Vegan Lemon Poppy Seed Cake

As the lemon kick I have been on has proved successful and satisfying thus far, I felt it would be appropriate for me to keep it going. Enter - this Vegan Lemon Poppy Seed Cake. Perfectly moist, lemon poppy seed snack cake topped with lemon cream cheese frosting? Don't mind if I do.

The Less Intimidating Option...

Sheet cakes are a great choice if you are a bit too intimidated to make a layer cake. I myself am one of you. The construction of a layer cake is very serious business. Any time in my life I have taken it on it has proved stressful. I am anxious about it the night before and I spend way too much time watching various online videos trying to master it. One day I will but I still definitely have the majority of my 10,000 hours left if you know what I mean. If this is you too, stick to sheet cakes for a while. I promise they are fool proof.

Vegan Lemon Poppy Seed Cake Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

• All Purpose Flour: All purpose flour is considered to have a moderate/average amount of protein when compared to other flours. It will give your cake sturdiness without compromising the lightness. No need to purchase any fancy flour blends.
• Baking Powder: Baking powder provides some of the leavening power in our cake. Baking powder begins releasing carbon dioxide in the batter and then expands more evenly while baking, helping with the rise.
• Baking Soda: Baking soda needs an acidic and liquid ingredient to activate. If a sour flavor is desired in a recipe, baking soda is omitted in favor of a different leavener. Here, we are using baking powder and soda together as we need more leavening than we have acid available in the recipe.
• Sea Salt: Salt is a known flavor enhancer and baked goods are no exception. This is especially true where flour and butter are concerned. In addition to amplifying flavor, salt works to strengthen doughs/batters and provide texture.
• Poppy Seeds: Poppy seeds are a type of "oil-seed" obtained from the opium poppy. Once harvested and dried, they are sold in shops around the world. In baking they provide a rich, nutty flavor, crunchy texture and beautiful aroma.

Wet Ingredients

• Sugar: Granulated sugar is great for baking because the bond that it forms with water/liquid has a moisture-locking effect. This gives us incredible texture and moistness in our baked goods. Where we rely on sugar to give delicious sweetness to our cake, it also brings out the lemon flavor, giving it the level of prominence we desire.
• Lemon Zest: Using citrus zest in recipes is a great way to strengthen the flavor of whatever kind of fruit you are using. When you add lemon zest to a recipe, you are including the natural oils that exist within the fruit straight into your dessert without having to turn to artificial flavoring. Here we will be rubbing the zest into the granulated sugar to further infuse the oils.
• Non-Dairy Yogurt: Non-dairy yogurts resemble typical dairy yogurts in every way. The major exception is that they are made from dairy-free sources. These can include nuts, coconuts, rice and oats. These yogurts contain live-active cultures, also known as probiotics. In vegan baking, non-dairy yogurt can also act as an egg replacement as it aids in binding and leavening. Be sure to purchase unsweetened non-dairy yogurts for baking so that you are able to control the sugar levels in your desserts.
• Canola Oil: Canola oil is a neutral or "flavorless" vegetable oil that doesn't conflict with the flavor of your baked goods. It delivers a nice moistness to any dessert recipe.
• Non-Dairy Milk: Non-dairy milks resemble traditional dairy milks except they are derived from alternative sources such as nuts, coconuts, rice, oats, etc. Any will do here. Unflavored and unsweetened are ideal but use what you have available. 
• Lemon Juice: Freshly-squeezed juice is best here! Seeing as most baked goods are made up of processed sugar and flour, the more fresh ingredients you can bring in the better the end result!
• Vanilla Extract: Vanilla extract will add a beautiful dimension and flavor profile to our cake. It chemically adds more flavor without covering up the lemon we would still like to shine through.

Tips for Making Vegan Lemon Poppy Seed Cake

1. The frosting for this cake is best prepared the night before. This will allow it to firm up in the fridge overnight AND will allow the lemon flavor to better infuse with the cream cheese.
2. Unfortunately, the cake batter cannot be prepared in advance. If you would like to bake the cake ahead of time, you can freeze it unfrosted in an airtight container until you are ready to thaw it.
3. When purchasing (or picking) your lemons, aim to choose ones that have a little bit of give when you squeeze them. This typically indicates ripeness and juiciness. Roll your lemons on the counter a few times prior to squeezing to ensure you get the most amount of juice you can.

Please remember if you make this recipe to snap a pic and share with @censoredbaker on instagram!

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Looking for more cake recipes?

• Vegan Banana Upside Down Cake
• Vegan Carrot Cake
• Vegan Kahlúa Cake