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 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!
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If you make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and a rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ below. This helps others to find the recipes! As always, I absolutely love to see your beautiful creations on Instagram and Pinterest, so be sure to tag me there as well!
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Moist & Fluffy One Bowl Vegan Lemon Blueberry Cake (Gluten Free Option)
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 35
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 16 1x
- 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:
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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.
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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
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?