The easiest Vegan Lemon Bundt Cake with lemon glaze and coconut flakes. A simple one-bowl recipe- just mix, pour and bake! Video. Gluten-free adaptable.
You can not teach someone to love, you must show them.
Finnish Saying
This simple, one-bowl, Vegan Lemon Bundt Cake recipe is incredibly EASY to make and oh so delicious! My husband Brian actually made this for me on my birthday, and if he can do it, I know you can do it – it is that easy! It’s a one-bowl recipe; just stir, pour, and bake. Using Meyer lemons adds specialness, but regular old lemons are great too.
Coconut milk gives it a decadent richness that I love. It’s a light and flavorful cake perfect for special occasions and holiday tables. Serve with the lemony glaze, top with fresh berries or toasted coconut if you like, or sprinkle with powdered sugar.
Vegan Lemon Bundt Cake | 60-sec video
Lately, I have been receiving all sorts of gifts. Words filled with wisdom, chance encounters, and simple acts of kindness have left me feeling humbled. Gestures so unexpected and thoughtful they reach straight to my heart and squeeze.
I have been thinking about this lately, how the smallest gestures can make the biggest impact in our day and in our lives. I admit I am not always good at this. But all around me, examples keep pouring in, of how to be better, of how to love better.
When I was growing up, there was this magnet on our fridge that lived in the same spot for probably 30 years. My mom put it there after a trip to Finland. It is a Finnish saying…
I cannot tell you how many times I have looked at this without actually seeing it. A few years ago when I was helping my mom pack up and move here, I finally asked her what it meant. She translated it to: You can not teach someone to love, you must show them.
Sometimes lessons are born of suffering. These always get our attention, don’t they? Learn this now… or you will suffer more. HA!
Serving Suggestions
Serve with our easy lemon glaze, vegan ice cream, or homemade vanilla ice cream.
Storage
Store leftovers covered on the counter for up to 5 days. Leftovers can be used to make our Vegan Berry Trifle Recipe!
More recipes you may like
- Meyer Lemon Cake with Pistachios
- Huckleberry Cake – Vegan adaptable
- Vegan Cranberry Cake
- Homemade Strawberry Shortcake
- Strawberry Breakfast Cake
- Berry Trifles w/ Lemon Cake & Coconut Whipped Cream
- Dark Chocolate Bundt Cake with Blood Oranges
Vegan Lemon Cake
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 mins
- Yield: 10-12
- Category: Vegan Dessert
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Northwest
- Diet: Vegan
Description
A one-bowl recipe for vegan lemon bundt cake with toasted coconut, topped with a lemon glaze.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 2/3 cup olive oil
- 1 can full-fat coconut milk ( 13.5–14 oz) (or sub 1 1/4 cups yogurt or sourcream)
- 3 tablespoons lemon zest, don’t skimp
- 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (3-4 Meyer lemons) or use regular lemons
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 3 cups all-purpose flour (or sub Bob’s Red Mill GF flour blend)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut (or flaked coconut) lightly toasted, and more for sprinkling (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven 350F
- In a large bowl mix (or stand mixer) whisk sugar, oil, coconut milk, lemon juice, zest, and vanilla. Sift in flour, baking powder, baking soda mixing in batches. Mix well after each addition. Add salt and shredded coconut. Stir.
- Grease and flour a bunt pan, really well, and pour the mixture in.
- Bake 1 hour or until a toothpick comes at clean and internal temp reaches 200F. (You could also make these into cupcakes, filling 2/3- 3/4 full and baking for 20-25 mins ). Cupcakes will bake faster – in either case, check by inserting a skewer or toothpick, if it comes out clean, it’s done.
- While it’s baking make this Lemon Glaze.
- Let the cake cool 20-30 mintues before inverting. Carefully slide a thin knife gently down the sides to loosen. Invert the bundt cake by placing a big plate (or cake plate) over the bundt cake then invert both. Firmly tap the bottom of the bundt pan a few times, to release.
- Drizzle the top of the cake with the lemon glaze. Sprinkle with toasted coconut before the glaze sets so the coconut sticks- or use powdered sugar if you like.
- Store the cake a room temp, lightly covered for up to four days on the kitchen counter. Or freeze.
Notes
This recipe was originally from Epicurean Vegan- who got it from Veganomics- with some slight changes. You can swap out the coconut milk for whole milk yogurt or sour cream– not vegan.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 416
- Sugar: 33.4 g
- Sodium: 364.9 mg
- Fat: 19.2 g
- Saturated Fat: 7.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 58.7 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3.9 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
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I would like to make this without the lemon juice, and just have a coconut cake. Would I need to sub something in place of the lemon juice?
Thanks
Erin
You’ll need something acidic to react with the baking powder- I would add at least 1 teaspoon lemon juice ( or AC vinegar) and you can leave out the zest? To replace that liquid, use plant based milk or even water.
Excellent cupcakes. Added blueberries to half the batter.
Sounds delicious Betty!
I’m excited to try this! Can I omit the coconut?
The shredded coconut can be omitted!
Amazing! I’ve only ever made this lemon cake recipe. I’ve also made it GF with a AP 1-to-1 GF flour, and it has turned out beautifully. Always been a hit with everyone!
Wonderful to hear Alec! Thanks for the helpful review. 🙂
This cake was so good! How would you adjust for 12 cupcakes?
Increase the oven temperature 25° and cut the baking time in half. An internal thermo pen should register close to 205°when the cupcakes are done.
One of the links for flaked coconut is sweetened and one is unsweetened. Which should it be to mix in the cake?
Hi Elizabeth, use unsweetened coconut otherwise it may be overly sweet. I noted the recipe card.
Hi! This is an award winning cake, which I have made twice! Regarding the coconut however, I need a clarification. The instructions say to add the salt + shredded coconut in the stand mixer with the other ingredients. Later the instructions say to drizzle the glaze and add the toasted coconut to the top of the cake. So I guess I’m asking which is it? I’ve made this twice and both times I added the coconut flakes to the batter and not on top. And both times the cake was outstanding.
Hi JoAnn, I clarified the recipe- I add it to the cake, then sprinkle extra on top!
I’ve made this recipe for the past 4 years so so many times I’ve lost count. Everytime people love it. I typically leave out the coconut flakes and half the time I don’t use the lemon glaze.
I only make this recipe for lemon cake and always will.
Wow awesome to hear this Alex! Really appreciate the great review.
Even though my mouth is watering, I haven’t made the cake yet, but will. What is 5 star is your quote about love, and the story that weaves through the recipe. Thanks to your Mom, and you for sharing. ❣️
Thanks so much Martha.
This cake was amazing! I’ve never made a vegan cake before (although I used Greek yogurt, so maybe it’s vegetarian?). The lemon flavor really came through. This one is a keeper for sure!
Glad you enjoyed Lisa!
Thank you Sylvia! Your kindness advice is as good as your recipes!
thanks Joan!
Just put cake in oven. Used vegan yogurt because in the first list of ingredients you didn’t specify ‘not vegan’ as a sub until lower in recipe and this is a VEGAN lemon coconut cake so I figured vegan yogurt was the sub for full fat coconut milk. Fingers crossed 🙏
Should be great!
Hello! This looks delicious, but I don’t have a bundt cake pan. Could I just make it in a regular springform pan without any changes to the bake time? Thanks for all the amazing recipes; this is my go-to website for guaranteed deliciousness! I am vegan and my husband is an omnivore and it always makes us both happy to use your site with your very adjustable recipes 🙂
Hey Megan- I haven’t tested it this way, but feel free to experiment. It seems like it should work. I’d line the pan with parchment. 🙂
This is PHENOMENAL! So moist and flavourful. The glaze makes it. Think it would be amazing with raspberries. Could maybe add poppyseeds next time too 🙂 thank you! I cooked it for 50/55 min in a 10” springform. Perfect!
Awesome Megan- glad you enjoyed. Raspberries would be great here!
Smth not ok with the conversion tool. The sugar amount 1 1/2 cup (for x1) shows 1100 grams. After making a wild guess based on my baking experience, I ended up adding 140 grams. The cake turned out really delicious, the exact consistency of that in the picture. However for me who eats sugar-loaded products reeeally rarely, it was even a little too sweet. I am wondering what’s the correct sugar amount. Planning to save this recipe.
Ok it is working now….sorry about that!
Great. Thanks! I am saving the recipe 🙂
Hi, the metric measurements still seem off – too much sugar and flour. I consulted google and followed what it said should be correct. It’s baking now! Batter is delicious 🙂
I can’t seem to get the metric overture to work correctly here- sorry about that. Let me know how it turned out!
It was perfect 🙂 Just needed to double check the measurements for metric via other sites. I’ll make this again and again! Taking it to my parents this afternoon, and also to my sister-in-law in hospital who just had twins 🙂 I’m sure it’ll be devoured!
Great to hear Megan!
Hi Sylvia, my name is Natalia, I live in UK. I don’t follow anyone, except of you , I never leave a comment about the recipes ( I love yours and your style) , but your story about your mum’s fridge magnet was so touching- I decided to write you something, very first time ! I loved very wise words on it , and your words about your mum -thet are very moving. And I am going to bake this lovely cake , and I will share it with somebody. Thank you, Sylvia.
Awww…. thanks so much Natalia- I’m glad it found you. Very sweet of you to comment.
Is the coconut necessary?
Hi Celeste- yes, I think so- I haven’t tested this without it.
Yum Yum. This cake was great, most and easy to make. I followed the recipe as written but I used regular lemons. I was glad that I put coconut (and some pecans) on the glaze. My husband said to be sure to keep this recipe in the rotation.
Awesome Peggy! Great to hear you both enjoyed it!
This is the second time that I’ve made this cake. I love that it is one bowl! This time, I used whole wheat flour and cut it slightly with bread flour. Because of that and because the last time, I felt it was slightly overcooked, I took it out at 50 minutes. When it came time to glaze, I had too much lemon juice so I put the cake back into the pan and made a few holes in the top. I poured the “sweetened lemon juice” over it and let it set. It absorbed it really nicely. The overall effect is more of a pound cake but I like the outcome.
Glad you figured this out and it turned out for you Tammy!
I made this recipe with 2/3 the oil, a little less sugar, and subbed 1/3 the flour with whole wheat. [Also without coconut flakes because I ran out 😕]
I found the cake VERY OILY despite the reduced oil. Otherwise, the flavor was good. I would make it again, but would totally eliminate the olive oil, as I think whole coconut milk had plenty of fat to keep the cake moist. I would also be sure to have coconut flakes, because I bet the texture would be even better.
I liked how *fluffy* this cake is due to the baking soda + lemon juice reaction. It started bubbling as I was stirring the batter 😆.
One more hack: for the GLAZE, I happened to have a Costco-sized bag of GOJI BERRIES, so ground some up and added it, along with some extra MEYER LEMON ZEST, and it is *amazing* both in color and flavor.
Sorry this wasn’t your favorite…
I made it once without the coconut and not as good at all but made it many times and always excellent if made as per recipe. I can’t get coconut flakes where I live but dessicated works fine.
FYI: If you read the header notes from your source, Epicurean Vegan, they say it is an adaption of the Veganomicon recipe, and they hyperlink to it. looking forward to trying your version!
Oh interesting- I didn’t see that. I looked up the cookbook and it said it published later, but I see this version was published eariler- so I guess it did orginate from here, via Epicurean Vegan.
Mine only took 45 min to bake. Haven’t tried it yet
Let us know what you think!
I have made this cake soooo many times and it’s always an absolute hit! The key is good lemons.
Great to hear Christine! Glad you enjoy it!
I can’t wait to try this cake! How far ahead before serving can I make this? Should it be refrigerated then brought to room temperature to serve if made ahead? How does it hold up once the glaze is on?
Thanks!
Hi Lauren, this cake is best made up to three days ahead, refrigerated. I would wait to glaze it til day of serving as glaze can crumble off. 🙂