Vegan lemon drizzle cake is based on the old fashioned lemon cake recipe and is deliciously fruity, tangy and sweet.
Lemon drizzle cake is so easy to prepare using every-day pantry ingredients that you likely already have everything in.
This egg and dairy free lemon cake is incredibly moist and light. Ideal for a fresh tasty treat along with a nice cup of tea or coffee.
Quick Origins Of Lemon Drizzle Cake
The actual origins of lemon drizzle cake is not actually known but it is claimed that a Jewish woman named Evelyn Rose invented the first lemon drizzle cake in 1967! However, where she lived and how it was recorded that she did indeed bake the first lemon drizzle is not known!
What is known is that lemon drizzle cake is a very popular and much loved traditional bake in Britain and makes regular appearances in bakeries, tea rooms, cafes and bake sales.
It is a likely explanation that lemon drizzle cake originates from the British pound cake that dates back to the 1700s. the pound cake get its odd name from the ingredient measurements which is 1 Ib butter, 1 Ib flour, 1 Ib sugar and 1 Ib eggs.
Back in the 1700s baking powder had not been invented so to get a cake to be less dense and to rise during baking, would have taken lots of beating of the ingredients with a spoon which could take at least an hour!
Adding lemon zest and juice to a pound cake to create a tasty variation is easy to imagine. As is adapting the pound cake recipe to create a lighter easier to rise cake with the addition of baking powder, which was invented in 1856.
I for one am so glad that baking powder was invented as I really don't fancy spending all day preparing one cake!
Vegan Lemon Drizzle Cake
Preparing this vegan lemon drizzle cake is easy-peasy lemon-squeezy! Sorry!
But really it is really simple and all the ingredients are every-day store-cupboard ones so apart from a few fresh lemons you are likely to have all the ingredients good to go.
To begin self-raising flour, baking powder, sugar and lemon zest is added to a mixing bowl. Followed by vegetable oil, water and fresh lemon juice.
After a good mix the cake batter is poured into a prepared 1 Ib (½ Kg) loaf pan and baked for 35-45 minutes. Once baked the cake is cooled before decorating.
To prepare the simple lemon water icing, icing sugar or powdered sugar is mixed with a little lemon juice until the desired dripping consistency is achieved.
The water icing is drizzled all over the lemon cake and the result will be very messy so do place the cake under a piece of baking paper to catch the drizzling icing!
Next to finish, fresh lemon zest is grated directly on top of the lemon cake water icing and the icing left to set for at least a few hours.
If you are eager for the cake to be ready simply pop it in the refrigerator for a short while and this will speed up the setting process.
If you prepare this bake do pop back and let us know how you got on. We love receiving feedback and comments.
Thanks so much.
Jacq x
How To Prepare Vegan Lemon Drizzle Cake
Pour in the water, lemon juice and vegetable oil.
Give it all a good mix to create a smooth batter.
Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 35-45 minutes until risen, golden and firm.
Leave in the loaf pan for a short while before removing and cooling completely.
Mix the icing/powdered sugar with a few drops of lemon juice until the desired consistency is achieved.
The icing should be white, thick and pourable but not too runny.
Drizzle the icing over the cake and finish off with a sprinkle of lemon zest.
Popping the cake in the refrigerator for a short while will speed up the icing setting.
Recipe Notes And FAQS
Store lemon drizzle cake within a cake tin or airtight container. Or store on a plate with cling film/Seram wrap covering. There is biodegradable food wrap available these days so if possible do use that.
Store for up to 5 days or a few days longer if kept in the refrigerator.
This lemon drizzle cake flavours improve as the days go by and as it is incredibly moist it keeps well.
But if your region or home is extra warm do store wrapped in the refrigerator.
Yes.
Wrap well, either iced or un-iced with the lemon drizzle icing, and freeze for 3-4 months.
However do allow the water icing to set on the cake before wrapping and freezing otherwise the icing will smudge off into the food wrap.
Absolutely.
Try an orange drizzle, lime drizzle, red or white grapefruit drizzle, mandarin drizzle, tangerine drizzle cake, etc!
Or a mix of citrus flavours for extra yummy flavour explosions!
Although for larger fruits do pay attention to ingredient juice and zest amounts stated within the recipe and use the equivalent set out for the lemon juice and zest. As a whole grapefruit is considerably bigger than a lemon!
More Delicious Vegan Bakes:
British Traditional Rock Cakes
Traditional Coconut Rock Cakes
📖 Recipe
Vegan Lemon Drizzle Cake
Equipment
- 1 Ib (½kg) loaf pan
- lemon zester and squeezer to remove lemon zest and juice from whole lemons
Ingredients
- 225 grams self-raising flour sifted
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 175 grams caster sugar or granulated
- 6 tablespoon vegetable oil use one with a neutral flavour such as rapeseed/sunflower
- 195 millilitres water
- 2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice juice of ½ small-medium lemon
- 1 whole lemon, rind zested grate the zest of 1 small-medium lemon
Lemon water icing:
- 12 tablespoon icing sugar powdered sugar, may require more
- 2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice juice of ½ small-medium lemon (may not require all the juice so just add a few drops at a time)
- ½ whole lemon, rind zester grate the zest of ½-1 small-medium lemon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 160 Fan/180C/350 Fahrenheit/Gas 4.
- Prepare a loaf pan by greasing with a little margarine and lining with baking parchment or popping in a loaf pan paper insert.
- Add the flour, baking powder, sugar and lemon zest to a mixing bowl. Stir to combine.
- Pour in the vegetable oil, water and lemon juice and mix the cake batter until it is smooth.
- Scoop the cake batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 35-45 minutes or until the cake has risen, is golden, firm and a skewer popped in comes out clean. Exact times will depend on your oven with fan ovens tending to cook faster.
- Leave the cake in the loaf pan for 15 minutes before tipping out carefully to fully cool.
To decorate:
- Mix 12 tablespoons of sifted icing sugar/powdered sugar with a few drops of lemon juice until the desired consistency of icing has been achieved.
- The icing should be white, thick but still easy to drizzle. If the icing is too thin add a few more tablespoons of icing sugar to thicken it back up. If the icing is too thick add a few more drops of lemon juice until its just right.
- Drizzle all the icing over the cake. It's recommended to do this with a piece of baking paper under the cake as it can be messy. Any pools of icing that drip off the cake can be scooped up and drizzled back over.
- Sprinkle the lemon zest over the cake to finish and allow the icing to set before slicing.
Notes
- Nutritional information is provided for guidance only and is not a strict calculation as ingredients vary.
- Store lemon drizzle cake within a cake tin or airtight container. Or store on a plate with cling film/Seram wrap covering. There are biodegradable wrap available these days so if possible do use that.
- Store for up to 5 days or a few days longer if kept in the refrigerator.
- This lemon drizzle cake flavours improve as the days go by and as it is incredibly moist it keeps well.
- To freeze wrap well either iced or un-iced with the lemon drizzle icing and freeze for 3-4 months.
- Do allow the water icing to set on the cake before wrapping and freezing otherwise the icing will smudge off into the food wrap.
- Replace the lemon with oranges, mandarins, tangerines, limes, red or white grapefruit, etc. Although for larger fruits do pay attention to ingredient juice and zest amounts and use the equivalent set out for the lemon juice and zest.
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