Easy Vegan Lemon Loaf Recipe – Better Than Starbucks

Easy.

Moist.

LEMONY.

This vegan lemon loaf recipe or vegan lemon cake recipe is bursting with lemon flavor, while still maintaining a tender crumb and soft texture. It’s a delicious dessert after a good meal, an excellent breakfast companion to your coffee, or the perfect way to punctuate special occasions. And though I haven’t had the Starbuck’s version in years, I can tell you from memory that this easy vegan lemon loaf cake is SO MUCH BETTER than theirs. TRUST ME!! Like the Lemon Pepper Pasta recipe, I developed this using the gorgeous, large lemons my neighbor gifted me from her backyard. And let me say, they did NOT disappoint!

Let’s get into it!

Disclaimer: Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links for products I use and love. If you make a purchase after clicking one of those links, I may earn a small affiliate commission, perhaps enough to buy some extra gochujang or gochugaru 🙂

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Where Did Lemon Loaf Come from?

As you might have guessed, lemon loaf is a descendent of the ubiquitous “pound cake,” which is probably why lemon loaf is sometimes referred to as lemon pound cake. So, this vegan lemon pound cake borrows heavily from the concept of regular old pound cake, which, if you’re a vegan baker, you know is a challenge without eggs! Pound cakes (and thus lemon cakes) were popular in 18th century Europe, particularly as a sweet addition to tea time. When fresh lemons became more accessible, the standard pound cake took on the citrus twist.

These days, made popular by Starbucks, the lemon loaf is often coated with a sweet lemon icing and sliced into thick, easily portable pieces–making it the perfect cake to go along with your coffee! The main components of a traditional lemon loaf (i.e., non-vegan lemon loaf) include flour, fat (usually butter), sugar, eggs, and some type of liquid. And for the lemon flavor, both lemon zest and lemon juice come into play. Some lemon loaves are also soaked in a lemon syrup, but for this vegan lemon cake recipe, I’m using a lemon icing to give it that bright, tart finish.

KEY INGREDIENTS AND NOTES ON SUBSTITUTIONs For This Lemon Loaf Recipe.

The following are the key ingredients for this vegan lemon loaf recipe:

Lemons.

YUP, you’re going to need lemons for this vegan lemon loaf recipe! Believe it or not, if I don’t say this sort of thing up front, someone will indubitably ask me, “I’m allergic to lemons can I substitute?” to which I would have to say, “Why yes, there’s a substitution for the whole recipe, it’s called my banana bread recipe??” 🤣

Anyhoot, what kind of lemons? As we discussed with the lemon pepper pasta recipe, Meyer lemons would be great. They tend to be sweeter and less acidic than the average lemon, thus making them perfect for this great recipe. They are also prettier (💅) than regular lemons (in my opinion) because their rinds are darker yellow. But, if you only have regular lemons, those will do fine. I made this recipe using both regular lemons and Meyer lemons, and they both turned out great!

Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

Pound cake usually incorporates butter, but for this vegan lemon loaf recipe, I really wanted to let the lemon flavor shine. Butter can be a bit overpowering and I thought that extra virgin olive oil would do a much better job of keeping the lemon loaf moist, while complementing the existing flavor profile. I thought immediately of the tender olive oil cake and nixed the vegan butter for olive oil. However, you can substitute with melted butter if you’d prefer that buttery flavor. You can also substitute with any neutral oil you have on hand.

Dairy Free Yogurt (Preferably Hi-Protein).

If you’ve made any of my more recent desserts, then you’ll already know that my preferred egg substitute is dairy free yogurt, preferably with a high protein count. This not only helps with binding the lemon cake batter, it will also provide much needed structure in the cake, yielding a tender crumb (and not a dense loaf). While you can use a regular vegan yogurt for this vegan lemon loaf recipe, a high-protein one will give you the best results. I really like Silk’s line of high-protein Greek style yogurt.

Thyme.

Yup, thyme, you read that right. I know, a green herb is probably not what you were expecting in this vegan lemon loaf recipe. But I truly think thyme adds something to this recipe in the very BEST way. It doesn’t add a ton of flavor (we don’t use a lot), but it marries with the lemon in this vegan lemon loaf to give it what I call “that somethin’ somethin'” (kinda like the coriander in my blueberry muffins). I’m not taking credit for it–many people before me have added thyme to their lemon loaf. Mine just happens to be vegan!

Dairy Free Milk.

I originally tried to make this vegan lemon loaf recipe without any liquid, relying exclusively on the vegan yogurt and lemon juice. But it literally sank. So, I added a plant milk to the recipe and it turned out perfectly–fluffy, light, and still full of flavor. I used oat milk (I always go with Chobani’s Extra Creamy Oatmilk), though soy milk would also be great given its higher protein content. But if you have neither of these, any non-dairy milk should do.

All Purpose Flour.

This vegan lemon loaf recipe calls for all purpose flour. Can you make it gluten-free? I haven’t tested it with gluten-free flour, but you should be able to substitute in your favorite gluten-free flour blend, one-for-one. The crumb, however, may be dense and/or a bit fragile, since there aren’t any eggs to help keep it all together.

Organic Cane Sugar and Icing Sugar.

This vegan lemon loaf recipe incorporates both organic cane sugar or white sugar, as well as icing sugar or powdered sugar. I have not tested the recipe with sugar substitutes, and given the methodology, it would be pretty difficult. You might be able to use caster sugar for the icing, but the cake, itself, requires the coarseness of cane sugar.

Baking Powder and Baking Soda.

Without eggs, this vegan lemon loaf relies on both baking powder and baking soda to provide the “lift.” Make sure yours are fresh and ready to go!

Step-by-Step Instructions For Making This Vegan Lemon loaf recipe.

Step 1: Release the Oils!

Preheat your oven to 350° F and prepare your loaf pan by greasing it with oil or vegan butter and lining it with parchment paper. To a large bowl, add your sugar, lemon zest, and thyme. Using your fingers, massage the thyme and zest into the sugar. The sugar crystals will “cut” your zest and thyme, releasing their oils. This will help maximize flavor.

Step 2: Add Wet Ingredients.

Next, add olive oil, vegan yogurt, fresh lemon juice, vanilla extract, and non-dairy milk to the bowl with the sugar. Whisk the contents for a good 2 to 3 minutes, until they are not just well-combined, but smooth.

Step 3: Combine Dry Ingredients.

To a separate bowl, add flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk together to remove any lumps. Then, add to the bowl of wet ingredients. Mix together until just combined (guard against over-mixing). Then, pour the batter into your prepared pan and bake for approximately 48 to 55 minutes, until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Step 4: Make the Lemon Icing.

Allow the lemon loaf to cool inside the baking tin for approximately 10 minutes. Then remove it and place it on a wire rack or plate to cool completely for about 20 minutes. While the vegan lemon loaf is cooling, make the lemon icing by whisking together the icing sugar and lemon juice. Drizzle over the top of the cooled vegan lemon loaf. Sprinkle with a little lemon zest and thyme. Enjoy!

Frequently Asked Questions.

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