Vegan Recipe: Lemon and Poppy Seed Cake

Practice your vegan baking skills with this recipe for lemon and poppy seed cake from Vegan Goodness by Jessica Prescott.

Makes 1 x 28 cm (11 in) loaf cake

Shopping list

• 3 organic lemons (you’re using zest in the cake so best to use organic if possible)
• 175 g/6 oz/¾ cup granulated (raw) brown sugar (demerara)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
• 1 tsp vanilla powder or natural
• Vanilla extract
• ½ tsp sea salt
• 6 tbsp poppy seeds
• 250 ml/8½ fl oz/1 cup coconut milk
• 50 ml/2 fl oz/¼ cup coconut oil, melted
• 310 g/11 oz/2½ cups plain (all-purpose) flour

You need to…

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/Gas 4).
2. Finely grate the lemons to remove the zest and then juice them. Place the lemon zest, sugar, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, vanilla, salt and 3 tablespoons of the poppy seeds in a large bowl and stir with a fork to combine.
3. Measure the lemon juice in a measuring jug. You should have 100–150 ml (3½–5 fl oz/about ½ cup) of juice. Add enough coconut milk to bring the liquid up to 350 ml (12 fl oz/1½ cups). Add the coconut oil to the cup. You should now have 400 ml (13 fl oz/1¾ cups) of liquid.
4. Pour the liquid into the large bowl with the other ingredients and whisk to combine. The combination of bicarbonate of soda and the citrus juices will have a foaming effect that gives the cake its airy lightness. Add the flour to the bowl and whisk until the mixture is smooth.
5. Pour the mixture into a 28 cm (11 in) loaf tin lined with baking parchment and sprinkle a thick layer of the remaining poppy seeds over the top.
6. Bake for 45 minutes or until an inserted skewer comes out clean.

TOP TIP

• You can use any citrus fruit in place of the lemons, such as 2 oranges or 4 limes, or a mixture of all three.

Per 100g:

313kcal | 12.2g fat | 9.2g saturates | 19.6g sugars | 0.8g salt | 4.5g protein.

Recipe and image from Vegan Goodness by Jessica Prescott (Hardie Grant, RRP £15)