• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • About Me
  • All Recipes
  • Shop
  • Work With Me
  • Contact

Rainbow Nourishments logo

menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • All Recipes
  • About Me
  • Shop
  • Work With Me
  • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » All Desserts » Cakes

    Published: Oct 8, 2021 · Modified: Mar 2, 2023 by Anthea

    Easy Vegan Lemon Blueberry Cake

    Pin
    Share
    Tweet
    20K Shares
    JUMP TO RECIPE
    4.96 from 66 votes

    One bowl vegan lemon blueberry cake which uses only 7 ingredients! This cake is fluffy, 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 Vegan Lemon Cake (layered) and Vegan Blueberry Muffins!

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

    What to expect from 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

    This vegan lemon blueberry cake has no fancy ingredients! You'll need:

    Flatlay of 7 ingredients for easy cake.

    Ingredient notes

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

    Lemon juice and zest, preferably fresh. Alternatively, bottled lemon juice is fine. For a blueberry cake with less lemon flavor, check out my vegan blueberry bread recipe.

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

    Blueberries, fresh or frozen. If you use frozen blueberries, you don't need to thaw them but may need to bake the cake for 5 minutes longer.

    A complete list of ingredients, quantities and instructions are in the gray recipe card at the bottom of this post.

    Easy steps for making this cake

    Simply add all the dry ingredients to a 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).

    We aren't fully mixing the cake batter at this stage because we still need to mix it more later. We don't want to overmix the cake batter!

    Then add the blueberries and fold them through the batter! I made this a thick batter which helps prevent all the blueberries from sinking to the bottom when we bake the cake.

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

    The lemon cake batter is a scoopable consistency but isn't so thick that you need to flatten the top! Once you pour the batter into your cake pan, scatter the remaining blueberries on top and press some of them into the cake.

    I pressed only some of the berries into the cake for appearance and stability but this is optional.

    The cake is ready when the surface is golden brown and you can insert a skewer in the middle and there's no wet batter on it.

    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 completely changes the flavor profile. Imagine eating a caramel cake with a hint of lemon!

    How do I make this cake gluten free?

    Check out the notes section in the gray recipe box at the bottom of this post

    Can I use whole wheat or spelt flour to make this a healthy lemon blueberry cake?

    Yes, though keep in mind that it'll make the cake more dense.

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

    I'd only recommend using a larger cake pan or bundt pan for this recipe. It's already a very thick cake so a smaller and taller cake tin may not bake in the middle.

    This cake will bake in a loaf pan. However, I recommend baking it for 60-70 minutes, just like my lemon olive oil cake (which is the same recipe as this but without the blueberries).

    If you'd like a multiple-layer cake, I recommend following my vegan lemon cake recipe but adding blueberries.

    If you'd like muffins instead of a cake, I recommend baking my vegan lemon poppy seed muffins and adding blueberries. You can omit the poppy seeds if you prefer!

    I'd like to add a frosting/icing to this cake. What would you recommend?

    Yes, however I suggest using only ¾ cup (110g) of blueberries and omitting the blueberries on top.

    You can top this cake with:
    - Simple lemon icing used in my olive oil cake
    - Passionfruit icing used for my passionfruit cake
    - Vegan Cream cheese frosting used in my carrot cake recipe
    - Whipped coconut cream
    - Your favorite buttercream recipe

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

    More light and zesty vegan desserts

    • Vegan Blueberry Lemon Bars
    • Vegan Lemon Tart
    • Vegan Lemon Cheesecake (no bake)
    • Easy Vegan Passionfruit Cake

    Follow Rainbow Nourishments on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest, and subscribe via email to receive all of our latest recipes!

    Print Recipe
    4.96 from 66 votes

    Vegan Lemon Blueberry Cake

    One bowl vegan lemon blueberry cake which uses only 7 ingredients! This cake is fluffy, has the perfect crumb and isn't too sweet.
    Prep Time15 mins
    Cook Time1 hr
    Total Time1 hr 15 mins
    Cuisine: American, Vegan
    Servings: 10
    Author: Anthea

    Ingredients

    Vegan Lemon Blueberry Cake

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

    To serve (optional)

    • Powdered sugar / icing sugar

    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.
    • 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 poke a skewer in the middle and there's no wet batter on it. This is a moist cake so some crumbs on your skewer 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 lemon cake gluten free, substitute the plain flour for 1 ⅔ cups (165g) almond flour / blanched almond meal and 1 cup (160g) gluten free all-purpose flour.
    2. Alternatively, you can enjoy the cake plain, topped with fresh berries or a light dusting of powdered / icing sugar.

    Nutrition

    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.

    This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you.

    Pin
    Share
    Tweet
    20K Shares

    Reader Interactions

      Leave a Comment and Rating! Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




    1. chris says

      March 19, 2023 at 9:37 am

      This is just the best cake i have ever made, thank you. Whilst simple to make it delivers a refined taste that pleases and surprises in equal measure. I make it once a week now, just epic.

      Reply
    2. Camille says

      March 10, 2023 at 1:07 am

      Hi Anthea!

      I’m so excited to make this beauty and wanted to know what is the best oil to use for this?

      Thank you!

      Reply
      • Anthea says

        March 10, 2023 at 6:22 pm

        Hi Camille! I personally like using a light-flavored olive oil for this cake as it gives the cake a beautiful golden color! However, I've also baked it with vegetable oil to avocado oil and they both work well. I just wouldn't recommend coconut oil - I hope that helps!

        Reply
    3. Erica says

      February 26, 2023 at 8:31 am

      5 stars
      This cake is delicious! Thank you for putting out a healthier cake. I usually put less sugar but this is on repeat. I prefer it without a lemon glaze or any extra sugar and with fresh fruit on top instead , in addition to the fruit in the cake. Just made multiple today to freeze for a rainy day and one to eat now! The lemon flavor is awesome! I’m hoping the texture of the blueberries is acceptable but we’ll see!

      Reply
    4. Rose says

      February 25, 2023 at 12:31 pm

      Hi,

      Can you b use chickpea or millet flour to make this cake?

      Reply
      • Anthea says

        February 27, 2023 at 1:17 pm

        Hi Rose, I don't have much experience baking sweet cakes with chickpea or millet flour so I'm not 100% sure. However, I've read that it needs to be used in a different amount to regular flour and may change it's texture/flavor.

        Reply
    5. Sheri says

      February 24, 2023 at 3:30 pm

      Is it possible to substitute applesauce or ripe bananas for the oil?

      Reply
      • Anthea says

        February 27, 2023 at 1:14 pm

        Hi Sheri, I suspect that it would make the cake very dense, however I haven't tried it so I'm not 100% sure.

        Reply
    6. Julie Grodsky says

      February 10, 2023 at 1:29 pm

      5 stars
      LOVED this recipe!! This time I’m making it in cupcake form for a very special birthday!! I’ll post pictures!!

      Do you think the recipe is suitable for about a dozen cupcakes?? Thank you!

      Reply
      • Anthea says

        February 11, 2023 at 9:31 am

        Aw, thanks Julie! That makes me so happy to hear! This recipe makes about 15-18 cupcakes so you can either have extra cupcakes or scale down the recipe. I hope that helps and that you enjoy celebrating the birthday!

        Reply
    7. Yana says

      February 03, 2023 at 11:55 am

      I followed your recipe exactly and the cake over flowed from the 8-inch round cake pan!!!!!!!!! 😫😫😫😫

      Reply
      • Anthea says

        February 03, 2023 at 12:37 pm

        Oh no! It sounds like your 8-inch cake pan was too short. The one I used was 4-inch (10 cm) tall and a 3-inch (7.5 cm) pan will also work. A 2-inch (5cm) cake pan would definitely be too short.

        Reply
    8. Beatrice says

      January 23, 2023 at 3:49 am

      Hi Anthea,

      Do you use a round pan for more even cooking? Do you think if I used a square pan it would not cook properly? I want to be able to make equal size pieces and wrap to give and share. I am not sure the triangle shape of the pieces will do well in wrapping.

      This looks delicious and I look forward to making it soon!!

      Reply
      • Anthea says

        January 24, 2023 at 10:34 am

        Hi Beatrice, this cake will still bake well in a square pan! If you're using an 8-inch square pan, your final cake will be slightly shorter. An 8-inch square pan actually has more surface area than an 8-inch round pan so it should bake even better. I hope that helps!

        Reply
    9. Nicolas says

      January 13, 2023 at 1:51 am

      5 stars
      I baked this cake for the office last night. Everyone agreed, it was an amazing cake. Not heavy like other vegan cakes, full of flavour and as the baker; it was easy and a joy to make.

      I used a Bundt tin, and the outside of the cake was a little darker - but a lot of people commented that they liked the texture. Next time, I will look to reduce the temperature to 160 degrees (I have a fan assisted oven and wish that I had read one of the comments below) and bake a little longer to compensate for the lower temperature.

      A few Vegan's asked what oil I used. I used Morrison's vegetable oil and Morrison's Sweetened Soya Milk, in case anyone from the UK is looking to bake.

      This recipe has now been added to my cookbook for future bakes. Thank you so much for sharing with us.

      Reply
      • Anthea says

        January 26, 2023 at 3:55 pm

        Hi Nicolas, it's great to hear that you and everyone in your office loved this cake! Good idea about reducing the temperature but I'm glad that it still worked nevertheless. And thanks a lot for the tips about UK products. Thank you so much for your feedback 🙂

        Reply
        • Beverley says

          March 13, 2023 at 7:46 am

          5 stars
          This is my favorite lemon blueberry cake recipe - it's my go-to recipe when we need a sweet treat! So light and fluffy - great flavor. I mostly make it exactly like the recipe, but I have also made it as a lemon raspberry cake and a lemon strawberry cake!! It turns out perfectly every time! I find that I need to bake it a little longer..but that could just be my oven...

    10. Alzena says

      December 21, 2022 at 5:09 am

      5 stars
      I have made this recipe multiple times and it's always a hit! It's a straightforward recipe and the cake is so full of flavour. I use the gf flour options and it really works! Thank you for this recipe!!

      Reply
      • Anthea says

        January 26, 2023 at 3:53 pm

        Hi Alzena, that's great feedback about the gluten-free version and I'm so happy that you've made it many times! Thank you so much!!

        Reply
    11. Jo says

      December 10, 2022 at 2:39 am

      thanks for the recipe, perfect for my daughter's birthday. Is the 180c for the oven fan assisted or not?

      Reply
      • Anthea says

        December 10, 2022 at 10:37 am

        Hi Jo, the 180C is for a conventional oven :).

        Reply
    12. Manuela says

      December 09, 2022 at 3:35 am

      5 stars
      I've tried quite a few recipes for vegan cakes, and this one is the best so far.I've made it with fresh blueberries,it was very delicious and I've made it with frozen raspberries,it was amazing,the whole family loved it. For my daughter's birthday, I plan to make it as a two or three layer cake. I will use a classic vegan buttercream frosting and I will cover and decorate the cake with fondant.Hope it turns out well.

      Reply
      • Anthea says

        December 09, 2022 at 1:00 pm

        Aw what a compliment!! It's great that you've made this a few times already. Yes, this recipe works well as a layered cake with frosting and fondant! The cake can be baked in seperate tins, or as a whole and cut it into layers. Let me know if there's anything I can do to help!

        Reply
    13. Siddhi says

      December 01, 2022 at 2:25 am

      5 stars
      This was a super quick and easy cake. I only used 1/2 cup cane sugar and 1/2 cup coconut sugar and it was still good, the lemon really comes out nicely and so you don’t need much sugar. I also used gluten free baking flour and it did not make any difference. Also added total 2 cups of fresh blueberries because I love blueberries :). The cake was super moist and best when eaten warm for breakfast. Also ate it with vegan vanilla bean ice cream and makes for a good dessert. Will definitely be adding this one to my fav vegan bakes recipe list !!!

      Reply
      • Anthea says

        December 09, 2022 at 12:57 pm

        That sounds wonderful! I'm glad that you enjoyed it with some coconut sugar and gluten-free flour. Thanks so much for your great feedback Siddhi!

        Reply
    14. Christina says

      November 24, 2022 at 1:01 pm

      Can I use honey instead of sugar? If so how much honey would I use?

      Reply
      • Anthea says

        December 10, 2022 at 10:39 am

        Hi Christina, I think a liquid sweetener will be too heavy as a 1:1 replacement for this cake (and most cakes). However, if you change the amounts of the other ingredients, it may work.

        Reply
    15. Mirian says

      November 03, 2022 at 7:22 pm

      I’ve tried a couple of times and it is very sweet. The texture and the lemon with blueberries is amazing, but there is this one thing I did not get right yet: the sugar. I put less than 1 cup and is still very sweet. I’ll keep trying and if I find a nice amount (that is especially suitable for small kids) I’ll share here in case other moms would like.

      Reply
      • Anthea says

        November 05, 2022 at 10:06 pm

        Hi Mirian, thanks for your feedback. You're welcome to adjust the sugar to your tastes! Some people found this cake to be just right whereas others said it wasn't too sweet! Let me know how you go with reducing the sugar further as I know that reducing sugar can impact a cake's texture and moisture levels. Thanks for letting me know your experience.

        Reply
      • Maria says

        November 29, 2022 at 11:38 am

        I always add about 175 grams of sugar (instead of 250) - that way it tastes perfect to me! The texture is still really good, and it's my husband's absolute favorite dessert 🙂

        Reply
    16. Shu Xian says

      October 31, 2022 at 6:07 am

      Hi Anthea, do u think this recipe will work with 50% Almond meal and 50% oat flour or superfine Wholegrain flour?

      Reply
      • Anthea says

        October 31, 2022 at 8:48 pm

        I'm not sure if it will work with oat flour but I think it will work with 50% wholegrain flour. I hope that helps and let me know how you go!

        Reply
    17. Amanda says

      October 24, 2022 at 12:22 pm

      5 stars
      Turned out well, easy to make. Took to a baby shower and everyone loved it!

      Reply
      • Anthea says

        October 25, 2022 at 2:22 pm

        That's amazing to hear Amanda, thanks so much for your comment!

        Reply
    « Older Comments

    Primary Sidebar

    About Anthea

    More about me →

    Popular Recipes

    • Vegan Cinnamon Babka
    • Vegan Banana Bread
    • Easy Vegan Lemon Blueberry Cake
    • Vegan Whole Wheat Pancakes
    • Buttery Vegan Brioche
    • Vegan Oatmeal Cookies

    Seasonal Recipes

    • Vegan Strawberry Cupcakes
    • Vegan Blueberry Muffins
    • Vegan Carrot Muffins
    • Vegan Gnocchi Bake with Bolognese Sauce
    • One-Pot Easy Vegan Ramen (with miso sesame soup)
    • Easy Thai Red Curry Potato Lentil Soup

    Get my cookbook

    Cover of Incredible Plant Based Desserts

    About Anthea

    More about me →

    Popular Recipes

    • Vegan Cinnamon Babka
    • Vegan Banana Bread
    • Easy Vegan Lemon Blueberry Cake
    • Vegan Whole Wheat Pancakes
    • Buttery Vegan Brioche
    • Vegan Oatmeal Cookies

    Seasonal Recipes

    • Vegan Strawberry Cupcakes
    • Vegan Blueberry Muffins
    • Vegan Carrot Muffins
    • Vegan Gnocchi Bake with Bolognese Sauce
    • One-Pot Easy Vegan Ramen (with miso sesame soup)
    • Easy Thai Red Curry Potato Lentil Soup

    Get my cookbook

    Cover of Incredible Plant Based Desserts

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    Featured in

    Banner with 10 logos where Rainbow Nourishments has been featured.

    More

    About
    Work with Me
    Contact

    Shop

    Get my cookbook

    Follow Me

    • Instagram
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube

    COPYRIGHT © 2023 · RAINBOW NOURISHMENTS · PRIVACY POLICY ·  ACCESSIBILITY POLICY