Moist & Fluffy One Bowl Vegan Lemon Blueberry Cake (Gluten Free Option)
This moist and fluffy vegan lemon blueberry cake is bursting with fresh blueberries and zesty bright lemon flavor, and is so easy to make in just one bowl! With a vibrant, lush blueberry buttercream made with real blueberries, this blueberry lemon cake is a favorite layer cake!
If you’re a lover of blueberries and lemon, and cake of course, then you need to try this cake.
Even if you DON’T love fruity desserts, I can guarantee that you’ll love this unbelievably vegan cake.
This vegan blueberry lemon cake is actually so delicious, it’s the hero recipe and cover photo of my cookbook! I’m serious. This cake is beyond stellar, and even rivals my 5-star rated vegan vanilla cake.
So let me tell you about this gorgeous cake. We have a fluffy and deliciously moist cake that’s speckled with fresh blueberries and lemon juice and zest to create the perfect balance of sweet and tangy.
The texture is light, and the crumb is so soft and lovely. Plus, the cake batter only needs one bowl and can be mixed all together with just a whisk!
Then we have a homemade BRIGHT vegan blueberry buttercream made with fresh blueberry jam (though you can absolutely use store bought jam! I will say, the color is magnificently pink with fresh blueberry jam. There are absolutely NO food colorings in this frosting!) and topped with even more sweet and juicy blueberries!
And if you love berry-flavored cakes: you need to check out my fresh strawberry cake, vegan almond raspberry cake, and easy blackberry lavender sheet cake!
This unbelievably vegan blueberry lemon cake is truly the best cake for beginners and seasoned bakers alike because the results are just incredible- no one will know just how easy this cake was to make, and with such an incredible taste, they’ll think it came from a bakery!
Oh, and did I mention that this cake can be made entirely gluten-free too? Yep, it’s truly a master piece.
And if you’re into vegan and allergy-friendly baking, then you definitely must check out my cookbook! It’s jam-packed with healthier allergen-friendly vegan treats, including this vegan lemon blueberry cake, which just might be my all time favorite recipe in the entire book!
This vegan cake recipe is in there, and is only a taste of what else is in those pages!
Learn how to bake *unbelievably* vegan desserts in 5 steps!
Want to make amazing vegan and gluten free desserts that no one will know are eggless and dairy free? Sign up for this free e-course to transform your vegan bakes!
Ingredients for a vegan blueberry cake:
As mentioned above, you’ll need cake flour and applesauce for this vegan lemon blueberry cake, but you’ll also need:
- Flour: You can use all-purpose flour or your favorite 1:1 gluten-free flour blend. I love using King Arthur gluten-free measure for measure flour.
- Organic granulated sugar: I’ve also tested this recipe to be refined sugar free with coconut sugar and maple sugar. All three work!
- Dairy-free milk: When mixed with apple cider vinegar (ACV) or lemon juice, this creates the vegan buttermilk. I recommend using soy milk or almond milk, as those non-dairy milks will curdle best, but the results will still work with oat milk or cashew milk.
- Vegan butter: You can also use coconut oil here!
- Applesauce or dairy-free yogurt: Our vegan egg substitute here!
- Blueberries & lemons: Of course, we can’t have a vegan lemon blueberry cake without the two! However, this recipe will also work with other berries too, like blackberries or raspberries.
- Vanilla extract
- Leavening agents: This is your baking soda and baking powder.
- vegan buttercream frosting
The ingredients for this cake recipe are actually quite simple and straight forward! Nothing out of the ordinary here, just amazingly simple plant based ingredients 🙂
Overview: How to make a vegan lemon blueberry cake
I absolutely adore the process of making cakes (and I would hope so, since there’s at least 12 cake recipes in Baked With Love!).
For this lemon blueberry cake, you’ll start by whisking together the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
Add in the wet ingredients and combine the batter until it’s consistent and there are no clumps of dry ingredients left.
Fold in the blueberries and distribute the cake batter into cake pans to bake.
Once the cakes have been baked, allow them to cool completely before frosting. This note is crucial because we do not want your vegan cakes slipping and sliding everywhere after being frosted!
Homemade vegan blueberry frosting
This might sound silly to some, but truly, the frosting is where it’s at. I mean, I could eat the cake part alone (which speaks to how good this cake is, because I’m not one to eat cake without frosting), but this vegan blueberry frosting is spoonable.
To make this frosting, you’ll need a batch of my strawberry jam, but use blueberries instead. You can also use store bought blueberry jam, but again, the color will not be as bright!
Next, you’ll also need a batch of my easy vegan buttercream frosting (which I also use in my irresistible vegan vanilla cake).
Basically, you’ll just make the vegan vanilla frosting, then add in the blueberry jam (once it’s cool!), then frost your vegan lemon blueberry cake!
The color is just absolutely magnificent. It’s full of beautiful and radiant plant based purples and pinks- of course, all colored naturally from the blueberries!
How to prevent blueberries from sinking in cake:
If you’re worried about your blueberries sinking in your cake, not a problem.
Simply toss them with 1 tablespoon of flour before folding into your cake batter!
You are just going to LOVE this vegan cake recipe and thank you so much for being such a big supporter of the Banana Diaries! I am over the moon to share Baked With Love with everyone!
I cannot wait to hear what you think of the book and this recipe! If you make this vegan lemon blueberry cake, let me know down below in the comments section.
As always, I love to see your beautiful creations on Instagram and Pinterest, so be sure to tag me there!
And remember to always bake with love 😉 Happy baking!
Want to save this recipe for later? Add it to your favorite recipe board on Pinterest!
Moist & Fluffy One Bowl Vegan Lemon Blueberry Cake (Gluten Free Option)
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 35
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 16
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This moist and fluffy vegan lemon blueberry cake is bursting with fresh blueberries and zesty bright lemon flavor, and is so easy to make in just one bowl! With a vibrant, lush blueberry buttercream made with real blueberries, this blueberry lemon cake is a favorite layer cake!
Ingredients
Vegan Lemon Blueberry Cake:
- 3 2/3 cups (440 g) all purpose flour or gluten free 1:1 baking flour*
- 1 1/2 cups (300 g) granulated sugar or coconut sugar
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 1/2 cups (360 mL) dairy-free milk, room temperature
- 1/2 cup (113 g) vegan butter or coconut oil, melted and cooled to room temperature
- 1/2 cup (120 g) unsweetened applesauce or dairy-free yogurt, room temperature
- 1 tbsp lemon zest (about 1 lemon)
- 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- Optional: 2 tsp lemon extract
- 1/2 cup fresh blueberries
- 1 batch vegan blueberry frosting
Instructions
To make the cake:
-
Preheat the oven to 350°F and line two 8-inch nonstick cake pans with parchment paper. (If you don’t have nonstick cake pans, grease the pans with cooking spray or coconut oil, then use about 1 tablespoon of extra flour per pan to lightly flour them.)
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In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda.
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In a medium-sized bowl, mix together the dairy-free milk, coconut oil, applesauce, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla extract.
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Fold the wet mixture into the dry until combined, making sure there are no clumps of the dry mixture left.
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Fold in the blueberries.
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Evenly divide the batter between the prepared cake pans and place them in the oven to bake for 33 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle. The cakes should be completely set and bounce back at a light touch.
-
Remove the cakes from the oven and carefully invert them onto a cooling rack, then turn them right side up. Let the cakes cool completely; this should take about 30 minutes.
To make the frosting:
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Use a hand mixer to mix the buttercream with the blueberry jam until well combined. Cream the vegan butter until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Then add in 1 cup of powdered sugar at a time, mixing in between. Spoon in the blueberry jam, along with the vanilla, and continue mixing until combined. If the frosting is looking like it could start to split, add in another cup of powdered sugar.
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When ready to frost, place one cake on a cake plate or stand. Evenly spread about ⅔ cup of the blueberry frosting on the top of the first layer. Place the second cake on top and frost the top with about ½ cup of the blueberry frosting. Use the remaining frosting to generously frost the edges and sides of the cake (you may have some frosting leftover). Garnish with fresh blueberries and lemon wedges.
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Slice and serve. Store the cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or the freezer for up to a month; store any leftover frosting in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
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To prepare this cake a day ahead, complete Steps 1 through 7. Then place the cooled cakes on separate plates, cover them with plastic wrap, and store at room temperature until you’re ready to frost the next day.
Notes
Gluten free: I really only recommend using King Arthur Measure-for-Measure Gluten Free Flour or a similar blend with xanthan gum that also weighs 125 g per cup. Please note that Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 GF Flour will NOT work here.
Coconut sugar makes cake slightly darker than when made with regular granulated sugar, but still delicious!
To make this nut-free, use a nut-free dairy-free milk (coconut milk or oat milk are good choices) and follow the nut-free options for the Vegan Buttercream Frosting. (Note: If buying oat milk, and you require it to be gluten-free, be sure to buy a brand certified gluten free.)
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 418
- Sugar: 48.8 g
- Sodium: 221.9 mg
- Fat: 12.9 g
- Saturated Fat: 6.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 72.3 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3.3 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Britt, this is fantastic! My copy has been pre-ordered ❤️! Can not wait to receive it.
Aw my goodness!! Norma! Thank you so so much!! This means the absolute world to me!!
Hi!
This looks so good I’m going to make it as a birthday cake. I am wondering – if I wanted to use egg instead of applesauce, would it just be one egg in place of the applesauce? Do you think it would still turn out ok? I never bake sorry if this is a dumb question 🙂
Aw thank you so much!! I’m so happy to hear it! NOT a dumb question so don’t worry! I have not tested this with eggs, but typically, it’s 1 egg for every 1/4 cup of applesauce, so I would use 2!
I made this for my non vegan bf birthday, and it came out superb!
The cake was even better the next day, didn’t dry out at all.Ended up adding a cup of blueberries into the batter instead of half, and was just fine.It looked very pretty when it was sliced with all the blueberries+filling inside and the decor on the outside. I also added sliced almonds to the side and the top and blueberries of course.
Thank you for this recipe, will keep it for future events! 🙂
Hi! I have a question about size of cake pan.
Which size do you use?
Since I am small family, I am going to make to use just 12cm(4.7 inches) across size of cake pan.
Thanks!
Hi there! I typically bake this in either a 6″ or an 8″ cake pan- you can also use a 9″ cake pan! I haven’t tried it with anything smaller, but I might then halve the recipe since you’ll have a lot of leftover batter! And keep an eye on the cake, because it will bake faster in a smaller pan 🙂
could I use the same recipe and bake time and heat for cupcake?
yes you can definitely turn them into cupcakes! Bake time will be about 18-20 minutes, but check them at the 15 min mark!
I haven’t tried this yet but just wondering if two flax eggs would be a suitable substitute for the applesauce?
Hi Christina! So I would recommend sticking with the applesauce here, only because I think it yields the best result. 2 flax eggs would work and you’ll still get a beautiful cake, but for the best moist blueberry cake, use applesauce if you can!
I was feeling extra motivated and made this cake alongside a non-vegan one (butter, etc.) Through blind taste test, this recipe was preferred over the butter-filled one! This is an incredible recipe! So glad I found it.
Oh my goodness!! What a review! Truly thank you so much!!! I do love the vegan butter one as well 🙂
The cake looks perfect and fabulous to bake for a special day. Yes, its definitely the best blueberry cake. Lovely!!
Aw thank you so much!! I so appreciate it!
Hello! I have a bridal cake to make and i want to do 4 layers, does 1x recipe make 2x 8” cakes or does it make 1? I hope you’ll see this question on time, the cake is for this week🙏
Hi Rebecca! Oh how wonderful!! Please post a photo here once it’s finished, would love to see!! This recipe, 1x makes two 8″ cakes (the 2x 8″). Hope that helps!!
Can you do this recipe as cupcakes? And how many do you think it will yield?
Hi Jess! Yes you can definitely make this as cupcakes! It will probably yield between 20-24 cupcakes.
Hi, I was just wondering is plain flour could be used instead of cake flour for this recipe? Looks amazing, I’m planning on making it for my birthday cake 🙂
Hi Rose! Aw that’s wonderful!! Yes, you can use all purpose flour instead of cake flour! Just be sure to add in 1 tbsp arrowroot starch or cornstarch for the texture! You can whisk that into the flour. And happy early birthday!
Hi! following up on this comment because I am making this cake this weekend and want to make sure I have everything right! The recipe says use AP Flour, but is Cake Flour actually best? I have both on hand so just want to use what will yield the best result 🙂
Oh wonderful! You can use all purpose flour! That’s what I used in the photos here, and it’s so good! 🙂
Can I use frozen blueberries?
Yes you can!
This is a fantastic recipe – without the frosting, it’s not terribly sweet and pairs wonderfully with tea 😋
This is wonderful!! Thanks so much for trying 🙂 Enjoy!!
can I use cassava flour?
Hi Niki! I wouldn’t recommend it here. I’m sorry!
I found the frosting painfully sweet, 5 cups of powdered sugar seems to be way to much.
I ordered my copy from Amazon just now too! Can’t wait to get inspired through your pages instead of on my phone. call me old school, but nothing beats a physical cook book to cook from ❤️ lots of love from Dubai!
Oh my goodness thank you!! That’s just wonderful- and honestly, I couldn’t agree with you more- I LOVE a physical cookbook (I think I need a separate cabinet for all of the cookbooks I’ve stuffed around our kitchen haha!). Hopefully I’ll get to write another some day, I think it’d be so much fun! Sending a big hug from Florida 🙂 Enjoy!!
Hi! Making this tonight and I’m wondering— should I use regular (sweetened) almond milk or unsweetened? Thanks!!
Hi Julie! You can use unsweetened! Enjoy!
Can I make this using regular butter, milk, and eggs? I’m not vegan but I am gluten-free and I’m wanting to make this for my birthday! Looks amazing!!
Hi Marie! So I haven’t tested this with eggs nor any dairy products as I truly am vegan (so the results would definitely differ! I just can’t speak to it). I will say that I’ve had a lot of my readers swap in dairy products with much success in recipes. And for the eggs, if you want to try that, just keep in mind that 1/3 cup applesauce or yogurt = 1 egg! Hope that helps, and happy early birthday!!
Looking forward to making for daughter’s birthday 🌸. After reading through comments I’m wondering if I use all purpose flour as listed in recipe or cake flour?
Hi Bev! Aw that’s wonderful!! You can just use AP flour- that’s what I used in the photos, and it was LOVELY! Enjoy!
This sounds so delish! I am going to make it for my friends baby shower in a few weeks. I am wondering if you can use frozen blueberries in the cake, or is using fresh berries best?
Thanks!
Oh that’s so wonderful!! You can use frozen blueberries, yes, but if you can find some good ripe fresh ones, I think that’s always best!
I’m wondering about the flour – the recipe says all-purpose, but the comments say that this cake uses both types of flour (cake and all purpose). Could you please clarify? Thanks!!!
Oh yes I’m so sorry for the confusion! So you can use either cake flour or all purpose flour, but I honestly mostly make this recipe with all purpose flour (and find it’s more approachable for those who are just starting out baking, so I want them to still feel like they can try this recipe with what they have in their cupboard!). I hope that helps!
Tried this and maybe I am really a bad baker but this wasn’t as simple as I had hoped. 🙁 I am going to try it again but wondered if you could give me a few pointers.
First, this wasn’t one bowl and just a whisk. I had to get my hand mixer out to get the butter smooth. I used Miyokos and it was room temp. Not sure why it wouldn’t break down easily. Thoughts?
Second, my frosting split. I followed your vanilla recipe exactly and your jam recipe exactly. I combined them when the jam was cool and it split and I couldn’t recover it. It tasted fine but looked weird. Not pretty like your’s in the picture. 🙁
Any insight or tips would be helpful. I want to make it for a friend’s birthday!
Hi there! I’m so sorry to hear this, but from the sounds of it, I do have some insights here! So the butter should have bene melted, NOT at room temperature softened. Meaning, you melt the butter and allow it to cool to room temperature but still keep it at liquid. Then you don’t need a hand mixer! It sounds like you allowed the butter to go from cold to room temperature, which we’re actually going from hot to room temperature so that it stays a liquid and is super easy to mix.
For the frosting, did you add just 1/2 a cup? And how thick was the jam when you made it? It should be not quite liquid, but more “gloopy” and set. Also, did you happen to add dairy free milk to the buttercream? Because the recipe doesn’t need that at all! It just uses the jam as its way to get that fluffy frosting! I hope this helps!
so is it 540g flour or 440g flour? 300g sugar or 200g sugar?! Your measurements aren’t easy to follow at all…
Hi Bex! So sorry for the confusion- my metric button isn’t accurate, which is why I include the metric measurements in parentheses (the measurements I personally use- I don’t use US cups, but convert it since I have a large US audience who mainly uses cups). I hope that helps. Enjoy!
Hi,
In the UK we do not seem to have 1:1 GF flour, would the same recipe/ measurements work with all purpose GF flour or self raising GF flour?
Thank you !
Hi Kloe! No problem! So GF 1:1 flour in the US seems to be very similar to All Purpose GF Flour in the UK! As long as it has xanthan gum in it, then it should be good. I specifically use King Arthur Measure for Measure GF Flour if you want to see if you can find a GF flour blend near you that has similar ingredients!
Hello! I’m going to make this for Easter soon as it seems like it is perfect for the occasion! I noticed some one mentioned cupcakes and I would like to do that too.
I am afraid that I might mess it up on the first try and was wondering what you would recommend for cook time for the cupcakes? (I feel like they are often done for 15-18 minutes in recipes I’ve seen.)
Thank you 🙂
Hi Jewel!! Oh I’m so excited for you to try this!! Yes, you can definitely make this as cupcakes! It’s going to make quite a few (I would imagine around 24 cupcakes), and they should bake around 18-20 minutes, but they may take longer because of the blueberries. You can check around the 18 minute mark by just turning the light on in your oven to see how they’re progressing!
This was by far the easiest and fun vegan cake recipe to make! I’m inherently bad at baking, and this made it so easy for me! Leaves you with leftover blueberry jam as well 🙂
This is so wonderful!! Wow thank you so much for leaving this review 🙂 Enjoy!!
Hi I was wondering what the difference was using yogurt and/or applesauce? I see there’s either option but I’m so indecisive and overthinking if I should do one over the other or half apple sauce/ half yogurt. Im clearly overthinking haha but would love your insight please?
Hi gabby! I personally go for the yogurt, because the added fat in the yogurt helps to give a really tender texture to the cake (very similarly to eggs!)- however if you only have applesauce, don’t worry! It will still work! I used to make my cakes just with applesauce until I discovered how wonderful yogurt is in baking- either option will still be delicious though!
I spent all morning working on this recipe using the King Arthur gluten free flour, miyoko’s butter, and homemade jam. Things did not go in my favor : ( everything tastes good, just not pretty as I would hope in order to present to people who are not vegan. The frosting did not stay fluffy after adding the jam.
Hi Jasmine, I’m so sorry to hear that! I’m wondering, how soft was your butter? I’m realizing a few people misunderstood room temperature butter- it should actually still be cold to the touch, so able to be indented but still slightly cold. A few people left their butters out too long, which made it impossible to make a frosting out of!
Hi there I used gluten free flour and it was sooooo dry!!! Any suggestions on what to do to make the batter more fluid like in the video? I used the correct amount of liquids and it was dry, came out really dense and there were still spots of loose flour, almost like I needed to double the liquid for using gluten free flour
Hi Amanda! So this sounds like it was the type of gluten-free flour you use. I’ve noticed a lot of people aren’t using a blend that’s truly 1:1 (for instance, someone used a blend that doesn’t have any xanthan gum- that won’t yield 1:1 results and that flour won’t be noted as a measure for measure). Which flour blend did you use? I always recommend King Arthur Measure for Measure, it creates the most consistent and nearly identical results to AP flour!
This cake is just so lovely! The frosting is unbelievably vibrant and the flavor is out of this world! I read all the instructions multiple times and made sure I followed them step by step and it worked perfectly. I just ordered your cookbook too! So excited to try more of your amazing creations 🙂
This is awesome 🙂 Thank you!! Enjoy!!
Best recipe EVER!!! I keep making it on repeat! If I want this to be a plain vanilla (not lemon) can I just omit the lemon juice? Do I need to replace it with anything?
This is so awesome 🙂 So happy that you loved it!! And yes, you can omit the lemon juice and zest! Add in 2 tbsp of dairy free milk, plus 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar to create that “buttermilk” effect, and also add in an extra teaspoon of vanilla extract!
I’m not sure if I’ve done the right thing in adding 3 and 2/3 cups of flour. My batter is so dry its almost like a cookie batter not a cake batter. Help!
Hi Phyllis! I’m so sorry this is happening! It sounds like you added too much flour- did you happen to spoon and level the flour or scoop it? If you scooped the flour accidentally using the cups, you’ll end up with way more than you need, which would create a cookie-dough-like batter!
Can this be done with frozen blueberries?
Hi Sarah! Yes, it can!
Suggestion: Dust your blueberries with a little flour before adding them to the mixture. They won’t stick together then.
Hi! I’m just starting this recipe for Mother’s Day today, and am pretty sensitive to sugar and am wondering if you think it would be ok to cut it a bit, and if so, how much? I understand if you’re not sure, but figure it’s worth an ask! Thank you!
Hi Meg! I would try not to reduce the sugar by too much- typically you can safely reduce by a 1/4 in a recipe but I haven’t personally tried this, especially not with this recipe, so I’m not sure how it will turn out! I’m so sorry I couldn’t be more help!
How do I make blueberry jam?
Hi Rita! You can follow this recipe, subbing in blueberries for the strawberries 🙂 And if your blueberries aren’t that sweet, you can add in 1/4 cup of granulated sugar or maple syrup if you’d like!https://thebananadiaries.com/sugar-free-strawberry-jam-whole30-paleo/
I see where it calls for cake flour above, but all purpose flour in the actual ingredients. Can I use cake flour for this and if so are there ratios still the same? Thanks!
Hi Jess!! So sorry for that confusion! Yes, you can use cake flour! If you’re using grams, keep it the same, but if you’re using cups, you can add in about 1/4 cup extra of cake flour!
hi my dear ~ first off i would like to say how happy i am to have stumbled across you blog! this is exactly my style yippee!
I want to make this cake this weekend for my sister’s birthday. she is dairy and gluten free.
we live in zimbabwe so it is difficult to find GF flour but i do have coconut or almond flour. i know they are typically more dense.
what would you recommend?
thanks again for your time & amazing recipes!
carrie 🙂
Hi Carrie! Aw thank you so much for being here, and how sweet!! So I would NOT recommend swapping in coconut flour nor almond flour here- those unfortunately won’t work with the texture here! Do you have access to white rice flour, potato starch, and cornstarch or tapioca starch with xanthan gum, then you can try this flour! https://theloopywhisk.com/2021/09/23/homemade-gluten-free-flour-blend/
Another option that I have NOT tried with this recipe, but have tried with my other gluten free cakes is using oat flour if you can- sometimes that can work, but you’ll need to use the gram measurements instead! And add 1 tbsp of cornstarch or arrowroot starch! I hope that helps! But let me know if any of these flour options would work, if not, I’ll try to troubleshoot some more with you 🙂
My question isn’t showing up! Hopefully this time!
Can you share why Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 won’t work in this recipe? That’s the only GF 1:1 flour we have available in our area. I’d love to make this cake but don’t want to completely ruin it. Thank you!
Hi Allie yes! So Bob’s I find yields a really gummy AND gritty texture. It just doesn’t work for me. And it doesn’t weigh the same as 1 cup of AP flour, making it confusing for those who are using the gram measurements, whereas KA does weigh the equivalent to 1 cup of AP flour (and yields a really lovely texture!). I hope that helps!
Thank you so much! Next question…if I make my own oat milk, will have have good results? I usually use almond milk but I’m trying to avoid almond for an allergy.
Yes you will! I’ve used oat milk (and homemade oat milk) in my cake recipes, it’ll still work! It just won’t curdle like almond and soy, but that’s okay because we just need the acid to react with the baking soda anyways.
Hi there! This recipe looks amazing. Do you think it might work for a tied cake (2 or 3 tiers)? I’d like to try it for my sister’s birthday, but I’m unsure if it’ll be stable enough to hold the stacked tiers 😬 I’d be very grateful for your opinion on that!
Hi Tess! Absolutely!! It will definitely work as tiers 🙂 As long as you have cake dowels in the cake along with cake boards, any of my vegan cake recipes can be used for tiered cakes! You can check out my vegan wedding cake post on how to do that if you need help 🙂 Enjoy!
Thank you so much for your reply! I will totally do that 😊
Hi!
If I use dairy free yogurt, what flavor should it be?
Thanks!
You can use unsweetened plain or unsweetened vanilla! I like forager project best 🙂
Thank you! If I don’t want to use coconut oil, what vegan butter do you suggest?
I like using Miyoko’s!
I made this today for my partners birthday and it came out SO GOOD!! The only change I made was using monk fruit instead of sugar. I also used vanilla hemp milk as that is all I had.
So happy to hear this worked out with monk fruit!! That’s GREAT to know, as I don’t bake much with granulated sweetener alternatives, but I know a lot of others do, so this is really helpful info! Enjoy!! 🙂
Hey can u use whole wheat flour? Ran out of reg flour
Hi Josie! I haven’t tried this recipe with regular flour so I actually don’t know how it would go :/ I’m so sorry! Whole wheat flour tends to absorb more liquid, so it might not be as fluffy and light!
Hi! I’m making this cake for my sisters birthday and wanted to know what milk do you prefer using? I saw you put 4 different ones but I can’t decide between them! My sister does not have any nut allergies. Also is there a specific brand of blueberry jam you like? Thanks 😊
Oh that’s so sweet! What a wonderful birthday cake 🙂 I love using the soy milk, I think it’s great!! For the blueberry jam, I love Bonne Maman- they’re wonderful 🙂 Enjoy!! Can’t wait to hear how it comes out!
Can’t wait to try this! If I wanted to make this the day before an event, what would you suggest? Make the cakes at night, put them in the fridge and then make frosting and frost it in the AM? Or could the entire cake assembled stay out of the fridge for 12 hours? It’s for a baptism so need to have it all done by 11am!
Hi Kristina!! Yes, you can definitely make it ahead of time- I would leave the cakes at room temperature overnight, just wrapped tightly in plastic wrap. OR you can assemble the entire cake the day before and make sure there’s a thick layer of frosting encasing the cake- then store it overnight in the fridge (you can place it into a cake box!) and it’ll be perfect the next day!
Would this recipe work to make a lemon cake if I didn’t use the blueberries?
Yes! You can add in 1 tsp lemon extract for more lemon flavor 🙂
I’m not vegan but have a coworker that is. Made this for him. I made it in cupcake form because I don’t like making cakes. They were amazing. Did try making them after as a non vegan recipe but I liked it better as vegan. Thank you for your recipe my coworker loved it!
Why can’t you use Bob’s Red Mill gluten free flour? Looks yummy!
I’ve found it to be too gritty lately, and unfortunately, it doesn’t really measure cup for cup if you’re using the metric measurements (which I know many of my readers do!), so to avoid any fails, I try to just emphasize it’s a blend that I don’t prefer to use! If you’re really comfortable with it and know how to adapt it to a recipe, then you can try, but I’ve found KA to be much more consistent!
I made this cake for my vegan daughter’s birthday. She LOVED it, as did all the non-vegans. The only thing holding me back from being fully vegan is baked goods. They’re often dense and don’t have a satisfying scrumptiousness. This cake is the best vegan cake I have ever had by a long shot. It’s moist and flavorful. I’ve never had a vegan cake with such a nice texture. I halved the recipe but neglected to halve the delicious frosting. I will happily be making this cake again very soon! I follow you on Instagram. All of your posts look very tempting. Can’t wait to try more recipes!
This is just wonderful!! Literally the best review to read on a Monday morning!! Thank you SO much for trusting me with your ingredients and time (and your daughter’s birthday!!). Can’t wait to hear what you make next!! Thank you again, and enjoy 🙂
I used this recipe to make a one-layer cake and several cupcakes. A few notes:
– the texture and flavor of the cake was very muffin-like, so I ended up feeling like I was eating a frosted blueberry muffin. Still tasty enough, but I think it would have been better if I’d used the optional lemon extract.
– the frosting did split, despite my following the directions faithfully. I was able to save it with a lot of extra powdered sugar (probably close to 2 cups extra after the initial 3 cups) as promised. The frosting had a lovely color but sadly not much blueberry flavor, probably because of how much sugar I had to put in to stabilize it. Just make sure you have plenty of extra powdered sugar on hand!
Hi Mary!! Thanks so much for the feedback! I’m wondering, did you use a kitchen scale or cups? Because the cake texture might have come out muffin-like if there was too much flour, which can happen if you use cups instead of a scale! I’m so sorry about the frosting, unfortunately with homemade jams, there’s still room for other variables to come into play. The more you cook it down, the less chance of it splitting!
This was so good! I’ve made it twice and everyone has loved it! I used dairy yogurt instead of vegan yoghurt and it worked fine.
This is so wonderful!! So happy to hear it 🙂 Enjoy!!
One of the most delicious cakes I’ve ever tasted. I only bake recipes from Banana Diaries. In love with this cake, it’s so moist and the flavors are so perfectly balanced.
This is so wonderful!! I’m so honored, thank you so much!! Enjoy 🙂
Thought I commented earlier, but I guess not : ). This recipe is a huge hit for my family. Made for my 2yr old’s bday, but I cut sugar out and used fresh blended dates instead. Insanely good. nb the icing recipe is too sweet for my taste, so I use my own vegan butter cream recipe, otherwise a knowck-out recipe. Keeping in my repertoire. Thank you, Britt!
Omgsh!! This is so wonderful!! SO happy you all love it!! And love the recipe tweaks too, thank you so much for sharing them, that’s so helpful for other readers!! Enjoy, and thanks for being here! 🙂
Not sure if you’ll see this, but could you tell me how much dates you used please! And did you soften them in hot water first? I also want to make this for my toddler’s third birthday and would also prefer to use dates! Ty!
This is absolutely gorgeous and looks delicious too! Perfect for Easter brunch next month… Do you think the recipe would work as cupcakes? Our family celebrations are fairly large (with kids) so I usually convert my cake recipes to cupcakes. Thank you!
Hi Luna! Absolutely!! You can definitely make this recipe as cupcakes 🙂 They’ll bake much quicker- about 18-20 minutes filled about 3/4 of the way up, but they’ll be delicious!
Hi! I made this cake just now and it really did not work. It’s super dense and very floury. I did reduce the amount of sugar by 50g, but not sure that was it. I only had one 26cm spring form pan, so I placed the whole batter in it and thought if cutting in half later.
Maybe the lack of appropriate utensils made it not work great but would appreciate your insights! I’ll still frost it tomorrow and think it should take okay.
Looks beautiful thought
Hmm I’m wondering, it sounds like your leavening agents might not have been good! That can sometimes happen if we haven’t changed them out after a while and would result in a dense, stodgy cake. It sounds like you were using a scale so I’m sure you didn’t measure too much flour. Were all of your wet ingredients room temperature, especially the dairy free milk?
The flavor and texture is beautiful. I have to say though that I screwed up royally and iced at 30 minutes. This wasn’t long enough. I put the cake in the fridge and when I went to take it out, the top layer had split and caused a cake avalanche. RIP.
For someone who is scared of baking, this was rather therapeutic and straight forward, as well as delicious. I don’t know if it was the size of my cake pan, but it came out quite dense, but still delicious.
I’m also shocked how easy it is to make jam! The only issue was that the frosting was a bit gritty, which I feel I did something wrong. How would I remedy this in the future?
Thanks for such a fool-proof and yummy cake recipe!
This is so wonderful!! Your frosting looks absolutely GORGEOUS!! And I love the flower on top 🙂 From the look of the frosting, it definitely doesn’t look gritty- do you mean that it split? Perhaps the blueberry jam felt a bit gritty? I sometimes notice that with wild blueberries, but those look like fresh whole blueberries! Another thing that could cause grittiness is lumpy powdered sugar, which just needs to be sifted through beforehand!
Delicious cake!!! And absolutely wonderful icing, the colour is amazing.
I used a flax seed egg as I didn’t have either option in the recipe and it still worked beautifully.
That’s so wonderful! I’m so glad you enjoyed 🙂 Isn’t the frosting is awesome!? My absolute favorite, especially for that vibrant color! Enjoy and thank you!
Hi there! I am just getting back to baking after a long hiatus and this looks like the perfect recipe! I was wondering if white whole wheat flour would work here for this cake? Either way, can’t wait to try this!! Thank you!
Hi Pooja! Oh I can’t wait for you to try this recipe!! SO I wouldn’t recommend using any other flour other than all-purpose four or a gluten free flour blend- a whole wheat flour will leave the cake too dry. I hope this helps! Can’t wait for hear what you think!
I am not a baker by any means but this recipe was just perfect! Just finished putting the icing on for my daughter’s 1st birthday tomorrow! So proud of myself for making this vegan, GF cake for my family to all enjoy with us! Thank you for the recipe🫶🏼🫶🏼🫶🏼
Oh my goodness!! THIS IS BEAUTIFUL!!! And what a wonderful treat!! Happy birthday to your daughter, and enjoy! Thank you for the review!
I made the cake and the frosting for use tomorrow will it hold from 7am to 12pm if I frost in the morning or would I be better off frosting at lunch time?
If you can frost it later, I would! Or you can just refrigerate the cake 🙂
I’ve already made it several times because it’s so delicious and absolutely foolproof!
Best regards from Germany 🙂
hi! just wondering because this looks so so good… could I make the cake using almond flour or would it turn out a different consistency? i want to make it a birthday cake :)))
Hi Bekah! Aw thank you! Unfortunately for this cake, I wouldn’t recommend subbing in almond flour- so sorry!
I only have one cake pan. Can I divide the dough in half and bake in two batches? (-:
Hi Laura! Sure! You can totally do this, just make sure you watch the bake time depending on the size of the pan you’re using. 🙂
Thank you for your wonderful recipes and videos. I know it is so much work to figure out the right amounts, and vegan baking can make for an extra challenge but you rock it!
Aw thank you so much for the kind words!! I’m so glad that you love it!! Enjoy 🙂
Have made this a few times now and it absolutely delights every time. It is SO good!
Love your recipes 💕
Hi Camilla! So happy to hear you love the Vegan Lemon Blueberry Cake! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Made this cake for my best friends birthday and it was an absolute hit! Used only cake flower and it came out so fluffy and light, but still delicious!
How should I bake it in the oven? in the middle?
Hi Alina! Yes, baking on the middle rack is perfect!
HELP!! Can I bake this as a sheet cake?? Like a 9 x 13 cake pan?!?! I am planning on making it today for a family reunion! Thanks in advance! Love all your recipes 🙂
Absolutely you can! So sorry I’m just seeing this! It will bake for about 30-35 minutes, so just be sure to check with the oven light and a toothpick!
Hi Britt!! If you plan on using cake flour, do you no longer add the leavening agents or do you use less of them?? Making this cake today! Thank you 🙂
Hi Lea! You’ll still use the leavening agents in the same amount. 🙂 Thanks so much for being here!
how many days in advance do you think i could make this cake for a wedding? including it being frosted and placed in the fridge until the event? i need it for a saturday and planned on having it completely finished on thursday? do you think it would dry out?
Hi Ashley, I would recommend making it just a day ahead of time for the best results! You can assemble the entire cake the day before and make sure there’s a thick layer of frosting encasing the cake- then store it overnight in the fridge (you can place it into a cake box!) and it’ll be perfect the next day! 🙂
Do you think this would be good with a blueberry cream cheese frosting? Or do you think the regular blueberry frosting pairs better with the cake? Thanks and so excited to try!
Hi Emily! Thanks so much for being here! I think this is totally based on personal preference! Let us know what you decide and how it turns out!
The cake turned out great! My friends loved it 🙂
Oh my goodness!! This is STUNNING!! Thank you so much for sharing 🙂 Absolutely beautiful!!
Absolute hit! Made for a colleague/friend’s birthday and got absolutely demolished – all non-vegans, but they couldn’t tell at all (used alpro greek-style yoghurt rather than applesauce). I did put some blueberry compote in the middle to keep it fresh, rather than sweet, and think it worked really well. I made the cakes two days in advance and put it, wrapped, in the freezer until the day before, when I decorated it and popped it in the fridge. At the office, it was out of the fridge for about 6 hours total, and the frosting very slightly began to split, so do recommend keeping it in the fridge, but could barely tell – only noticed the difference as I saw it when it was fridge-cold in the morning. Needed to bake the cakes for 40/45 mins, hut that might just be my oven! Thank you for this recipe, it’s being saved in my favourites!
Oh my gosh, this is stunning!! Thank you so much for the review 🙂 Your frosting looks BEAUTIFUL!! So so happy to hear how much everyone loved it!!
Hi! I made this cake for my daughter’s third birthday and it was a huge hit! I’m now tasked with making it again for a baby shower and I was wondering if there is a process you would recommend to freeze it after baking? I don’t have time to make this the day of the shower.
This is STUNNING oh my goodness!! How absolutely gorgeous! So depending on how far in advance you can make the cake, you can actually bake and assemble then chill the cake in the fridge- the frosting will act as insulation if it’s generously frosted like the above photo 🙂 Enjoy!! Thank you so much for the beautiful review!!
Have you or anyone else reading this actually made it with gluten free flour? I want to try but want to make sure it will be a good result before wasting a lot of ingredients.
Hi Tara! Yes we have! I always recommend King Arthur Measure for Measure, it creates the most consistent and nearly identical results to AP flour! Hope this helps!
I’m so excited to make this, looks amazing!! How ling would the cake last in the fridge do you think? I might have to bake 2 days before the actual event! Thanks
Hi Maria! Ah yay I hope you love it! So if you’re frosting the cake in a thick layer of buttercream, it will be okay refrigerate for up to a day before the event- and if you wrapped the cake layers in plastic wrap after they’ve fully cooled, those can be made even the day before assembling and refrigerating!
hi!!
Quick question: can I sub Blackberries instead of Blueberries? if so do I use more or less than the amount for the blueberries? please let me know thank you much!
I can’t wait to make this cake looks amazing!
Oh absolutely!! Enjoy! 🙂 Would love to see a photo of it!
I made this cake last year for Easter and everyone LOVED it!! I made it gluten free and vegan even though most of my guests weren’t either of those but no one could tell and it got RAVE reviews! The only thing I changed was to make a lemon frosting rather than blueberry. It was requested that I make this every year so I’ll be baking it again tomorrow. Thanks so much for an amazing recipe!!
Omgsh that’s wonderful!! Thank you so much for this review 🙂 And too funny, I’m making this and my carrot cake for Easter this year! Enjoy, and thank you for being here!
Made this cake for my sister in law for her birthday and it came out absolutely amazing!! It was beautiful and I would say one of the best cakes I’ve ever made. The cake was so moist and delicious. The buttercream was great too. Used miyokos butter as suggested and it worked amazing!! I’ve worked with other vegan butters in making her desserts before and the second I opened it I could tell why it was the suggested butter. It worked beautifully I would say it gives a tangy taste similar to cream cheese frosting but that was perfect for this cake. Will be making again for sure!!
Oh my gosh- what a beautiful and sweet birthday gift!! You decorated it so beautifully!! And the frosting looks PHENOMENAL! So so grateful you all loved it, thank you so much for the review 🙂 Enjoy!!
I made this for my family, some vegan, some not. It was a hit all around. It’s so light and refreshing! The frosting itself was nothing short of amazing. I will definitely be making this again!
Absolutely stunning 🙂 WOW! I love the piping work too!! Thank you so much for making it and reviewing 🙂 It’s absolutely gorgeous!! So glad you all loved!!
this was a HUGE hit with my family, vegans and non vegans ALL loved it!!
the texture was perfect and the directions were easy to follow!! I only had one round cake pan so I had to bake in 2 batches but this helped with the cooling process a bit!
I subbed Blackberries and made a blackberry compote to put in between the layers! Will make again and will try the Blueberry version next