MODERN VEGAN
A delicate, zingy lemon cake that will have you coming back for another slice
Vegan lemon loaf cake
Richard Makin is a vegan cook and blogger. Find more of his recipes at Omagazine.com and follow him on Instagram @schoolnightvegan.
Vegan lemon loaf cake
1 HOUR + COOLING | SERVES 8 | EASY |
This is my go-to vegan lemon cake. It has a delicate texture which doesn’t crumble when sliced (thanks to the psyllium husks) and a decent zing thanks to lemon juice, zest and extract.
psyllium husks 1 tsp (see cook’s notes)
unsweetened vegan yogurt 125g
plant milk 185ml
caster sugar 135g
lemon extract 1 tsp
vegetable oil 3 tbsp
lemon juice 3 tbsp lemon 1, zested, plus extra to decorate
plain flour 325g
baking powder 1Ω tsp
bicarbonate of soda 1/4 tsp
fine sea salt 1/4 tsp
ICING
icing sugar 100g, sifted
lemon juice 2-3 tsp
• Heat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4 and line a 450g loaf tin with baking paper.
• In a small bowl combine the psyllium husks with 1Ω tbsp of cold water. Set aside to thicken.
• Mix together the yogurt, plant milk, caster sugar, lemon extract, vegetable oil, lemon juice and zest. In a separate medium bowl, mix together the remaining ingredients.
• Combine the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients, adding the soaked psyllium husks, and mix briefly until just combined.
• Spoon the batter into the prepared loaf tin. Tap the tin firmly on the counter to release any air bubbles. Bake for 40 minutes, then cover the top of the cake with foil and return to the oven for a further 20 minutes. It’s ready when a toothpick or skewer pushed into the centre comes out clean.
• Cool for 10 minutes before removing from the tin and cooling completely.
• To make the icing, whisk together the icing sugar and the lemon juice in a small bowl. If you’d like the icing thicker, add more icing sugar.
• Once the cake is completely cooled, drizzle the icing all over and top with fresh lemon zest, if you like.
COOK’S NOTES Psyllium husks are the high-fibre ground shells of tiny seeds. They are used in vegan baking to replace eggs. Available ready-ground from health-food shops and online. Invest in good lemon extract such as Nielsen-Massey – many cheaper options have a dull, artificial flavour.
PER SERVING 322 KCALS | FAT 5.6G
SATURATES 0.6G | CARBS 61.2G | SUGARS 29.7G
FIBRE 2.2G | PROTEIN 5.4G | SALT 0.5G