A Pound Cake that is so rich and decadent no one will believe it's vegan. It is topped with a lemony glaze for a delightful sweet morning or midday snack.
Christmas is less than a week away!
And that means I've got just 2 more recipes before the end of the year.
After that, it's time for some 30-day cleansing. So before that happens, I have to sneak in at least one more decadent recipe this holiday season. And decadence is just what I've got for you. This Vegan Pound Cake is a remake of one of my first recipe for the blog. The original recipe was an Orange Poppy Seed Pound Cake. I have since re-tested and updated the recipe to make it easier, tastier, richer, and overall better.
If you came here looking for the Orange Poppy Seed Poundcake, you can still access it here. But I think you're going to love this new and improved vegan pound cake recipe. I omitted the commercial egg replacers, switched oils, adjusted the leavening agents, and pumped up the flavor so that you get a rich, vibrantly lemon, buttery, decadent vegan pound cake that makes the perfect dessert or snack at the last of your upcoming holiday parties.
Let's take a closer look.
How to Make Vegan Pound Cake [Video]
Recommended Ingredients & Equipment
Traditionally pound cake is made from combining equal parts butter, flour, sugar, and eggs. Over time the ingredients in a pound cake have gotten more complex. It is now common to add extracts (such as lemon or vanilla) and/or fruit, swap out some of the butter for sour cream, and even add a few teaspoons of baking powder to make the cake lighter and less dense.
My modern take on a pound cake has made many of these adjustments.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- All-Purpose Flour - I have also made this recipe with 1:1 Gluten-Free Flour Baking Blend with great success.
- Baking Powder - Typically pound cake does not use a chemical leavener like baking powder or soda. Rather it relies on eggs. However, for this vegan pound cake, I recommend a combination of baking powder and vegan sour cream for the perfect texture and rise.
- Salt
- Vegan Butter - Look for a high-quality non-hydrogenated vegan butter. I recommend either Earth Balance or Miyoko’s.
- Granulated & Powdered Sugar - Check out my guide to vegan sugars and alternative sugar replacements. For a healthier sugar alternative, I recommend coconut sugar.
- Lemon Juice & Zest
- Vegan Sour Cream - This is used as the egg replacer in this recipe. It adds moisture and a delicious tangy flavor. There are a lot of vegan cream cheeses and sour creams on the market. I suggest looking for Daiya or Tofutti brands. You can also make homemade sour cream.
- Coconut Oil - You could also use vegetable oil or olive oil. However, olive oil will add a slight savory taste.
Recommended Equipment
For this recipe, I recommend a stand-up mixer. These make whipping, beating, and blending so much easier. However, they are pricy and if they are not in your budget, you can make cookies with by hand or with a handheld mixer.
You will also need a loaf pan, mixing bowl, and basic kitchen utensils. (<<affiliate links)
Check out the full list of my recommended kitchen tools and gadgets.
How to Make Vegan Pound Cake
Step One: Mix the Ingredients
Mix together the dry ingredients in a small bowl. That's the flour, salt, and baking powder. In a stand-up mixer beat together the vegan butter, sugar, and lemon zest.
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.
Slowly add the sour cream. At this point, the batter might curdle a bit and that's okay. It will come back together when the flour is added. Finish the cake by alternating the dry and wet ingredients into the batter.
Step Two: Bake the Cake
Pour your batter into a greased 9x5 loaf pan and smooth top.
Place the cake in the oven and bake until the top is golden brown (about 50-55 minutes). To check for doneness, insert a toothpick in the center of the cake. When it comes out clean, your cake is done!
Remove the cake from the oven and let cool completely before topping it with lemon glaze.
Serving And Storing
Serve immediately or place it in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Store for up to 3 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. This cake can also be store in the freezer for up to 2 months. When ready to serve, simply pull out and let thaw at room temperature.
Tips and Tricks
- Don’t over-mix the batter. By alternating the dries and wets into the batter, we are ensuring the batter does not get over-mixed and gummy.
- Generously spray your loaf pans. We do not want any of this delicious cake sticking to its edges.
- Do not open the oven door while the cake is baking. This causes the structure to fall leaving you with a dent in the middle of your cakes. You can check for doneness after 50 minutes.
- Bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. If the cake starts to get dark around the edges, you can cover it with tin foil to bake the last 10 minutes.
- Let the cake cool at least 30 minutes in the loaf pans before turning it onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Alternate Wet and Dry Ingredients?
By alternating we are making sure the batter stays as tender as possible. By adding all the liquid ingredients first, the butter would start to separate from everything. Yet, adding all the dry ingredients first would cause the batter to get thick and require over-mixing in order for it so even out. And, as we know, over-mixing results in a gummy glutenous texture – not what we’re looking for in a cake.
Can this recipe be made in advance?
Yes! This cake can be made in advance. To do this, bake the cake according to the instructions. Once the cake is cool, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and place it in the freezer. This cake can be frozen for up to 2 months. When ready to frost, let the cake thaw at room temperature for 3-4 hours.
Can this recipe be gluten-free?
Yes. I have had a lot of luck with Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour. (<<affiliate link). That is the only gluten-free flour I’ve tried for this cake but I’m sure other 1:1 ratio flours would work as well.
More Vegan Quick Bread Recipes
- Healthy Vegan Banana Bread
- Classic Vegan Pumpkin Bread
- Double Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
- Vegan Zucchini Bread
Vegan Pound Cake with Lemon Glaze
Ingredients
Vegan Pound Cake
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup vegan butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp. finely grated lemon zest
- 1 cup vegan sour cream
- 2 tbsp. coconut oil, melted
- 1 tbsp. lemon juice
Lemon Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1-2 tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 1 loaf pan and set aside.
- In a medium bowl mix together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. In a separate bowl, combine coconut oil and lemon juice. Set aside.
- In a stand-up mixer or an electric handheld mixer, beat together the butter, sugar, and lemon zest until light and fluffy. With the motor running, add vegan sour cream, scraping down the sides as necessary. The mixture will appear to have separated at this point, but it will come back together.
- Alternating wets (oil and lemon juice) and dries (flour mixture) add in three batches, scraping down the sides as needed, ending with the flour mixture until it just comes together. Do not over-mix.
- Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and smooth top. Bake until cake is golden brown (about 50-55 minutes), and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle. Remove from the oven and let cool for 30 minutes. Flip out onto wire racks and allow the loaf to cool completely.
- To make the lemon glaze, combine powdered sugar and lemon juice until smooth and pourable. Pour over the cooled loaf pan. The glaze will harden as it cools. Keep at room temperature, tightly wrapped, for up to 3 days. This cake can also be stored in the freezer for up to 6 weeks.
Video
Notes
- Don’t over-mix the batter. By alternating the dries and wets into the batter, we are ensuring the batter does not get over-mixed and gummy.
- Generously spray your loaf pans. We do not want any of this delicious cake sticking to its edges.
- Do not open the oven door while the cake is baking. This causes the structure to fall leaving you with a dent in the middle of your cakes. You can check for doneness after 50 minutes.
- Let the cake cool at least 30 minutes in the loaf pans before turning it onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
- Why Alternate Wet and Dry Ingredients? By alternating we are making sure the batter stays as tender as possible. By adding all the liquid ingredients first, the butter would start to separate from everything. Yet, adding all the dry ingredients first would cause the batter to get thick and require over-mixing in order for it so even out. And, as we know, over-mixing results in a gummy glutenous texture – not what we’re looking for in a cake.
- Can this recipe be made in advance? Yes! This cake can be made in advance. To do this, bake the cake according to the instructions. Once the cake is cool, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and place it in the freezer. This cake can be frozen for up to 2 months. When ready to frost, let the cake thaw at room temperature for 3-4 hours.
- Can this recipe be gluten-free? Yes. I have had a lot of luck with Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour. (<<affiliate link). That is the only gluten-free flour I’ve tried for this cake but I’m sure other 1:1 ratio flours would work as well.
Hi, I’m Sarah. I’m a 14-year (and counting) vegan, professionally trained photographer, former pastry chef, founder of My Darling Vegan, and author of the
Akshara Sruthi G says
Is'nt 1 tbsp baking powder too much for 2 cups of flour? Have I missed something?
Sarah McMinn says
All the ingredients in this cake are very heavy. You need the tablespoon of baking powder to lighten it up.
Taylor says
This is so delicious. I left it in for 45 minutes and it was wonderful. Note that if you do the full 2 tablespoons of lemon juice in the glaze it will be very lemony.
Krysta says
So perfect! Can't believe how good it came out!
Matt says
This is an excellent recipe, it bakes well and stays moist. I would recommend actually weighing out the flour which should 240 grams. If you don’t weigh it and you just put it in a cup measure, you’ll probably end up with close to 60+ grams of extra flour which will make the batter dense.
Zoe-Raven says
This was such a great guideline! I decided to make into donuts instead of bread (only had to bake for 27 minutes) and added crushed mint and butter to the frosting to thicken it up and add a more diverse flavor and it came out beautifully. It’s moist and delicious. Love love love this recipe and will definitely use it again.
Celina says
Hey What will happen if I use all coconut oil instead of vegan butter??
Sarah McMinn says
I don't recommend it. Coconut oil has a much lower melting point and the cake wouldn't set up properly.
Natasja says
Hi. Thank you for amazing recipes. Could I see itch out the lemon for something else? Like? Orange? Vanilla essence? I’m from Denmark, living in Perú and we don’t have any lemon here 🙁
Sarah McMinn says
Yep, any of those would work.
Natasja says
Thank you very much. One last question. Can I use margarine instead of butter?
Tiffany says
I just mixed everything together and it came out dry. Meaning i cant pour batter in pan
Sarah McMinn says
That doesn't sound right. Did you use metric or US customary?
Daniela Nyvltova says
Unfortunately, the same thing happened to me. The dough became so thick, similar to cookie dough. I followed the recipe to the t. It is in the oven now, but I am afraid of the result. I was hesitant to use more liquid (maybe add some more sour cream) but I wanted to stick with the recipe. I am an experienced baker, was super excited with the photos but something seems very off. 🙁
Sarah McMinn says
Did you use metric? I'm wondering if something is off with the metric measurements.
Daniela Nyvltova says
Thank you for your reply! No, I used the cup measurements. The result was very tasty, however, the texture was too hard. Perhaps I made a mistake? I will try again because I really love the flavour. It does not taste "vegan". I will let you know how it will go this time. 🙂
Sarah McMinn says
I will definitely take a look at this recipe and see what is happening.
Daniela Nyvltova says
Hello Sarah, I made your recipe again, this time I did not have sour cream, so I used a Greek-style yogurt. The texture of this yogurt was thinner than the sour cream and the batter was more pourable this time. Even though the final cake was drier and more crumbly than the last time, once again, it was absolutely delicious! I ate half of the loaf in one day all by myself. I tried pound cakes from other websites and yours is the best. Can I ask what is the brand of the sour cream that you used in this recipe? I am convinced, the sour cream part plays a crucial role in this recipe. Thank you!
Stefanie says
Absolutely fabulous! I substituted homemade coconut milk yogurt for the sour cream and it turned out scrumptious! No one knew it was vegan! 🙂 I live in a highly humid area with an old, inconsistent gas oven so I had to bake it a bit longer but it still fell a little upon cooling. I might cut back the yogurt just a tad to see if it lessens the density and doesn’t fall. Flavor was amazing and so moist! We added strawberries over the top. New “staple” dessert! Thanks!
A’nana says
Made this and everyone loved it!! My sister asked me to make her another one for her birthday. I will definitely be doubling up the recipe this time, as suggested above, because it only filled up half of my Bundt Cake pan. My mom has a corn allergy, so I swapped the baking powder out with 1/2 teaspoon of cream of tartar and 1/4 teaspoon baking soda mixed. Amazing!! ❤️
Corinn says
This may be a stupid question, but if I don’t want to use Lemon in this (I can’t do lemon flavored deserts), what would I I use in place I’d the lemon juice in the cake recipe? Vanilla extract?
Thank you!!
Sarah says
Vanilla would be a great alternative!
Alicia says
Hi how much extra butter can be added if not using vegan sour creme, which I don't wanna use.
Sarah says
I would add 1/2 cup of butter
Nina says
I wanted to know if it was possible for you to convert the recipe as if i was using coconut oil?
Sarah says
I'm not sure what you mean. The recipe already uses coconut oil. Any oil will do though.
Lee Hannah says
Hi! I made this for friends and we all loved it! Do you think this recipe would work in a bundt or tube pan and if so, would I just need to double the ingredients?
Sarah says
I think doubling the ingredients would give you enough batter for a bundt cake.
Mark G says
Should I use a 9x5 or 10x5 loaf pan? Will it matter?
Thanks!
Sarah says
Won't matter too much - it will just be a little shorter in a 10x5
Taylor g says
Simply amazing ?!!!!!! Soooo good
Jodi says
can gluten free flour be substituted? thank you!