Vegan Baking Experiment: Lemon Cake

The vegan wedding cake challenge is on. And so far I am not impressed. BUT - but - that does not mean this first cake was a disaster. It was just not up to my standards.

Here is a faithful narrative of my dealings with the Vegan Lemon Cake.

 

Vegan Lemon Cake with Lemon Icing

    slightly modified from Vegan Feast Kitchen

**This particular cake, being vegan and a little more temperamental than your average cake, does not rise 
so I recommend doubling the recipe in order to have a taller, more lofty looking cake.

Ingredients

2½ cups plus 2 tbsp cake flour

2 tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

¾ tsp salt

¼ cup plus 2 tbsp faux butter, I used Earth Balance, room temp

2 tbsp lemon juice

1½ cups sugar

1 cup water

grated zest of 1 large lemon

¾ cup almond milk

1½ tsp vanilla

1 tsp pure lemon extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Thoroughly grease two baking pans, 9 or 8 inch. Set aside. 
Whisk the dry ingredients together in a medium bowl. Using a standing mixer, cream the butter, sugar, and then add in the wet ingredients. Add the dry ingredients to the wet in thirds. Fill pans half way and bake in the center of your oven for 25 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.

Let cakes cool in pans before turning out onto a wire rack. Make sure cakes are completely cooled before frosting.

Vegan Icing

**These are all eyeball measurements.

faux butter, Earth Balance for example

powdered sugar

almond milk

lemon juice

Directions

Using a standing mixer, cream about ¼ cup of faux butter. Slowly add in powdered sugar until the two are thick and combined. Carefully add in a couple tbsp of almond milk, enough to make the icing runnier, and a splash of lemon extract for flavor. Add as much or as little of the sugar and milk as you see fit.

Assemble

Add a spoonful of the icing to the center of a cake stand, this will keep the first cake layer from moving around. Spread an even layer of icing on the cake and then add the second layer. Frost the top of the second layer, allowing for excess icing to spill down the sides of the cake. Decorate with sprinkles or flowers. 

NOTES

• The lemon flavor is delicious, not overbearing but rather delicate. This is good news.
• The texture is similar to a sponge cake. This is not great news because I want a cake that will rise, layer well, and look like a wedding cake.
• Overall, the cake is tasty and looks cute but lacks the gusto of a main attraction. And I want my friend's wedding cake to be a main attraction.
  
  

   

Thank you to my guinea pigs, Aunt Cathy, Sarah, and Elizabeth! You will be called on again 
to test more cakes very soon! xo