Moist Lemon Cake Without Dairy — Zesty Vegan Citrus Recipe

Why You Will Love This Lemon Cake

• Lemon-forward: Two layers of airy lemon cake filled with homemade dairy-free lemon curd and finished with dairy-free lemon buttercream for an intense, fresh citrus flavor.
• Dairy-free: The whole recipe contains no dairy, but still delivers rich, satisfying flavor that everyone will enjoy.
• Impressive presentation: It looks elegant on the table, even if you’re not a skilled cake decorator.
• Delicious: Each component is excellent on its own, and together they make a truly memorable cake.

Time-Saving Recipe Variations

This cake takes some time to make, but it’s worth the effort. If you’re short on time, try one of these shortcuts:

• Option 1: Make only the lemon curd and use it for the center layer and as a glaze on top.
• Option 2: Use store-bought dairy-free lemon curd and make the homemade frosting yourself.
• Option 3: Use store-bought curd and frosting and bake the cake layers from scratch for a quick assembly.

Ingredients You’ll Need for This Lemon Layer Cake

Lemon Cake Ingredients

• Neutral oil (canola or avocado oil work well).
• Fresh lemons — both juice and zest for bright flavor.
• Ice-cold water — it helps create a light crumb.
• 6 large egg whites for the batter (save yolks for the curd).
• Cake flour — use cake flour (not all-purpose) for a tender texture.
• Sugar, baking powder, vanilla extract and salt.

Lemon Curd Ingredients

This cake uses a dairy-free lemon curd. For the curd you’ll need:

• Fresh lemons: About three, for both juice and zest. Fresh produces the best flavor.
• Egg yolks: This curd uses yolks only for a bright, silky texture.
• Dairy-free butter: Use vegan butter sticks (Earth Balance is one option). Regular butter may be used if dairy is acceptable.
• Sugar: One cup, organic or regular.

Lemon Buttercream Frosting Ingredients

Make the frosting ahead if you like. You’ll need:

• Fresh lemon: Juice and zest for flavor.
• Cold vegan butter: 1/2 cup of vegan butter sticks.
• Powdered sugar: 2 1/2 to 3 cups, to reach the desired thickness.
• Cold full-fat coconut milk: 2–3 tablespoons of the solid part from a chilled can to help texture the frosting.

How to Make This Incredible 2-Layer Lemon Cake

Make the Lemon Curd

• Separate egg yolks from whites (you’ll use 6 yolks for the curd; reserve the whites for the cake).
• Zest your lemons first. You’ll need about 2 1/2 teaspoons of zest for the curd.
• Juice the lemons — you’ll need roughly 1/2 cup of fresh lemon juice.
• Combine the lemon juice, zest, sugar and egg yolks in a saucepan and whisk continuously over medium heat until the mixture boils.
• Once boiling, reduce heat and keep whisking until the curd thickens and brightens in color.
• Remove from heat, stir in the dairy-free butter until melted and smooth, then cool. The curd is ready to store or use once cooled.

Make the Lemon Frosting

• Start with 2 1/2 cups of powdered sugar, most of the coconut milk and all remaining frosting ingredients in a large bowl. Reserve about 1/2 cup powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon coconut milk in case you need to adjust texture.
• Beat with an electric mixer on low, then increase speed until creamy. Avoid over-mixing.
• Add the reserved powdered sugar one tablespoon at a time until the frosting is thick enough. If it becomes too stiff, thin with the reserved tablespoon of coconut milk.
• Use immediately or refrigerate and bring back toward room temperature before frosting the cake.

Make the Dairy-Free Cake

Organize ingredients into four bowls before you start — it makes the process straightforward and reduces mistakes.

STEP 1 (bowl 1):

Large bowl: combine oil, sugar, lemon zest and vanilla.

STEP 2 (bowl 2)

Medium bowl: whisk together cake flour and baking powder.

STEP 3 (bowl 3):

Small bowl or measuring cup: mix fresh lemon juice with the ice-cold water.

STEP 4 (bowl 4):

Mixer bowl: beat the 6 egg whites with 1/2 tsp salt to stiff peaks — glossy, firm peaks that hold their shape.

• STEP 5: Add ingredients from bowls 2 and 3 into bowl 1 in about three alternating additions, mixing on low-medium until combined.
• STEP 6: Gently fold the beaten egg whites into the batter until evenly incorporated without deflating them.
• STEP 7: Divide batter between two prepared 8-inch cake pans.
• STEP 8: Bake at 350°F for 28–30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in pans 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to finish cooling.

• STEP 9: Once cooled, spread a generous layer of lemon curd over the first cake layer.
• STEP 10: Place the second layer on top, then frost the top and sides with the lemon buttercream. It’s fine if some curd and frosting blend at the edges while smoothing.

• STEP 11: Garnish with fresh lemon zest or thin lemon slices as desired.
• STEP 12: Chill for about an hour, slice, and enjoy.