This Gluten-Free Vegan Lemon Poppy Seed Cake is moist and fluffy, sweet and tangy and a little nutty from the poppy seeds! It's also covered in a rich, lemony frosting. It's easy to make as it comes together in one bowl, and is easily customisable too. It's also refined sugar free, and is great for birthdays, Easter, Mother's Day and baby showers!
As my Lemon Drizzle Cake is one of the most popular baking recipes I've posted, I decided to make more lemon dessert recipes, and this Gluten-Free Vegan Lemon Poppy Seed Cake is the answer!
How to make the cake
Scroll to the bottom of the post for the full recipe.
- Mix together the ingredients for the cake in a glass mixing bowl.
Tip: Use a measuring jug to measure out the plant-based milk.
- Transfer the cake batter into a one-pound loaf tin.
Tip: Make sure to line the loaf tin with greased baking paper - this will make removing the cake from the tin so much easier!
- Bake in the oven for 45 minutes.
- Transfer to a cooling rack to cool down before applying the frosting.
For the frosting
- Place the ingredients for the frosting in a food processor or blender.
- Whizz until completely smooth, adding some plant-based milk or water to thin out if necessary.
- Use a knife (or palette knife for frosting) to spread the frosting over the top of the loaf.
How to decorate
I decided to decorate this cake with lemon zest and poppy seeds, but you can use whatever you like!
Substitutions you can make
- You can use any type of oil: coconut oil, vegetable oil, olive oil etc.
- You can use any type of liquid sweetener: maple syrup, agave syrup, brown rice syrup etc.
- You can use any type of plant-based milk: almond milk, oat milk, soy milk, cashew milk, rice milk etc.
- If you don't need the cake to be gluten-free, you can replace the gluten-free flour with plain flour.
- The ground almonds can be replaced with ground walnuts.
- For a nut-free version, use ground sunflower seeds instead of ground almonds, use a nut-free plant-based milk and omit the frosting or make a different frosting.
Tips for baking with lemons
- For optimum lemon flavour, I would recommend using fresh lemons (not ones that you've had sitting in your fruit bowl for weeks!) and organic ones if possible.
- You have to be careful when baking with lemon juice as the acidity and lemon flavour can really vary depending on the lemons you use.
- I would recommend tasting the lemon juice you're using and adjusting the amount of lemon juice you use accordingly.
- For the lemon zest, make sure you use unwaxed lemons.
How long does this Lemon Poppy Seed Cake keep for?
This Lemon Poppy Seed Cake tasted best eaten on the day it was made, but keeps covered in the fridge for up to a few days.
More vegan lemon cakes
- White Chocolate Lemon Cake
- Lemon Blueberry Mug Cake
- Lemon Drizzle Cake
- Lemon Blueberry Cake
- Lemon Poppy Seed Bread
- Lemon Poppy Seed Layer Cake
If you try out this recipe or anything else from my blog, I'd really love to hear any feedback! Please give it a rating, leave a comment, or tag a photo @rhiansrecipes #rhiansrecipes on Instagram! Thank you.
Watch how to make this recipe
Gluten-Free Vegan Lemon Poppy Seed Cake
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 60 g (¼ cup) coconut oil (or sub olive or vegetable oil)
- 180 ml (¾ cup) unsweetened almond milk (or any other plant-based milk)
- 8 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest (use unwaxed lemons)
- 12 tablespoons maple syrup (or sub any other sweetener)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch salt
- 3 tablespoons poppy seeds
- 150 g (1 ¼ cup) ground almonds (almond meal) *
- 150 g (1 ¼ cup) gluten-free flour blend (or sub plain flour if not gluten-free)
- 2 heaped teaspoons baking powder (ensure gluten-free if necessary)
- ¼ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
For the frosting:
- 100 g (⅔ cup) raw cashew nuts soaked in cold water overnight or in hot water for 15 minutes
- 6 tablespoons maple syrup (or sub any other sweetener)
- 4 tablespoons lemon juice
To decorate (optional):
- Lemon zest
- Poppy seeds
Instructions
For the cake:
- Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit).
- Place the coconut oil in a large bowl and melt over a saucepan of boiling water or in the microwave (skip this step if using any other oil).
- Once melted, add the milk to the same bowl along with the lemon juice, lemon zest, maple syrup, vanilla, salt, poppy seeds and ground almonds.
- Sift in the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda.
- Mix well, adding a tiny splash more milk if it's looking too dry.
- Transfer mixture into a loaf tin lined with greased baking paper (I used a one-pound loaf tin).
- Bake in oven for 45 minutes until risen and golden brown and an inserted skewer comes out clean.
- Once out the oven, transfer the cake from the baking tin onto a wired rack to leave it to cool completely before applying the frosting.
For the frosting:
- Drain the soaked cashews and add to a food processor or blender with the maple syrup and lemon juice.
- Whizz until completely smooth, adding some plant-based milk or water to thin out if necessary.
To frost and decorate the cake:
- Use a knife (or palette knife) to spread frosting over the top of the loaf.
- Decorate with lemon zest and poppy seeds, if desired.
- This cake tasted best eaten on the day it was made, but keeps covered in the fridge for up to a few days.
Video
Notes
- For optimum lemon flavour, I would recommend using fresh lemons (not ones that you've had sitting in your fruit bowl for weeks!) and organic ones if possible.
- You have to be careful when baking with lemon juice as the acidity and lemon flavour can really vary depending on the lemons you use.
- I would recommend tasting the lemon juice you're using and adjusting the amount of lemon juice you use accordingly.
- For the lemon zest, make sure you use unwaxed lemons.
Disclosure: This posts contains affiliate links to Amazon. If you purchase any of these products, a small percentage will come to me with no extra cost to you! This income will go towards the running of this blog - thank you.
Sarah
Hi, I just made your lemon and poppyseed cake. I was nervous as it was the first time I had made anything gluten free etc. Love the result! I only had limes on hand so used those instead of lemons. The maple lime juice syrup really makes it! My husband had to steal a piece early. Delicious!
Rhian Williams
Thank you so much, so glad you like it!
Megan
Hi Rhian, if I wanted to make a bigger cake using this recipe, say a 22-24cm bundt cake, would you have any guidance about how to increase the quantity whilst still ensuring a good bake? Thanks.
Rhian Williams
Hi - I would use about 1.5 times the amount probably. Then keep an eye on it as it bakes to make sure it doesn't burn and cook until an inserted skewer comes out clean!
Ellen McGuffie
Sorry, you're a better cook, I'm sure, but I'm better at grammar. You are making a very common mistake so many young writers are making today. You are using "substitute" backwards. You mean that you can substitute these other ingredients FOR what the recipe calls for rather than by. You are saying the precise opposite of what you mean.
If the recipe calls for coconut oil and you want to say you can use SOMETHING ELSE instead, you say "You can substitute butter or lard or oil for the coconut oil." If you say "You can substitute butter by coconut oil," you are saying that you can use coconut oil INSTEAD OF butter, not the other way around, not butter instead of coconut oil. Since your recipe calls for coconut oil, I must assume you mean that you can use butter or oil instead of the coconut oil if you wish, in which case you say "You can substitute butter or oil for the coconut oil." "Substitute... for..." means "use this instead of that." Substitute butter for the coconut oil. Use butter instead of coconut oil. Use butter in place of the coconut oil.
Honestly, I cannot understand why this is so difficult to understand. I haven't seen this used right in ages. What happened? Please, honestly, look in a good dictionary.
Ellen
M
Hey Ellen,
Your comment could have been very positive, ,and helpful but instead you come off as a prick!!
Especially your opening statement, it was un-called for and not warranted. Those of us who understand English can clearly understand what this beautiful young lady was saying and what she meant throughout her post. Did you even make the loaf? Or did you just come on her page just to be arrogant? Meh...so you’re grammar is better but it seems you’re comprehension skills are well below average work on that!!
Rhian, thank you for this wonderful recipe, my family and I love it! I tried a vanilla topping instead and it turned out magical! Thanks again and kept these recipes coming!!
M.
Rhian Williams
Thank you so much, so glad you liked it! And thank you for your kind words, much appreciated!
Danica
Ellen, your comment is incredibly rude. If you don't like her grammar, then you can leave and just go to another recipe website or keep it yourself. No one is forcing you to be here or read her recipes. The rest of easily and clearly understood what she was trying to say so I can only assume that her simple mistake caused you a great amount of confusion since you chose to chastise her for a simple mistake. If you want a blog with perfect grammar, please go create your own, ma'am.
But my real question is this: I'm not a gluten free baker, but I'm helping care for someone currently who is GF and vegan. I'm not really sure what flour blends to use etc. so I ended up buying a 1-1 gf blend. Will that work in this recipe? I'm feeling a little nervous about trying it but this recipe sounds delicious I know my friend would love it! I really truly want to make this recipe, it looks drool worthy girl!
Rhian Williams
Thank you Danica! For the gluten-free flour, I use Dove's Farm plain all-purpose gluten-free flour. Bob's Red Mill 1:1 works well too! I'd recommend not using one that contains xanthan gum. Hope that helps!
Ellen McGuffie
* You got it right on your index card, "(Or sub this or that...) You just got it wrong in your text.
Rhian Williams
Thank you so much for the feedback!
Katrina
Hi,
I recently had a staff member added to my team who is vegan, and I already have 2 gluten free (celiac) staff members. I love baking for my staff, but have never baked gluten free and vegan together before.. this lemon and poppyseed cake turned out amazing (after a failed first attempt with a different recipe).
You have a real talent, and I can't wait to try more of your recipes !!
Rhian Williams
Yay thank you so much, so happy to hear that!!