Moist, soft, and buttery vegan lemon poppy seed cake that’s made with just a bowl and a whisk! Based off of my classic vegan vanilla sheet cake, this lemon poppy seed cake is bursting with bright citrus and nutty sweet almond flavor, and topped with the silkiest vegan cream cheese frosting! Easily made gluten free too!

slice of lemon poppy seed cake on a plate

One of my favorite flavors of late winter and early spring is lemon. It’s like sunshine bursting through the clouds on a dreary day.

We have some amazing vegan lemon recipes on the blog and in my cookbook already, including vegan lemon pound cake, gluten free vegan lemon cake with cream cheese frosting, vegan lemon poppy seed muffins, and this amazing vegan lemon blueberry cake.

But now let me introduce you to the EASIEST recipe of them all (and truly amazingly flavorful!): the vegan lemon poppy seed sheet cake!

Why you’ll love this unbelievably vegan lemon poppy seed sheet cake:

  • This lemon poppy seed cake is BEYOND easy! You only need a bowl and whisk- not even a hand mixer!! How amazing is that?! I wanted to make it as easy as my small chocolate cake and small vanilla cake, and that’s what we achieved. Just pour the batter into an 8×8 cake pan and bake!
  • Unbelievably soft & fluffy texture: When I tell you this lemon cake has the ultimate light and tender crumb…I mean, it’s buttery, sweet, soft, and melts in your mouth. The crumb is tight yet soft and airy, leaving you feel lifted rather than weighed down. It’s a dream combination. Then the citrus zest just bursts through and is complemented by the almond notes and sweetness from the vanilla and sugar. This vegan lemon poppy seed cake is just a dream!
  • Simple in ingredients: You don’t need any eggs nor dairy to make this lemon poppy seed cake. In fact, you don’t even need any special vegan egg substitutes. We’re just using dairy free yogurt, which is easy to come by! After that, the remaining ingredients are super familiar too: flour, sugar, vegan butter (melted and not room temperature!), and lemon! How simple, right?
  • No need to layer! I wanted this lemon poppy seed cake to be straight forward: you bake then frost! No need to assemble into a layer cake (although I do love my layer cakes!). This vegan lemon poppy seed cake is more of a snack cake- smaller than a sheet cake but still just as easy (and transportable!). This lemon poppy seed cake is perfect for Mother’s Day brunch, Easter, bridal showers, baby showers, or any summer or spring get together!
sliced lemon poppy seed cake

Lemon poppy seed cake components:

The lemon poppy seed cake: What an actual dream this lemon poppy seed cake is! Full of vibrant lemon and that crunch from the poppy seeds. It’s like the perfect blend of my lemon pound cake and lemon poppy seed muffins in one! The cake texture is light and tender, with the perfect tight yet fluffy and soft crumb. And the flavor throughout is a dream: tangy but beautifully sweet with a lightness from the vanilla and a hint of nuttiness from the almond extract. You’ll want to go back bite after bite!

The almond cream cheese frosting: This might be my favorite pairing of cream cheese frosting (aside from this peanut butter cream cheese frosting!). The almond extract’s sweet nuttiness pairs so well with the tang of the cream cheese. And because cream cheese frosting is a bit softer, it makes a wonderful frosting to top a sheet cake or snack cake with.

The decorations: I kept my lemon poppy seed cake super simple- just a sprinkling of poppy seeds and lemon slices (which leak some lemon juice onto the frosting, and give it even more flavor!). You can also top with candied lemon slices or peels, or edible flowers. The perfect spring cake decorations in my opinion!

decorated lemon poppy seed cake with lemon slices

Overview: How to easily make a vegan lemon poppy seed cake (step by step photos)

whisked wet ingredients in a bowl
First start by whisking together the sugar, dairy free yogurt, vegan butter, vanilla, almond, and lemon extracts, along with the lemon zest.
lemon poppy seed cake batter in a bowl
Then add in the remaining ingredients, including flour, baking powder, baking soda, sea salt, and dairy free milk and lemon juice. Whisk just until combined, then add in the poppy seeds.
lemon poppy seed cake before baking
Pour the lemon poppy seed cake batter into the prepared pan, and bake!
baked vegan lemon poppy seed cake
Once the cake is baked, allow it to fully cool before decorating. Then slice and enjoy!

Almond Cream Cheese Frosting Substitutes:

I personally think the almond cream cheese frosting totally makes this lemon poppy seed cake. It’s a bit more versatile than just plain vegan cream cheese frosting. However, you can absolutely go that route if you’d like!

If you’re not up for a cream cheese frosting, you can also sub in my classic vegan buttercream. That will also taste really lovely, since you have the tang from the lemon cake! This vegan strawberry frosting would be another great option too 🙂

slice of lemon poppy seed cake on a ruffled plate

Can I make this lemon poppy seed cake gluten free?

Absolutely! Like most of my cake recipes, I love to offer a gluten free option if the cake isn’t already naturally gluten free. For this cake, I used King Arthur Measure for Measure gluten free baking flour. It’s amazing, and really does the trick.

bitten slice of lemon poppy seed cake

Want to save this recipe for later? Add it to your favorite recipe board on Pinterest!

One Bowl Vegan Lemon Poppy Seed Cake with Almond Cream Cheese Frosting Pinterest pin

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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slice of lemon poppy seed cake on a plate

One Bowl Vegan Lemon Poppy Seed Cake with Almond Cream Cheese Frosting

★★★★★ 5 from 4 reviews
  • Author: Britt Berlin
  • Yield: 9 1x
  • Category: Cake
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegan
Print Recipe

Description

Moist, soft, and buttery vegan lemon poppy seed cake that’s made with just a bowl and a whisk! Based off of my classic vegan vanilla sheet cake, this lemon poppy seed cake is bursting with bright citrus and nutty sweet almond flavor, and topped with the silkiest vegan cream cheese frosting! Easily made gluten free too!

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 3/4 cup (180 mL) dairy free milk, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup (120 mL) lemon juice
  • 1 3/4 cup (360 g) granulated sugar
  • 3 tbsp lemon zest, from 1 lemon
  • 1 cup (225 g) salted vegan butter (I recommend Miyoko’s or Flora Plant butter), melted and cooled to room temperature
  • 1 cup (240 g) unsweetened applesauce or dairy free yogurt, room temperature
  • 2 tbsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp almond extract (optional)
  • 1 tsp lemon extract (optional, for enhanced flavor)
  • 3 3/4 (450 g) cups all-purpose flour (or gluten free 1:1 baking flour + 1 tbsp arrowroot or cornstarch)
  • 1 1/2 tbsp poppy seeds
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch or arrowroot starch
  • 3 tsp baking powder
  • 3/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/3 tsp sea salt
  • 1/2 batch vegan cream cheese frosting
  • Optional: Add in 1 tsp almond extract to the cream cheese frosting
  • Optional toppings: more poppy seeds, vegan lemon curd, candied lemon peels

Instructions

  1. Prep: Preheat the oven to 350F. Line an 8×8 square baking pan with parchment paper.
  2. Make the batter: In a large bowl, whisk together the vegan butter, sugar, lemon zest, dairy free yogurt, vanilla extract, and optional almond and lemon extracts. Add in the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt, and slowly pour in the dairy free milk, followed by the lemon juice as you whisk the dry ingredients into the wet. Whisk JUST until the flour is combined, then add in the poppy seeds and whisk throughout the batter.
  3. Bake: Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan, and bake for 37-40 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
  4. Cool: Remove the lemon poppy seed cake from the oven, and cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Then transfer to a cooling rack to cool COMPLETELY before frosting.
  5. Make the cream cheese frosting: Make the cream cheese frosting according to instructions, and add in the almond extract if desired.
  6. Decorate: Frost the cooled lemon poppy seed cake, and sprinkle more poppy seeds on top, as well as candied lemon peels and edible flowers if desired. Slice and enjoy!

Notes

Gluten free: I use King Arthur measure for measure gluten free flour for the gluten free option. It works wonderfully!!

Keywords: vegan lemon poppy seed cake, lemon poppy seed sheet cake, lemon snack cake, vegan lemon cake