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!
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!
Ingredients you'll need
This vegan lemon blueberry cake has no fancy ingredients! You'll need:
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.
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.
Customizing this cake
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!
Check out the notes section in the gray recipe box at the bottom of this post
Yes, though keep in mind that it'll make the cake more dense.
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 at least 70 minutes. Alternatively, check my vegan lemon loaf or vegan blueberry bread which are designed for loaf pans.
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!
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
More light and zesty vegan desserts
Follow Rainbow Nourishments on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest, and subscribe via email to receive all of our latest recipes!
Vegan Lemon Blueberry Cake
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)
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
- 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.
- Alternatively, you can enjoy the cake plain, topped with fresh berries or a light dusting of powdered / icing sugar.
Nutrition
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.
Vegan lemon blueberry muffins are a favourite of mine but today I decided I 'had' to make a vegan lemon blueberry cake. I looked at several recipes and then I found your recipe. It ticked all the boxes and I had all the ingredients in the pantry or fridge. I mixed all the ingredients together and popped the cake into the oven. 50 minutes later I took my cake out of the oven. It looked amazing and smelt divine. I forced myself to wait until after dinner to try the cake and it was so good that I had 2 slices. Thank you for creating such a delicious cake. Ps I worked in Canberra for nearly 20 years 🙂
I’ve made this cake several times. It’s incredibly versatile. I’ve done the lemon/blueberry. At the holidays I used cranberries and orange. I just made it this morning with apples and a quarter cup of rum. It’s been delicious every single time. This is a dependable, wonderful recipe that I’m so grateful to have found.
Hice el bizcocho y encantó a todo el mundo. Es fresco, jugoso y muy sencillo de hacer. Repetiré.
Used a loaf tin instead of cake tin, and maybe that is the only thing I did wrong, but ended up being completely wet in the middle. So when I put it in the oven for longer with foil on top, the outside of the cake became burnt while the inside was dense.
Hi Rich, it sounds like your oven was too hot or has a strong top heating element! If the outside is *too* baked, the middle has nowhere to rise and will be dense. Next time, try covering the loaf earlier in the process or try my blueberry bread recipe.
Just tried this for the first time! Absolutely loved it! Thank you for the recipe! Will be making it again 🙂
Hi Kanika, oh I'm stoked that you loved this cake!! Thanks so much for your feedback x
I just made this recipe, and it is AMAZING. Usually any vegan cake I try to bake turns more dense on the inside. This one is so fluffy and yummy!
Thanks for the recipe, will be making this one more often 🙂
Hi Smaragda, that's amazing news and I hear you about vegan cakes!! I'm so happy you're keen to make this one again :). Thanks for your lovely comment x