Brighten your day with this vegan lemon olive oil cake! It’s sweet, zesty and super fluffy. Plus, this vegan lemon cake is done in one hour!
In partnership with my friends at Pompeian (originally published in December 2017)
Vegan Lemon Olive Oil Cake
As some of you may know, I’ve never really been a hardcore chocolate lover. You’re much more likely to find me savoring something vanilla or fruity. Basically anything other than a chocolate brownie topped with chocolate ice cream and chocolate syrup—yeah not for me.
When I was younger, I would spend so many weekends at my grandparents’ house with my cousins eating all the food they had for us—peanut butter cups, donuts, potato sticks (remember those?), cheese crackers. Ah, the days.
BUT my favorite thing we ate there was this lemon cake made with lemon-lime soda that we got from a local grocery store. I loved that darn cake. The tartness (I LOVE sour stuff), the fluffiness, the sugary glaze. It’s the stuff of dreams.
Well, I decided to create my own version of that cake from my childhood! I had a few requirements for the final product when I was developing the recipe. It had to be vegan, super fluffy, and glazed, and it had to have the perfect balance of sweetness and tartness. Well I’m SO excited for you to try this vegan lemon olive oil cake, because it’s all those things and more! It’s bright, zesty and a total pick-me-up on dull days.
Ingredients for This Vegan Lemon Cake
You don’t need much to make this vegan lemon cake! We’re using non-dairy yogurt and Pompeian Smooth Extra Virgin Olive Oil to keep the cake moist. If you’ve never tried olive oil cake, it’s about to be your new favorite. The olive oil is mild enough to not overpower the other flavors, but it still infuses the cake with a rich flavor.
Here’s everything you’ll need to make your own lemon olive oil cake:
- Pompeian Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil Spray. A quick coating of olive spray will ensure your lemon cake comes out without a scratch!
- All-purpose flour. If you experiment with a 1:1 gluten-free flour, let me know how it goes!
- Cane sugar. We’re keeping things simple for this lemon olive oil cake! No fancy sweeteners necessary.
- Baking powder and baking soda. We want a fluffy lemon cake, so we’re using both baking powder and baking soda.
- Salt. ALWAYS salt your baked goods!
- Pompeian Smooth Extra Virgin Olive Oil. This lemon olive oil cake is so flavorful, thanks to Pompeian! I trust Pompeian because they work directly with farmers to guarantee high-quality products. I also love that Pompeian is sold in grocery stores accessible to most in the U.S., so pick up a bottle next time you’re shopping!
- Dairy-free yogurt. You can use any kind you like!
- Lemons. We’re using both the zest and the juice, so make sure to get real lemons instead of a bottle of lemon juice! This vegan olive oil cake would also be delicious with fresh orange or grapefruit juice!
- Non-dairy milk. Any variety works!
- Maple syrup. This is for our vegan lemon glaze!
- Vanilla extract. Just a touch for a nuanced warming flavor.
- Powdered sugar. If you don’t have any, you can make your own by blending regular sugar in a blender!
How to Make Vegan Olive Oil Cake
I love making this lemon olive oil cake because it comes together so simply. No need to bring any ingredients up to room temperature first, no beating butter and sugar. Just a couple bowls and five simple steps!
Here’s how to make a vegan olive oil cake:
- Prep your loaf pan and preheat your oven to 350ºF
- Combine your dry ingredients in a large bowl
- Mix together your wet ingredients
- Add the wet ingredients to the bowl with the dry ingredients and mix until it just barely comes together
- Pour the batter into your pan and bake for 30 minutes, then cover with foil and bake for 10 minutes
Keep reading if you plan to top your olive oil cake with vegan lemon glaze (which you 100% should do).
How to Make Vegan Lemon Glaze
This vegan lemon glaze is the easiest, most delicious addition to this olive oil cake. It truly takes it over the top.
To make the lemon glaze, all you have to do is mix together your powdered sugar, lemon juice, non-dairy milk and vanilla in a bowl until it forms ribbons when drizzled from your whisk. Feel free to add more or less milk until it reaches the right consistency.
Pro-tip! If you don’t have confectioner’s sugar, you can make your own by tossing granulated sugar into a blender and grinding it into a fine powder.
I highly recommend allowing your vegan olive oil cake to cool completely before pouring the glaze on top. I like to refrigerate my cake for about a half an hour first, then I’ll pour the glaze on once the cake is at least room temp.
If you’re feeling fancy, finish it off with extra lemon zest!
More Vegan Lemon Desserts
What better way to brighten up a day than to make a lemony, zesty dessert? I personally can’t think of anything! Here are a few of my favorite vegan lemon desserts to try the next time you need a little bit of sunshine!
- Vegan Lavender Lemon Cookies
- No Bake Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Bars
- Vegan Lemon Bars by Nora Cooks
- Vegan Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins by From My Bowl
- Easy Vegan Lemon Cupcakes by Plant-Based on a Budget
Vegan Lemon Olive Oil Cake
Brighten your day with this vegan lemon olive oil cake! It’s sweet, zesty and super fluffy. Plus, this vegan lemon cake is done in one hour!
Ingredients
- Pompeian Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil Spray
- 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup cane sugar*
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup Pompeian Smooth Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1/2 cup unsweetened dairy-free yogurt
- 1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, divided
- 1/2 cup + 3 tablespoons unsweetened non-dairy milk, divided
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, divided
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest, plus more for garnish
- 1 cup powdered sugar**
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF. Lightly grease a loaf pan with olive oil spray.
- In a large bowl, add flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk dry ingredients until fully mixed together.
- In a medium bowl, add olive oil, yogurt, 1/3 cup lemon juice, 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons non-dairy milk, maple syrup, 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla, and zest. Mix wet ingredients until well combined.
- Slowly pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Whisk together until it just comes together; do not over-mix. Pour batter into greased loaf pan.
- Bake for 30 minutes. Remove, cover with foil, and bake for 10 minutes. Remove; let cool in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
- In a small bowl, add powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 tablespoon non-dairy milk, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth. Pour glaze over loaf.
- Garnish with lemon zest and slice into 12 slices. Enjoy!
Notes
*Some cane sugars are processed using animal bone char. If you are vegan, research to find a vegan cane sugar.
**You can make your own powdered sugar! Simply add cane sugar to a blender and blend until a fine powder forms.
Thanks to Pompeian for sponsoring this post! I love working with brands whose products I really love and would honestly recommend. Thank you for supporting this blog that I love oh-so-much!
