Dairy Free Lemon Drizzle Cake

This incredible dairy free lemon drizzle cake is bursting with lemon vanilla flavor! Soft, tender and perfectly moist, this easy loaf is sure to become a family favorite. Finished with an irresistible tangy glaze, it’s a must for spring brunches and dessert. Soy free and vegetarian.

A slice of Dairy Free Lemon Drizzle Cake with coffee to the side.

Fire up those ovens because today we talk about this dreamy dairy free lemon drizzle cake.

Or otherwise known as the perfect springtime treat.

  • It’s soft, tender, perfectly moist.
  • Filled to the brim with lemon vanilla flavor. 
  • And finished off with an incredible tangy glaze that really brings it all home.

It’s excellent enjoyed with a cup of coffee or tea, as part of a delicious brunch time spread OR as a classic dessert.

Not to mention that it totally reminds me of the Starbucks lemon loaf.

With that said, I haven’t had a slice of that famous cake in years – i.e. since before my dairy allergy developed – so take that as you will!

Cake batter in a mixing bowl.

How To Make Dairy Free Lemon Drizzle Cake

So, let’s talk about how this cake goes down:

Whisk the dry ingredients. First up, we’ll combine some flour, baking powder and a touch of cinnamon + nutmeg.

Mix the wet ingredients. Next, we’ll rub together some lemon zest and sugar, before whisking in several eggs, a homemade coconut buttermilk, some oil and vanilla. 

Fold em’ together. We’ll combine the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients and then spread in a greased loaf pan.

Bake until golden. Finally, we’ll pop in the oven to bake for about 1 hour, until golden and cooked through. 

Drizzle with icing. Once the cake has cooled completely, we’ll whisk together a simple glaze and swirl over the top before diving on in. 

A whole cake unfrosted and then frosted.

Tips & Tricks

  1. First things first. When measuring out your flour, fluff in the container then scoop into your measuring cup with a spoon and level off. Don’t dunk the cup straight into the bag as you’ll likely use too much.
  2. You’ll need about 2 to 3 lemons to give you the 2 tablespoons zest.
  3. Now, along those lines, the cake has a dreamy lemon vanilla flavor that I think is just right. With that said, if you wanted to up the lemon flavor even more, you could try adding in a bit more zest. I did test this once with lemon extract (in addition to the zest), but found it didn’t really add all that much punch to the cake.
  4. And finally, you can absolutely use a different oil of choice. However, if you want to use coconut oil, be sure that your eggs and the coconut buttermilk are at room temperature. Otherwise you run the risk of the batter hardening up.

Sliced Dairy Free Lemon Loaf on a white platter.

How To Store

Counter: The cake will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for about 3 to 4 days. You can store sliced or whole.

Freezer: It will also keep in the freezer in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Allow to thaw in the fridge, then bring to room temperature before enjoying.

A slice of Dairy Free Lemon Drizzle Loaf with a bite taken out with a fork.

Additional Dairy Free Dessert Recipes:

Did you make this recipe? Rate and review it down below! I’d love to hear from you.

A slice of Dairy Free Lemon Drizzle Cake with coffee to the side.

Dairy Free Lemon Drizzle Cake

Yield: 1 (9x5 inch) loaf
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

This incredible dairy free lemon drizzle cake is bursting with lemon vanilla flavor! Soft, tender and perfectly moist, this easy loaf is sure to become a family favorite. Finished with an irresistible tangy glaze, it’s a must for spring brunches and dessert. 

Ingredients

For the cake:

  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ¾ cup pure cane sugar (or granulated sugar)
  • 2 tablespoons lemon zest
  • 3 large eggs
  • ¾ cup coconut buttermilk*
  • ½ cup avocado oil
  • 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract 

For the drizzle:

  • 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
  • ½ tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon coconut buttermilk

Instructions

For the cake:

  1. Preheat the oven to 325ºF. Line a 9×5 inch loaf pan with parchment paper then spray with nonstick spray (I highly suggest using the parchment as it makes the loaf much easier to remove). Set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.
  3. To a medium bowl, add the sugar and lemon zest. Use your fingers to rub the zest into the sugar, until it’s fragrant and moist. Add in the eggs, coconut buttermilk, oil and vanilla and whisk until well combined.
  4. Add the wet ingredients to the bowl with the dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated (don’t over-mix!), then transfer the batter to the prepared pan and spread evenly with a spatula.
  5. Bake for about 55 to 60 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the middle comes out clean. If the top ever starts to brown too much, tent loosely with aluminum foil. {The top of the loaf will have a sort of speckled / dimpled top when done - it’s totally normal so don’t be concerned.}
  6. Set the pan on a wire rack and allow to cool completely before icing.

For the drizzle:

  1. In a small bowl, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar, lemon juice and coconut buttermilk until smooth. Add additional sugar or liquid to achieve your desired consistency, then drizzle over the cooled cake. 
  2. Enjoy right away or let the glaze set before slicing (my preference!). 

Notes

*To make the coconut buttermilk - In a small bowl, mix together 1 (14 ounce) can light coconut milk (shaken / stirred well) and 2 tablespoons white distilled vinegar. Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes. Measure out what you need for the recipe, then store the rest in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week (it’s really good in pancakes!).

Prep time does NOT include time to make the coconut buttermilk. 

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 10 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 303Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 56mgSodium: 227mgCarbohydrates: 41gFiber: 1gSugar: 26gProtein: 4g

Nutrition data shown is an estimate provided by an online calculator and is for informational purposes only. It should not be considered a substitute for a medical professional’s advice.