Vegan Lemon Poppy Seed Blueberry Cake

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cup non-dairy milk (360 ml)
• 1/2 cup lemon juice (120 ml)
• 2 tbsp lemon zest
• 3 cups all-purpose flour (360 g or gluten-free flour*)
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda (or 1 tsp more baking powder)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup sugar (200 g)
• 1/2 cup neutral oil (120 ml)
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 tbsp poppy seeds
• 14 oz blueberries (frozen or fresh (400 g))
• 1/2 cup sugar (or to taste (100 g))
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1 cup vegan butter (softened (225 g))
• 8 oz vegan cream cheese (softened (225 g))
• 2 cups powdered sugar (240 g)
• a squeeze of lemon juice

Instructions

1. 1

   --- Vegan Lemon Poppyseed Cake ---

2. 2

   Preheat the oven to 355 ˚F (180 ˚C). Grease the sides of two 8 inch (20 cm) springform pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper.

3. 3

   Pour the non-dairy milk and lemon juice into a bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside for 5 minutes to curdle until it becomes vegan buttermilk.

4. 4

   Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt in a large bowl.

5. 5

   Add the vegan buttermilk, oil, vanilla extract, lemon zest, and poppy seeds. Stir with a spatula or whisk until just combined (please do not over-mix, or your cake will become dense).

6. 6

   Divide the batter into the prepared pans and bake for about 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cakes comes out clean.

7. 7

   Allow to cool for 10-15 minutes in the pan, then remove onto a wire rack to cool completely.

8. 8

   --- Blueberry Filling ---

9. 9

   In a saucepan, combine blueberries, sugar, and lemon juice. Bring it to a simmer and cook over medium heat until the blueberries are soft and the sauce has thickened, about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.

10. 10

    Allow to cool completely in the refrigerator while it thickens even more (if you still find the filling too watery, you can also thicken it with a bit of cornstarch).

11. 11

    --- Lemon Frosting ---

12. 12

    In a large mixing bowl, mix the vegan butter with a handheld mixer until creamy. Then add the vegan cream cheese and mix again. Lastly, sift in powdered sugar and a squeeze of lemon juice and mix again until creamy and well combined. If it’s too firm and not spreadable, stir in more lemon juice. If it is too soft, add more powdered sugar.

13. 13

    --- Assembling the Cake ---

14. 14

    Cut each cake horizontally in two equal layers. Place one cake layer on a serving plate. Spread about ¼ of the lemon frosting over the cake. Then spread ⅓ of the blueberry over it.

15. 15

    Top with the next cake layer, spread over another ¼ of the frosting, followed by another ⅓ of blueberry filling, and repeat this process for the third layer. Then place the fourth layer on top and spread the remaining lemon frosting all over the cake.

16. 16

    Chill for at least 2 hours in the fridge (or overnight) before decorating and serving.

17. 17

    Enjoy!