Cakes, Desserts · June 3, 2021

Vegan Lemon Olive Oil Cake

A perfectly sweet and tart vegan lemon cake made with olive oil and frosted with a powdered sugar glaze. This is bound to be your new favorite dessert!

Well, the obsession with lemon desserts continues! Like I’ve mentioned before, I am HERE for everything chocolate, boozy, and sweet, but there is just something about lemon desserts that always keeps me coming back for another slice.

Maybe it’s a mix of a sweet treat mixed with that tart tang of lemon, making me feel like I’m eating something refreshing and healthy-ish, even when it’s vegan lemon cake.

Whatever it is, I’m not stopping anything soon, and if you are a lemon lover like me, you shouldn’t either. Fun fact: I used to suck on lemons as a child, so maybe that’s where my weird love for lemon comes from? Who knows!

Why this lemon olive oil cake is so good

This vegan lemon cake has been about 6 months in the making and I just happened to try it one more time this past weekend.

Back before Thanksgiving, I spent a whole Saturday trying to nail down the recipe for this vegan lemon olive oil cake, each time getting slightly closer, but not quite there. One cake turned out like a big pan of lemon curd, another was flat as a pancake, and the last one overflowed, thanks to my overzealous measuring of the baking soda.

Lesson learned, sometimes you just need to let it be and come back to a recipe!

I think sometimes I have such a stranglehold on making a recipe that I end up trying to make a square peg fit into a round hole at a certain point.

This vegan lemon olive oil cake is that perfect blend of tart, sweet, fluffy, and light! The olive oil flavor is pretty mild, so it lets the lemon shine through and take the cake (ha!) on this one.

It’s also SO easy to mix together and pop in the oven! Bonus, it’s a cake without a fancy frosting that you can just pour on without worrying about having the right spatulas or making sure it’s just right.

How to make lemon olive oil cake

This vegan lemon cake looks absolutely gorgeous thanks to the glaze that’s poured on top, but it’s secretly one of the easiest cakes to make!

To make the olive oil cake batter, you just have to whisk together some almond milk (or non-dairy milk of your choice), olive oil, vanilla, sugar, and lemon juice and zest. Then add in the dry ingredients and stir to combine, making sure not to overwork the batter.
Bake your vegan lemon cake in a 350ºF oven until the top begins turning a light golden brown.
You can also test the doneness of your cake by pressing your finger gently into the center of it—if the cake immediately springs back, it’s ready to be taken out!
You must wait to glaze the cake until it’s fully cooled. I know waiting sucks, but if you try to glaze the cake while it’s still warm, the glaze will run everywhere and your cake will probably turn to mush.

Tips for making vegan lemon cake

I would watch your baking time on this vegan lemon olive oil cake very closely! I think I overbaked the last batch and it turned out slightly dry and crumbly.

I kept mine right around 25 minutes and it was perfect, but check it at 20 minutes and go from there, your oven might run hotter than mine.

Also, I think you could totally swap out the lemon for orange or grapefruit, whatever citrus tickles your fancy. I can’t attest to this, but I think a grapefruit version would be perfect for the winter!

How to store lemon cake

To store the cake, make sure the cake is completely cool, then transfer it to a covered container or cover your cake with plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Store at room temperature or in the fridge for up to 5 days.

If you have any leftover cake, feel free to freeze it per the instructions below!

Can you freeze lemon cake?

Yes! To freeze the cake, make sure it’s completely cool and the glaze has not been poured on. It will be best to freeze the lemon cake without the glaze on and make a fresh batch of glaze to frost it after thawing.

To freeze the cake, either keep it whole or slice it into individual slices. Wrap the cake tightly in plastic wrap (to prevent freezer burn) and then wrap in aluminum foil. Store in the freezer for up to 4 months.
To defrost frozen cake, place the frozen cake in the refrigerator and allow it to thaw for 24-48 hours before serving. I would not recommend trying to heat the cake from frozen to thaw, as it won’t thaw evenly and the texture will change if you do.
Make a fresh batch of powdered sugar glaze after thawing the cake, pour over, and serve!

More vegan cake recipes:

More ways to bake with lemon: