A deliciously tangy treat – this vegan lemon loaf is so tasty and tart without being too sweet. The perfect pick me up on cold, grim days.
I’m taking a break today from my usual chocolatey desserts to share something fruity for a change. It’s been so gloomy and dull in the UK the past few days that I’ve felt like I needed something to brighten up the day and my mood. Lemon desserts always have that effect on me, so I had to make one today.
Loaf cakes are probably my favourite type of cake. They’re so dense, moist and satisfying. I’m not a big fan of cakes with cream or frosting, and loaf cakes don’t usually come with either. I feel the cake/frosting dilutes the flavour too much so you don’t actually get to appreciate the taste of the cake itself.
I made this vegan lemon loaf using healthier ingredients like spelt flour and ground almonds instead of flour. I used maple syrup to sweeten, but it’s not overly sweet. I also topped it with a simple icing, but you can omit if you want to make it healthier/lower in sugar. The loaf tastes delicious without it, – I mainly add it for decoration to make the cake look pretty for photography purposes.
Vegan Lemon Loaf
Serves – 8-10
Ingredients
160g (1 cup) spelt flour
50g (1/2 cup) ground almonds
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
120ml lemon juice (1/2 cup or around 3 lemons)
Zest of 2 lemons
2 flax eggs (2 tbsp milled flaxseed + 5 tbsp hot water)
120ml (1/2 cup) maple syrup
60ml (1/4 cup) coconut oil, melted
For the drizzle
50g icing sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice
Zest of 1/2 lemon
Method
Preheat your oven to 180C/160C fan.
Prepare the flax eggs by mixing 2 tbsp ground flaxseed with 5 tbsp of water in a small bowl. Leave for 10-15 minutes to set.
In a large bowl, mix together the flour, ground almonds, salt and baking powder. Pour in the lemon juice, maple syrup and coconut oil, then fold in the set flax eggs and lemon zest.
Mix the batter, then pour into a loaf tin lined with baking paper (I used a 22×12 cm loaf tin).
Bake for 45-50 minutes until the top is golden brown and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool completely before icing.
Mix the icing sugar and lemon juice in a small bowl, then pour over the top of the load and spread evenly with a spatula to cover the top.
Enjoy!
Store in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
