We know lots of you will be trying Veganuary for the first time this year. You could not have made a better choice! We have found a vegan diet has left us feeling healthier, happy and full of energy. However, it does take your body a while to adjust to the change in diet, and it is a good idea to make the transition slowly. There are a few things that do make the transition easier-sweet treats! Lots of people worry that if they change to a vegan diet then they will end up eating a boring diet of vegetables with no more sugary treats. This is not true, lots of classics can easily be made vegan, and this Lemon Drizzle cake is an absolute dream. We have slightly adapted the recipe from the ‘DomesticGothess’ website where you can find lots of other vegan versions of classic cakes.
If you want some other ideas for a vegan cake with lemons, then you may also want to check out our Lemon and Poppyseed Cake
Serves 8
Time: 15 mins prep, 55 mins bake
275g plain flour
20g cornflour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
50 g ground almonds or walnuts
230 g unrefined caster sugar
1/4 tsp salt
finely grated zest of 3 lemons
150ml unsweetened non-dairy milk (we used Oat Milk)
80g non-dairy yogurt
100ml lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla extract
130g vegan butter melted and slightly cooled
50 ml lemon juice
50g sugar
130g icing sugar sifted
Juice of 1 lemon
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4. Grease an approx 11.5 x 21.5 cm / 4.5 x 8.5 in loaf tin and line with baking parchment.
Cake
Sift the flour, cornflour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda into a large bowl then whisk in the ground almonds, sugar and salt.
Add the lemon zest, milk, yogurt, lemon juice, vanilla extract and melted vegan butter.
Whisk gently until no dry lumps remain but be careful not to over-beat the batter.
Working quickly, pour into the prepared loaf tin and bake for 50-55 minutes until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. If the top starts to colour too much before the cake is ready, loosely cover it with tin foil.
Syrup
While the cake is baking prepare the syrup - place the lemon juice and sugar in a small pan and heat gently while stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Once the cake is ready, set it aside to cool in the tin for 10 minutes then poke holes all over the top with a cocktail stick. Drizzle over the syrup, making sure that you pour it around the edges as well, not just in the middle. Leave the cake to cool in the tin.
Glaze
Once the cake has cooled completely, remove carefully from the cake tin. Place the sifted icing sugar in a bowl and gradually stir in enough lemon juice to form a thick but pourable icing. Drizzle the icing over the top of the cake.
We enjoyed it outside on our terrace with a cup of organic coffee and two furry friends. Why not send us your pics of where you enjoyed a slice? #relaxinglyactive
Happy Baking!