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!
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 1x
- 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 shredded coconut or flaked coconut, lightly toasted
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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Thanks for this recipe that turned out great. I used coconut oil instead of olive oil, I only used 1/2 cup of sugar & I didn’t ice it but it was still delicious!
thanks for sharing adaptions!
I made this exactly as written, without the frosting because I didn’t have any powdered sugar. I want to try it with regular lemons next because I want to see the contrast between the two. It is moist, delicious, and super easy to make!
Hi Lindsay! Im so glad you liked this!
the BEST vegan or non-vegan cake EVER!
Thanks!!!
Can sugar be substituted with honey?
So I haven’t personally tried this with honey. I think the flavor would work, just concerned about the consistency. If you do try with honey, will you let us know how it turns out?
Best lemon cake ever
Awesome Riya, great to hear!
Hey, not sure if it’s a weird question but what size is the bundt pan? I’m not sure if there’s a standard for bundt pans but here there are different size ?
I used one that was 10 inches wide.
I was wondering what type of olive oil-“light” as in golden or extra virgin”green”?
Thank you
Just a mild tasting version.
Absolutely fantastic recipe, made for our mixed family of vegans/food allergies, will use this recipe forever i think!
So delicious and moist. ou’d never know it was vegan! Love, love!
Awesome Raine- glad you enjoyed it!
I threw in some raspberries just to add a lil kick to it and by god…best recipe everrrrr!!!!
Yay!!! love it!
Unbelievably DELICIOUS!!!! Rich, lemony…..perfect! (Oh, I did add some lime juice and zest because my boyfriend loves lime.)
Made this exactly as written and it was wonderful. So tasty.
Wasn’t exactly easy dealing with juicing lemons and zesting.
However well worth the time.
One of the best vegan and regular cakes I ever made. Very moist and very very delicious. My non vegan husband loved it. I’m sure my vegan son will love it too.
How would this recipe work worth coconut flour or almond flour rather than all purpose?
That’s a great question and I wish I knew! Sorry ….haven’t tried it yet.If you happen to, please let us know how it goes!
Amazing! Just made this for my husband’s birthday dinner party. Phenomenal!
Oh good Hillary! Glad you enjoyed!!! I love this one too. xo
Glad you enjoyed it!
I totally forgot to add the salt in because your instructions totally excluded that out. Baking now! Fingers crossed it turns out okay! Can’t wait 🙂
Oh Im sorry Leanne- I will fix. I hope it still turned out!
I followed this recipe almost exactly, but subbed the lemon zest for 1/2 tbsp lemon oil, 1/4 tsp lime oil, and 1/2 tsp ground ginger sifted in with the dry ingredients. For the icing, I also added 1/4 tsp. lemon oil and a couple drops of vanilla extract in with the lemon juice, to add a little extra punch. This was my first time baking a vegan cake and I’m so please with how it turned out . It was a HUGE hit for my vegan co-worker’s birthday potluck. Thank you for the recipe!
Oh Sarah, Im so glad you enjoyed it!!
Thanks for your adjustments!
can i make this cake gluten free?
Thanks
I have never tried??
I used Bob’ Red Mill 1:1 gluten free baking flour and this turned out wonderfully!
Hi. I am new to your blog. I made the rose petal jam yesterday and it is amazing. Now I am looking at your vegan meyer lemon bundt cake. Here is my question. I use organic coconut milk in the can. These days, about 1/3 of the can, no matter the brand, is thickened water. The cream separates. So when you say to use the whole can, are we to use the thickened water or just the cream. This is a problem for me in one of my recipes. I use beaten egg white to lighten the cake because of all the water and now am thinking of taking only the cream part for my recipe. Yours, being vegan, has no eggs to lighten it. Or, do you get coconut milk/cream in the can that has no thickened water?
Hi Toby, I use coconut milk that has both the liquid and the hard solids, and add both. Hopefully that helps. Let mk won how it turns out.
is it possible to make this by omitting the shredded coconut?
is it possible to make this without using the shredded coconut?
I am not sure? Never tried it without the coconut. Let me know how it turns out if you try it that way… good luck!!
I love this statement the best “But life, I am finding is generous with us too, giving us lessons born from the kindness and goodness of others.” I’m so happy that people are being kind one to another and that you are having a blessed month. I hope the entire year continues this way for you. This bundt cake looks and sounds very delicious. I love coconut and I think paired with lemon it would make an awesome dessert. Very well done!
Thank you Tia, and I hope the same for you. Thanks for visiting.
Oh, it is the macarons girl again….. just noted that you are popping over to New Zealand soon……. I am already there. Touch base if you want a bit of a tour around Auckland 🙂
Thanks! We would have taken you up on it! It was several weeks ago now that we were there. What a beautiful city…. and amazing country! I loved being there. We spent 3 weeks traveling all around…and saw so many beautiful sights. I am ready to go back now. 🙂
Sonna has chickens????? Who knew!
Hi Sylvia-I love your blog-the pictures are equally as excellent as the writing. I just made this lovely cake-it’s baking as I write this. I wondered though if you use sweetened or unsweetened coconut flakes? I am using unsweetened in the cake-does it make a difference?Thanks, Kate
Thanks Kate! I’ve tried it both ways and it’s good either way. Happy baking!