Vegan Lemon Poppy Seed Cake
A secretly vegan lemon poppy seed cake that bakes up plush and forever-moist — pudding mix binds, olive oil deepens.
Vegan Lemon Poppy Seed Cake
A secretly vegan lemon poppy seed cake that bakes up plush and forever-moist — pudding mix binds, olive oil deepens.
This secretly-vegan lemon poppy seed cake bakes up plush and forever-moist — lemon pudding mix in the dry ingredients binds and holds moisture, with olive oil adding depth and poppy seeds the classic crunch.
SERVINGS
8ACTIVE TIME
10 minFULL TIME
1 hr (bake and cool)INGREDIENTS
DRY
- 1½ cups Cake flour
- ¼ cup Fancy Monkey Lemon Pudding Mix
- 1 cup Organic cane sugar
- 1½ Tbsp Baking powder
- ¼ cup Poppy seeds
- ¼ tsp Fine sea salt
WET
- 1½ cups Oat milk, room temperature
- ¼ cup Extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 whole Lemon, zested
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat
Heat the oven to 325°F. Line an 8x8-inch round pan with parchment, or grease it well. - Mix the dry
In a large bowl, whisk together the cake flour, pudding mix, sugar, baking powder, poppy seeds, and salt. - Add the wet
Pour in the oat milk and olive oil, then add the lemon zest. Whisk until smooth — the batter will be thin and pourable. - Bake
Pour into the prepared pan and bake 40–45 minutes, until golden and a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. - Cool and serve
Cool completely in the pan before slicing — the crumb firms up and gets even better as it sits.
TIPS
Cake flour is key — don’t swap in all-purpose; the lower protein keeps the crumb tender. Use a good, flavorful extra-virgin olive oil, since it comes through in the finished cake. For a lemon glaze, whisk powdered sugar with lemon juice until pourable and drizzle while the cake is still slightly warm; or keep it simple with a light dusting of powdered sugar just before serving. Cool completely before slicing, and store covered at room temperature 4–5 days — it’s even better on day two.
FAQ
Lemon pudding mix in the dry ingredients binds and holds moisture, and olive oil keeps the crumb plush — so this vegan cake stays moist for days.
Yes — no eggs or dairy; the pudding mix and olive oil do the binding and moisture that eggs usually provide.
Yes — pour the batter into a lined muffin tin and reduce the bake time; check at about 18 to 20 minutes.
Yes — wrap and freeze up to 3 months; thaw at room temperature.
Bright, even lemon flavor plus starch that holds moisture and tenderizes the crumb.
