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    Home » Recipes » Desserts

    Vegan Lemon Poppy Seed Cake

    Published: Sep 2, 2022 · Modified: Aug 24, 2024 by Richard Makin

    🥜 NF
    🌱 VG

    Publised on 02/09/2022. Last Updated on 24/08/2024 by Richard

    Jump to Recipe
    5 from 120 votes
    vegan lemon poppy seed cake

    Deliciously zingy vegan lemon poppy seed cake! Light sponge dotted with poppyseeds and lemon zest, topped with delicious lemon glaze.


    Ok, this vegan lemon poppy seed cake was an inevitability after publishing my vegan lemon drizzle cake last week! It's a very slight variation but definitely worth trying both and seeing which you prefer! The vegan lemon poppy seed cake is a little tangier since it's made with vegan yoghurt, but the crumb is still mind-blowingly light. 

    It's also super convenient because it's a loaf tin bake, which means it's super simple to slice and requires no fancy decoration (thank bloody jeebus! That's my least fave thing to do!) so you can blast a delicious cake out the kitchen in a flash!

    vegan lemon poppy seed cake

    I love how easy this cake is but I also love how joyfully tasty it is. I think this recipe will please your lil tiny kiddy winks AS WELL as the big burly builders working on your extension (just make their cup of tea extra strong!). Everyone's a winner! I'd say the only other cake on my blog which miiight please a larger crowd is my vegan coffee walnut cake... but I'll let you decide! If you KNOW you want lemon poppy seed SOMETHING but you don't want cake, try my vegan lemon poppyseed scones!

    How do I make vegan lemon poppy seed cake!?

    As always, the FULL RECIPE is at the bottom of the page - scroll on down if you're in a hurry. If you've got time for a visual walk-through, keep reading!

    1. Combine those wet ingredients

    wet ingredients

    I've mentioned this before but it bears repeating - when making a vegan cake, be sure to emulsify your wet ingredients first! This blends the fat and liquids together in a way which makes it much trickier for the cake batter to split. And as we all know, a split cake batter is a sad cake batter. 

    I just use a simple stick blender like this one - it does the job really well!

    2. Add the sugar

    Sugar

    My next tip for a super smooth cake batter involves adding the sugar. We're going to combine the wet ingredients with the sugar but we're going to make sure we give everything a decent whisk until the granules of sugar start to dissolve. I've noticed this results in a way more even crumb. 

    Oh and you'll want to rub your lemon zest into your sugar beforehand. This way all those essential oils will permeate nicely. 

    3. Combine the dry ingredients

    dry ingredients

    I know, I know, I harp on about this a lot, but PLEASE always make sure you sieve your dry ingredients together before adding to your batter. It's super important for an even crumb, and the vegan lemon poppy seed cake is no exception!

    4. Add those poppy seeds

    poppy seeds

    It always seems to me like I'm not adding enough poppy seeds to my vegan lemon poppy seed cake, but don't worry. Once they're stirred through the batter, you'll see that this is just the right amount. 

    5. Bake the vegan lemon poppy seed cake

    vegan lemon poppy seed cake

    You'll know the cake is done because it'll turn a gorgeous golden brown. If you want to be sure, try the cocktail stick test. Inserted into the centre of the cake, it should come out clean. Leave it to cool and once it's room temperature, transfer to the fridge. 

    5. Glaze the cake

    glazing the cake

    You'll fin it's necessary to set this cake over a cooling rack placed on top of a baking tray before glazing. This glaze is rather runny so you'll definitely get some extra drippy lemony bits on your counter if you dont! You have been warned!

    vegan lemon poppy seed cake

    And there you have it! A delicious vegan lemon poppy seed cake! Perfect for feeding the builders, or even maybe for feeding yourself? Perhaps keep half of it for you and half for the builders? Or whatever, just eat the whole thing. Like carrot cake, victoria sponge and chocolate cake, it's a classic for a reason! Oh and if you love lemon, why not try my vegan lemon blueberry cake!

    As always, it helps me MASSIVELY if you can rate and review this recipe below. This blog only exists because people like you actually use it and cook these recipes, so it would mean a massive amount to me if you could let others know that you rate this recipe or that you’re just excited to make it!

    Alternatively, take a picture and pop it on instagram! Be sure to tag me though – I can’t wait to see how you use this recipe!

    vegan lemon poppy seed cake

    Vegan Lemon Poppy Seed Cake

    Deliciously zingy vegan lemon poppy seed cake! Light sponge dotted with poppyseeds and lemon zest, topped with delicious lemon glaze.
    4.95 from 120 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 40 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 45 minutes minutes
    Servings: 12
    Calories: 340kcal
    Author: Richard Makin

    Equipment

    • 1 2 lb/900g loaf tin

    Ingredients

    For the Cake

    • 110 ml sunflower oil
    • 150 g vegan yoghurt
    • 100 ml soy milk
    • 50 ml lemon juice
    • ½ teaspoon lemon extract or vanilla extract
    • 250 g plain white flour
    • 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
    • ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
    • ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
    • 1 tablespoon corn starch
    • 220 g sugar
    • Zest of one lemon
    • 1 tablespoon poppy seeds

    For the Lemon Glaze

    • 300 g icing sugar
    • 40 ml lemon juice
    Metric - US Customary

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 175 °C. Grease and line a 2 lb/900g loaf tin with baking parchment or a pre-cut loaf tin liner. 
    • In a measuring jug, blend together the sunflower oil, vegan yoghurt, soy milk, lemon juice and lemon extract until smooth using an immersion blender. Alternatively use a whisk to combine the wet ingredients. Set aside.
      110 ml sunflower oil, 150 g vegan yoghurt, 100 ml soy milk, 50 ml lemon juice, ½ teaspoon lemon extract
    • In a large bowl sieve together the plain white flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt and corn starch then stir well to combined. Make sure there are no large lumps of corn starch in the mix before proceeding.
      250 g plain white flour, 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda, ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt, 1 tablespoon corn starch
    • In a medium bowl, place the sugar and lemon zest. With your finger tips, rub the lemon zest into the sugar until combined and fragrant. Add the blended liquid ingredients and whisk together until smooth. It should take around 20-30 seconds for the sugar granules to dissolve slightly. Finally add the wet ingredients to the flour mixture and stir until just combined and no lumps remain.
      220 g sugar, Zest of one lemon
    • Finally add the poppy seeds and mix through the batter.
      1 tablespoon poppy seeds
    • Pour the cake batter into the prepared loaf tin and bake for 40 minutes or until risen and golden. A toothpick inserted into the centre of the cooked cake should come out clean. Remove from the oven and set on a wire cooling rack until room temperature then transfer to the fridge to chill for at least 20 minutes. While the cake is cooling, prepare the lemon glaze.
    • To make the lemon glaze, mix the sugar and lemon juice together in a bowl. Place the cooled cake on a wire rack over a baking tray (to catch any drips) and pour the glaze over the top of the cake sprinkle with some extra poppy seeds. Return to the fridge until set then slice and serve.
      300 g icing sugar, 40 ml lemon juice

    Nutrition

    Calories: 340kcal | Carbohydrates: 61g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 105mg | Potassium: 99mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 44g | Vitamin A: 40IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 63mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @SchoolNightVegan or tag #schoolnightvegan!

    WANT MORE VEGAN CAKES!?

    Why not try:

    Chocolate Lava Cakes

    Chocolate Chip Sheet Cake

    Coconut and Lemon Cake

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    • Vegan Pumpkin Scones
      Vegan Pumpkin Scones (Starbucks Copycat Recipe)
    • Vegan Apple Crisp
      Easy Vegan Apple Crisp Recipe (Apple Crumble)
    • Vegan Halloween Cookies
      Spooky Vegan Halloween Cookies, Natural Colors and Flavors

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      4.95 from 120 votes (84 ratings without comment)

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Jackie Russell

      April 29, 2025 at 9:41 am

      5 stars
      Looks amazing. I am baking for a new vegan friend and am going to use this recipe, it has such brilliant reviews. The one question I have is which type of sugar to use,
      Granulated
      Castor
      Golden castor
      Light brown
      I would be very grateful for any advice on this please?

      Reply
    2. Paula

      April 01, 2025 at 10:11 pm

      5 stars
      Delicious!! I dind't have lemon or vainilla essence lying around so I added the zest of another lemon, and I also used only 170g of sugar and it was delicious, really. I'm saving this one!

      Reply
    3. Olga

      March 15, 2025 at 10:58 am

      5 stars
      Delicious and so easy to make. It's a favourite!

      Reply
    4. Ralph Brockman

      November 26, 2024 at 2:40 am

      5 stars
      This was absolutely delicious! I made it right after moving to a new apartment and handed out slices to my new neighbors. I didn't hear back on whether they liked it or not, but I certainly enjoyed the slices I kept!

      Reply
    5. Hanan

      October 10, 2024 at 10:51 am

      5 stars
      An absolute hit. Everyone who tried it loved it (even the non-vegans)!

      Reply
    6. Vicu

      August 25, 2024 at 3:26 pm

      5 stars
      Amazing! Everyone loved it.
      I was afraid my small oven would ruin the cake but it came out amazingly great!

      Reply
      • Jackie Russell

        April 29, 2025 at 10:51 am

        5 stars
        Looks amazing. I am baking for a new vegan friend and am going to use this recipe, it has such brilliant reviews. The one question I have is which type of sugar to use,
        Granulated
        Castor
        Golden castor
        Light brown
        I would be very grateful for any advice on this please?

        Reply
    7. Dull woman

      August 23, 2024 at 11:13 pm

      The cake is delicious! However, I maybe didn't get something right with the icing. To me mixing the 300g icing sugar and 40 ml lemon juice turned out lumpy and not at all runny. Is there something I missed?

      Reply
    8. Lea

      June 21, 2024 at 7:05 pm

      5 stars
      Absolutely one of my favorite cakes!! So delicious!

      Reply
    9. Mathis

      April 05, 2024 at 9:55 am

      5 stars
      Probably one of my favorite recipes on this website, i make this on a regular basis for my family and friends and it never fails to get me compliments ! It turns out perfect and delicious every time. Thanks for this recipe !

      Reply
    « Older Comments

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