until a thick batter has formed. Don't over-mix.
- Set aside ⅓ cup of the blueberries. **Skip this step if using frozen berries.**
- Gently fold the rest of the berries into the batter.
- Using a rubber spatula, scrape the batter into the prepared cake pan, spread it evenly, and smooth out the top.
- Gently press the reserved ⅓ cup of blueberries onto the top of the cake. **Skip this step if using frozen berries.**
Bake:
- Bake for 50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Take care not to over bake.
- Remove the cake from the oven and place the pan on a cooling rack. Let the pan sit for 15 minutes.
Cool & Serve:
- After the 15 minutes have passed, run a butter knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the cake. Place a plate on top of the pan, hold them together, and carefully flip the pan over. Lift the pan off, peel away the parchment paper, then gently flip the cake again onto a cooling rack so it sits right side up. Allow the cake to fully cool before slicing. (At least 2 hours)
- OPTIONAL: Place the powdered sugar in a small sieve and gently shake over the top of each slice just before serving.
Recipe Notes:
- Please read all of the information above, as well as the notes below before making this recipe.
- If you are making the vegan gluten-free version, use 2 ¼ cups (333g) of Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour (Amazon link) in the blue bag, NOT the red bag. Different gluten-free flour blends use different ingredients and ratios, so results may not be the same if you substitute. I’ve only used the brand mentioned above. This recipe will not work with coconut flour or any other single gluten-free flour.
- If using a 9-inch cake pan, bake for 40-45 minutes.
- Storing Leftovers: Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, then refrigerate for 2-3 more days. Serve the cake from the refrigerator cold or bring it to room temperature.
- Freezing: Once fully cooled, wrap the cake tightly, place it in an airtight container or freezer bag, and freeze up to two months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight or at room temperature before serving.
- The nutrition info listed below is based on one of 8 servings made as the recipe is written. The cake made with gluten-free flour has a rough calorie count of 359 per serving. Info is only to be used as a rough guide. Click to learn how nutrition info is calculated on this website.
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