Vegan Blueberry Lemon Cake with Lemon Curd Filling (Gluten Free option)
This cake is bursting with juicy blueberries, slathered with a creamy vanilla buttercream frosting, and hidden between each layer is a rich and tart lemon curd filling. Oh and undetectably vegan and optionally gluten free! What could be better?!
Ingredients
Lemon Curd Ingredients
- 2 cups coconut milk or cream
- 2 cups granulated sugar *if you want a sugar free option, this links to my favorite sweetener, you can substitute it 1:1 in place of regular granulated sugar
- 3 tbsp vegan butter *optional, notes in recipe steps
- 4-6 tbsp cornstarch *notes in recipe steps
- 1 cup lemon juice
- 4 lemons' worth of zest
- ¼ tsp turmeric *optional, just adds more yellow color
- ¼ tsp salt
Cake Ingredients
- 3½ cups gluten free flour can sub all-purpose if desired. This links to my favorite store bought gluten free flour blend that works best with all of my recipes, or see "Ingredients Needed" section for further info.
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 3¾ tsp baking powder
- 1½ tsp salt
- 1¾ cups + 2 tbsp non-dairy milk
- ¾ cup + 1½ tbsp neutral oil
- 1½ tsbp vanilla extract
- 3 lemons' worth of zest
- heaping 1½ cups of blueberries
Buttercream Frosting Ingredients
- 2 cups vegan butter *cold, straight from the fridge
- 6½ - 7 cups powdered sugar *if you want a sugar free option, this links to my favorite powdered sweetener, you can substitute it 1:1 in place of regular powdered sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Lemon Curd: This is the first component we will make, and you can either do it a day in advance to let it sit overnight, or begin making it at least 3 hours before you want to put the cake together. Note this amount makes for a LOT of lemon curd. If you are doing anything smaller than a 3-layer cake, I’d suggest cutting this recipe in half. At this amount you will be able to add an incredibly thick layer of curd like you see in these photos, have leftover to decorate the top of the cake, and even have more to spare. Add all the ingredients in the Lemon Curd section into a small pot or saucepan. The vegan butter is optional - it makes the taste much more rich and delicious, but if you leave it out that’s okay too. If you are leaving it out, you should use 4 tbsp of cornstarch. If you are using the vegan butter, you should use 6 tbsp of cornstarch. Turn the stove to medium heat and whisk everything together fully. Keep mixing it for about 15 minutes as it heats up and thickens, then remove from heat and pour immediately into a large heat proof bowl. Let it cool at room temperature for 20-30 minutes, then move to the fridge. It will take about 2 hours to fully cool, you will notice it becomes a lighter color and thickens considerably.
- Cake Layers: Next up we will make the layers of cake. I will note again – the amount here is for a 3-layer cake. If you want more layers or fewer layers, make sure to adjust your amounts accordingly. Start by pre-heating the oven to 350°F and greasing 3 8-inch cake tins and lining with parchment rounds. Add the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl and mix together. Then add in the non-dairy milk, neutral oil, and vanilla extract, then fully mix using a large spoon or spatula until it is just combined. Finally add in lemon zest and blueberries – note again if you are using frozen blueberries do NOT thaw before adding to the batter! – and fold throughout gently.
- Pour the batter evenly into the cake tins – I like to weigh each one to make sure the layers will come out the same size. Put into the oven for 30-35 minutes, testing for doneness by sticking a toothpick into the center of the cakes and making sure it comes out with just crumbs and not wet batter. Remove the cakes from the oven and let cool in the pans for about 15-20 minutes before moving to cooling racks. I like to then put the layers directly into the fridge to cool completely, as I find it’s easier to frost the cake when it is cold.
- Buttercream Frosting: the final step once you are just a few minutes away from putting your cake together is making the frosting. Take the vegan butter directly from the fridge so it is cold and solid, and put into a large mixing bowl. Use either a hand mixer or a fancier mixer to beat the butter until it is soft and fluffy, then add in the vanilla extract and add the powdered sugar one cup at a time, mixing and scraping down the sides of the bowl as you go. Get it to your desired consistency – if it gets too hard, add a few drops of non-dairy milk. If it’s too soft, keep adding powdered sugar.
- Once all the elements are ready, it’s time to build the cake! The first step here is adding frosting to the tops of two of the three layers, then piping a ring of frosting around the top of the cake, which will act as a wall to keep the lemon curd from oozing out of the sides. There are photos of this earlier in this post. Put each back into the fridge for a few minutes to let the frosting harden a bit, then scoop as much lemon curd as you want onto the top of each layer and smooth with a spatula. Don’t let the curd come higher than the frosting ring. If you have the time I like to put each layer back into the fridge then to let it set for a few minutes.
- Once those layers are ready, gently put one on top of the other, then put the final layer on top of those. Finish frosting the top and sides of the cake, and then you can use extra blueberries, lemon curd, lemon zest or slices, or more frosting to decorate.
- Eat and enjoy!
Notes
NUTRITION INFO
Total amount: 24 slices
Serving size: 1 slice
*Note - I account for 24 slices here since this cake is BIG. Also I break down the specific numbers for the cake slices, the curd, and the frosting. I do this since you will likely eat all the cake, but NOT use the entire amounts of frosting or curd. Per serving amounts - CAKE LAYERS:- Calories - 215
- Grams of fat - 8.2
- Grams of carbs - 33.3
- Grams of protein - 2.6
- Calories - 117
- Grams of fat - 4.1
- Grams of carbs - 19.7
- Grams of protein - 0.3
- Calories - 278
- Grams of fat - 14.7
- Grams of carbs - 37.3
- Grams of protein - 0
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!