Sweet, moist and loaded with blueberries, this vegan lemon blueberry cake will become a staple this summer and all year long. No electric mixer needed!
They say third time's a charm. That might not apply to all things, but it's 100% true for this vegan lemon blueberry cake!
We're huge fans of the lemon blueberry combo, we love how the flavors of lemon and blueberries go so well together. Our frozen blueberry lemonade and lemon blueberry donuts are on repeat all summer long! We wanted to add another blueberry recipe to our repertoire. Since everyone in our house is kind of obsessed with our banana bread, they asked if we could try the same kind of recipe, using blueberries. Not as easy as it sounds by the way, because, once you eliminate the mashed banana, the whole recipe changes and ingredients need to be adjusted (i.e you're taking away moisture and sweetness, and that needs to be replaced to achieve the right consistency and flavor).
How we made an amazing lemon blueberry cake
1. So. We tested the recipe a couple of times. The first one was totally off, and we could notice that even before it hit the oven. Dry. Tough. No good.
2. The second one was definitely better, but after baking, the cake turned out to be a bit dry and crumbly and needed sweetness. That was out, too.
3. The third one, according to everyone at home, was "perfection" (that's a strong word, we know!!). And how did we achieve that? Simply by making two changes:
- We increased (ok, who are we kidding, doubled) the amount of coconut oil
- Used maple syrup instead of sugar (and increased the amount a bit, too)
4. One important thing to remember here: make sure to use whole wheat pastry flour, which is finer than regular whole wheat flour, yields lighter, less dry cakes and less "bitter". If you don't have it in hand, or can't find it, you're better off using all-purpose flour.
How to keep blueberries from sinking to the bottom of the cake?
As you will see in the cooking instructions, the blueberries in this cake are gently tossed with the flour before adding the wet ingredients, that prevents the blueberries from sinking to the bottom of the cake.
Do I need a lemon glaze for my lemon blueberry cake?
Our lemon glaze is thick, sweet and tangy. It's also totally optional since the lemon blueberry cake is good all by itself, but we find it enhances the lemon flavor and of course, adds some sweetness.
Enjoy!
Other Blueberry Recipes You Will Love
- Blueberry Raspberry Bars (Vegan and gluten-free)
- Frozen Blueberry Lemonade
- Meyer Lemon Blueberry Cake Donuts
- Lemon Blueberry Cake (Gluten-free )
- Coconut Blueberry Muffins
- Vegan Blueberry Crumble
- Blueberry Muffing Protein Grits
- Blueberry Corn Muffins
- Blueberry Banana Matcha Waffles
- Vegan Peach Blueberry Pie
- Blueberry Lime Frozen Margarita
- Paleo Blueberry Crisp
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Vegan Lemon Blueberry Cake
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 12 slices 1x
Description
Sweet, moist and loaded with blueberries, this vegan lemon blueberry cake will become a staple this summer and all year long. No electric mixer needed!
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 tbsp ground flax seeds (see note 1)
- ½ unsweetened plant milk, lukewarm
- 1 ½ cups whole wheat pastry flour ( See note 2)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ⅛ tsp salt
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1 cup fresh blueberries (you can also use frozen)
- ½ cup coconut oil, softened
- ½ cup maple syrup, at room temperature
- 1 tsp natural vanilla extract
- For the lemon glaze:
- 1 cup confectioner's sugar
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease an 8x5.5x2.5 loaf pan, or cover it with parchment paper (see note 3)
- Combine the ground flax and milk in a small bowl and set aside
- Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and lemon zest in a medium-size bowl and mix well. Add the blueberries, and toss carefully, so they're well coated with flour
- In a large bowl, whisk together the coconut oil and maple syrup until smooth and creamy. Slowly whisk in the flax mixture and vanilla. Add the flour mixture and mix until just combined (do not overmix). Transfer to the loaf pan and bake for 45 minutes. Let it cool completely
- In the meantime, prepare the glaze by whisking together the sugar and lemon juice until smooth. Drizzle over the cooled cake
Notes
- If you're not vegan and would like to use eggs for this recipe, sub the flax and ½ cup of plant milk for 2 eggs and 2 tablespoons of plant milk. It might need a few more minutes in the oven. Check the cake after 45 minutes to make sure it's done.
- One important thing to remember here: make sure to use whole wheat pastry flour, which is finer than regular whole wheat flour, yields lighter, less dry cakes and less "bitter". If you don't have it in hand, or can't find it, you're better off using all-purpose flour.
- If you're not using a nonstick loaf pan, or the one you have is worn out, we suggest you line it with parchment paper to keep the cake from sticking. Grease the bottom and sides of the loaf pan before placing the paper, so it's easier to keep it in place
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: vegan
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice, with glaze
- Calories: 213
- Sugar: 17.4
- Sodium: 204.1
- Fat: 10
- Saturated Fat: 7.6
- Unsaturated Fat: 1.5
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 30.1
- Fiber: 2.2
- Protein: 2.4
- Cholesterol: 0
Judy
I'd like to try this recipe but don't like to use confectioner's sugar. So for the lemon glaze, can you suggest a replacement?
Vicky & Ruth
Hi Judy,
You could try using maple syrup with lemon juice (to taste. You can heat it up to reduce it a little bit and pour it over the cake. Hop this helps!
Hannah
This cake was absolutely DIVINE. Thank you so much for the recipe!!
Vicky & Ruth
Thank you Hannah! So glad you enjoyed our lemon blueberry cake