These vegan lemon cupcakes are so simple to make from scratch. With a lemon cake, topped with a vegan lemon buttercream frosting, these cupcakes are bursting with bright citrus flavor!
Today I’m bringing to you a bright citrus cupcake! These vegan lemon cupcakes are similar to my vegan eggless orange cake. If you have a sweet tooth, you need to try these chocolate vegan cupcakes and my vegan carrot cake cupcakes. If you’re looking for something healthier, try these plant-based desserts!
These also make for an excellent recipe to share at a Mother’s Day brunch, potluck, school event, or Easter!
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💗 Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Bursting with natural lemon citrus flavor.
- Moist and fluffy crumb.
- Vegan and Dairy-Free
- Bright and sunny!
- Gluten-Free option
🥣 Ingredients and Notes
Scroll to the bottom of the post to the recipe card for complete measurements for each ingredient.
Vegan Lemon Cupcakes
All-Purpose Flour: I used all-purpose flour for this recipe, although you could substitute white whole wheat flour the cupcakes may turn out a bit denser.
Soy Milk and Apple Cider Vinegar: The combination of soy milk and apple cider vinegar creates vegan buttermilk that gives these cupcakes a tang! You can also use almond milk in place of soy milk.
Baking Powder and Baking Soda: Both baking powder and baking soda help to leaven these vegan cupcakes.
Organic Cane Sugar: I usually use coconut sugar in my baked goods, but when you’re making lemon cupcakes you want them to have a light and bright cake crumb, and coconut sugar gives these cupcakes a brown undertone.
Coconut Oil: Melt your coconut oil if it comes in a solid form. You could also use olive oil in place of coconut oil.
Vanilla Extract: The added vanilla extract gives helps to enhance the lemon flavor.
Lemon Juice and Zest: You’ll need one whole lemon. You’ll use the zest of one lemon, plus the juice of one lemon for the cake.
Vegan Lemon Buttercream Frosting
Vegan Butter: My favorite butter to use for vegan buttercream is Earth Balance. Make sure that it is soft and at room temperature.
Organic Powdered Sugar: Use organic powdered sugar to be sure that it is vegan. You’ll need about 3 to 3 ½ cups.
Lemon Juice and Lemon Zest: You need the zest of one lemon, plus about two tablespoons of lemon juice.
Lemon Extract (optional): If you’d like a touch of extra lemon flavor, add a half teaspoon of lemon extract.
📋 Step by Step Instructions
The first thing you need to do is add apple cider vinegar to the soy milk. Whisk together with a fork, and set aside for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl, or bowl of a stand mixer.
Next, you’ll combine the wet ingredients. In a medium-size mixing bowl, add the curdled soy milk, sugar, coconut oil, vanilla extract, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Make sure that your coconut oil is melted if it was in solid form. If you choose to use the lemon extract, add it in at this time.
Whisk together until sugar dissolves into the rest of the ingredients.
Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the flour. Using a spatula fold together until just combined. It’s okay if the batter is a bit lumpy. You don’t want to over mix the batter.
Line your muffin/cupcake tin with cupcake liners. I like to use parchment liners because they easily pull away from the cupcakes. Fill each muffin cup ¾ of the way full, about a ¼ cup of batter.
Bake in the oven for 13-15 minutes at 350 F. When a toothpick inserted through the center comes out clean, they are done.
Remove cupcakes from the oven. Allow the cupcakes to cool in the baking tin for 10 minutes, before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Vegan Lemon Buttercream Frosting Instructions
While the cupcakes are cooling, make the vegan buttercream frosting.
Add the room temperature butter to a large bowl. Using a hand or stand mixer, cream the butter for about 1 minute or until butter is creamy and fluffy.
Add the lemon zest and vanilla extract. Cream together until combined.
Add the powdered sugar a half cup at a time, creaming together at high speed until all the sugar is incorporated. Continue to add a half cup of the powdered sugar until a thick frosting forms.
You will need anywhere between 2 ½-3 cups of powdered sugar. Keep an eye on the frosting as you are blending.
Add 1-2 tablespoons of lemon juice. Cream together until all ingredients are combined and the frosting is light and fluffy.
Place the frosting in a piping bag. Be sure cupcakes are completely cool, then frost each cupcake.
Add a touch of lemon zest on top of each cupcake. Enjoy!
❓FAQS
A combination of lemon zest and lemon juice gives these cupcakes a bright lemon flavor. I didn’t add additional lemon extract, however, you could add a teaspoon of lemon extract to enhance the lemon flavor.
If you leave your frosting to sit out and become room temperature it will be harder to pipe with and have a difficult time coming out of the piping bags.
Instead, refrigerate your frosting until you’re ready to use it and it will be easier to pipe.
Yes, you can make these ahead of time. I recommend waiting to frost them until you’re ready to serve them. Refrigerate the frosting until then.
If you prefer a different frosting with these cupcakes, feel free to use a vegan vanilla buttercream, or vegan cream cheese frosting.
You can also use different toppings. I served these cupcakes with a touch of lemon zest. Other beautiful toppings include a wedge of lemon, or yellow sprinkles.
👩🍳 Serving Suggestions
These delicious vegan lemon cupcakes are so versatile and are perfect to serve on multiple occasions.
Easter: Prepare these cupcakes as an Easter treat! I have dusted these cupcakes with coconut and added pastel-colored Jordan almonds to resemble a nest with eggs.
Mother’s Day: Serve these cupcakes topped with a wedge of lemon for a Mother’s Day brunch.
Summer Potluck: These cupcakes are great to bring to a summer picnic or potluck! They are dairy-free, vegan, and nut-free making them suitable for most every guest!
❄️ Storage
Store: Place leftover cupcakes in the refrigerator in an airtight container. I like to use a cupcake carrier that keeps them from getting squashed. I prefer to keep these refrigerated since they are topped with vegan lemon buttercream. This keeps the frosting firm.
Keep: The cupcakes will keep at room temperature for about a day. They will keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 days, but I doubt they will last that long!
💭 Expert Tips
- When measuring the flour for the cake, use a spoon to scoop the flour into the measuring cup. Flour can get packed in the bag which causes incorrect measurements.
- For a more intense lemon flavor use a teaspoon of lemon extract in the cupcakes, and a half teaspoon of lemon extract in the frosting.
- Check the cupcakes at 13 minutes. If a toothpick comes out of the center clean, then the cupcakes are done. Be careful not to over bake!
- If you choose, you can sift the flour and other dry ingredients together. I don’t find this necessary, but it does tend to help create a light and fluffy cake texture.
- Make these cupcakes gluten-free by substituting an all purpose 1:1 gluten-free flour blend.
- If you’d like to make these oil-free substitute ⅓ cup of unsweetened applesauce for the coconut oil.
😋 More Vegan Lemon Recipe!
Vegan Lemon Cupcakes
Ingredients
Lemon Cupcakes
- 1 cup soy milk unsweetened original
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup cane sugar organic
- ⅓ cup coconut oil
- 2 tablespoon lemon zest about 1 lemon zested
- ¼ cup lemon juice about 1 lemon juiced
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon lemon extract optional
Vegan Lemon Buttercream Frosting
- 1 stick vegan butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoon lemon zest
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 3 cups powdered sugar organic
Instructions
Vegan Lemon Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Add the apple cider vinegar to the soy milk in a small bowl. Whisk together with a fork, and set aside for 10 minutes.
- Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl.
- In a medium size mixing bowl, add the curdled soy milk, sugar, coconut oil, vanilla extract, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Make sure that your coconut oil is melted if it was in solid form. If you choose to use the lemon extract, add it in at this time. Whisk together until sugar dissolves into the rest of the ingredients.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the flour. Using a spatula fold together until just combined. It's okay of the batter is a bit lumpy. You don't want to over mix the batter.
- Line your muffin/cupcake tin. Fill each muffin cup ¾ of the way full, about a ¼ cup of batter. Bake in the oven for 13-15 minutes at 350 F.
- Remove cupcakes from the oven. Allow to cool in the baking tin for 10 minutes, before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Vegan Lemon Buttercream Frosting
- Add the room temperature butter to a large bowl. Using a hand or stand mixer, cream the butter for about 1 minute or until butter is creamy and fluffy.
- Add the lemon zest, and vanilla extract. Cream together until combined.
- Add the powdered sugar a half cup at a time, creaming together on high speed until all the sugar is incorporated. Continue to add a half cup of the powdered sugar until a thick frosting forms. You will need anywhere between 2 ½-3 cups of powdered sugar. Keep an eye on the frosting as you are blending.
- Add 1-2 tablespoons of lemon juice. Cream together until all ingredients are combined and frosting is light and fluffy.
- Place the frosting in a piping bag. Be sure cupcakes are completely cool, then frost each cupcake. Add a touch of lemon zest on top of each cupcake. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- When measuring the flour for the cake, use a spoon to scoop the flour into the measuring cup. Flour can get packed in the bag which causes incorrect measurements.
- For a more intense lemon flavor use a teaspoon of lemon extract in the cupcakes and a half teaspoon of lemon extract in the frosting.
- Check the cupcakes at 13 minutes. If a toothpick comes out of the center clean, then the cupcakes are done. Be careful not to overbake!
- If you choose, you can sift the flour and other dry ingredients together. I don’t find this necessary, but it does tend to help create a light and fluffy cake texture.
- Make these cupcakes gluten-free by substituting an all-purpose 1:1 gluten-free flour blend.
- If you’d like to make these oil-free substitutes ⅓ cup of unsweetened applesauce for the coconut oil.
- Store cupcakes in the refrigerator.
- They will keep for 3-4 days.
Marlynn
I’m loving lemon desserts right now and these are perfect for Spring! Can’t wait to make them for Easter with some colorful decorations for the kids.
Michelle
Love how moist and fluffy these cupcakes are! They’re definitely gonna be making an appearance at Easter 🙂
Nathan
These look so light and refreshing, my mouth is watering just looking at the pictures! I love anything with lemon. Love that they’re vegan too 🙂
Lisa | Garlic & Zest
I lived in Virginia for 20 years! It’s a beautiful state and the springtime is the best season, IMO. Lemon always reminds me of Spring, so these cupcakes are perfect for right now. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Claudia Lamascolo
Lemon is my husband favorite I am going to surprise this weekend and try these look wonderful!