This vegan lemon blueberry cake is made with only 7 ingredients and comes together in one bowl! It’s soft, moist, has the perfect crumb and isn’t too sweet.

This cake is perfect for Spring or Summer, just like my Lemon Olive Oil Cake and layered Vegan Lemon Cake and Vegan Blueberry Muffins!

Vegan lemon blueberry cake on plate with two slices coming out showing fluffy golden texture.

Why you’ll love this cake

This lemon blueberry cake is:

  • Delicious, fluffy, moist and golden (all of the good things)!
  • Incredibly easy to make
  • Not too sweet because the lemon balances out the sugar (and there’s no frosting)
  • Stackable for a layer cake
  • Naturally eggless and can be made gluten-free
  • Designed so the blueberries don’t sink to the bottom!
One slice of cake lifted out of whole cake revealing golden fluffy sponge evenly studded with blueberries.

Ingredients you’ll need

Flatlay of 7 ingredients for easy cake.

The full list of ingredient quantities and instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Notes about the ingredients

Granulated sugar is the best sweetener for a light and fluffy cake. See the FAQ section below for alternatives.

Fresh lemon juice and zest for the best flavor. Alternatively, bottled lemon juice is fine. If you don’t want the lemon flavor, you can omit the zest and replace the lemon juice with dairy-free milk.

Neutral-flavored oil, such as sunflower, avocado or olive oil. Olive oil imparts a slightly fruity flavor, such as in my lemon olive oil cake.

Fresh or frozen blueberries. If using frozen, you don’t need to thaw them but will need to bake the cake for 5 minutes longer.

How to make this cake

Simply add all the dry ingredients to a large bowl and mix until combined. Add all the wet ingredients except the blueberries and mix until just before it’s combined (there should still be some pockets of flour).

At this stage, we aren’t fully mixing the cake batter because we’re still mixing it later. Please don’t overmix the batter otherwise your cake will be dense and stodgy! Initially, the cake batter may be very thick but it will loosen up after a couple of minutes when the sugar dissolves in the liquid ingredients.

Finally, add the blueberries and fold them through the batter. The thick batter naturally prevents the blueberries from sinking when we bake the cake.

Four image collage of how to make the lemon blueberry cake batter. The final batter is thick.

Once you pour the batter into your cake pan, scatter the remaining blueberries on top and press some of them into the cake.

The cake is ready when the surface is golden brown and you can insert a toothpick in the center and there’s no wet batter on it (a few moist crumbs are fine).

Two image collage of pouring the cake batter in an 8 inch cake pan.

Customizing this cake

Can I make this cake refined sugar-free?

This vegan lemon blueberry cake will work with coconut sugar, however it will change the flavor profile. Imagine eating a caramel cake with a hint of lemon!

Will this cake work with gluten-free flour?

Yes! Check out the notes in the recipe card at the bottom of this post for details.

Blueberry cake with a few slices cut out showing fluffy interior.
Can I bake this vegan blueberry lemon cake in a different pan?

This cake will bake well in a larger cake pan or bundt pan. As the cake is quite tall, I don’t recommend baking it in a smaller pan unless you’re dividing the batter between two pans.

To make a 2-layered 8-inch cake, scale up the recipe by 150% and divide the batter between the 2 pans. You’ll need 1 1/2 batches of my blueberry buttercream frosting. Or check out my vegan lemon cake recipe.

For a 3-layered 6-inch cake, make the batter as written, divide the batter in the 3 cake pans and bake them for 35-40 minutes. You’ll need 1 1/4 batches of my blueberry buttercream frosting.

You can also make this cake in a loaf pan, but it will take 70 minutes to bake through. Alternatively, check my vegan blueberry bread or vegan lemon loaf that are designed for loaf pans.

For muffins or cupcakes, I suggest baking my vegan blueberry muffins and adding extra lemon zest, or using my lemon blueberry cupcakes recipe.

What frosting/icing pairs well with this cake?

This cake would be lovely with my:
– Blueberry frosting or strawberry frosting (use half the recipe)
– Simple lemon icing used in my olive oil cake
– Vegan cream cheese frosting used in my carrot cake recipe (use half the recipe)
– Whipped dairy-free cream

Stack of three slices of vegan lemon blueberry cake emphasising beautiful fluffy texture.

More easy vegan cakes

Raspberry coconut cake on rustic plate. One slice has been cut out and placed on its side showing the golden fluffy texture of the cake.

Coconut Raspberry Cake (vegan)
Chocolate beetroot cake on plate with two slices cut out. Cake is topped with rustic chocolate and beetroot frosting.

Chocolate Beetroot Cake (vegan)
Lemon poppy seed loaf cake on oval serving board. The cake has a slice cut off revealing the fluffy golden texture of the cake.

Vegan Lemon Poppy Seed Cake
Simple one-layer cake with lots of toasted sliced almonds on top.

Vegan Almond Cake

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4.98 from 204 reviews

Vegan Lemon Blueberry Cake

Yield: 10
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Author: Anthea
One bowl vegan lemon blueberry cake which uses only 7 ingredients! This cake is fluffy, has the perfect crumb and isn't too sweet.
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Ingredients

Vegan Lemon Blueberry Cake

  • 2 ½ cups (315g) all-purpose plain flour, spoon and leveled (note 1 for gluten free)
  • 1 ¼ cups (250g) granulated sugar
  • 3 teaspoons baking powder
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt, optional
  • ¾ cup (190g) dairy-free milk
  • ½ cup (125g) neutral flavored oil
  • ⅓ cup (80g) lemon juice, and zest of those lemons (overall, you'll need about 2 large lemons or 3 medium lemons, note 2)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, optional
  • 1 ¼ cups (190g) blueberries, fresh or frozen

To serve (optional, note 3)

Instructions 

To make the cake:

  • Preheat your oven to 180°C (355°F). Line or grease a 20 cm (8-inch) round cake pan.
  • Add all the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder and salt) to a large mixing bowl and mix until there are no lumps. Add all the wet ingredients (milk, oil, lemon juice/zest and vanilla) and mix until just before it's combined. Initially, the batter will be thick but it will loosen up after a few minutes.
  • Add half of the blueberries and gently fold them through. Pour the batter into your prepared cake pan. Scatter the remaining blueberries on top and gently press some of them into the cake.
  • Bake the cake for 50 minutes to 1 hour or until you can insert a toothpick in the middle and there's no wet batter on it. This is a moist cake so some crumbs on your toothpick are fine.
  • Allow the cake to cool in the cake tin for 10 minutes then cool on a wire rack.

To serve the cake:

  • Just before serving, dust the cake with powdered sugar (optional) and serve! The cake can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 day, in the fridge for 3 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month. If you freeze the cake, the texture of the blueberries will change.

Notes

  1. To make this vegan blueberry cake gluten-free, substitute the flour for 1 2/3 cups (165g) almond flour (blanched almond meal in UK/Aus) and 1 cup (160g) gluten free all-purpose flour. This cake also works well with King Arthur’s measure for measure flour as a 1:1 replacement for regular flour. Other gluten-free flour blends may produce different results. If you’re making the gluten-free version, it’s best to bake it for around 60 minutes.
  2. Don’t be tempted to add more lemon juice. If you add too much lemon juice, it will make the cake gooey, and it won’t bake through. If you want extra lemon flavor, add more lemon zest.
  3. Alternatively, you can enjoy the cake plain or topped with fresh berries.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 338kcal, Carbohydrates: 54g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 12g, Sodium: 153mg, Potassium: 68mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 28g, Vitamin A: 18IU, Vitamin C: 7mg, Calcium: 102mg, Iron: 2mg
Did you Make this Recipe?Rate it & leave your feedback in the comments section below, or tag @rainbownourishments on Instagram and hashtag #rainbownourishments!

This recipe was originally published in 2019 and updated in 2021 for simplicity.

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