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 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!
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
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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.
Can I just ask if a mixture of blueberries and raspberries would work too? Thank you 😊
Yes absolutely!
Do you mean "grapeseed" oil in the ingredients?
No, rapeseed oil and grapeseed oil are two different oils.
Wow, I have never heard of it - I will have to look for that. THANKS!
Ok, after doing some research...I now realize what it is! We use the term Canola oil in the States. I learn something new every day! Can't wait to try the recipe!
Here's what I found: What to Know about Rapeseed Oil [Written by WebMD Editorial Contributors]: There are two main types of rapeseed oil: culinary and industrial. The culinary version, also known as canola oil, is used in the kitchen for cooking. Industrial rapeseed oil is mostly used in the chemical and automotive industries.
That's so interesting and thanks for that info! To make things a little more confusing, Healthline says "... to be called canola oil, it must contain an erucic acid level of 2% or less and meet internationally regulated standards. Otherwise, it will be labeled as rapeseed oil." In Australia, canola oil is different from rapeseed oil but it's interesting that the terms are different in the States. Perhaps I'll update the post (and my website) to just say 'neutral oil' so it's not as confusing 🙂
This looks really good and super easy! Was wondering if this recipe will work for cupcakes or will they be more on the dense side like a muffin? Thanks!!
Yes, this cake will bake beautifully as cupcakes! The cupcakes will be fluffier than the cake pictured because they'll be exposed to more heat in the oven. Alternatively, check out my lemon poppyseed muffins, omit the poppyseeds and add blueberries. I tend to make my muffins extra fluffy :).
Hi Anthea, Could you add white chocolate chips or make a white choc topping? If i added chocolate to the recipe would i need to decrease the amount of blueberries?
Hi Kath, white chocolate chips would be delicious for the topping! Some chocolate chips can burn a little quickly when baked so just keep an eye on the topping and cover your cake pan in foil if needed. You wouldn't need to decrease the amount of blueberries either.
This recipe was so delicious! I was surprised at how beautiful it turned out considering how ridiculously easy the recipe was. Thank you for sharing and will definitely be making this regularly!
Aw thank you so so much for your feedback Grace!
Can i divide the batter into two loaf pans?
Yes you can, for two thin loaves. This cake has similar quantities to my vegan lemon olive oil loaf cake but has added blueberries. If you bake this recipe in just one loaf pan, it'll be a similar size to the olive oil cake.
Do you think cake would turn out with half gluten free flour & 1/2 gf oat flour. I can't use any nut flour as my daughter is anaphylactic.
Hi Donna, I think it will work but I'm not 100% sure as I haven't tested it. In the past, I used to make gluten-free cakes with half gluten-free flour and fine white rice flour which always worked so I think oat flour will act similarly. If the batter looks a bit runny, try adding a little more of either flours so it's a similar consistency to above. I hope that helps!
Thanks so much! I'll give it a try 😉
Can I cook this cake with just gluten free flour and not almond flour?
It depends on the brand of gluten-free flour you use but when I tried it with the gluten-free flours I have here, the final cake wasn't pleasant.
Best vegan cake I’ve ever had. Make it time and time again
What a compliment, thanks for letting me know Mon!
Hi Anthea, you mentioned this not good for a small tin?! I was hoping too use it to make a 3 layer 4" cake. Your thoughts?
Love your recipes BTW 🙋🏻
Hi Ronda, I'd say the cake will work if you divide it into 3 layers and 3 different cake pans! The cake is probably not great for just 1 smaller pan as it's already quite thick and will take a while to bake in the middle. However, if you divide the cake into multiple pans, it will be fine!
Thanks for your ongoing support! x
This worked out perfect and put the left overs into cupcakes which were great. Thank you and thanks for the reply x
Just made this cake again, 2 x 9" cakes and used raspberries instead. Awesome recipe and they are perfect. Thank you for sharing this recipe ☺️
Aw I'm so glad you enjoyed this recipe and that it worked with raspberries too! Thanks for letting me know, Ronda 🙂
I love this recipe, thank you! I just needed to bake the cake for 20-30 mins longer. I made the gluten free option.
Glad you enjoyed this cake and thanks for your feedback Tash 🙂
Hi! I’d like to bake this in a bundt pan. Would the baking time be the same? Thanks!
Hi Tanya, I haven't tested this cake in a bundt pan but I think it'll take a shorter amount of time to bake. Try testing the cake at around 35-40 minutes and bake it for longer if needed. Hope that helps!
So yummy and easy 😋 made it both ways gluten free and with regular gf flour and I love them both. Definitely a keeper recipe.
Thank you for sharing!
Aw amazing! So glad you enjoyed the gluten-free version 🙂
This is a delicious cake. I made it for our church coffee hour last weekend and I overcooked it (at 60 min). I was bummed because the edges were burned. My 13 year old just cut the edges off and then cut it into little squares and arranged them on a platter. Still so good.
Tomorrow my 7 year old has a team celebration and she asked me to make it again for that. We thought we’d try muffins with the same recipe and they turned out fantastic. My 13 year old loves to bake and is notorious for not following a recipe. She made the muffins and decided to add 2/3c vegan yogurt because she thought the dough was too stiff. She also just put blueberries on top and not in the batter. But they are amazing! We will save this recipe for sure.
Hi Heather, I'm so glad you enjoyed this cake! It's great that you were able to troubleshoot with the burnt edges and I'm so glad that the cake worked with added vegan yogurt too! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave your feedback 🙂
Delicious and not too sweet! I baked it for about an hour and 10 minutes (My blueberries were frozen). Just a great, flavorful accompaniment with coffee or tea. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Aw that's wonderful to hear Lucy! Thanks for leaving a comment!
Hi Anthea!
I’m planning on making this cake for Mother’s Day and I was wondering if this recipe would possibly make enough to split between two 8in round pans or would I need to just double the recipe?
Hi Jordan! Ooh lovely :). This recipe can be split between two pans but the layers will be a little thin. So, I'd recommend increasing the recipe by 50% and baking it in two 8-inch pans. I hope that helps!
Hello Anthea!
Thank you for the recipe! The cake turned out super well and was delicious! I used this recipe to make my birthday cake and will definitely be making it again! I’m about to look into your other recipes now (:
I'm so happy that you enjoyed this recipe, and for your birthday as well!! And happy belated birthday too :). I hope you enjoy browsing!
Hello Anthea! Thank you for the birthday wish (: I’m back to make the recipe/cake again ha and I definitely have enjoyed browsing!
Planning to make this over Easter but realised that my Mum has cleared out a lot of her baking tins. It looks a deep cake. Would a deep 7” x 10” baking tray work with these quantities?
Sorry for the late reply! Yes, a rectangle baking tray of that size should work similarly!