Vegan Lemon Chamomile Tea Cake
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This is a light and dreamy dairy free lemon cake. The Vegan Lemon Chamomile Tea Cake has a subtle floral taste with notes of apple and a resemblance of sweet honey. This cake will impress anyone, even if they aren’t vegan!
If you are looking for more vegan cake recipes, make sure to check out some of my other favorites like Vegan Strawberry Carrot Cake, Vegan Chocolate Birthday Cake, or Easy Vegan Vanilla Layer Cake.
Table of Contents
This vegan lemon cake is light and fluffy but made without dairy or eggs. I use a mix of coconut oil, coconut milk, and canola oil for in this dairy free lemon cake.
I frost this cake naked style for a simple yet elegant cake that is incredibly easy to execute. That’s what I love about naked cakes, they’re so easy but they look stunning. This decorating style fits this vegan lemon cake so well.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Light & Sweet: This dairy free lemon cake is light and sweet. The addition of chamomile adds subtle floral notes that complement the lemon frosting.
Naturally Colored: I use natural food dye in this cake, so it has a beautiful pastel hue without any artificial colors. I used India Tree Nature’s Colors Food Dye in the frosting, but this is totally optional.
Easy AF: This cake is incredibly easy to make. This Vegan Lemon Chamomile Tea Cake may seem fancy, but it’s so easy.
Simple Design: I love this style of naked cake because they are very simple to make but they look so pretty!
Ingredients
Coconut Oil: Organic coconut oil is the base of this cake. It can be solid or melted for this recipe, either way is fine as the hot tea will melt it when it’s mixed anyway.
Cane Sugar: One of my favorites is Wholesome and it’s what I used in this recipe.
Coconut Milk: I use Jiva Organic Coconut Milk.
Vanilla Extract: My favorite is Simply Organic.
Canola Oil: I use organic canola oil in the cake, but you could also use avocado oil or extra virgin olive oil.
Pastry Flour: I use organic whole wheat pastry flour in this cake. You can also use cake flour as well.
Baking Powder: I use aluminum free baking powder from Frontier Co-Op.
Fine Sea Salt: I love Frontier Co-Op for baking.
Chamomile Tea: I use organic chamomile tea in this cake.
Vegetable Shortening: I use organic Vegetable Shortening for the frosting. This works really well and resembles buttercream so well!
Powdered Sugar: I use Wholesome powdered sugar, always be sure to sift it.
Lemon Flavor: I use Frontier Co-Op Organic Lemon Flavor.
Yellow Dye: I use India Tree Nature’s Colors Yellow Food Dye so this cake is free of artificial colors.
Tools Needed
6-inch Cake Pan (use code MIMIBAKES for 10% off Kana, my favorite sustainable cake pans!)
Parchment Paper (use code MIMIBAKES for 10% off Kana, my favorite non toxic parchment paper!)
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Step by Step Instructions
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line three 6-inch cake pans with parchment paper.
Step 2
Bring ¾ cup of water to a boil, and steep 1 chamomile tea bag for 15 minutes.
Measure out ¼ cup of the hot brewed tea and set aside. (Feel free to sip on the rest while you bake).
Step 3
In a medium bowl, empty the contents of the 2 remaining chamomile tea bags. Add the cake flour, baking powder, and sea salt and whisk together. Set aside.
Step 4
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the coconut oil, cane sugar, and vanilla extract. Add the coconut milk, canola oil, and ¼ cup of hot tea and mix on low until combined.
With the mixer on low, slowly add the flour to the sugar mixture. Continue to mix on low until incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Divide batter evenly into each cake pan.
Step 5
Bake for 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely in the cake pans. (If you’re baking at high altitude, be sure to check the notes at the bottom of the recipe for high altitude baking instructions).
Step 6
To make the frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the shortening, powdered sugar, water, and lemon flavor. Mix on low until combined and then speed mixer up to high for 1 to 3 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add in the yellow dye and mix again, scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix to combine the dye completely. Transfer to a piping bag with Ateco tip #846.
Step 7
To assemble the cake: Starting at the outside of the cake, pipe a circle of frosting and spiral into the middle of the cake. Place the second cake layer on top and repeat that process. Then top with the third layer. Pipe roses on top of the cake, starting around the outside of the cake in a circle and then fill in the middle with one rose. (Watch the video for step by step).
Baker’s Tips
- You can use avocado oil or extra virgin olive oil in place of canola oil.
- Feel free to use your favorite vegan butter in place of shortening if you prefer.
- You can make this cake bigger by doubling the recipe and using 8-inch or even 9-inch cake pans.
- You don’t have to frost this naked style if you’d prefer or frost the whole cake, you can!
- I add roses on top, but you can also just spiral the frosting on top as well.
FAQ’s
Yes, you can double the recipe and make it in either 8-inch or 9-inch cake pans instead. You may need to bake the bigger cakes a bit longer.
You can use 2 teaspoons of lemon juice and the zest of one lemon instead. It will have a little different flavor, it will be more tart than sweet.
Because this cake is frosted naked, it needs to be stored under a cake dome to stay fresh or made ahead of time. After you cut it, you can store extra in an airtight container as well.
Craving More?
Veagn Lemon Chamomile Tea Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
Batter
- 3 bags chamomile tea
- 113 grams coconut oil
- 226 grams cane sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 6 tablespoons canola oil
- 354 grams pastry flour
- 1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
Frosting
- 226 grams vegetable shortening
- 454 grams powdered sugar (sifted)
- 3 to 4 tablespoons water
- 1 teaspoon lemon flavor
- 3 drops India Tree Nature’s Colors Yellow Food Dye
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line three 6-inch cake pans with parchment paper.
- Bring ¾ cup of water to a boil, and steep 1 chamomile tea bag for 15 minutes.
- Measure out ¼ cup of the hot brewed tea and set aside. (Feel free to sip on the rest while you bake).
- In a medium bowl, empty the contents of the 2 remaining chamomile tea bags. Add the cake flour, baking powder, and sea salt and whisk together. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the coconut oil, cane sugar, and vanilla extract. Add the coconut milk, canola oil, and ¼ cup of hot tea and mix on low until combined.
- With the mixer on low, slowly add the flour to the sugar mixture. Continue to mix on low until incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Divide batter evenly into each cake pan.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely in the cake pans.
- To make the frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the shortening, powdered sugar, water, and lemon flavor. Mix on low until combined and then speed mixer up to high for 1 to 3 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add in the yellow dye and mix again, scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix to combine the dye completely. Transfer to a piping bag with Ateco tip #846.
- To assemble the cake: Starting at the outside of the cake, pipe a circle of frosting and spiral into the middle of the cake. Place the second cake layer on top and repeat that process. Then top with the third layer. Pipe roses on top of the cake, starting around the outside of the cake in a circle and then fill in the middle with one rose.
- Store a cake dome for up to 3 days.
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