This Vegan lemon loaf with streusel is so fluffy, zingy, and delicious! topped with lemon streusel and jam-packed with plumed rum-soaked raisins, hiding like little gems inside rich yeast cake.
Spring is in full swing! With fresh breezes and vibrant colors waking up the world, it’s the perfect time to indulge in something delightful. This Vegan Lemon loaf cake captures the essence of the season perfectly! So if you’re looking for a fresh and bright cake to serve after your dinner or party look no further than this delicious vegan lemon loaf streusel-topped, raisins-packed cake! – now this was a mouthful. It’s light, tangy, and perfect for celebrating the season.
The Magic Behind This Vegan Lemon Loaf Recipe
The idea for this recipe came to me one lazy weekend at home. I looked at the pile of leftover lemons in my basket and remembered my childhood. In my house, we often had yeast cakes and loaves on the table. They had a comforting smell and tasted delicious. My mum often packed with seasonal fruits that we grew in our garden or just had lemon zest, these baked goods were always a part of our weekend bakes. And the streusel topping – It was always the best part! Crumbly, sweet, and buttery addition that made every slice taste even better. YUM. You will love an extra addition of delicious raisins that were soaked in orange juice with just a touch of rum.
Satisfy Your Taste Buds with Vegan Lemon Loaf
If you are like me and you’ve been vegan for a while or simply looking to try something new, this delicious vegan lemon loaf cake will definitely satisfy your taste buds. This loaf is great fresh, right after baking, but also after a few days. Perfect for sweet toast. Add aromatic coffee, delicious tea, or a cup of warm milk or cocoa, and have the best sweet treat!
Key ingredients:
Here’s what makes this vegan lemon loaf so special:
All-purpose flour: It provides a light structure to the dough. You can substitute with a 1-to-1 gluten-free flour blend for a gluten-free version of this recipe.
Granulated sugar: Coconut sugar or maple sugar can be used as alternatives. However, substituting granulated sugar with alternatives like coconut sugar or maple sugar may slightly alter the flavor and texture of the cake.
Instant yeast: Active dry yeast can be used instead, but it will need to be activated in warm almond milk before adding to the dough.
Unsweetened almond milk: Any non-dairy milk, such as soy or oat milk, can be used as a substitute, and it shouldn’t affect the cake in any way.
Vegan butter: Adds beautiful richness and flavour to both the dough and the streusel topping. Coconut oil or margarine can be used as alternatives. Swapping vegan butter with alternatives like coconut oil or margarine, however, may slightly change the flavour and texture of the cake. Keep in mind that coconut oil might give a hint of coconut flavour to the cake.
Aquafaba: You can use flaxseed or chia seed gel as an egg replacer.
Lemons: If fresh lemons are unavailable, you can use bottled lemon juice, and adjust the quantity to taste but when you substitute the fresh lemon you will miss out on the extra citrus flavour from the zest.
Raisins – I love sweet dark Greek raisins but you can use any available raisins. You can also omit soaking them and just spread them plain… but I would encourage you to follow the recipe as it is.
Orange juice and rum – this is a delicious addition to the cake and even though there is only 1 tablespoon of the rum in here it adds a delicious depth of flavour to the raisins.
Helpful tips for the perfect easy vegan lemon loaf cake
Knead the dough long enough: It’s important to knead the dough enough because it helps make the bread rise properly and gives it a good texture.
Make sure you read on the package which yeast you are using – it determines the appropriate method of preparation and rising times for the recipe.
| Type of Yeast | Characteristics | Handling |
|---|---|---|
| Active Dry Yeast | It can be mixed directly with dry ingredients without proofing. | Requires proofing (dissolving in warm water with sugar) before adding to dry ingredients. |
| Instant Yeast | Fine granules, can be added directly to dry ingredients | Needs to be crumbled or dissolved in liquid before adding to the dough mixture. |
| Rapid Rise Yeast | Similar to instant yeast, but rises faster | Needs to be crumbled or dissolved in liquid before adding to the dough mixture. |
| Fresh Yeast | Soft, moist consistency | Needs to be crumbled or dissolved in liquid before adding to dough mixture. |
Note* -Fresh yeast has a shorter shelf life compared to dry yeast and requires special handling due to its perishable nature.
Let it cool completely before cutting – When you cut into any hot yeast cake, it might get gummy because the inside is still too soft. Letting it cool first helps it firm up, so it stays nice and fluffy when you slice it.
INSTRUCTIONS:
Step 1: Prepare the Dough
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, instant yeast, and salt.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the warmed almond milk, melted vegan butter, aquafaba, lemon zest, and vanilla extract.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until a dough forms.
Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface until it becomes smooth and elastic.
Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover with a clean towel, and let it rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1-2 hours. DO NOT rush this, let it really double in size.
Step 2: Get your raisins ready
In a small bowl put your raisins, and orange juice and add the rum. Let them soak.
Step 3: Prepare the Streusel Topping
In another bowl, combine the flour, granulated sugar, and vegan butter, and mix till you get nice big crumbs.
Step 4: Assemble the cake
Drain the soaked raisins
Once the dough has risen, punch it down and roll it out into a large rectangle on a floured surface. Sprinkle the soaked raisins on the dough evenly.
Roll the dough tightly from one long side to the other to form a log.
Sprinkle the streusel topping over the babka, pressing it gently into the dough.
Step 5: Bake
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
Cover the babka loosely with foil and let it rise for another 30 minutes
Remove the foil and bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through.
Allow the babka to cool slightly before slicing and serving.
Troubleshooting:
Why my lemon loaf did not rise?
If your loaf cake doesn’t rise as it should, it might be because the yeast is old, you didn’t measure the ingredients correctly, or you didn’t let the dough rise for long enough.
How do I check if my yeast is still good?
You can check by mixing it with warm water and a bit of sugar. If it bubbles and becomes foamy after a few minutes, it’s active and ready to use. If it doesn’t react, it may be expired and should be replaced.
Can I substitute aquafaba?
I haven’t tried this without aquafaba as It adds fluffy texture and structure to the loaf but you could try egg replacer, or mashed banana.
Can I make adjustments to the recipe for high-altitude baking?
For high-altitude baking, you may need to make adjustments to the recipe. Reduce the leavening agents slightly, increase the liquid content, adjust the baking temperature slightly higher, decrease the amount of sugar, and be prepared to extend the baking time as needed.
Other recipes you might like:
If you try this recipe for a Lemon loaf with streusel, feel free to leave me a comment and a star rating. And if you share a photo of your healthy and delicious soup on Instagram please tag me at @_pronounced_and use hashtag #pronounced as I LOVE seeing your remakes! HAPPY COOKING ????️!
Vegan lemon loaf with streusel
Ingredients
Dough
- 2 cups plain flour
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 tbsp instant yeast
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ cup plant milk
- ¼ cup vegan butter
- ¼ cup aquafaba
- zest of 2 lemons
- ½ tsp akmond extract
Filling
- ½ cup orange juice
- ½ cup raisins
- 1 tbsp white rum
Struesel
- ¼ cup flour
- 3 tblsp sugar
- 140 gram plant based butter
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, yeast, and salt. Mix well until evenly combined.
- Warm the almond milk until it's just slightly warm to the touch. In a separate bowl, melt the vegan butter.
- Add the warmed almond milk, melted vegan butter, aquafaba, lemon zest, and vanilla extract to the dry ingredients. Mix until a dough forms.
- Once the dough comes together, knead it on a lightly floured surface for about 5-7 minutes, or until it becomes smooth and elastic.
- Place the kneaded dough in a greased bowl, cover it with a clean kitchen towel, and let it rise in a warm place until doubled in size, typically about 1-2 hours.
- While the dough is rising, prepare the filling. In a small bowl, mix together the risins, orange juice and rum.
- Once the dough has doubled in size, punch it down to release the air. Roll it out into a rectangle on a lightly floured surface.
- Drain your soaked raisins.
- Spread the preparedraisins evenly over the rolled-out dough.
- Starting from one of the longer sides, tightly roll up the dough into a log, then carefully transfer the twisted dough into a greased loaf pan.Cover the pan with a clean kitchen towel and let the dough rise again for another 30-45 minutes, or until slightly puffy.
- While the dough is rising, prepare the streusel topping. In a small bowl, combine the flour, sugar, vegan butter, until crumbly. I like mine big and chunky.
- Preheat your oven to 175℃.
- Once the dough has risen, sprinkle the streusel topping evenly over the top.
- Bake the loaf for the recommended time, or until golden brown and cooked through.
- Allow the loaf to cool in the pan for a few minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Serve your slice with a delicious cuppa!
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